Mango Sago

Creamy mango sago dessert with ripe mango, coconut milk and chewy tapioca pearls served cold.

Jump to ingredients | Jump to method

Mango sago is a popular Hong Kong-style dessert. Cooking the sago until nearly translucent, then rinsing it, keeps the pearls pleasantly chewy instead of sticky.

Ingredients

• 100 g small tapioca pearls
• 3 ripe mangoes (peeled and diced)
• 400 ml coconut milk
• 200 ml evaporated milk (or extra coconut milk)
• 50 g sugar (adjust to mango sweetness)
• 1.5 litres water (for boiling sago)
• 1 tbsp lime juice
• 120 g pomelo or grapefruit segments (optional)
• 1 cup ice cubes (for cooling sago)

Step-by-step method

1. Bring 1.5 litres of water to a full boil in a saucepan. Add the tapioca pearls gradually while stirring so they do not stick together.
2. Boil for 10–12 minutes, stirring every minute or two, until the pearls are mostly translucent with only tiny white dots in the centres.
3. Turn off the heat, cover the pan and leave for 8–10 minutes. The remaining white centres should disappear as the pearls finish cooking in the residual heat.
4. Drain the sago through a fine sieve and rinse thoroughly under cold running water. Transfer to a bowl of ice water for 5 minutes, then drain again very well.
5. Blend two-thirds of the mango with the coconut milk, evaporated milk, sugar and lime juice until completely smooth. Taste and adjust the sugar only after blending because ripe mango can be very sweet.
6. Stir the drained sago into the mango mixture, then fold in the remaining diced mango and pomelo if using.
7. Chill for at least 1 hour before serving. If the dessert thickens too much in the refrigerator, loosen it with a splash of cold coconut milk before spooning into bowls or glasses.