Coconut Tapioca Dessert

Saku Piak/ Nam Van/ Sago

Makes: 3.5 quarts, about 12-15 servings | Prep Time: 45 mins

Make colorful, exotic coconut tapioca dessert. Popular all over Asia under such names as saku piak (Thai), nam van (Lao), or sago dessert elsewhere. Tapioca pearls and various tropical fruits are drenched in a sweetened coconut cream syrup. Here, it is accented with slivers of jackfruit, young coconut meat, sweetened chickpeas, and glossy pink water chestnut "pomegranate seeds". It tastes as delightful as it looks.

• 1 1/2 cups uncooked small tapioca pearls
• 1 can Choakoh coconut cream (13.5 oz)*
• 1 can jackfruit in syrup (20 oz)**
• 1 can young coconut meat in syrup (15.5 oz)
• 1 jar coconut gel cubes in syrup (17.6 oz)
• 1 jar sweet chickpeas in syrup (12 oz)
• 1 can young coconut juice (17.5 oz)
• 1 tsp pure jasmine extract
• crushed ice

Water Chestnut "Pomegranate Seeds"
(Short on time? Skip this part.)
• 1 can water chestnuts (8 oz), 1/4" diced
• 3/4 cup cold water
• 16 drops red food color
• 1 cup tapioca starch powder

Make Water Chestnut "Pomegranate Seeds": (Short on time? Skip this step.)
Mix red food color into 3/4 cup cold water. Soak diced water chestnuts in solution for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, move to step 2 to prep fruits.

Afterward allotted time, drain water chestnuts of red water solution. Line a mixing bowl with shallow flat bottom with tapioca starch. Coat drained water chestnuts, small batch at a time. Each water chestnut should be singly coated, do not allow to clump. Use a strainer to sift out coated water chestnuts and discard leftover loose tapioca starch powder.

In a small pot, bring to boil 1.5 quarts (6 cups) water. When water boils, turn heat down to medium low. Slowly add coated water chestnuts, stirring constantly to deter them from clumping. As the tapioca starch cooks, it will turn clear, gelatinous, and take on a pink color, forming a glossy "pomegranate seed". Cook for 5 minutes. "Pomegranate seeds" will float to the top.

Strain "pomegranate seeds" of water and run under cold water to bring temperature down. Quickly dump into container of mixed fruits and syrups. Stir all contents.

Drain juice from can of young coconut meat into a large 4-quart capacity container with lid (we're keeping this juice). Julienne the meat into slivers and add to container. Discard syrup from can of jackfruit. Julienne jackfruit meat into slivers and add to container.

Add the following items into container: coconut gel cubes with syrup, sweet chick peas with syrup, young coconut juice, coconut cream, and amyl acetate flavoring essence. Stir to combine all ingredients. Return to water chestnuts in step 1.
Make Tapioca Pearls:
In a large pot, preferably non-stick, bring to boil 2.5 quarts (10 cups) water. When water boils, turn heat down to medium low. Slowly add tapioca pearls to boiling water, scattering loosely. Frequently stir over low heat for 14-15 minutes, until tapioca pearls no longer have hard uncooked centers.

Strain pearls of water and run under cold water to bring temperature down. Quickly dump into container of mixed fruits, syrups, and "pomegranates". Stir all contents of the coconut tapioca dessert.

Close the lid to the container and chill in refrigerator for at least 4-8 hours to allow tapioca pearls and "pomegranate seeds" to soak up and meld with syrup flavors. What once seemed like excess syrup will be soaked up and the coconut tapioca dessert consistency will thicken. When ready, ladle 1 cup of coconut tapioca dessert over crushed ice and serve with a spoon. Enjoy!

Traditionally, coconut tapioca dessert is made with separate coconut cream sauce and simple syrup to be individually adjusted to taste, but for the sake of time and simplicity, we've pre-mixed everything.

Leftovers will keep in the refrigerator for up to a week, but you'll need to add additional liquid to the tapioca as it continues to soak up the syrup. Add fresh or canned coconut juice (coconut water, not coconut milk) to bring it back to life.

*If coconut cream is unavailable, you may use coconut milk instead.

**Feel free to experiment with other Asian canned fruits, such as logans, lychees, palm seeds, or rambutans in syrup. Also try with fresh, ripe, fleshy tropical fruits like mango, papaya, or banana.