This Ube Sago is creamy and sweet, with an amazing texture from the tapioca. It is surprisingly easy to make at home. Cooking the tapioca only takes 25 minutes and then it's just a matter of combining everything together.
The first time I made sago was last year and I've been pretty hooked on it since. I've probably made it at least 10 times, and each time I do a different flavor. Some of my favorites have been mango, strawberry, and this Ube one!
The cooking process is the same in all of them. Just cook the tapioca pearls for about 25-ish minutes, then combine them with the other ingredients. It's really one of the easiest desserts you can make.
Key Ingredients
Tapioca pearls
These are what give the sago its unique texture. You want to use the small-sized pearls, which are about the size of caviar or mustard seeds. The larger ones are used for bubble tea.
You want to cook the tapioca pearls so that they're completely translucent and no longer have a white dot in the center. Mine were ready in about 25 minutes. If they're not fully translucent, just continue cooking them for a few more minutes.
Ube Halaya
This is where the bulk of the ube flavor comes from. You might think it's hard to find but I have been seeing it in more and more grocery stores lately. Even my local non-Asian grocery store is carrying it now. This is the jar I have at home:
The important thing is to mix it with a small amount of milk first. It's very thick and sticky so it's hard to mix if you add all the other ingredients at the same time.
Ube Extract
This is essentially purple food coloring with some ube flavor added to it. It's mostly used for its color.
For the longest time, I could not find this in stores, but recently, I found some at a Japanese grocery store in Seattle. I bought 4 bottles (pictured below). If you can't find it in person, you can buy it on Amazon, but it is a bit pricey outside of the United States, like $15 for a small bottle.
Before and after adding ube extract
I decided to add the ube extract last to show the change in color. As you can see from the picture below, almost all the color comes from the extract. If you're cooking this for others, I highly recommend buying a bottle so the ube sago has the right color.
Ube Sago
Ingredients
- ⅔ cup small tapioca pearls
- ⅓ cup ube halaya (add up to ½ a cup if you like it sweeter)
- ½ cup milk
- ¾ cup coconut milk
- ½ teaspoon ube extract
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
For serving
- chopped fruit (strawberries, peaches, mango, etc..)
Instructions
- Bring a medium pot of water to a rolling boil. Add the tapioca pearls and stir it a few times so they don't stick immediately. Lower the heat to medium and let the pearls boil for 25 minutes until they are completely translucent. If there is a white dot in the center of the pearls, continue cooking until they're gone.
- When the tapioca is cooked, drain, rinse under cold water, and soak in a bowl of cold water. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, add the uba halaya. Slowly add the coconut milk and whisk vigorously until combined. Add the rest of the ingredients and stir until smooth.
- Now drain the tapioca and add it to the bowl. You can eat it immediately or refrigerate it for one hour if you like it cold. Optionally add some chopped fruit and enjoy!
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