Sunday, March 4, 2012

Taro Tapioca Dessert 香芋西米露



Ingredients:
Taro- 1 medium size
Tapioca-1 cup
Brown Sugar-1 cup
Coconut milk-1 cup

Method:
  1. Peel the skin of the taro and wash it. Dry it with a paper towel.
  2. Prepare a big pot and add 8 cups of water. Chop taro into small 2cm chunks and add them into the pot. Boil them with high heat. When they start to bubble, turn them to low heat. Cook until they are soft. Approximately, it will take about 30 mins to cook.
  3.  While you cook taro, prepare another pot of boiled water. Soak tapioca in cold water for 30seconds and cook them in the boiled water for 20 mins. Or until they become clear with no white dots inside. When they are done, use a net to drain the tapioca.
  4. Add sugar and mix evenly.
  5. Add coconut milk.
  6. Mix them and then turn off the stove so it won't overcook the milk.
  7. Serve. You can serve them cold or hot.

Reminder:
  1. Make sure you chop the taros into the same size, so they will all be cooked at the same time. Use a chopstick to poke the taro. When you can poke through, it means it's done.
  2. Remember to constantly stir tapioca as you cook. Suggest stirring every 5 mins.
  3. When you want to reheat them and serve, remember to warm up with low heat and stir them constantly. Otherwise the bottom will get burned.
  4. How to choose a good taro? The heavier the taro the better. A good way to test is to choose two that are the same size and choose the heavier one. The lighter it is, it means it has been sitting there for a while. Second thing to look out is to choose one that has less holes on the surface.
  5. If you bought a taro that is too big and can’t finish them in one time, you can chop them into chunks and store them with a Ziploc bag in the freezer. The next time when you want to cook, you can just take them out and cook.
  6. The texture of the taro will make our skin itchy if you touch your face or arm. So I’d suggest washing your hands immediately after chopping them.