Thai Style Tapioca Pudding Food

TROPICAL THAI COCONUT-TAPIOCA PUDDING

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• In a medium bowl, cover tapioca with 1 cup water.
• Let soak for 15 to 20 minutes or until the granules expand slightly. Avoid over-soaking or the tapioca will not be able to hold its shape.
• Pour off excess water.
• In a pot with a lid, combine tapioca, salt, and the remaining 2 cups water. Bring to a boil over high heat.
• Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes. Stir occasionally, adding a little more water if necessary to prevent tapioca from bubbling and "spitting."
• When the tapioca turns soft and a little gooey, turn off the heat and place the lid on tight. Let it sit at least 10 minutes. The residual heat inside the tapioca will finish turning all of the seeds soft and translucent.
• Remove the lid and allow the tapioca to cool on the stovetop.
• Cover it again and refrigerate until it's cold; it will thicken and gel together.
• To serve, scoop about 1/4 cup or more of the cold tapioca per person and place in serving glasses or bowls.
• Pour 1/4 to 1/3 cup coconut milk over each portion and stir to mix. This pudding should be on the runny side and you will have to stir it well to distribute the tapioca.
• Add a little syrup to each portion (about 1 tablespoon or to taste). Each person can add more according to their preferred sweetness.
• Add slices of fresh mango or any tropical fresh fruit, if desired.

THAI TAPIOCA PUDDING

Steps:

• RINSE tapioca in sieve or strainer under cold water 15 to 20 seconds.
• BRING water to boil in small saucepan. Add tapioca; cook 10 to 12 minutes on medium heat until tapioca is translucent, stirring frequently to avoid sticking. Stir in coconut milk, sugar and salt. Reduce heat to low; simmer 5 to 7 minutes or until pudding thickens slightly, stirring frequently.
• LET stand 20 minutes. Serve warm or refrigerate until chilled. Serve with mango slices or lychee, if desired.

CREAMY TAPIOCA PUDDING

Steps:

• In a bowl, soak tapioca in 2 cups of room temperature water overnight.
• Drain water.
• In double boiler, heat milk just until no longer cold.
• Add salt and tapioca.
• Continue heating until small bubbles appear at sides of pan.
• Cover, turn heat to very low and cook for one hour.
• Make sure that milk mixture does not simmer or boil.
• Separate egg whites from yolks.
• Beat egg yolks and sugar toether until light yellow in color.
• Add a little of the hot mixture to the egg yolks and blend thoroughly.
• Then add the egg yolk mixture to the hot milk mixture, stirring constantly.
• Place the double boiler over medium heat and cook until tapioca mixture is very thick, about 15 minutes.
• Beat egg whites until stiff.
• Slowly fold the hot tapioca mixture into the egg whites.
• Stir in vanilla.
• Serve warm or chilled.

THAI TAPIOCA PUDDING

Steps:

• Rinse tapioca in cool tap water. Drain.
• Place in saucepan with 6 cups water.
• Bring to a boil over medium heat and cook 5 minutes, stirring constantly.
• Drain and rinse.
• Combine coconut milk and 2 cups water in a clean saucepan.
• Add tapioca to milk mixture and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly.
• Add sugar and salt, stirring until sugar is dissolved.
• Remove from heat.
• Taste and add more sugar or salt as needed.
• Let mixture sit in saucepan for 30 minutes.
• Pour into dessert glasses and serve warm. Serves 8.
• Variation: Serve chilled with 1/4 cup diced honeydew melon added to each serving.

COCONUT TAPIOCA PUDDING

Steps:

• In a medium saucepan, combine the coconut milk, milk, sugar, tapioca, and salt. Scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean and add them to the saucepan, then drop in the pod. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly with a heatproof spatula to make sure the mixture isn't scorching on the bottom, until the pudding thickens and the tapioca pearls are completely cooked through and translucent, about 20 minutes. Remove from the heat.
• Briskly stir the egg yolks into the pudding, incorporating them quickly. Let cool for about 10 minutes. Remove the vanilla pod (it can be rinsed, dried, and used for another purpose; see page 14).
• In a stand mixer fitted with the whip attachment (or in a bowl by hand), whisk the egg whites on medium speed until they form soft peaks. Fold the whipped egg whites into the pudding, then stir in the vanilla extract.
• The pudding can be served warm or cold. Spoon it into individual serving dishes and top with toasted coconut.
• A simple compote of fresh tropical fruit, such as cubes of banana, mangoes, papayas, and pineapple, tossed in brown sugar, is a perfect accompaniment to the pudding.
• Tapioca pudding will keep for 3 days in the refrigerator.
• Small pearl tapioca can be found in Asian markets along with Thai coconut milk, which is also available in well-stocked supermarkets.