Name: TARO & TAPIOCA PEARL DESSERT
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 20 min
Yield: 6
Ingredients: 2 cups Taro; 1 can Coconut milk ((14 fl oz 400ml) ); 1/2 cup Sago ((small tapioca pearls)); 2 cup Water; 3/4 cup Sugar

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Sai mai lo (西米露) or taro & tapioca pearl dessert is a classic Cantonese sweet soup. This instant pot taro sago recipe is very simple. It’s only 30 minutes! Enjoy coconut milk taro sago dessert.

Love Chinese dessert soup? Check out these sweet red bean soup, black sesame soup and black glutinous rice dessert recipes.

What is taro sago dessert (椰汁芋頭西米露)?

Taro sago is a type tong sui, Cantonese dessert soup. Also, it often calls sai mai lo (西米露) which means sago soup. This is a classic Chinese dessert often serves in Chinese restaurants after a banquet or dinner.

What is taro?

Colocasia esculenta is a tropical root vegetable plant. The common name is taro. In Hawaiian, it calls kalo.

Beside, it is widely found in tropical regions like southeast Asia and Polynesia. Often taro uses for dessert, sweet filling, stir fry and braised with meat.

What are the ingredients in sai mai lo (西米露)?

The ingredients are coconut milk, sugar, water, and sago (small tapioca pearls). And, in this sago soup recipe, I added taro to make taro coconut milk dessert.

Cooking tips for how to make taro and tapioca pearl dessert:

Peel off taro skin, wash and cut them into cubes.
I used instant pot to cook taro because it is faster. Manual for 4 minutes at high pressure and natural release. If you dice taro very small, I recommend manual for 3 minutes and natural release. Then, drain the water.
I find out the best way to cook small tapioca is boiling them over the stove for 10 minutes. Then, cover the lid and turn off fire for 5-8 minutes. Drain them and rinse with cold water.
Pour coconut milk, water, sugar into instant and put sauté button. Wait until it’s boiling then turn off instant pot and add sago and taro.
You can serve them as hot or cold.

FAQs:

How long does it take to cook sago?

It’s around 15-18 minutes. The best way to cook through small tapioca is boiling them for 10 minutes. Then, turn off fire and cover the lid for 5-8 minutes.

How to cook taro?

Most of time I peel the skin, dice it and boil them. But, some people like to steam them.

How long is sai mai lo good for?

When you refrigerate them, it is good for 2-3days.

Instructions for how to make instant pot taro sago dessert soup:

1. Peel and wash taro and cut them into small cubes.

2. Then, put cut taro into instant pot and manual for 4 minutes at high pressure and natural release.

3. While cooking taro in instant pot, use a pot to cook sago. Remember to wait until water boil, add 1/2 cup of tapioca. Let it boil or simmer for 10 minutes. After that, cover the lid and turn off fire. Let it wait for 5-8 minutes.

4. Drain cooked sago and rinse with cold water.

5. When taro is done, drain the water.

6. Push the button sauté for 10 minutes. Add 1 can of coconut milk, 2 cups of water and 3/4 cup of sugar. Wait until it’s boiling, then turn off instant pot. Next, add cooked tapioca, taro and mix them.

It can serve as hot or cold. Enjoy this instant pot taro sago recipe! Also, check out these grass jelly, white rabbit candy ice cream and mango popsicles recipes.