Beat the heat with a tropical twist: Creamy mango sago

Summer is synonymous with mangoes, and since both the season and fruit have arrived, it’s time to indulge in desserts that are light, fresh and crafted with the king of summer fruits. There is no better way to beat the scorching heat than with treats that not only satiate your sweet tooth but also act as a respite in this hot weather. One such dessert that is my personal favourite is mango sago with Nata de Coco, which comes straight from the streets of the Philippines and Malaysia.

Mango sago recipe

This is literally the easiest sweet treat you will ever prepare because it just involves combining a couple of ingredients until you have the perfect balance of sweet, creamy, fresh, and chewy.

The main ingredients that you require for this recipe are sago (which is basically cooked tapioca pearls), pieces of fresh mangos, Nata de coco (which is a chewy jelly made with fermented coconut water) and a sweetener.

Step-by-step guide

Preparation time - 15 minutes

Cooking time - 25 minutes

Serves - 2

Ingredients

2 cups of ripe mango pieces

400 ml Water

45 gms Sago

50 gms Whole milk (you can substitute with coconut milk)

20 gms Palm syrup

20 gms Ice, optional

50 gms Nata de coco (store bought)

Method

1. Add the water to a pan, place it over a medium flame, and bring it to a boil.

2. Once the water starts to boil, add the sago and cook it till the pearls become translucent. It should take about 10 to 15 minutes.

3. Once cooked, drain the sago and wash it with some running water.

4. Slice the mango into small cubes and set them aside.

5. In a separate bowl, add the milk, palm syrup, ice, diced mangoes, cooked sago and Nata de Coco.

6. Gently stir everything together to ensure they are well combined.

7. Place the bowl in the fridge for a couple of hours.

8. Once chilled, use a ladle to scoop generous portions of the dessert into individual serving bowls and enjoy.

Tips

1. You can use any variety of mangoes of your choice. You can even substitute the mango with any fruit that you might like.

2. You can add some purée of the fruit as well. You need to blend some fresh fruit and add it with the diced fruit.

3. It is ideal to use small-sized sago pearls. You can also use tapioca pearls.

4. To make the dessert richer, you can use half cream and half milk instead of all milk.

5. You can use any sweetener of your choice, like condensed milk, for a richer and creamier sweetness and texture.

6. If you do not have Nata de Coco, you can use coconut jelly instead. You can make coconut jelly yourself with fresh coconut water and some agar agar.

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