Kitchen Recipe Collection
Coconut Milk Sago (Ye Zhi Xi Mi Lu)
One of the easiest and most universally beloved Chinese desserts. Chewy, translucent sago pearls swimming in a rich, sweetened bath of pure coconut and evaporated milk.
- Prep
- 5 min
- Cook
- 15 min
- Total
- 20 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- easy
- Cuisine
- Chinese
Ingredients
Scaled for 4 servings
- 1/2 cup small sago pearls (tapioca pearls)
- 6 cups water (for boiling sago)
- 1 can (13.5 oz) full-fat coconut milk
- 1/2 cup evaporated milk (or whole milk)
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup water (for syrup)
Equipment
- Saucepan
Instructions
- 1
Boil Sago
Bring 6 cups of water to a rolling boil. Add the sago pearls.
- 2
Cook Sago
Boil for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Turn off heat, cover, and let sit for 5 minutes until the white dot in the center of the pearls disappears.
- 3
Rinse
Drain the cooked sago and rinse thoroughly under cold running water to remove the starch. Keep in cold water until ready to use.
- 4
Make Coconut Base
In a saucepan, combine the 1/2 cup of water and sugar. Heat gently until sugar dissolves.
- 5
Add Milks
Turn off the heat. Stir in the coconut milk and evaporated milk. Do not boil the coconut milk, or it may separate.
- 6
Chill Base
Transfer the sweetened coconut milk mixture to a bowl and chill it completely in the refrigerator.
- 7
Combine
Drain the sago and add it to the cold coconut milk base.
- 8
Serve
Ladle into small bowls and serve ice cold.
Cooking Tips
- Never add raw sago to cold water, they will disintegrate immediately. They must go directly into boiling water.
- The sago absorbs liquid over time. If you leave it in the fridge overnight, the dessert will become very thick. Just add a splash of milk to loosen it.
Variations
- Taro Sago (Orh Nee): Add chunks of steamed, sweetened taro root to the coconut milk.
Nutrition Estimate
280 calories · 3g protein · 35g carbs · 18g fat · 1g fiber per serving
