Papaya and Tapioca Pearls in Sweet Coconut Milk

We had this for dessert one Sunday  when we went out to lunch after Church. It came with our meal. I don’t know if it’s something special for Sundays or if it’s a regular thing. PKU families in NC: if you are ever in the Raleigh area, check out Banana Leaf in Cary near Cary Town Center. Their menu is mainly Chinese but also has other Asian cuisine on it. Their vegetarian selection is fantastic. Daniel had a hard time figuring out what he wanted to order since he had a lot to choose from!

It’s a pretty simple dessert consisting of only a few ingredients. The riper the papaya, the sweeter and flavorful the dessert. I prefer mine deep red-orange and soft. The tapioca pearls in this are the same as the boba (bubble) tea ones. I got mine from my local Asian Market and they are available in different colors and sizes.

Serves 4 (small 1 cup ramekin size)

Ingredients:
1 can (13.5 oz) Coconut Milk
½ cup sugar
2/3 cup tapioca pearls
Boiling water for cooking tapioca pearls
¼ of a papaya cut into small cubed pieces

Mix the coconut milk and sugar in a small pot on low heat. It needs to be heated enough to dissolve the sugar into the coconut milk. Remove from stove to allow it to cool. The amount in the can is more than enough for a 4 person serving size. Save the rest of the sweeten milk for another recipe or use it to make another batch of this one.

Follow the instructions on the bag of the tapioca pearls. On mine it says to boil enough water in a pot for the amount of pearls you use. Once the water is boiling, gently place the pearls into the water and lower the heat to medium. Allow these to cook for 5 mins  (which will puff them up). Drain when they are ready.

 

Mesmerizing as they float up and down in the hot water.

While the tapioca pearls are cooking, go ahead and cut up your papaya. About one slice from a half of a papaya is right amount for 1 serving.

Not as red as I like it, but sweet enough.

Once everything is ready, put the tapioca pearls and papaya in your dessert dishes. Pour desired amount of sweeten coconut milk over them  and serve. ENJOY!

Yum!