Mango Sago with Coconut Jelly

This refreshing Asian dessert drink features sweet yellow mangoes, chewy sago pearls, and coconut jelly, all mixed with creamy sweetened coconut milk.

Serve chilled over ice for a refreshing treat on a hot summer day.

Don’t like mangoes? No problem. The dessert is easily customizable.

Swap mangoes for your favorite fruits and adjust the sweetness to your preference.

What You Will Need

• Ripe yellow mangoes: I’m using small yellow Ataulfo mangoes. They are my favorite variety that’s incredibly sweet when ripe.
• Ataulfo mangoes also have the smoothest flesh (not stringy). They start off as light green and turn bright yellow when ready to eat. You can find them in many Asian supermarkets.
• If you can’t find these yellow mangoes, you can substitute with any ripe mango variety.
• Coconut Jelly: Coconut jelly adds a bouncy and fun texture. There are many coconut jelly on the market. My favorite is Nata De Coco from Chaokoh.
• Small white tapioca pearls (sago): The sago here are technically mini tapioca pearls, and not sago, which is a bit harder to find. These mini tapioca pearls/balls give the dessert its signature chewy texture.

• Sweetened condensed milk: Sweetened condensed milk is the typical sweetener of choice for this dessert. You can substitute with whatever sweetener you prefer.
• Coconut milk: Creamy coconut milk forms the base of the dessert. You can also use any milk of choice, half and half or coconut cream thinned out with some water.

How to Make It

Step 1: Prepare the Coconut Milk

Pour coconut milk into a medium saucepan. Fill the empty coconut milk can halfway with water, swirl to get the remaining coconut milk, and add this water to the saucepan.

Add sweetened condensed milk. Bring the mixture to a boil then turn off heat. Stir to combine then set aside to cool.

Step 2: Cook Tapioca/Sago Balls

Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Add tapioca and reduce heat to a low simmer. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Turn off heat, cover, and let it sit for 10 more minutes.

Drain the tapioca in a fine mesh sieve and rinse under cold water.

Step 3: Mix Together

In a large mixing bowl, combine diced mangoes, drained coconut jelly, and cooked tapioca balls.

Add the cooled sweetened coconut milk and mix to combine.

Step 4: Chill Then Serve

Cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours or until completely chilled.

Scoop into small bowls or glasses then serve. You can also add ice. Best to consume within two days.

Storage

It’s best to enjoy this dessert within the first day of making as the sago can absorb all the liquid and gelatinize the mixture. But no need to worry. You can always give it a stir to loosen up the mixture or add bit more coconut milk.

This dessert will keep well in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

FAQs

What’s the difference between sago and tapioca pearls/balls?

Sago look very similar to tapioca balls. Both are white when uncooked and turn clear when cooked. However, sago comes from sago palm trees, while tapioca pearls are made from cassava roots.

I really can’t tell the difference between them, especially when they are mini.

You can generally use sago and tapioca balls interchangeably in recipes, which is why small tapioca balls are often called sago.

Can I use other fruits?

Certainly. You can use any fruit that you like. Sometimes, I like to swap the mangoes and use fresh strawberries for a beautiful red color. Works great for a Valentine’s Day treat, and the tartness of strawberries go wonderfully with the sweet coconut mixture.

Other times, I mix matcha powder into the hot coconut milk for a beautiful green color. This is perfect for a St. Patrick’s Day treat. The slight bitterness of the matcha offsets some of the sweetness, making it ideal for those who prefer it less sweet.

Do I need to boil the coconut milk?

Technically, no. You can mix everything together without boiling.

However, making the coconut milk hot helps dissolve it more evenly, especially if you have lumpy coconut milk from a can.

The hot coconut milk also dissolves the sweetened condensed milk more evenly too.

It’s also my personal preference to always boil coconut milk from a can. I feel it’s safer.

Print