Coconut Mango Pitaya Sago Soup. A sweet creamy milky dessert with chewy soft pearl tapioca and hits of fresh mango and dragon fruit. Great as a cold dessert during the warmer months. Easy to make at home and ready in 30 minutes.
Of all the Asian desserts out there, this mango coconut sago dessert with pitaya one of my top favourites. I remember having a version of this mango coconut tapioca soup when I was a young girl. It easily became a favourite of mine and one that I continue to repeat because of the incredible mix of flavours and textures.
What does it taste like?
The taste of the chewy little tapioca pearls swimming in that sweet coconut milk with that ripened mango and dragon fruit is heavenly. The soft pearls of tapioca are my favourite part because they absorb the flavours of the mango, coconut milk and pitaya. Especially if you let it sit overnight in the fridge. It’s also such a gorgeous dessert to serve thanks to the contrasting colours.
I often make this dragon fruit mango coconut tapioca soup dessert whenever I want to impress guests because it’s so easy to make in advance and keep chilled in the fridge.
Different variations
There are different variations of this coconut sago sweet soup recipe and I share a couple more on my blog. But this version is a soupy version. There’s another version that is a solid pudding where the coconut milk is very thick and smooth, equally delicious. But I enjoy this version the most!
Easy to make!
This mango pitaya coconut tapioca soup recipe is very easy to make. It comes together in just 30 minutes. First you’ll boil your coconut milk with water and add Chinese Rock Sugar. Boiling that until the rock sugar as completely dissolved. You’ll want to cool this liquid down in the fridge or in the freezer for a faster cool down.
Then you’ll boil the tapioca pearls until cooked and rinsing them under cold water. Next you’ll divide the strained pearls between your serving bowls.
Finally, add your diced mango and pitaya to the bowls. Pouring the cooled coconut milk liquid over top and enjoying this dessert cold. If it’s not cold enough add some ice cubes! Enjoy your coconut tapioca sweet soup!
Tips for Coconut Mango Pitaya Sago Soup
Below I share tips to guide you on how to make this mango pitaya coconut sago souprecipe:
- Use ripened soft mango. Steer clear of the hard unripen ones or this dessert will flop. You need the sweetness of the ripe mangos to make this dessert perfect
- Red pitaya or normal pitaya work fine but if you want colours, use the red kind. They are expensive in Canada (it was $10 for one!!!) so use what works for your budget.
- Use the tiny tapioca pearls for this dessert. The tiny pearls have the best texture in coconut milk soup in my humble opinion
- Chinese Rock Sugar really adds a lovely sweet taste to coconut milk without being too sweet. If you can’t find this ingredient, I would sub with cane sugar but if you do, gradually add it and make sure to taste as you go.
- To cook the tapioca, bring the pot to boil, gently stir the water as you pour the pearls in and then lower to medium flame while stirring. This stirring motion prevents the pearls from sticking to each other. Do not cover the pot while cooking!
- Rinse the pearls under very cold water to make them very bouncy and leave them soak in the cold water until you’re ready to serve them. Or they will stick together and it’ll be difficult to divide them into the bowls.
- When cutting your mango, slice the sides off as close to the seed as possible. Then slice the sides in vertical halves. Next glide your knife against the fruit without piercing the peel to dice them. Then skin the mango off the peel with the meat facing up. This will give you cleanly cut diced mango.
- When cutting your pitaya, slice the fruit vertically in half. Then slice that half vertically in half again. You’ll see where the fruit meat meets the skin. Peel that skin back until the fruit comes out easily. Next dice the pitaya.
FAQ
Where can I find tapioca pearls?
At any Asian grocer in the dried aisle, best to ask staff where this item is specifically for your tapioca coconut milk soup.
Where can I buy pitaya or dragon fruit?
This item is popularly found at Asian grocers and sometimes at Western grocers. The red kind may be challenging to find but I found mine at my Asian grocer. If you can’t find red kind use the normal white kind for the mango coconut sago dessert. The packaging will say “Red Dragon Fruit”.
Can I use any coconut milk?
I would recommend only using whole fat canned coconut milk for this coconut sago soup. I like using the brand Aroy-D for this mango sago dessert with coconut milk.
Other recipes you may like!
If you enjoyed my coconut sago dessert soup with mango and dragon fruit, check out these recipes:
COCONUT MANGO SAGO DESSERT SOUP
VEGAN COCONUT MANGO SAGO
ROSE PANDAN COCONUT SAGO
FILIPINO TAHO
MANGO COCONUT CHIA PUDDING
CHINESE MANGO PUDDING
For this recipe
You will need the following ingredients for my coconut mango pitaya sago soup recipe:
- ¼ cup tapioca pearl, tiny kind
- 2 mangos, peeled and diced. Important: make sure it’s ripened.
- 200 ml canned coconut milk, whole fat kind
- 200 ml water
- ½ - 1 red dragon fruit, diced and as much as desired
- 25 g Chinese rock sugar
How to make coconut sago with mango and pitaya
- In a medium size pot with water set over high heat, bring it to a boil. Gently stir the water as it boils and gradually pour in your tapioca while stirring. Then lower heat to medium heat. Boil tapioca for 25 mins uncovered. Then rest in the hot water over no heat for 5-7 minutes until clear and transparent. Strain immediately in a sieve and rinse under cold water. Leave the pearls in the sieve submerged under cold water and set aside.
- In another pot, add coconut milk with water and Chinese rock sugar. Boil for 5 minutes until sugar has dissolved completely stirring every now and then. Do not cover this. You’ll know when you no longer see the sugar or hear it rattling in the pot. Turn off heat and allow this to cool down in the fridge or freezer.
- Divide diced fruit and strained tapioca adding to your serving bowls. Pour cooled coconut milk over top and serve cold. Enjoy!
Give it a try!
Well, I hope you give my Coconut Mango Pitaya Sago Soup a try! It always excites me when you guys make my recipes and I hope this is one you try.
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Coconut Mango Pitaya Sago Soup
Ingredients
- ¼ cup tapioca pearl tiny kind
- 2 mangos peeled and diced. Important: make sure it’s ripened.
- 400 ml coconut milk whole fat kind
- 400 ml water
- 1 red dragon fruit diced and as much as desired. Feel free to sub with white flesh dragon fruit.
- 50 g Chinese Rock Sugar (Substitute with cane sugar but gradually add to the milk and taste as you go)
Instructions
- In a medium size pot with water set over high heat, bring it to a boil. Gently stir the water as it boils and gradually pour in your tapioca while stirring. Then lower heat to medium heat. Boil tapioca for 25 mins uncovered. Then rest in the hot water over no heat for 5-7 minutes until clear and transparent. Strain immediately in a sieve and rinse under cold water. Leave the pearls in the sieve submerged under cold water and set aside.
- In another pot, add coconut milk with water and Chinese rock sugar. Boil for 5 minutes until sugar has dissolved completely stirring every now and then. Do not cover this. You’ll know when you no longer see the sugar or hear it rattling in the pot. Turn off heat and allow this to cool down in the fridge or freezer.
- Divide diced fruit and strained tapioca adding to your serving bowls. Pour cooled coconut milk over top and serve cold. Enjoy!
NOTES
- Use ripened soft mango. Steer clear of the hard unripened ones or this dessert will flop. You need the sweetness of the ripe mangos to make this dessert perfect
- Red pitaya or normal pitaya work fine but if you want colours, use the red kind. They are quite expensive in Canada (it was $10 for one!!!) so use what works for you • Use the tiny tapioca pearls for this dessert. The tiny pearls have the best texture in coconut milk soup in my humble opinion
- Chinese Rock Sugar really adds a lovely sweet taste to coconut milk without being too sweet. If you can’t find this ingredient, I would sub with cane sugar but if you do, gradually add it and make sure to taste as you go.
- Boil the coconut milk, water and rock sugar first and allow the sugar to completely dissolve. You’ll know when you won’t see any chunks of hard sugar in your soup or hear it rattling as it boils
- To cook the tapioca, bring the pot to boil, gently stir the water as you pour the pearls in and then lower to medium flame while stirring. This stirring motion prevents the pearls from sticking to each other. Do not cover the pot while cooking!
- Rinse the pearls under very cold water to make them very bouncy and leave them soak in the cold water until you’re ready to serve them. Or they will stick together and it’ll be difficult to divide them into the bowls.
- When cutting your mango, slice the sides off as close to the seed as possible. Then slice the sides in vertical halves. Next glide your knife against the fruit without piercing the peel to dice them. Then skin the mango off the peel with the meat facing up. This will give you cleanly cut diced mango.
- When cutting your pitaya, slice the fruit vertically in half. Then slice that half vertically in half again. You’ll see where the fruit meat meets the skin. Peel that skin back until the fruit comes out easily. Next dice the pitaya.
I agree with you. The mixture of flavors and textures is simply unbeatable. It really is so fun!