by Dorie Greenspan
I knew tapioca as a type of pudding, which I have never had before this, but beyond that I knew nothing about it.
Just what is tapioca exactly? Well, it's a starchy tuberous root of all things, also known as cassava. It is one of the purest forms of starch food. Tapioca is also used as a thickening agent. Many refugees in Southeast Asia actually survived on tapioca during World War ll.
Did you know you can actually make your own tapioca pearls if you can not find them? A quick internet search will show you how.
Like I said, I never had tapioca pudding before. I was expecting it to be pudding like - smooth and creamy (aside from the little balls of tapioca). Which it was, until I refrigerated it. Then it turned gelatinous, Jell-O like, but firmer. So firm, that you would be able to cut it with a knife, and serve little squares of it - which could be fun. Maybe.
My sister was coming to dinner the following evening, and I asked it she ever had tapioca. Yes, she had, and she loves it! Couldn't wait to try mine. The consensus was, it had good flavor, but it is supposed to be soft and creamy, not firm.
Hmm. Maybe I overcooked it? I cooked it until it was the texture of (non-Greek) yogurt, as instructed. I have some tapioca pearls leftover, I'll give it another try, cooking it for a shorter time.
We have been asked not to post the recipes here on our blogs. You can find the recipe on page 382 of Baking Chez Moi, as well as on Google Books.
Do check out my fellow bakers results, by clicking here for a list of their links.
Interesting. It looks really great with the mango on top. Not sure what could have happened but it sounds like the flavors were still great.
ReplyDeleteNo Cathleen, I don't think you over cooked it, unless the recipe calls for overcooking. This just wasn't very good:) Now my husband is waiting for me to make "good tapioca". my tapioca gelatin is already in the trash!
ReplyDeleteI had the same issue once it was cold! I found that the people who liked tapioca liked this recipe, the rest of us…it didn't make us a fan :)
ReplyDeleteThat sounds like my first batch where I thought the increased surface area of my broken down large pearls meant they needed a shorter cooking time, or in hindsight, more liquid. Still, your pudding looks very pretty and must have been delicious with the mango.
ReplyDeleteYour pictures are amazing! And I appreciate the research you did about tapioca. Very neat!
ReplyDeleteCathleen, Your pudding looks beautiful…as always a beautiful presentation! In the past, I have stirred milk or cream into mine when it got too thick…but mine has never gotten gelatinous. I wonder if it's the large pearl, which I have never used. I couldn’t find the large pearl tapioca anywhere. I really want to give it a try.
ReplyDeleteLooks great. Strange that it gelled so much. Love the look of the large pearls. I couldn't even find the small ones and went with Minute tapioca just to play along. I had know idea it was related to cassava, I had some chips from the health food store once that were like potato chips but cassava chips and they were so good. And now I need to go look up how to make your own tapioca.
ReplyDeleteLooks great. Strange that it gelled so much. Love the look of the large pearls. I couldn't even find the small ones and went with Minute tapioca just to play along. I had know idea it was related to cassava, I had some chips from the health food store once that were like potato chips but cassava chips and they were so good. And now I need to go look up how to make your own tapioca.
ReplyDeleteI had no idea that one could make tapioca pearls -- now I want to do that! Thanks for letting us know about it. And your tapioca looks great. Topping with chopped mango, right?
ReplyDeleteNice photo! Not sure why yours was so firm. Mine never did firm up that much, even after refrigeration.
ReplyDeleteLove the idea of adding fruit! Mine was really gelatinous as well after I chilled it. Since I never seen tapioca before I thought that maybe this was normal.
ReplyDeleteMine was just fine the day I made it but the day aftier it was very firm, I could easily cut it with a knife. I´m not sure why but maybe it would be better to add more liquid. At the back of the package it asked for one liter of milk for 80gr of sago rice (did not find tapioca). Dorie asks for 0,4l plus one cup.
ReplyDeleteIt looks very pretty, I'm not sure what happened though. I will admit mine was not as creamy the next day.
ReplyDeleteMy first try was like a very thick custard. I added more milk to the second try, and it was much better. Creamier and softer. The family loves it chilled while I prefer having it warm, really delicious!
ReplyDeleteYour tapioca looks very pretty and I love the mango on top.
ReplyDeleteAs you probably figured out already you are not alone in your gelatinous pudding. I don't think cooking it less will help as others cooked only 7 minutes and had the same problem. I am going to try another recipe and see if I can get the consistency right. On to next month's recipes.
ReplyDeleteYour pictures always look amazing and your recipes are so easy to follow. Can’t wait to try,,
ReplyDeleteThanks fro the warning - I am planning on making tis for dinner guests on Wednesday. I will now make it Tuesday and make sure it is the right consistency before serving... :)
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