How do you cook tapioca pearls?

fifi-trixibelle, Jun 3, 11:32pm
I'm talking about the ones that are the size of a pea... You have to soak them for a while don't you? I was going to cook them in a double boiler, that works well for sago and rice puddings. Cheers.

margyr, Jun 4, 12:12am
from another thread, by another member; I haven't made one for years, but here's a fairly standard recipe. Note that the tapioca should be soaked for an hor os so before you cook it.

3 cups milk,
1/3 cup small pearl tapioca
2 extra-large free range egg yolks, lightly beaten
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup sugar
1 vanilla bean, split along the length (or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract)

Pour 3/4 cup of the milk into a medium-sized, thick-bottomed pot. Add the tapioca and soak for 60 minutes. Whisk in the egg yolks, salt, sugar, and the remaining milk. Scrape the vanilla bean along its length with a knife and add that bean "paste" along with the bean itself to the pot (if you are using vanilla extract in place of the vanilla bean stir it in at the very end, after the pudding is completely cooked).

Over medium heat slowly bring the mixture just barely to a boil, stirring all along - this should take about 15 minutes. Reduce the heat and let the mixture fall to a simmer - you keep it here until the tapioca is fully cooked, another 20 minutes or so. Keep in mind this time can be significantly longer (or shorter). The tapioca will tell you when it is ready if you watch carefully. The tapioca beads will swell up and become almost entirely translucent. The custardy part of pudding will thicken dramatically as well - keep tasting and assessing at this stage. It is even more critical to keep stirring at this point avoid scorching. Remove from heat and let cool a bit. This tapioca tastes its best when served warm, but is still delicious cold as well.

Serves 4-6.
Quote davidt4 (136 )2:10 pm, Thu 22 Oct #2

245sam, Jun 4, 12:41am
for an egg-free recipe have a look at the first recipe on this link:-

http://trademecooks.net.nz/viewtopic. php? f=19&t=492

and fifi-trixibelle, although I've never actually done it with tapioca myself, I'm sure the recipe on that link would work just as well in the double boiler as it does in the oven. :-))

fifi-trixibelle, Jul 7, 5:52pm
Thanks heaps everyone, will check this out. I have tried to find a recipe on the net, but there is a confusion between different names for types of sago/tapioca etc.