Taro Root in Tres Leches Pudding

Recipe submitted by Yummily Yours’

Taro root (a tuber very similar to potato in texture) and tapioca pearls (sabu dana) in a coconut milk and sugar is a very popular Chinese dessert. Nachiket (my husband) is not very fond of coconut and eats it only when masked well. Since I was making this especially for him, I decided to innovate. I used three types of milk (tres leches) as used in a Mexican tres leches cake.

What did I end up with? An amazingly good Chinese origin, Mexican like, Indian fast friendly Pudding! Do I categorize this as fusion or what? 😀

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup finely chopped baby taro root
• 1/8 cup tapioca pearls/sabu dana
• 2 cups whole milk
• 1 cup evaporated milk
• 1 cup condensed milk
• 2 tbsp sugar
• Water for boiling
• 1 1/2 tsp of agar-agar powder/china grass (Use half tsp spoons and level it off)
• 4 tbsp water

Method

1. Soak Tapioca pearls for 2-3 hrs.
2. In a saucepan, bring water to a boil.
3. Add the chopped taro root and cook for 5 min. Add the tapioca pearls and cook for a further 7-8 min or until taro root is soft enough to break under slight press of fingers. The tapioca pearls turn translucent.
4. Drain the excess water and set aside.
5. Meanwhile mix all the three varieties of milk in another saucepan and let them reach a boil.
6. Keep stirring to prevent the milk from sticking to the bottom and sides of the pan.
7. Add sugar.
8. Wash the cooked and strained tapioca pearls & taro root under running cold water.
9. This is to make sure that the tapioca pearls do not stick to each other.
10. Add this into the sauce pan containing milk and cook till the quantity of the original 4 cups of milk reduces to about 3 cups.
11. While the milk is in the process of reducing itself, get the agar-agar solution ready.
12. Sprinkle the agar-agar powder over 4 tbsp of hot water and let it bloom for about 5 min.
13. Heat the mixture up. Keep stirring continuously and cook till all the agar-agar has dissolved.
14. Pour this into the hot boiling milk mixture. Stir.
15. Cook for about 2-3 minutes more until the milk starts thickening. This is to ensure that the agar-agar blends into the milk.
16. Pour it into a dish and let it reach room temperature.
17. Cover with plastic wrap & refrigerate (this is to prevent the dessert absorbing the refrigerator smells).
18. Let it chill for at least 4 hours.
19. Loosen the sides of the dish with a knife and overturn it onto a plate.
20. Garnish (I used some cocoa powder and truffle sauce). Cut and serve. (Picture and notes on next page)

Additional Notes:

• In case you do not find evaporated milk in your area, please increase quantities of condensed milk and milk (1 1/2 : 2 1/2)
• Agar-agar unlike gelatin is a vegetable source but gelatin can be substituted too. Add 1 whole envelope of Knox gelatin in 4 tbsp of water instead.

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