Sweet Potato Coconut Tapioca Dessert Soup (番薯椰汁西米露)

One of my kids' favorite desserts (糖水)! Can be eaten warm or cold (depending on the weather). A truly comforting dessert for any time of the year. 

Ingredients (serves at least 6-8 people):

For tapioca:

- 1/2 cup small tapioca pearls
- 4 cup water, for boiling

For sweet potatoes:

- 2 lbs (~ 2 large) Japanese and/or purple sweet potatoes, cut into 1/3 inch cubes (bite size)
*can substitute with taro or combine sweet potato varieties
steamer pot (or wok) + enough water for 30-45 mins of steaming

For soup:

- 4-6 cup filtered water (depends on how much liquid you'd like)
- 1/2 cup rock/lump sugar (white or brown) OR coconut palm sugar (cut into smaller pieces)
- 2 knotted pandan leaves, cleaned & knotted (optional)
- 400 ml coconut milk for dessert (1 can) *See pic below
- 1 jar (680 grams) nata de coco (cubed young coconut flesh/gel), including liquid from jar (optional) *see pic below 

1. Steam sweet potato (or taro) in a plate or bowl in steamer on medium-high heat first since 2 lbs takes longest to cook through. Check if cooked through after 30 mins with a fork. If still hard, cook for another 15 mins. Make sure to stir bottom sweet potatoes to the top to circulate the heat! When done, leave sweet potatoes covered in the pot/wok until ready to use.

2. To prepare tapioca: 

Boil 4 c. filtered water in a small pot. Pour in 1/2 c. tapioca pearls once water boils & reduce heat to med-low, covered. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking. Cook for about 7 mins, until pearls are almost clear (with a slight white center in middle is OK). After 7 mins, turn off heat, stir, & leave tapioca in the pot, covered, for another 10 mins to finish cooking. Rinse in cold water afterwards to wash off excess starch, or leave in strainer, soaking in cold water to prevent pearls from sticking. 

3. While tapioca is resting for the 10 mins in the pot, make the dessert soup: 

Using a large soup pot or large dutch oven, boil 4-6 c. filtered water with 1/2 c. rock sugar & optional knotted pandan leaves. Once sugar dissolves, taste water. Water should be sweet to your taste. (If using jarred coco de nata, use less sugar as the liquid in jar also has sugar.) Take out knotted pandan leaves once soup is sweet enough to your taste.

4. Add in coconut milk & let soup come into a soft boil again (leave lid slightly open to boil so liquid don't spill over!). Turn heat to low. Add steamed sweet potatoes & stir. Add in nata de coco & its liquid into soup at this time, if using, & stir. This will sweeten the soup more & give it a slight banana flavor (banana oil is in the liquid). Once soup comes almost to soft boil again (slight bubbles at edge of soup in pot), it is done.  

5. Serve immediately for warm soup. Refrigerate overnight for cold soup -- stir before serving cold. 

*This is the coconut milk I like to use, found in major Chinese supermarkets in the Northeast US. Note the "For Dessert" label: The coconut milk is smoother with no lumps - perfect for dessert soups:

*The glass jar of nata de coco I like using, not as much artificial ingredients, no BPA-lined metal cans. Optional to use in general, optional to use liquid from jar too (can strain off liquid & rinse in cold water before putting in soup if don't want the liquid):

*Tapioca pearls in its packaging (any brand will do, I prefer the ones made in Thailand & no artificial ingredients):

*Rock lump candy for dessert soup in either white or brown sugar (any brand). Brown slab sugar or coconut palm sugar are also good options for a richer flavor:

*Pandan leaves are optional & sometimes hard to find but definitely worth it! Found frozen in the frozen vegetable aisle in some Asian/Chinese supermarkets (in the Northeast US), folded up & vacuum packed like here OR cut into 2-inch pieces:

**My dessert soup picture above uses Toddy palm's seeds instead of coco de nata. It has a similar flavor but a softer bite than coco de nata, in case you don't want too much chewing involved. Can be found either in glass jars or cans.