How to make famous Hong Kong style sago dessert at home with easy steps and two serving ways. Sago (西米) is made from sago palm tree stem starch. Although not native to China, we love to cook this as a dessert. Raw sago has a pure and lovely white color and cooked sago presents a lovely transparent color. Unlike the chewy boba balls made from tapioca starch, sago is much softer. 

In China, a dessert shop originated from Hong Kong has bought sago into our attention. One of their top popular dessert is mango sago (Chinese Name: 杨枝甘露). Traditional Hong Kong style mango sago use mango, coconut milk, cream, grapefruit or pomelo. Now, those yummy, soft and transparent pearls are served with other popular dessert ingredients (grassy jelly, tofu pudding, taro balls) in lots of restaurants as a basic dessert for form a great combination of flavors and texture.  Cook a sago dessert at home is easy and can be quite enjoyable in warm days.

Cook’s Note

1. Cooking sago with a larger amount of water and higher fire (keep the liquid boiling) can save your time of stirring and watching. By the way, do not wash the sago pearls.
2. Never cook sago along with your dessert. They can turn your dessert soup cloudy and starchy.
3. Sago should be rinsed before adding to desserts for a clean texture and soaked in liquid after cooked. 

How to cook sago 

• 1/2 cup sago
• water

Bring a large pot of water to a boiling on medium to high fire. Place sago in.

Use high fire to re-boil the liquid and then use medium fire and keep the liquid boiling during the whole process. Give several stirs to make sure the pearls not sticky to the bottom.

Cook for 20 minutes and cover the lid and let it stay for another 15 to 20 minutes. Check whether the peals are completely transparent. In most cases, they should be well cooked and transparent. If not, continue cooking with high fire for several minutes until well cooked.

Strain and rinse under running cold water to remove residual starch.

During the time of cooking sago, blend the mango smoothie and tune the coconut milk. Once the sago is well rinsed, assemble as soon as possible.

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How to Cook Sago

Prep Time

10 mins

Cook Time

30 mins

Total Time

40 mins

 

How to cook and serve mango

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Chinese

Keyword: dessert, sgao

Servings: 4

Calories: 263 kcal

Ingredients

Sago

• 1/2 cup sago
• water

Mango sago for 2 servings

• 2 ripe large mango cubed and pick some beautifully cut for topping
• 1/4 cup coconut milk
• 1/4 cup evaporated milk or coconut milk if you prefer
• Other seasonal fruits strawberries and kiwi fruit for decorating
• 4-6 tbsp. cooked sago

Coconut sago

• 1 cup coconut milk
• 4 tbsp. cooked sago
• 2 tbsp. honey

Instructions

How to cook sago

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boiling on medium to high fire. Place sago in.
2. Use high fire to re-boil the liquid and then keep the liquid boiling during the whole process. Give several stir to make sure the pearls not sticky to the bottom.
3. Cook for 20 minutes and cover the lid and let it stay for another 15 to 20 minutes. Check whether the peals are completely transparent. In most cases, they should be well cooked and transparent. If not, continue cooking with high fire for several minutes until well cooked.
4. Strain and rinse under running cold water to remove residual starch.

Mango sago

1. Blend mango cubes with milk and evaporated milk until really smooth in a blender.
2. Transfer to serving cups, scoop the cooked sago in and top with fruits.

Coconut sago

1. Mix coconut milk with honey. You can chill this base for a chilled version. Add cooked sago and fruit cubes.

Nutrition Facts

How to Cook Sago

Amount Per Serving

Calories 263 Calories from Fat 144

% Daily Value*

Fat 16g25%

Saturated Fat 14g88%

Cholesterol 4mg1%

Sodium 39mg2%

Potassium 342mg10%

Carbohydrates 29g10%

Fiber 1g4%

Sugar 18g20%

Protein 3g6%

Vitamin A 930IU19%

Vitamin C 31.3mg38%

Calcium 64mg6%

Iron 2.5mg14%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.