Mango Sago is a super refreshing, delicious and satisfying summer dessert made with mangoes, thick coconut milk and sago pearls. Plus, this tropical-tasting dessert is vegan, gluten-free and making it is super easy.
Balancing sweet and savory elements in your dishes adds complexity and intrigue.
This Asian inspired easy-peasy coconut mango sago dessert can be relished on any hot day or when you feel like indulging in a light and refreshing dessert. A spoonful of this gloriously and flavour-bursting dessert is enough to hit the right spot.
A dessert that is laden with adorable sago pearls, coconut milk and mango flavors makes it the best treat to enjoy on a hot summer day. A hint of floral saffron and aromatic cardamom flavouring make this vegan dessert more indulging and soul satiating.
Whipping up this creamy and delicious dessert at home is straightforward and labour free. Cooking sago pearls is the toughest thing you have to do to make this dessert.
Just blend the base of dessert the way you make a smoothie, and then cooked sago pearls are added to the blended mixture. That’s it.
What is Mango Sago?
Mango Sago or Coconut Tapioca Dessert is an easy, delightful & healthy summer dessert.
Mango Sago is a very delicious dessert originating from Hong Kong and now is popular in many Asian countries like Singapore, Taiwan, and the Philippines. This coconut and mango infused dessert was created to appeal the taste glands of localites and also to keep them cool in the hot weather.
This is one of the common desserts you will find in the menu of Asian restaurants and grocery stores worldwide.
It is a rich and refreshing dessert which is light at the same time. This dessert is often served with chopped mangoes and pomelo. It tastes so great when paired with sabudana vada.
They mango sago tastes so good when paired with roasted makhana.
What are the features of Mango Sago?
This Mango Sago:
✓ is vegan and gluten-free
✓ is so delicious and easy to make
✓ tastes so creamy and refreshing
✓ is also suitable for paleo-friendly diet
✓ is ready in under 30 minutes
✓ is a wonderful dessert
✓ can also be served as a filler breakfast
✓ is enhanced with the goodness of tropical mangoes
✓ can be made a day before
✓ made with 6 simple ingredients
What are the ingredients in Mango Sago?
Mango Sago is made with only 5 ingredients. They are:
Coconut Milk:
I have used coconut milk for this recipe, but you can also use coconut cream or light coconut milk for this recipe.
Mango:
I have used mango puree, but you can also use fresh or frozen mangoes.
Sweetener:
I added sugar as a sweetener. Feel free to swap it with sweetened condensed milk or any other sweetener of your choice
Sago or Tapioca Pearls:
I have used ⅓ cup small sago pearls for this recipe. The amount of sago pearls can be increased.
Flavorings:
There is only vanilla flavor in the original coconut mango sago recipe, but I went a step further and added saffron and cardamom flavorings. You can easily substitute saffron and cardamom with vanilla.
How to Make Mango Sago?
Making mango sago is really simple and easy. This is how it can be done in 9 simple steps:
Step 1: In a blender, add the mangoes or mango puree, coconut milk, sugar, cardamom and saffron.
Step 2: Blend until smooth, and chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
Step 3: Boil 1 liter of water in a pan and add sago/tapioca pearls to it.
Step 4: Boil over medium heat until sago pearls are 90% cooked.
Step 5: Cover the pan with the lid and turn off the heat: Set it aside for 15 minutes.
Step 6: Drain and rinse cooked sago pearls in cold water.
Step 7: Add cooked sago pearls to the coconut mango mixture and stir well.
Step 8: Cover and chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.
Step 9: When you’re ready to serve, take the coconut sago out of the fridge and give it a stir well. Serve and enjoy chilled.
For a full list of Mango Sago recipe ingredients and step-by-step photo and video instructions, please see the recipe box on this page.
What can I substitute mango with, in this Sago dessert?
For making this sago dessert, you can swap mangoes with berries such as strawberry, blueberry, or raspberry.
Can I make mango sago ahead of time?
Yes, absolutely. In fact the dessert’s flavor enhances the next day. So what I usually do is that I make it in the night to enjoy the next day. You can store it in a refrigerator for up to 4-5 days in an air-tight container.
Thick coconut milk has a lot of fat content, so you might notice a layer of coconut cream on the top if you are storing it for days. So if you don’t like that fat layer then simply stir it and thaw it at room temperature for 15-20 minutes before serving.
What is the substitute of coconut milk in this Mango Sago recipe?
There are several options for you here. However, I used coconut milk because traditionally this milk is used in the mango sago recipe, and also I love the tropical mango flavors when they are blended with rich, thick, and creamy coconut milk. The amalgamation of coconut and mango is just so delightful.
Below are some milk options to use in place of coconut milk:
-
Oat milk
-
Sweetened vanilla almond milk
-
Almond milk
-
Soy milk
-
Cashew milk
-
Cow’s milk
Other mango dishes I love are, mango smoothie, mango kulfi, mango phirni, mango shrikhand, mango lassi
, mango lassi,mango salsa, aam panna, Mango Iced Tea, and mango halwa.
What are the Pro Tips, tricks, and variations for making Mango Sago?
Tip 1. I wanted to make this dessert vegan, so I added sugar here. But if you are not into vegan desserts then swap the Tip sugar with the same amount of regular sweetened condensed milk.
Tip 2. In traditional mango sago recipes there is no saffron and cardamom but I wanted to add some flavouring to it so I went with some cardamom and saffron. So feel free to omit the saffron and cardamom from this recipe.
Tip 3. For this coconut mango sago recipe, you don’t need to rinse and soak sago pearls ahead of time.
Tip 4. I have added white granulated sugar in this recipe, but you can also swap sugar with coconut sugar, palm sugar, Tip simple syrup, maple syrup, agave, sweetened coconut condensed milk, or sweetened condensed milk.
Tip 5. I have used mango puree in this recipe, but feel free to use freshly chopped mangoes. For this recipe, you need to Tip use mango chunks from 2 large mangoes.
Tip 6. I have used 1/2 cup of sugar in this recipe, but feel free to or reduce the amount of sweetener according to your taste buds.
Tip 7. I prefer to chill the sago pearls with the coconut mango mixture because that way sago pearls absorb the coconut Tip mixture and they also expand a bit in size. But you can also serve it straight after adding sago pearls.
Tip 8. For a more coconutty punch and crunch, you can also top this dessert with some shredded and toasted coconut flakes.
Tip 9. You can store this coconut mango sago for up to 4 days in a sealed container in the fridge.
Tip 10. I have used only ⅓ cup of sago pearls, but you can add upto ⅔ cup of sago pearls if you like.
Mango Sago Recipe (Step-by-step photo instructions)
For making Mango Sago
- In a blender, add mango puree (or mango chunks), coconut milk, sugar, cardamom powder, and saffron.
- Blend until smooth. Refrigerate for 1 hour.
- Meanwhile, in a pot, bring 1 liter of water to boil. Then add the sago pearls and stir well.
- Cook until sago pearls are about 90% cooked.
- After that, cover the pan and turn off the heat. Keep it covered for 15 minutes.
- After 15 minutes, drain the cooked sago pearls and then rinse them with cold water to cool.
- Add cooked sago pearls to coconut mango mixture and stir everything well until combined. At this stage, you can serve the dessert. But I like to chill it with sago pearls for at least 2 hours before serving, that way sago pearls expand and absorb the coconut mango mixture.
- When you are ready to serve, stir the dessert and transfer the dessert into individual glasses or bowls.
- Top each glass with mango chunks, pomegranate arils and strawberry. Serve Mango Sago chilled as an after meal dessert or a brunch.
Recipe Card
Mango Sago Recipe [Recipe]
★★★★★
(Rating: 5 from 6 reviews)
Prep time 🕐 | Cook time 🕐 | Total time 🕐 |
---|---|---|
3 hours 25 mins | ||
Category ☶ | Cuisine ♨ | Serves ☺ |
Desserts | Asian | 6 |
Nutrition Info ⊛ | Serving size ⊚ | |
181 calories | 1 |
INGREDIENTS
For Mango Sago
- 1/3 cup small sago or tapioca pearls
- 1/2 cup sugar, or 1/2 sweetened condensed milk
- 1 liter water, for boiling
- 2 cups thick coconut milk or coconut cream
- 1/2 teaspoon cardamom powder
- 18-20 saffron strands
- 1 cup mango puree, or 2 large mangoes, chopped
For Serving: (optional)
- Chopped mangoes
- Pomegranate arils
- Berries
INSTRUCTIONS:
For making Mango Sago
- In a blender, add mango puree (or mango chunks), coconut milk, sugar, cardamom powder, and saffron.
- Blend until smooth. Refrigerate for 1 hour.
- Meanwhile, in a pot, bring 1 liter of water to boil. Then add the sago pearls and stir well.
- Cook until sago pearls are about 90% cooked.
- After that, cover the pan and turn off the heat. Keep it covered for 15 minutes.
- After 15 minutes, drain the cooked sago pearls and then rinse them with cold water to cool.
- Add cooked sago pearls to coconut mango mixture and stir everything well until combined. At this stage, you can serve the dessert. But I like to chill it with sago pearls for at least 2 hours before serving, that way sago pearls expand and absorb the coconut mango mixture.
- When you are ready to serve, stir the dessert and transfer the dessert into individual glasses or bowls.
- Top each glass with mango chunks, pomegranate arils and strawberry. Serve Mango Sago chilled as an after meal dessert or a brunch.
WATCH RECIPE VIDEO: Click the play button and video will load ...
NOTES:
- I wanted to make this dessert vegan, so I added sugar here. But if you are not into vegan desserts then swap the Tip sugar with the same amount of regular sweetened condensed milk.
- In traditional mango sago recipes there is no saffron and cardamom but I wanted to add some flavouring to it so I Tip went with some cardamom and saffron. So feel free to omit the saffron and cardamom from this recipe.
- I have added white granulated sugar in this recipe, but you can also swap sugar with coconut sugar, palm sugar, Tip simple syrup, maple syrup, agave, sweetened coconut condensed milk, or sweetened condensed milk.
- For a more coconutty punch and crunch, you can also top this dessert with some shredded and toasted coconut flakes.
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