Refreshing Summer Sago with Watermelon and Coconut Recipe
A refreshing and visually appealing summer drink featuring chewy tapioca pearls with juicy watermelon cubes and a creamy watermelon coconut smoothie. Perfect for cooling down on hot days with its light, tropical flavors and satisfying textures.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: Beverage
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Tropical
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
Scale
Tapioca Pearls
- 60 g tapioca pearls (sago)
- 1000 ml water (for cooking tapioca)
Watermelon
- 400 g watermelon (divided into 100 g cubes and 300 g chunks)
Smoothie
- 400 ml coconut milk
Instructions
- Cook the Tapioca Pearls: Bring 1000 ml water to a boil. Add the tapioca pearls and reduce heat to medium-low to maintain a gentle simmer. Stir gently for 3–5 seconds to prevent sticking.
- Simmer Until White Center Remains: Cover and cook the pearls for 15–18 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes, until the outer layer becomes translucent but a tiny white dot remains in the center.
- Steep to Fully Cook: Turn off heat, keep the pot covered, and let sit for 10–15 minutes until the white core disappears completely. If some white remains, simmer another 2 minutes and steep for an additional 5 minutes.
- Cool Tapioca Pearls: Drain the cooked pearls and soak in ice water for 3 minutes to enhance chewiness. Drain again and optionally mix with 1 teaspoon of drinking water to prevent sticking. Set aside.
- Prepare Watermelon Cubes: Cut 100 g of watermelon into 1 cm cubes and set aside for the base layer.
- Prepare Watermelon Puree: Peel, deseed and cut the remaining 300 g watermelon into chunks. Add these chunks to a blender.
- Make the Watermelon Coconut Smoothie: Pour 400 ml coconut milk into the blender with the watermelon chunks and blend for 40 seconds until smooth and creamy.
- Assemble the Drink: In two clear glass cups, add 50 g of watermelon cubes and 2 tablespoons of cooked tapioca pearls each for the base layer.
- Add Smoothie Layer: Gently pour the watermelon coconut smoothie down the side of each glass until about 90% full, creating a layered and visually appealing drink.
Notes
- Stir tapioca pearls gently during cooking to avoid sticking and clumping.
- Steeping the cooked tapioca pearls off heat ensures they become fully translucent and chewy.
- Soaking cooked tapioca in ice water improves texture and prevents pearls from sticking together.
- The layering technique not only looks beautiful but also balances textures and flavors as you drink.
- Adjust sweetness by optionally adding a sweetener to the smoothie if your watermelon is not very sweet.
Keywords: summer drink, sago, tapioca pearls, watermelon smoothie, coconut milk, refreshing beverage, tropical drink, layered drink
