Coconut tapioca pudding / 椰奶西米露

Tapioca pudding is a simple traditional dessert that's popular in Southeast Asia. Also known as sago pudding, it is made by boiling mini pearl tapioca/pearl sago that is then combined with a sweetened milk mixture. The most common flavor is coconut, though one can add a variety of fruit to the basic recipe.

Recipe: Coconut tapioca pudding / 椰奶西米露

Servings: 4 servings

Ingredients:
1/2 cup mini pearl tapioca / pearl sago / 西米*
1 can (10 oz) of coconut milk / 椰奶**
1 can (9 oz) of sweet condensed milk (can substitute with whole milk and sugar)
Milk (optional)

Notes on ingredients:
* Mini pearl tapioca / pearl sago / 西米 has many different English names. Basically, it's mini balls of starch used often in Southeast Asian desserts or beverages. It is often made with sago palm starch but occasionally made from tapioca starch as well. Either way, it is naturally gluten-free. You can find it in Asian grocery stores, usually under the name "tapioca pearl." It will be white and the each ball is barely larger than a grain of rice. If the "tapioca pearl" you see is black or multi-colored and the size of a pebble, that's for use in bubble teas and not for this recipe.

** Coconut milk / 椰奶 is a sweet thick white substance derived from coconuts. It is different from coconut water. It is also not the same thing as the coconut milk beverage sold by western brands like So Delicious. You can find canned coconut milk at Whole Foods (close to Thai and other Asian food ingredients) or your local Asian grocery store.

Directions:

Boil water in medium sized pot. Once water is boiling, put in 1/2 cup of mini pearl tapioca and continue cooking at medium-high heat. Stir occasionally. Let boil until mini pearl tapioca is almost completely transparent.

Meanwhile, combine coconut milk and sweet condensed milk in small pot. If you don't have sweet condensed milk, you can also use whole milk and sugar instead. Heat the mixture over low heat. If the mixture is too thick, you can add milk as desired. Stir until well combined. Turn off heat and let cool.

When mini pearl tapioca is almost completely transparent with just a little hint of white in the center, turn off heat. Strain mini pearl tapioca using a strainer. Put mini pearl tapioca into cold water for a minute. Strain mini pearl tapioca again. The mini pearl tapioca should now be completely transparent.

Spoon mini pearl tapioca into dessert bowl. Pour the now-cool milk mixture over mini pearl tapioca. Serve and enjoy!

Vegetarian stir-fried rice vermicelli / 素炒米粉

Rice vermicelli is one of those things that is inherently gluten free, yet the risk of contamination makes it difficult for a Celiac patient to enjoy at a restaurant. Sure you can ask the chef to hold the soy sauce, but he has probably already used the same wok for dozens of gluten-rich dishes earlier. So, here is my version for a gluten free stir-fried rice vermicelli that is easy to make at home. Since the flavor in this dish comes from onion, garlic, and cilantro, there is no need to hunt for a gluten-free soy sauce. I use salt very sparingly to make this dish low-sodium as well.

Recipe: Vegetarian stir-fried rice vermicelli / 素炒米粉

Servings: 4 adult servings

Ingredients:
1 "bunch" of rice vermicelli*
2-3 carrots
2-3 celery stalks
3-4 wood ear mushrooms* (may substitute with portabella mushrooms)
3-4 medium sized eggs
1 onion
cilantro
minced garlic / garlic powder
salt
pepper
olive oil

Notes on Ingredients:

- Rice vermicelli is also sometimes referred to as rice noodles or rice sticks. The ingredients are rice and water. Don't confuse it with glass noodles/Chinese vermicelli, which is made from mung bean starch and water. Rice vermicelli is widely available in Asian grocery stores.

- Wood ear mushroom is a common ingredient in Chinese cooking. It is thinner and chewier than normal portabella mushrooms. Dried wood ear mushroom is available in Asian grocery stores.


Directions:

If you are using wood ear mushrooms, rinse and soak mushrooms in cold water for 30-45 minutes or until softened. Wood ear mushrooms expand a lot with rehydration, so don't use more than 3-4 even if they look meager at first glance. If you are using portabella mushrooms instead, skip this step.

Boil water in medium sized pot.

Meanwhile, crack eggs into small bowl, mix well. Oil or spray a flat-bottomed skillet, then cook eggs as a thin omelet at low heat. Once omelet is done, set aside and let cool.

Take one "bunch" of rice vermicelli from package. Different brands pack vermicelli in different ways but generally they come in something like a compressed W shape. Break vermicelli at the junction such that you have two V shapes. One V shape is one "bunch" here. Do not try to break dry rice vermicelli anywhere other than at a junction or you will end up with bits and pieces of vermicelli flying all over the place (believe me, I've done it). Remove pot of boiled water from heat. Soak rice vermicelli in boiled water for 15-30 minutes or until softened.

Meanwhile, using knife or vegetable slicer, julienne cut carrots, celery, wood ear mushroom (or portabella mushroom), onion, and the egg omelet into thin slices. Mince cilantro. Using kitchen scissors, cut softened rice vermicelli so that the strands are about equal length as the vegetable slices.

In wok or large saute pan, heat small amount of olive oil on medium high heat. Saute onions. Once onion is softened, add carrot and celery slices. Stir fry until vegetables are half cooked.

Add in mushroom slices. Stir fry until the vegetables are almost completely cooked.

Add in egg omelet slices. Stir fry until well mixed.

Add in rice vermicelli. Stir fry until well mixed.

Add in minced cilantro, minced garlic/garlic powder, salt and pepper to taste. Stir fry until well mixed.

Serve and enjoy!