“The
Earth would die
If the sun stopped kissing her.”
― شمس الدین محمد حافظ / Khwāja Šams ud-Dīn Muhammad Hāfez-e Šīrāzī

I made this dish for a dinner party for friends, on a hot summers night in Sydney after a meal of fresh Vietnamese rice paper rolls. The week before, I had come back from a trip to Cambodia and Vietnam and I was craving the fresh, sweet flavours of tropical south-east Asia. This recipe is perfect for a summer dinner party, as it is light, uses seasonal fruit and can be made ahead and refrigerated. The mango can be substituted for pitted cherries, peaches, plums, lychees or any seasonal fruit.

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Recipe adapted from this recipe by Kay Chun at Food and Wine.

Ingredients

Method

In a large saucepan, combine the tapioca, whole milk, vanilla bean and seeds and a pinch of salt. Bring to a simmer over moderate heat and cook, whisking occasionally, until the tapioca is translucent and tender, about 20 minutes. Whisk in the coconut milk.

In a small bowl, whisk the egg yolks with the sugar. Gradually whisk in half of the warm tapioca in a steady stream. Continue whisking and pour the egg yolk mixture back into the saucepan. Cook the pudding over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 5 minutes. Transfer the pudding to a bowl and let cool to room temperature. Discard the vanilla bean.

In a medium bowl, combine the mango, 1 table spoon max of lime zest and 2 tablespoons max of juice. Transfer half to a food processor and puree until smooth. Stir the puree into the diced mango. Divide half of the fruit into 4 glasses, top with the tapioca pudding, then top with the remaining fruit. Cover the puddings and refrigerate for about 2 hours, or until chilled, before serving. Top with a sprinkle of toasted coconut flakes and rice puffs and serve.