Kabocha Sago Recipe (with Video)

1. Bring at least 6 cups of water to boil in a pot. Add uncooked small tapioca pearls and cook until almost fully translucent (~15 mins), stirring occasionally.
2. While the tapioca cooks, wash the kabocha well and then cut into 1/2 inch to 1 inch cubes. Remove the inner seeds and fiber by scraping with a spoon. I like to leave the skin on, but you can peel it you prefer.
3. Once tapioca is mostly translucent (a tiny white dot in the middle is ok), pour it into a strainer, rinse with cold water, then let sit in a bowl of water until you need it — this prevents it from hardening.
4. Bring 4 cups of water to boil in a large pot, then add the cubed kabocha and 45g of yellow rock sugar (or 2 tbsp white sugar). Let simmer 10-15 min, or until kabocha is softened.
5. Add coconut milk, evaporated milk, and condensed milk if using. Bring back up to a boil.
6. Taste and adjust sugar levels to your preference. I added another ~20g of yellow rock sugar here but it’s not necessary.
7. Lastly, add the drained tapioca pearls and mix. It’s ready to serve hot, or you could let it cool and serve cold. This gets even better after a few hours because the coconut milk and flavors absorb better into the kabocha!