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Sago't gulaman
Tapioca and jelly drink
Sago't gulaman: tapioca pearls and agar jelly in brown-sugar syrup over ice
Tall plastic cups of sago't gulaman are what Manila drinks on hot afternoons, ladled from a big drum at street corners and sold next to fried snacks. Chewy tapioca pearls and cubes of firm agar jelly float in cold water sweetened with a dark, almost caramelised brown-sugar syrup scented with pandan. Kids slurp it through a wide straw; adults buy it with every plate of banana cue. Chef's tip: cook the syrup until it smells of caramel but stop before it smokes; pale syrup tastes only of sugar, burnt syrup tastes bitter.
- Total time
- 40 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
For the jelly
- 2 tsp agar powder
- 2 cups water
- 2 tbsp sugar
For the pearls and syrup
- 2 ⅞ oz large tapioca pearls
- ¾ cup water
- 2 pandan leavesknotted, or 0.5 tsp vanilla extract
- 5 cups cold water
- 14 oz ice cubes
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Whisk 2 tsp agar powder and 2 tbsp sugar into 2 cups water in a pan, bring to the boil over a medium heat and boil for 2 minutes, stirring, until completely clear. Pour into a small dish and leave to set at room temperature, about 30 minutes.
5 minStep 2: Boil 2 ⅞ oz large tapioca pearls in plenty of water for 20–25 minutes, stirring often, until only a tiny white dot remains in the centre. Turn off the heat, cover and leave 10 minutes until fully clear, then drain and rinse in cold water.
30 minStep 3: Meanwhile, melt 7 oz dark brown or muscovado sugar in a dry pan over a medium-low heat with 2 pandan leaves, stirring, until it bubbles and smells of toffee, 3–4 minutes.
4 minStep 4: Carefully pour in ¾ cup water (it will spit), stir until smooth and simmer 3 minutes into a dark syrup. Remove the pandan and stir the pearls into the syrup.
4 minStep 5: Cut the set jelly into 1 cm cubes. Stir the pearls and syrup into 5 cups cold water in a jug, add the jelly and 14 oz ice cubes, and serve in tall glasses with wide straws.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 180 kcal
- Protein
- 0 g
- Carbs
- 46 g
- Fat
- 0 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does sago't gulaman take?
- About 40 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 30 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
- What can I use instead of dark brown or muscovado sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
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