tapioca pearls sago

 tapioca pearls sago

 gluten free recipes -Traditional Thai sago pearls 

Thai food is full of bold juxtapositions of flavor and texture. For these crystalline dumplings, the chewy skin is made from tapioca pearls (sago in Thai). The filling of beef or chicken , peanuts, shallot, palm sugar, and fish sauce is crumbly, sweet, salty, and savory. To eat, the dumplings are wrapped in lettuce leaves with fresh herbs and hot chiles. Sago Pearls Dumplings   is a popular street food in Thailand

 

INGREDIENTS

1. Dough

·         1 cup small (1/8-inch) tapioca pearls

·         1/2 cup just-boiled water (see Note, page 23)

·         1/4 teaspoon salt

2. Filling

·         1 tablespoon oil

·         1 teaspoon minced garlic

·         3 ounces ground or minced fatty beef or chicken

·         2 tablespoons finely chopped shallot

·         2 teaspoons fish sauce

·         1 tablespoon light brown sugar or palm sugar

·         1/4 teaspoon white pepper (optional)

·         1 1/2 tablespoons finely chopped unsalted, roasted peanuts

·         Salt

·         2 to 3 tablespoons tapioca starch, for dusting

·         1/4 cup oil

·         1 tablespoon minced garlic

·         8 to 12 soft lettuce leaves

·         3 to 5 hot Thai or serrano chiles, cut into 1/4-inch pieces (optional)

PREPARATION

1. To make the dough, put the tapioca in a bowl and add hot tap water to cover. Swirl twice, then immediate pour into a mesh strainer to drain. Shake the strainer to get rid of excess water. The tapioca will have bloomed and expanded. Wipe the bowl dry and return the tapioca to it. Stir in the just-boiled water and salt, combining well. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside for 1 hour.
2. Heat the 1 tablespoon oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the 1 teaspoon garlic. Cook, stirring constantly for about 1 minute, or until the mixture is fragrant and the garlic is light golden. Add the beef or chicken and shallot, stirring and mashing the meat into crumbly bits. Cook for about 1 minute, or until most of the beef or chicken  has lost its pinkness, then add the fish sauce, brown sugar, and white pepper. Continue cooking, stirring constantly, for about 3 minutes, or until some of the beef or chicken  has browned and the mixture is hissing and bubbling. Add the peanuts, stirring to combine well. Remove from the heat; taste and add salt and sugar as needed. Aim for a slightly intense salty-sweet flavor. Transfer to a small plate, spreading the filling out, then set aside to cool completely before using. (The filling can be prepared up to 2 days in advance and refrigerated. Return it to room temperature before using.) Makes an ample 1/2 cup.
3. Line steamer trays and/or baking sheets with parchment paper, then oil the paper.
4. Transfer the tapioca dough to an unfloured work surface. You will initially work with slightly wet hands to prevent sticking and later dust them with tapioca starch to form the dumplings. Dampen your hands with water and knead the dough for about 1 minute into a bumpy ball of tapioca pearls. It may be a bit pasty and squishy, and that is fine. Cut the dough in half, and return half to the bowl, covering it with plastic wrap. Working with the other half, dampen your hands again and roll the dough into a 12-inch log. Cut into 1-inch pieces. With damp hands, roll each piece of dough into a ball. Now, wash your hands and dry them thoroughly. For each dumpling, lightly dust your hands with tapioca starch. Pick up a dough ball and make an indentation in the center with your thumb. Keep your thumb in place as you rotate the dough and press on its walls to create a 1/2 to 3/4-inch deep cup. Holding the cup in the crook of your hand, fill it with about 1 teaspoon of filling, tapping it down lightly. Then close up the opening by pressing the dough inward with your fingers. Should there be a break in the dough, pinch the surrounding pearls together and dab on some tapioca starch to seal. Roll the ball between your hands for an even shape. Set in the steamer tray or on a baking sheet spaced 1 inch apart. Repeat with the remaining dough pieces before working on the other half of the dough. The dumplings can be cooked now or frozen. To freeze, place them in the freezer for about 1 hour, until hard. Then put into a zip-top plastic bag, press out excess air before sealing, and freeze for up to 1 month. Thaw completely in the refrigerator before steaming.
5. Steam the dumplings for 20 minutes over boiling water. Turn off the heat and remove the steamer lid. After about 3 minutes, the tapioca pearl dough should go from translucent to mostly clear. If it does not, steam for 5 minutes more.
6. As the dumplings steam, make the garlic oil. Combine the remaining 1/4 cup oil and the remaining 1 tablespoon garlic in a small saucepan and heat over medium heat. Let the garlic sizzle for about 2 minutes, or until it is blond. Immediately transfer to a heatproof dish and set aside to cool. Put 2 tablespoons of the garlic oil on a platter and set aside.
7. Serve with chiles and lettuce.