But none the less, I made some nice summery desserts lately. I go out at night with some friends to some Asian (mainly HK or some Taiwan-based) dessert houses, and this is one of those popular desserts... 楊枝甘露. I don't know how to translate that, but it is basically a pomelo mango sago dessert. It is sweet, mango-y, touch bitter from the pomelo, milky, little creamy... real good served ice cold.
I don't remember how I picked the pomelo, basically make sure the fruit is heavy and firm... but if you can't find pomelo or you don't like the taste of it, you can substitute it with pink grapefruit. The pink will give the dish a nice little sprinkle of blush pink from the flesh, and will probably won't be so bitter. I find the taste of pomelo more bitter, but both fruits are quite similar in taste to me. I think this is where the mango comes in to help sweeten the dish. Nice ripe mangoes will do, whether it is Manila/Honey/Champagne mangoes or big ol' Common mangoes. I added papaya into this dish. I've seen it added and not added in some dessert houses. So this is optional. But I added it because papaya is good for you, and it adds a little something more to munch on. I chose Hawaiian papayas because when perfectly ripe, they are sweeter, texture is more solid but still have that papaya mushiness, and more floral in fragrance.
One thing I like about dessert recipes like this is that you can add as much or as as little of certain ingredients as you like. I pretty much used the recipe from GourmetTraveller88, but omitting the confectioner's sugar, but adding papaya cubes and adjusting the taste to my own and my family preference. Here is a quick wikihow on how to open a pomelo, cuz these suckers are hard to deal with. There is a special dish made with pomelo skin. My grandmother makes it, and it is delicious. It has a spongy texture, and best part for the diet-crazed individuals... it is said to be low in calorie and cholesterol... like seriously. Haha! Plus it is a humble from-the-village dish, the recipe isn't something you will find in any Chinese restaurant. Very homely. If I can catch her making it again, I'll try to get the recipe from her.
Sweet and refreshing, great for a summery day.
Ingredient:
1 large pomelo; skinned, sectioned, and flesh separated into chunky pieces
3 - 5 ripe mangoes, cubed (I used big super ripe Common mangoes.)
1 - 2 ripe Hawaiian papayas, cubed (optional)
½ - 1 cup sago
¾ cup water
1 cup coconut milk
1 cup crushed ice (optional)
How-To:
- Cook sago according to package. (I say look into Step 4 in GourmetTraveller88's recipe, linked above). Once done, set aside.
- In a bowl, peel, section, and "flake" pomelo (see above link on how to open a pomelo). Set aside into the refrigerator.
- In another bowl, peel and cube papaya. Set aside into refrigerator.
- In another bowl, cube mangoes. Reserve ½ - ¾ bowl for the next step. Set aside the rest (I say leave about 1-1½ mangoes worth, or the amount of how much you like mango) into the refrigerator.
- Taking the reserved mangoes, puree it in a blender. Add water and coconut milk, and mix to incorporate. Refrigerate to chill.
- When ready, in a large container or punch bowl, gently pour chilled mango mix in. Add sago, and mix to incorporate.
- From the fridge, gently add cubed papaya and mangoes, and pomelo flesh into mango-sago mix. Gently stir to mix.
- To serve, ladle into a cup or bowl.
- Add a bit of crushed ice for extra coldness to serve.
If you want to get extra fancy, break pomelo flesh chunks into little pearls for the dish/for garnishing. But that takes a lot of time and patience to turn a whole pomelo into little pearls, but it is nicer for presentation. But big chunks of fruit is more delicious to me. Of course, add some sugar syrup or melted-then-cooled rock sugar syrup for added sweetness if mangoes/fruits are not in season/at their ripest. It totally beats paying about $4-5 for a tiny bowl at the dessert houses. I hope you guys like it.
