Bubble tea is also called as pearl milk tea or bubble milk tea. It is first popular in Taiwan. Later it became famous in many places including Singapore. The queue for bubble tea is so long!
My husband craves for bubble tea but during this circuit breaker period, as the shops are closed, I want to make bubble tea at home. The homemade tapioca pearls are much tastier than the store bought dried ones. It’s so fun to make especially with kids.
These pearls are so easy to make and only needs 3 ingredients (tapioca flour, water and brown sugar). It’s a bit tiring to knead the flour, this is where your husband’s strength comes to use😉Frankly on seeing the flour, I didn’t think that I can get a smooth dough but as you continue to knead you will get it. The colour of the rolled pearls is greenish at first but slowly it became darker and almost black by the end.
INGREDIENTS:
For tapioca pearls:
• Tapioca starch – 1 cup
• Brown sugar – 1/4 cup
• Water – 1/3 cup
• Black colour food dye – 1/4 tsp (optional)
For Brown sugar syrup:
• Water – 1/4 cup
• Brown Sugar – 1/2 cup
PROCEDURE:
1.In a pan, heat water and brown sugar. Add black food dye (optional).
2.When it’s boiling, add half of the tapioca starch. Cook on low flame by mixing. Switch off the flame and add flour and mix.
3. Remove from pan and knead it for 12 to 15 minutes till smooth dough is formed.
4.Roll the dough cylindrically and cut into half. Repeat the process twice and roll the dough thin cylinders and cut into small pieces.
5. Take a bowl and put some tapioca starch. Make balls with the small pieces of dough and drop in the bowl. This is avoid sticking of balls to each other.
6. After making all balls, dust the excess flour by using a sieve.
7. Boil water in a pan and add tapioca pearls. Cook on medium flame for 15 minutes. Slowly you can see the balls change in colour and float .
8.Switch off the stove and leave it for 5 minutes. Later remove the pearls from the into a bowl and sprinkle some brown sugar to avoid sticking. Tasty and chewy tapioca pearls are ready!
9. In a small pan, add water and brown sugar. Heat in high flame and bring it to boil.
10. Reduce to medium flame and let it bubble. Cook on low flame for 15 minutes till it’s slightly thickened. It will continue to thicken as it cools.
11.Add some ice cubes and tapioca pearls in a glass. Pour some brown sugar syrup and coat the walls. Add milk or milk tea and enjoy the tasty brown sugar pearls milk!
TIPS:
• Kneading takes time atleast 12 to 15 minutes. If it’s too dry, add little bit a water and it’s too sticky, add some starch.
• Don’t worry if the pearls in greenish, colour changes to black after cooling.
• Put the small tapioca balls in a bowl with flour to avoid sticking.
• After removing from water, sprinkle some brown sugar on pearls to avoid sticking.