Most people know “tom yum” as Thailand’s famous hot and sour soup, but this soupless tom yum noodles is completely different. Chewy rice noodles are tossed in a sauce that’s equal parts sweet-salty-spicy and sour, and topped with peanuts, fried garlic, and many other tasty toppings. It is so little-known, but it’s one of my […]
I’ll get you something totally new to enjoy your boba pearls – steamed milk pudding with boba pearls. It’s a lovely dessert for boba lovers.
There is something deeply comforting for me about a bowl of steamed milk pudding. I love the melt-in-the-mouth texture. Today’s version is dressed up with boba pearls. You can taste the smooth, sweet egg-and-milk pudding with chewy boba pearls made from tapioca starch. This experience is totally different from a milk boba tea. It tastes like our steamed egg pudding but with a sweet vibe.
Cook tips
Slow fire for brown sugar– When caramelizing, always use the lowest heat setting to avoid burning it.
Let the milk cool completely before adding eggs. After adding the milk, make sure it has fully cooled down before mixing in the egg mixture. Also, adding a little squeeze of lemon juice while beating the eggs helps to remove the raw egg smell.
Always strain the mixture – so you can get an incredibly silky, smooth pudding texture.
Step by Step
To cook the boba pearls
Bring a large pot of water (Recommend 10 times in volume) to a rolling boil.
Add the tapioca pearls to the boiling water. Stir the tapioca pearls gently to prevent them from sticking together. Cook for 20 minutes or 5 minutes for quick boba pearls on medium heat.
Turn off the fire and cover the lid; set aside for another 20 or 5 minutes, as required by the package.
Then remove the excess water, add the remaining sugar and a very small pinch of salt. Cook until the sugar is completely dissolved.
To make the Pudding
Add 30g of brown sugar with 1 tablespoon of water. Heat over a low fire until the sugar melts.
Then add 1 cup of milk. Mix well. Set aside to cool down completely.
Beat the egg with a squeeze of lemon juice.
Slowly pour the egg mixture into the milk while stirring continuously.
Strain twice through a sieve to remove any pulp and get a smoother texture. Pour into a bowl, then cover with a lid, aluminum foil, or a plate, just like me. Once the water boils, steam for 10 minutes, then turn off the heat and let it sit (covered) for another 5 minutes.
Assemble
Top with cooked boba pearls and serve warm.
Steamed Milk Pudding with Boba Pearls
Melt in mouth steamed milk pudding with boba pearls
Bring a large pot of water (Recommend 10 times in volume) to a rolling boil.
Add the tapioca pearls to the boiling water. Stir the tapioca pearls gently to prevent them from sticking together. Cook for 20 minutes or 5 minutes for quick boba pearls on medium heat.
Turn off the fire and cover the lid; set aside for another 20 or 5 minutes, as required by the package.
Then remove the excess water, add the remaining sugar and a very small pinch of salt. Cook until the sugar is completely dissolved. Set aside.
To make the Pudding
Add of brown sugar with 1 tablespoon of water. Heat over a low fire until the sugar melts.
Then add 1 cup of milk. Mix well. Set aside to cool down completely.
Prepare a slight bow, crack two eggs with a squeeze of lemon juice.
Slowly pour the egg mixture into the milk while stirring continuously.
Strain twice through a sieve to remove any pulp and get a smoother texture. Pour into a bowl, then cover with a lid or aluminum foil or use a small plate like me. Once the water boils, steam for 10 minutes, then turn off the heat and let it sit (covered) for another 5 minutes.
A quick and common home-cooking recipe from Yunnan: pork or beef, chilies, and tomato stir-fry. It is another rice killer or rice-accompanying dish. The name Hóng Sān Duò literally translates as “red three chop”, Duò meaning to chop or mince. And the three ingredients are pork, chilies, and tomato. It has a lovely, well-balanced flavor of chili freshness, sweet-and-sour from tomatoes, and aromatics from well-seared minced pork.
I first met this on my trip in Yunnan in a small local restaurant. I love food in that region because there are so many ingredients to choose from and so many interesting combinations. The mint beef and mint deep-fried ribs also really appeal to me.
This is a super-easy recipe because it calls for very common, basic ingredients. I made a larger batch that can serve around 4. We only eat half of them since there are only two of us, and then save the remaining for the noodle soup topping the next day. It is so good in noodle soup too.
The Role of the Tomato — and Why It Matters
The tomato is doing the work of an entire sauce in most other dishes in this humble dish. Tomato cubes release natural sugars and acids, working as a natural flavor enhancer for minced pork. It also provides a basic sweet-and-sour tone for the dish. If you prefer a hotter version, add some chopped Thai chili pepper.
Ingredients
2 medium-sized tomatoes- peeled and finely chopped
4 long green chili peppers- finely chopped
100g pork butt or other parts with some fat- you can either use pork butt or pork belly
3 garlic cloves- minced
1/8 tsp. salt (for pork) + 1/8 tsp. salt (for stir fry)
1 tsp. ground pepper
1/4 tsp. sugar
2 tbsp. light soy sauce
4 tbsp. vegetable cooking oil
Step-by-Step Ingredients
Let’s hand-chop all the ingredients first. I recommend you chop all of them by yourself. Firstly, chop the pork into a coarse mince. Then chop the chilis, peel the tomato, and cut it into small dice too. I highly recommend peeling the tomato first for a clean texture.
Add a small pinch of salt and a dash of pepper to the chopped pork. Mix well and marinate for around 10 minutes.
Prepare a wok, add oil, and fry the pork until crispy on the edges and golden brown. Add garlic and fry until aromatic.
Add some extra oil, add tomato and chili peppers. Fry for about 3-5 minutes, until they are super soft and juicy.
Add a small pinch of salt and sugar, then light soy sauce. Mix well.
You can try matching it with steamed rice, rice noodle soup, regular noodle soup, or even steamed buns or bread.
Let’s hand-chop all the ingredients first. I recommend you chop all of them by yourself. Firstly, chop the pork into a coarse mince. Then chop the chilis, peel the tomato, and cut it into small dice too. I highly recommend peeling the tomato first for a clean texture.
Add a small pinch of salt, a dash of pepper to the chopped pork. Mix well and marinate for around 10 minutes.
Prepare a wok, add oil, and fry the pork until crispy on the edges and golden brown. Add garlic and fry until aromatic.
Add tomato, chili peppers, light soy sauce, salt and sugar. Fry for about 3-5 minutes, until they are super soft and juicy and all the flavors are well combined.
You can try to match it with steamed rice, rice noodle soup, regular noodle soup, or even with steamed buns or bread.
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