Special Mango Juice Sago & Pomelo Recipe

Boil sago

Bring 6 cups of water to a rolling boil in a medium pot. Add 1 cup small tapioca pearls (sago) slowly while stirring to prevent sticking.

Lower heat to a gentle boil and cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally so pearls don’t clump. Cook until the pearls turn translucent with a small opaque dot in the center, about 10–12 minutes for small pearls (time may vary by brand).

When translucent, turn off heat and cover the pot. Let sit for 10 minutes to finish cooking and to ensure even translucency.

Drain sago in a fine mesh sieve and immediately rinse under cold running water to stop cooking and remove excess starch. Transfer to a bowl and toss with 1 cup cold water; let sit 5 minutes, then drain again. This keeps the pearls separate and slightly firm.

Make mango purée

If using fresh mangoes: place 2 cups chopped ripe mango (about 2 medium mangoes) in a blender. Add 1 tablespoon fresh lime or lemon juice and 1–2 tablespoons of water to help blend. Blend until smooth.

Taste the purée and add 3 tablespoons sugar (or to taste). Blend briefly to dissolve sugar. If using canned mango pulp, combine pulp with lime juice and sugar and blend until smooth.

If the purée is very thick, add up to 1 cup cold water to reach a drinkable consistency. Chill in the refrigerator or add cold water/ice when assembling the drinks. Adjust sweetness with additional sugar if needed.

Prepare pomelo

Remove the pomelo peel and separate into segments. Peel away the membranes from each segment and pick out the flesh pieces so they are in bite-sized chunks, about 1 cup total.

Lightly toss the pomelo flesh with 1 teaspoon sugar or a small drizzle of condensed milk if you prefer a sweeter contrast. Chill until assembly.

Wash and lightly bruise a few mint leaves between your fingers to release aroma; set aside for garnish.

Divide the cooked and drained sago between 4 serving glasses (about 1/4 cup cooked sago per glass, adjust as desired).

Spoon about 2–3 tablespoons pomelo flesh over the sago in each glass.

Pour the chilled mango purée (about 1/2 cup per glass) over the sago and pomelo, leaving room to stir. If you prefer a more juice-like drink, dilute the purée with additional cold water or ice before pouring.

Add a splash (about 1/2 tablespoon) of condensed milk or 1/2 tablespoon coconut milk on top if using, for richness.

Garnish with 1–2 mint leaves per glass and serve immediately with a spoon and a wide straw.