Spiced Coconut Tapioca Pudding With Fruit
Coconut and cassava are known for distinct qualities: Cassava, a tuber from which tapioca is made, is starchy and dense, and fresh coconut is crunchy and juicy. When eaten together, both hold complex nuances with vigor, each enabling the other to flourish. Throughout Nigeria, streetside vendors sell bags of steamed cassava chunks paired with shards of cracked, skin-on fresh coconut for snacking. Home cooks combine these two ingredients in a variety of cakes, crackers and puddings. Here, small tapioca pearls and coconut milk form a pudding version of this familiar pairing. Lemongrass, makrut lime leaves and spices steep in lightly sweetened coconut milk that infuses the tapioca as it simmers. A finishing splash of coconut cream makes for a brothy pudding. Fresh fruit, lightly toasted coconut flakes and molasses (or any syrup) top the creamy base. This is comfort in a bowl and can be enjoyed any time of the day, especially as a cool, puckery and melodic end to any flavorful meal.
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