Matcha Tapioca Pudding
I drink a Matcha Latte almost daily, made with home made nut milk and ceremonial grade Matcha tea. My mother-in-law used to teach green tea ceremony from Japan and gifted me, years ago a large can of ceremonial grade matcha. It is difficult to drink anything else. So naturally when I thought about creating this tapioca pudding dessert, I used the same tea. But honestly, don’t feel the pressure or necessity to use ceremonial grade, I am sure other matcha’s will do the trick. Here is a ceremonial grade matcha, that won’t break the bank. Only two teaspoons are needed. Be sure to add the matcha at the end, to keep the matcha bright and green, when it cooks too long, it denatures in taste, quality and color. This dessert is sweet, the matcha lends an earthy flavor and the texture is just right, not too creamy and not rubbery at all, sometimes when I have tasted tapioca, it can get a rubbery texture. Some who tasted this pudding recently, told me, this dessert had all the elements of a perfect dessert. I was pleased to hear this. I served mine in glasses but you can serve the pudding in little ramekins, custard cups or Ball jars, take your pic.
A word about Matcha, it is made by grinding the green tea leaves into a fine powder. It is rich in chlorophyll, anti-oxidants, anti-cancerous compounds, specifically ECGG and amino acids including L-Theanine (an amino acid which can lower anxiety and improve cognitive function). I could use both of those. It is said to benefit type 2 diabetes, encourage weight loss and prevent heart disease. If you drink it, it has less caffeine than coffee and 10x the nutrients of regular steeped green tea. It is also believed to lower ones chances of getting osteoporosis. Our other key ingredient, tapioca is gluten-free, and has important minerals including iron and calcium and also has no saturated fat. It also may have properties shown to reduce insulin levels. So let’s say this is a guilt-free dessert. This is a make ahead dish. I topped my puddings with crunchy black sesame seeds and spring blossoms.
Makes 4-6 servings, depending on the size of ramekin or serving container you use.
Preparation time 40 minutes / Cook time 20 / Fridge Set time 2-3 Hours
Gather
1/2 cup / 64 g tapioca pearls
1 cup / 237 ml water
2 1/2 cups / 399 ml coconut milk / One 13.5 oz can
1/2 cup / 118 ml almond milk
1/4 cup / 32 g coconut sugar
1/4 cup / 32 g monk fruit (preferably the white for this recipe)
1 vanilla bean - split lengthwise and scrape out the bean paste
Pinch of salt
2 teaspoons/ 11.8 g matcha whisked with 3 tablespoons/ 44.36 ml hot water in a small bowl
Make
Blend the water, coconut milk, and almond milk in a blender till smooth and transfer into medium sized saucepan. Add tapioca pearls and let sit for 30 minutes.
Turn on heat and add the vanilla bean, sweeteners and salt. Bring to a light simmer and cook for 20 minutes, stirring frequently.
Turn heat off. Add the matcha liquid to mixture.
Spoon pudding into serving dish of choice. Cool for 10 minutes on counter top and then transfer to refrigerator for 2-3 hours.
Remove from fridge when ready to serve and garnish.
