Solid Mango Pomelo Sago with Strained Yogurt

Fresh mango cheeks become little dessert boats topped with thick strained yogurt, small tapioca pearls, coconut milk and juicy pomelo. Inspired by mango pomelo sago, this version keeps the fruit in generous pieces. Serve chilled on small plates with spoons.

Ingredients for 2

Allow at least 4 hours for refrigerator straining, longer if the yogurt is still pourable. Total time includes 4 hours straining, 20 minutes preparation and 15 minutes cooking; most of that time is hands-off. Mango and pomelo sizes vary, so use the edible weights in the ingredient list. No extra sweetener is added, though original-flavour yogurt may already contain sugar. Contains milk and coconut. Serve on a plate with a spoon; the topping is soft rather than set.

Method

1. Step 1Cook the small pearls

   Bring a generous pan of water to the boil. Add 20 g small tapioca pearls and cook gently to the pack directions, stirring so they do not stick. Rest covered as directed until the centres are translucent; time varies by brand.

   

2. Step 2Cool and drain thoroughly

   Drain in a fine sieve, rinse with cool drinking water and drain again until no water pools underneath. Refrigerate promptly while preparing the other ingredients.

   

3. Step 3Strain the yogurt cold

   Line a fine sieve with clean food-safe cloth over a bowl. Add 400 g yogurt, cover and refrigerate at 5°C or below for at least 4 hours, until about 200 g is thick enough to hold a spoonful. Strain longer if needed; reserve any extra for another use.

   

4. Step 4Cut two mango cheeks

   Wash and dry the mango skin, then cut off two cheeks close to the stone. Leave the flesh attached to the skin as a base; avoid cutting through it. Aim for about 300 g edible mango between the two cheeks.

   

5. Step 5Peel the pomelo flesh

   Remove the thick peel and the white membranes from the pomelo. Separate 100 g juicy flesh into bite-size pieces, without pith or seeds.

   

6. Step 6Make a thick topping

   Stir 20 ml coconut milk into the cooled, well-drained pearls. Fold into 200 g thick strained yogurt. The mixture should mound on a spoon; if loose, chill and drain more rather than adding extra liquid.

   

7. Step 7Build the mango boats

   Support each mango cheek on a small plate. Spoon half the topping over each cheek and scatter with half the pomelo.

   

8. Step 8Serve straight away

   Serve chilled on small plates with spoons. If making ahead, refrigerate the ingredients separately and assemble only when ready to eat.

   

Watch it in 38 seconds

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Why this version works

• Strain a pourable yogurt before assembly: a drinkable yogurt straight from its bottle will run off the mango.
• Use small tapioca pearls; cook to the packet directions and drain thoroughly so the topping does not become watery.
• Remove pomelo membranes, which can taste bitter and make the topping hard to eat.
• Assemble just before serving. Fresh fruit and yogurt release moisture if left stacked for hours.

Swaps and variations

• Lighter topping: use 100 g thick strained yogurt across two mango cheeks and leave out the coconut milk. Keep the fruit and 20 g dry pearls unchanged for a smaller, creamy topping.
• Bowl version: if your yogurt stays pourable, serve the mango, pomelo and cooked pearls in a bowl with the yogurt and coconut milk.
• Choose ripe fresh mango and juicy fresh pomelo for this dessert. Mango drinks, dried fruit and ready-made dessert cups will not give the same texture.

Nutrition per serve

Calculated by Umall using FSANZ Australian Food Composition Database (AFCD) Release 3 (CC BY 4.0). Pink grapefruit is used as an approximate match for pomelo, and sweetened high-fat yogurt for AMX original yogurt. The estimate counts all 400 g starting yogurt, including the whey discarded during straining, so the finished dessert may contain fewer calories and nutrients. The 20 ml coconut milk is counted as 20 g. Values are estimates and vary with the brands you use, fruit weights and the amount of whey drained.

Questions about Solid Mango Pomelo Sago with Strained Yogurt

Sources and credit

Method adapted by the Umall recipe team from the solid mango pomelo sago format described by RADII, with food-handling guidance from FSANZ (sources listed below). Quantities are our own, scaled for Australian kitchens and Umall products.

• RADII: solid mango pomelo sago format
• FSANZ: food safety basics

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