Dragon Fruit Recipes: Mango & Dragon Fruit Sago Dessert
Dragon Fruit Recipes: A Mango And Dragon Fruit Sago Dessert.
Vegan, Gluten Free Layers Of Tapioca Pearls, Coconut Milk, Mango And Dragon Fruit.
Simmer 15 To 20 Minutes, Chill 2 Hours. For Dessert Or Breakfast.
Introduction to dragon fruit recipes
This is one of my favourite dragon fruit recipes. Tapioca pearls (sago) are cooked in coconut milk with orange juice, vanilla and a little salt, then chilled and layered in a glass with mango puree and bright red dragon fruit. It’s vegan and gluten free. The pearls simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, then chill for at least 2 hours.
It’s a bit like a mango sago, with dragon fruit added for colour. Dragon fruit makes the brilliant red and pink layers you see in the pictures.
I make it for dessert, and it’s lovely for breakfast too. You can blend lots of different fruits, or soft tofu, into the puree layers.
If you have any comments or questions, please contact us. Or chat with me at a Flametree yoga or meditation class via these timetables.
Mango and dragon fruit sago, ready to eat
Tapioca pearls layered with dragon fruit and mango.
Ingredients for dragon fruit recipes like this
Here are the ingredients for this Flametree Yoga Studio dish. Use more mango or more dragon fruit, depending on what you want to show off.
The tapioca pearls
- Half a cup of dry tapioca pearls (sago)
- Water, to soak the pearls, plus 6 cups for boiling
- A tin of normal coconut milk (not light)
- 2 tablespoons of fresh orange juice (squeeze a real orange)
- Half a teaspoon of salt, or less to your taste
- 1 vanilla pod, scraped out
The fruit layers
- 1 to 2 ripe mangoes
- At least half a red dragon fruit
- 40 grams of soft tofu (optional)
- Passionfruit and coconut yoghurt, to serve
For the tofu, I find the organic brand Earth Source has fewer additives, or none, compared with some supermarket brands. You can see the tapioca pearls and the vanilla pod I like best in my sago dessert with coconut milk.
A red dragon fruit
A Darwin dragon fruit with a slice off it. Every one of these desserts starts with getting this fruit.
How to make this dragon fruit dessert
Use these steps to make my mango and dragon fruit sago.
Step 1: Soak the tapioca pearls
- Cover the tapioca pearls with water and soak them for about 30 minutes to an hour.
Step 2: Cook the pearls
- Bring 6 cups of water to the boil, and add the tapioca.
- Lower the heat and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes.
- Stir often, so the pearls don’t stick together.
- When they look translucent, pour them into a fine mesh strainer and run cold water over them.
Step 3: Make the coconut mix
- In the same pot, add the coconut milk, orange juice, salt and vanilla, and stir.
- Stir in the washed tapioca pearls, and cook for a few more minutes on a low heat.
Step 4: Chill
- Take the pot off the heat and chill the pearls in the fridge for at least 2 hours.
Step 5: Make the fruit layers
- Cut the mangoes to fit into a blender, and blend to a puree.
- For dragon fruit puree, blend it the same way. Or just cut the dragon fruit into pieces.
- If you like, add the soft tofu to the mango puree and blend some more.
Step 6: Layer and serve
- In a glass, make layers of tapioca pearls, dragon fruit pieces, mango puree and dragon fruit puree.
- Serve with passionfruit and coconut yoghurt.
Cooking and straining the tapioca pearls
After cooking for 15 to 20 minutes, the pearls are translucent. I wash them with cold water in a strainer so they don’t stick together.
With dragon fruit puree and pieces
Tapioca pearls in the white layer, with pieces of dragon fruit through the glass and dragon fruit puree.
With a mango puree layer
Tapioca pearls on the bottom, a mango puree layer on top, and fresh mango. You can add more dragon fruit too.
Is this dragon fruit dessert vegan and gluten free?
Yes. Tapioca pearls are made from cassava and contain no gluten. With coconut milk, orange juice, vanilla, fruit and optional soft tofu, it’s vegan and gluten free.
It’s one of my favourite vegan desserts in Darwin, especially when dragon fruit and mangoes are around.
What does dragon fruit taste like?
Let’s be honest, a lot of people don’t think dragon fruit has much taste. It’s mild and gently sweet, so I pair it with mango, orange juice and vanilla for plenty of flavour.
Mango brings sweetness and colour too. The Cleveland Clinic’s guide to mango benefits says mangoes have fibre and vitamins that may be good for your gut, skin and eyes.
Why is dragon fruit so pink?
Red dragon fruit gets its colour from natural plant pigments called betacyanins, including betanin, the same pigment that colours beetroot. That’s what makes the bright pink and red layers.
Dragon fruit for breakfast
An option with solid pieces of dragon fruit on top, with fresh mango and mango puree. Great for breakfast.
Dragon fruit recipes: quick questions answered
How long does this dragon fruit dessert take?
Soak the tapioca pearls for 30 minutes to an hour, simmer them for 15 to 20 minutes, then chill for at least 2 hours.
Can I eat it for breakfast?
Yes. Top the tapioca pearls with solid pieces of dragon fruit, fresh mango and mango puree for an easy breakfast.
Is sago the same as tapioca pearls?
Tapioca pearls are often sold as sago, and that’s what I use here.
How do I stop tapioca pearls sticking together?
Stir them often while they simmer. Then pour them into a fine mesh strainer and run cold water over them.
How do you eat dragon fruit?
Cut it in half and scoop out the flesh, or peel it and cut it into pieces. In this recipe I use it in pieces, or blended into a puree.
More Flametree tropical fruit recipes
Love tropical fruit? Try my sago dessert with coconut milk and blueberries, my mango pudding with agar agar, or my mango recipes from the NT with black rice layers.
Do you have a vegan recipe or dish you’d like to share?
Please contact me with any dishes you’d like to share with me.
Obviously, I’m especially interested in any dish that is already a great Darwin vegan option.
Alternatively, it may be a potential vegan Darwin recipe that I could adapt, or be inspired by, as I did here.
Experience eating alternatives at a Flametree Yoga Retreat
By the way, there are several upcoming Flametree yoga retreats in Bali in 2027.
Contact us for details of our Darwin yoga retreat packages, or our yoga class packages in the orange lines below.
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Meanwhile, start or re-start yoga or meditation with one of the HALF price deals below, or check out the retreat deals.
Learning to eat mindfully, as a result of yoga and pranayama meditation, is a great way to start more of a vegetarian or vegan journey, or simply mindfully eat whatever you choose.
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Recipe by Chris Lalor, Flametree Yoga Studio, Darwin NT. General information only.
