Sua Chua Tran Chau (Yogurt with Boba Pearls), Sweetened with Monk Fruit
Sweets and drinksPuddingsVietnam7 to 8 hours culturing the yogurt, about 1 hour for the pearls
This drink puts together two separate parts: a jar of smooth cultured yogurt and a batch of chewy pearls steeped in thick syrup. A finished glass has syrup streaking the sides, warm pearls at the bottom and cold yogurt on top. The tricky part is the temperature when the starter goes in, since too much heat kills the culture and the whole batch stays liquid.
The pearls need a boil and then 20 minutes covered off the heat to turn chewy all the way through. A common problem is mixing the dough with water that is not fully boiling, which leaves crumbly pearls that dissolve in the pot.
This batch weighs about 1.8kg, at roughly 46 calories per 100g.
Method
Take 200g yogurt starter out of the fridge 1 to 2 hours ahead so it loses its chill. Dip the jars and tools in boiling water for 30 seconds and let them dry.
Bring 1 liter water to a boil, then add 1 liter unsweetened oat milk along with 161g kOBE Monk Fruit Blend stirred into 201ml unsweetened oat milk, whisking constantly. Turn off the heat once small bubbles appear.
Lift the pot off the stove and let it cool to about 40 to 43 degrees C, then stir in 200g yogurt starter gently until the culture is evenly spread.
Pour into jars, skim the foam and seal the lids. Set the jars in an insulated box or a rice cooker, add warm water up to about two thirds of the jar height, culture for 7 to 8 hours, then chill.
Mix 120g tapioca starch, 20g rice flour and 2 teaspoons cocoa powder. Pour in boiling water a little at a time, stirring steadily until the dough comes together.
Dust the surface with the remaining 50g tapioca starch and knead until smooth and pliable. Divide into 4 pieces, roll each into a long rope, cut into 1cm lengths and roll into balls, tossing them in starch so they do not stick.
Bring a pot of water to a boil and add the pearls, stirring. Once it returns to a boil, lower the heat and cook until all the pearls float, then boil for another 5 minutes. Turn off the heat, cover and rest for 20 minutes, then lift the pearls into a bowl of cold water.
Put 180g Korean style kOBE Monk Fruit Blend in a pot with 150ml water, stir to dissolve and bring to a boil. Lower to medium and cook for another 10 minutes until syrupy, then turn off the heat and steep the pearls in it for 30 minutes.
Spoon pearls into a glass until it is one third full, tilt the glass at 45 degrees so the syrup streaks the sides, pour in the yogurt and top with a few more pearls.
Tips
A starter brought to room temperature first keeps the yogurt from turning slimy.
Shaped pearls freeze well and can go straight from the freezer into boiling water, then into the syrup.
kOBE Monk Fruit Blend dissolves slowly, so stir again after 5 minutes so nothing settles at the bottom of the pot.
kOBE Monk Fruit Blend keeps the syrup pale, so a little cocoa powder stirred in makes the streaks on the glass stand out.
The pearl dough needs water at a rolling boil, since warm water leaves the starch raw and the pearls fall apart when cooked.
Let the syrup cool a little before the pearls go in, because syrup that is too hot softens their surface.
Need kOBE Monk Fruit Blend?
The recipe above is sweetened with kOBE Monk Fruit Blend, measured 1:1 like sugar. See the product page or send us a message.