Mingau de Tapioca (Nigerian Tapioca Pudding)

Ingredients

• 1/2
  
  cup tapioca granules (or pearled tapioca)
  
• 2
  
  cups coconut milk
  
• 4
  
  cups water
  
• 1/2
  
  teaspoon ground cloves, or to taste
  
• 
  
  pinch of dried, crushed bay leaf (optional)
  
• 
  
  pinch of salt
  
• 
  
  sweetener (sugar, honey, agave nectar, etc.), to taste
  
• 
  
  Freshly grated nutmeg, to taste
  
• 
  
  Coconut cream, condensed milk, fruit jams, sauces, toasted nuts or cereal, to serve. Whatever you like!
  

Directions

1. Soak tapioca in the coconut milk and 2 cups of water for an hour or two at room temperature so the granules absorb the liquid and soften
2. In a pot or pan, combine soaked tapioca, ground cloves, cinnamon powder, bay leaf if using and a pinch of salt
3. Cook on medium to low heat about 15 – 20 minutes, stirring with a (large) whisk so the tapioca doesn’t clump up, cooks evenly and the bottom doesn’t burn. Add a cup of water and cook till the tapioca swells, some granules become translucent and soften. Add the second cup of water so the resulting consistency is liquid, of single cream consistency. Add more water if needed to keep the consistency liquid.
4. Once cooked through, sweeten to taste.
5. Serve warm with a sprinkling of freshly, finely grated nutmeg. Add the toppings you like, whether it’s fruit jams or toasted nuts.
6. Leftover tapioca pudding keeps well in the fridge (In fact, I prefer mine reheated :)). The granules firm up and gel/jelly more. To reheat, add milk to taste and reheat gently on the stove.