Description
No tapioca starch? No problem. The texture of cornstarch boba is not exactly what you would expect in a boba milk tea, but the cooking process is nearly identical and the result is delicious.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 6 tbsps corn starch
- 10 1/2 tbsps dark brown sugar/muscavado (2 1/3 tbsps separated)
- 4 cups water (1/3 cup separated)
Instructions
- Put 2⅓ tbsps of sugar and ⅓ cup of water in a saucepan (not over heat). Stir until completely combined.
- Add the cornstarch. Stir until there are no lumps left. Place the saucepan over low heat. Stir continuously until a soft round dough is achieved.
- Remove from heat and place the dough on a clean, flat surface. Flatten the dough using a rolling pin. Make strips with a knife or a dough cutter.
- Cut the dough strips into small pieces and roll each piece with your hands to make small balls- half an inch by half an inch.
- Lightly cover the balls with cornstarch to prevent them from sticking to each other. When done, put the balls in a strainer to sift and remove the excess cornstarch from the balls.
- Pour 2 ⅔ cups of water into a pot and bring it to a boil.
- Pour the boba pearls into the boiling water. Stir continuously to prevent them from sticking to the bottom of the pan. Cook for 3 minutes.
- Remove the pot from the heat. Put the boba pearls in a bowl with cold water to prevent them from cooking further. Drain with a strainer. Set aside.
- Put 8 tbsps of dark brown sugar or muscovado in a saucepan. Add 1 cup of water and stir the mixture until the sugar is completely dissolved.
- Heat the mixture on medium heat. Add the cornstarch boba balls when the mixture is boiling. Boil the pearls for 6-8 minutes. Keep stirring to prevent the pearls from sticking together.
- Turn to low heat and cook for 5 minutes until the liquid has thickened and is syrup-like. Take the pan off the stove, put the syrup and tapioca balls in a bowl, and let them cool.
Notes
If you need to walk away from the dough at any point before cooking it, cover it with plastic wrap to prevent it from drying out.
The brown sugar syrup is optional but gives flavor to an otherwise bland tapioca pearl. If you don’t boil the pearls in the syrup, you’ll need to boil them in water for 6-8 additional minutes.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes