Description
Chewy homemade boba pearls infused with ube flavor, combined with black tea and milk for a delicious and vibrant twist on classic boba tea.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 cup tapioca starch, plus extra for dusting
- ¾ cup boiling water
- ¼ cup purple sweet potato powder (Ube powder)
- Optional: Brown sugar to taste (for sweetness)
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup purple sweet potato powder (Ube powder)
- Pinch of salt
- 4 cups water
- 4 black tea bags (or loose leaf equivalent)
- 2 cups milk (dairy or non-dairy, your preference!)
- Ice cubes
- Whipped cream
- Extra purple sweet potato powder for dusting
- Purple sprinkles
Instructions
- Prepare the Dough: In a heat-safe bowl, combine the tapioca starch and purple sweet potato powder. Slowly pour in the boiling water while stirring constantly with a fork or spatula. Be careful, the water is hot! The mixture will start to come together into a shaggy dough.
- Knead the Dough: Once the dough is cool enough to handle (but still warm!), turn it out onto a lightly tapioca-floured surface. Knead the dough until it forms a smooth, pliable ball. This might take about 5-7 minutes. If the dough is too sticky, add a little more tapioca starch, a teaspoon at a time. If it’s too dry, add a tiny bit of water, drop by drop. The consistency should be similar to playdough.
- Shape the Boba: Pinch off small pieces of dough, about ¼ teaspoon in size. Roll each piece into a small ball. Keep the formed boba covered with a damp cloth or plastic wrap to prevent them from drying out. You can also dust them lightly with tapioca starch to prevent sticking. Aim for a consistent size for even cooking.
- Cook the Boba: Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Gently add the boba to the boiling water. Don’t overcrowd the pot; you might need to cook them in batches. Once the boba float to the surface, cook them for another 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. The cooking time will depend on the size of your boba, so test one to make sure it’s cooked through it should be chewy and translucent.
- Rest and Rinse: After cooking, turn off the heat, cover the pot, and let the boba rest in the hot water for another 15 minutes. This helps them become even more chewy. Then, drain the boba and rinse them thoroughly with cold water to stop the cooking process and remove excess starch.
- Combine Ingredients: In a saucepan, combine the water, granulated sugar, purple sweet potato powder, and salt.
- Simmer and Thicken: Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium heat, stirring constantly until the sugar is dissolved and the syrup has thickened slightly. This should take about 5-7 minutes.
- Cool and Store: Remove the syrup from the heat and let it cool completely. As it cools, it will thicken further. Store the syrup in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
- Brew the Tea: Bring 4 cups of water to a boil. Remove from heat and add the tea bags (or loose leaf tea). Steep for 3-5 minutes, depending on your desired strength. Don’t over-steep, or the tea will become bitter.
- Cool the Tea: Remove the tea bags and let the tea cool completely. You can speed up the cooling process by placing the tea in the refrigerator.
- Prepare the Boba: Place the cooked and rinsed boba in a bowl and add a generous amount of the purple sweet potato syrup. Stir to coat the boba evenly. Let the boba soak in the syrup for at least 15 minutes to absorb the flavor. This also prevents them from sticking together.
- Assemble the Drink: In a tall glass, add a scoop of the boba with some of the syrup.
- Add Ice: Fill the glass with ice cubes.
- Pour in the Tea: Pour the cooled tea over the ice.
- Add Milk: Top with milk (dairy or non-dairy) to your desired level of creaminess.
- Stir and Enjoy: Stir well to combine all the ingredients.
- Optional Toppings: If desired, top with whipped cream, a dusting of purple sweet potato powder, and purple sprinkles.
- Serve Immediately: Serve immediately with a wide straw so you can enjoy the chewy boba!
Notes
- Boba Consistency: The key to perfect boba is the dough consistency. It should be smooth and pliable, not too sticky or too dry. Adjust the amount of tapioca starch or water as needed.
- Sweetness Level: Adjust the amount of sugar in the syrup to your liking. You can also use honey or maple syrup as a substitute.
- Tea Variations: Experiment with different types of tea. Green tea or oolong tea would also be delicious.
- Milk Alternatives: Use any type of milk you prefer almond milk, soy milk, oat milk, or coconut milk.
- Storage: Cooked boba is best enjoyed fresh. However, you can store leftover boba in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Before serving, reheat them briefly in boiling water to soften them. The syrup can be stored in the refrigerator for up to a week.
- Ube Extract: If you can’t find purple sweet potato powder, you can use ube extract instead. Add a few drops of ube extract to the dough and syrup to achieve the desired color and flavor.
- Make it Vegan: To make this recipe vegan, use non-dairy milk and ensure your sugar is vegan-friendly (some granulated sugar is processed with bone char).
- Boba is too hard: This usually means the boba wasn’t cooked long enough. Make sure to cook them until they are translucent and chewy.
- Boba is too sticky: This could be due to too much moisture in the dough or not enough tapioca starch. Dust the boba with tapioca starch to prevent sticking.
- Syrup is too thin: Simmer the syrup for a longer time to allow it to thicken.
- Tea is too bitter: Don’t over-steep the tea. Remove the tea bags after 3-5 minutes.
- Prep Time: 45 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes