Tapioca Pudding with Pineapple & Cream

I didn't know exactly what tapioca was made from myself, so I google it quick: Tapioca is made from the cassava root and does contain some nutrients and fiber, however the processed tapioca bought in store seems to have virtually no nutrients left and so all it contains at that stage is mainly starch.

 Tapioca cooked on it's own has virtually no flavour at all, so I suppose it's used mainly as a base ingredient and then everything else is added to add a flavour.

Anyway, all I use tapioca for is this pudding. :)  Because you have to soak the tapioca before you use it, you need to begin this recipe the night before you want to cook it.

500g uncooked tapioca
1 cup sugar
1 can crushed pineapple (undrained) (+- 400g can)
 250ml cream

Makes a big pot of pudding - many servings!

• Before you go to bed, place tapioca in a pot and cover completely with water and cover with the lid.  Let soak until the next morning.  Before I started cooking it, I topped it up with more water to cover the tapioca again.  Cook on low to medium heat until the tapioca becomes clear (this may take up to an hour or so), stirring frequently so as to prevent it from burning and sticking to the pot.  I added little bits of water throughout every now and then when it started sticking to the pot - the water is absorbed quickly by the tapioca.  The tapioca is done when most of them have turned clear, like this:

•  Add the sugar (I only added 1/2 cup sugar because that's fine for my liking), pineapple with juice and mix until well combined.  Let cool a bit.
• Then add the cream.  You can add more cream if you'd like it more creamy

It's a nice subtle-tasting pudding and I love it. It's quite filling too.  It's yummy while still warm, or chilled.  Should be kept in fridge after cooking so that it keeps longer.

By the way, I read that tapioca flour can be used as a substitute for other flours, it's gluten-free and apparently a healthier option compared even to whole wheat flour.