Sweet Yam Soup with Tapioca

This is an easy Chinese soup dessert that does not take a long time to cook.  Whenever I crave dessert, I would throw in a yam with a couple slices of ginger, cook it for about 20 minutes and the dessert is done.  It's also a quick and last minute dessert to make if we have friends visiting at home.  This time I made it with the fragrant leaves commonly found in Asia and some tapioca for additional texture.

Ingredients:

2 Pandan leaves, screw pine
1 big Yam, peel and cut to pieces
2 slices ginger
1/3 Cup Sago (Tapioca Pearls) - see instruction below
Rock Sugar

Directions:

1. Place water and pandan leaves in a pot and bring to boil.

2. Reduce heat, add yam and simmer for about 20 minutes (or till yam is soft).  Add rock sugar to taste.
3. Add prepared tapioca (read below for instruction).

To prepare tapioca:

1. Soak tapioca pearls in cold water for 20 minutes.  Drain.
2. Boil a small pot of water.  Turn off heat and add the drained tapioca, stirring constantly until the pearls are translucent with a very small white center.
3. Drain the tapioca in a fine mesh sieve and run cold water through the sieve to wash the starchy tapioca pearls. Drain and add to the yam soup.