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Singkong Thailand, also known as Thai-style candied cassava, is a comforting dessert made with cassava simmered slowly in a fragrant syrup. As it cooks, the cassava becomes soft, glossy, and almost translucent, absorbing the sweetness while retaining its pleasantly chewy earthy texture. It is served warm or chilled, generously drizzled with a smooth coconut sauce that adds a rich, mildly salty contrast. Often infused with fresh pandan leaves, this simple dessert beautifully balances sweetness, creaminess, and aroma in every bite.
This beautiful dessert can be bought from some Nyonya kueh food stalls and in most Thai restaurants. But nothing beats making it at home as I can control the type of ingredients used, especially substituting refined sugar with unrefined ones, as well as reducing the amount of sugar used.
What is the difference between tapioca and cassava?
Tapioca, cassava, and ubi kayu (the Malay term) are often used interchangeably, though they refer to different things. Cassava is a starchy root vegetable with a mildly nutty flavour. It is native to South America and is also known as yuca.
Tapioca, on the other hand, is the starch extracted from cassava. Tapioca starch and tapioca flour are two names for the same ingredient. However, tapioca flour and cassava flour are not the same, although they may sometimes be used interchangeably. Both come from the cassava root, but they are produced using different processes.
Cassava flour is made from the whole cassava root. The root is peeled, blanched or dried, and then ground into a fine flour. Because it includes more of the root, cassava flour has a slightly denser texture and retains more fibre. Tapioca flour, or tapioca starch, is made by grating the cassava root and mixing it with water to separate the starch from the fibrous pulp. The starchy liquid is then filtered, dried, and ground into a fine white powder.
What desserts can be made with cassava / tapioca
This humbly-looking root vegetable is incredibly versatile. It can be used to make snacks and desserts such as the Kuih Bingka Ubi Kayu (baked cassava cake), Kueh Ubi Kayu (steamed cassava cake), Pandan Coconut Kuih Bingka Ubi Kayu (baked pandan coconut cassava cake), and getuk ubi (pressed cassava cake). The cutting method is the same, peel off the outer hard layer of the skin, and the middle yellowish hard part, the rest can be used for cooking.
Ingredients to make Singkong Thailand (Candied Cassava with Coconut Cream)
- Cassava or tapioca – The main ingredient in this dessert dish. It’s simmered in a sugar syrup with fresh pandan leaves until it’s beautifully caramelised.
- Pandan leaves – Also known as the ‘vanilla of the East’, pandan leaves lends a sweet floral fragrance to the dish.
- Fresh coconut milk – Made into a sauce that is both mildly salty, it balances the sweetness of the caramelised cassava.
- Unrefined brown sweetener – I preferred using unrefined sweetener in most of my recipes, as you can find on this website.
- Salt – This humble ingredient, when added to any dish, brings out the best of the taste.
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Singkong Thailand (Candied Cassava with Coconut Sauce) 泰式椰奶木薯 มันสำปะหลังเชื่อม
Ingredients
Cassava
- 500 g cassava (tapioca), about 750g before peeling
- 120 g unrefined brown sugar
- 3 fresh pandan leaves, washed and tied into a knot
- 1 litre water
- ¾ cup coconut milk
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 tsp corn starch
Instructions
- Wash, peel and cut 500 g cassava (tapioca) into chunks about 3 inches each. Remove the middle hard yellow part.
- In a pot, add the cassava and 1 litre water (enough to cover the cassava), 120 g unrefined brown sugar and 3 fresh pandan leaves. Bring to boil, then reduce to simmering heat and let it simmer until the cassava is soft and translucent and caramelised. Flip the tapioca halfway to ensure even coating. The syrup will become thick. This takes about 45 minutes.
- Then turn off the heat and leave the cassava in the pot for another 30 minutes to cool completely and absorb the syrup.
- Separately, in a saucepan mix 3/4 cup coconut milk, 1/4 tsp salt, 1 tsp corn starch together and heat gently over low heat. Do not boil.
- Remove tapioca and place it in the serving dish. Optional to serve on a banana leaf. Drizzle the coconut sauce over the candied cassava. Serve cold or warm.
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