Rinse tapioca in cold water 2-3 times until the water runs relatively clear.
Combine tapioca, milk, sugar, and cardamom in a medium saucepan and soak for 30 minutes.
Bring to a slow boil over low heat. Reduce heat to a low simmer and stir frequently to prevent sticking as the pudding cooks, about 20 minutes. It will thicken as it cooks. (See the notes below for instructions on how to know when it is ready.)
Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla. Portion into 4 small dishes.
Enjoy warm, or refrigerate until set and enjoy cool. It is much better warm in my opinion.
for the optional garnish
If you decide to add the optional garnish, heat ghee in a tiny skillet on medium-low heat. Add chopped cashews and cook, stirring constantly, until lightly golden brown. Add the golden-brown cashews evenly over the puddings while still warm.
Notes
Make this vegan
Substitute whole milk with almond, oat, coconut, or your favorite.
Which tapioca should I buy?
For this recipe you want to use small or medium pearls, and they should be colored white.
How do you know when the pudding is done?
Keep in mind that the cooking time can be longer (or shorter) than 20 minutes, especially if your pearls are larger. The tapioca will tell you when it is ready if you watch carefully. When it’s fully cooked, the tapioca beads will swell up and become almost entirely translucent. The custardy part of the pudding will also thicken dramatically. Keep tasting and assessing at this stage. The thicker it is, the more critical it is to keep stirring.
Double the recipe?
Use two tablespoons of tapioca for every cup of milk for a fairly thick pudding. If you want yours thinner, use less tapioca or more milk.
More sugar?
I used about half the sugar than what most recipes call for. I find the sweetness level very sufficient, but you could always add more if you like. Someone who prefers sweet things will probably want more.I also used a very natural and unrefined sugar. An unrefined sugar is full of minerals and less sweet than refined sugars.See my sugar recommendation on Amazon
Cardamom pods or powder?
I used 4 green cardamom pods and crushed them coarsely in a mortar and pestle. After crushing I picked out the outer shells by hand and discarded them. So the crushed seeds I used were coarsely crushed. Substitute crushed pods with ½ teaspoon powdered cardamom.ref: https://theharekrishnamovement.org/2016/11/24/eggless-tapioca-pudding/