Hey, sorry to keep you waiting, I finally got it from my mom, and tried it.
Keeper of the good explains it very well, but here's a rundown of what I did.
Oh, and there's no fixed recipe, as my mom is Thai, and its typical of them to not follow a recipe. Everything is by taste.
Anyway,
1. Remove outer skin of tapioca, chop it into large chunks and put in a pot submerged with water.
Put in 3 leaves of bunched pandan leaves.
Be sure to wash it till it's free of dirt/sand. Tie it with something, or , hold the 3 leaves in your right hand, stems facing right, and wrap the leaves about itself tightly. Push the tip through the loop which will appear on the left side of the leave. Push up the top to form a "match stick head"
Simmer it until it begins to softern, approx. 15 mins. If there are bits sticking above the surface, you might have to rotate them about so there is even cooking.
2. when it begins to soften, add sugar. Add according to your taste.
3. From here on out, it will take a little longer, as you want to boil the added sugar to a almost syrupy consistency. Thinner, if you want. By this time, the tapioca will be more soft, which I personally think will make it nicer to eat.
As keeper of the good said, always stir it occasionally, to prevent burning. If it burns, the pot will be contaiminated by the burnt taste.
4. Remove cooked tapioca carefully, as it's very soft.
5.A few variations from this point.
-- In another sauce pan, add coconut milk, a dash of salt, bring to a boil, and serve.
--In another sauce pan, add coconut milk, a dash of salt, and some of the syrup from the pot. Bring to a boil and serve.
The second method will yield a sweeter "sauce".
To thicken the sauce if you want to, add starch diluted in some water. To PVA glue consistency, add more.
* For a Phillipine variation, my domestic helper cooks the tapioca in coconut milk instead of water. Follow the recipe. And the sauce will be what's left in the pot when you remove the tapioca.
Hope this was what you were looking for.
Even if it's not, its delicious anway!