Sunday, March 8, 2015

Philippine Cooking: Ube Halaya or Purple Yam Dessert





In the Philippines, we used to eat Purple Yam or Ube, a root with dense purple flesh. Sometimes this was boiled; sometimes this was added in other dishes. It had a distinctive pleasant taste, which I can't really describe beyond saying I could taste the forest in it.




Ube can be found in halo-halo, ginata-an, ice cream, cakes. I like Ube a lot, in fact.

Our cook used to make a favorite dessert, Ube Halaya, by boiling the Ube root, mashing it, and adding milk and sugar. The texture of Ube Halaya is like thick custard, and you use a teaspoon to eat it. It's sweet with the lovely little Ube solids that surprise you.

One can find powdered Ube at Filipino markets --- and to my surprise --- Amazon.com. Search "powdered purple yam ube."


Here is a simple recipe for Ube Halaya that I've had for years:

Ube Halaya

Ingredients
1 cup powdered Ube
3 cups water or evaporated milk
1 can condensed milk
1/2 - 3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla

Add water or milk to Ube in small amounts, stirring (over low fire) after each addition. Add condensed milk and sugar. Transfer mixture into shallow pan and heat over low flame while stirring until it forms a thick paste. Transfer Ube Halaya into buttered platter. Spread butter on top. Cool and serve.

P.S. - I don't add butter on top. The dessert is rich enough as is, no need to add calories!


Read also:
Cooking with Cecilia - Pancit Bihon Guisado, Filipino rice noodle dish 
Cooking with Cecilia Brainard - Quiche
Cooking with Cecilia Brainard - Linguine with Clams
Cooking Lengua Estofada 
Food Essay - Fried Chicken Caribbean-style
How I Learned to Make Leche Flan (or How I Met my Husband)
Cooking with Cecilia - Leche Flan (Vietnamese Style) 
Recipe for Balbacua Cebuana from Louie Nacorda
Easy Filipino Recipes from Maryknollers 
Cooking with Cecilia - Beef Bourguignon 
Cooking with Cecilia - Chicken Soup for my Bad Cold 
Cooking with Cecilia - Short Bread Cookies and Friar Tuck in my Kitchen!
Filipino Cooking: Carol's Recipe for Corn Bibingka

Tags: Filipino cooking, dessert, food, drink, Philippines, ube, purple yam, #FilipinoFood, FilipinoCooking

This is all for now,
Cecilia


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