Purple Yam Recipe

Purple yam is a very popular holiday sweet here in the Philippines. It is one of the traditional treat you can find in many important occasions. This is simply one of my favorite.

Purple yam

Ube root crop
Purple yam is called in Filipino as Ube Halaya. I am not sure when did this recipe began. All I know is that my lola or grandmother and her sisters are the one in the family who are the expert in cooking this holiday dessert. This delicacy I believe is popular in provinces than in cities. I like this dessert not just because I am attracted to the purple color-which is my favorite color but because I simply love its taste. It’s not too sweet and is quite creamy. Some add dayap or lime flavor while others just leave it plain with lots of milk.

To garnish it some even topped it with grated cheese, macapuno preserves or served it together with custard flan or leche flan.

Ube cooking

If you want to make lots of it, they cook it in a big wok or pan. Some add glutinous rice dough to thicken it and as extender. Others use additional violet food color to enhance the color. When the ingredients are ready and the boiled ube is grated and mashed they are mixed together and manually mix over and over again until it thickens. This must be stir constantly to avoid it from sticking under the pan.

Ube ingredients

finished product
Ingredients used

Grated cooked purple sweet potato root crop
Glutinous rice dough or galapong as extender
Evaporated milk or coconut milk
Condensed milk
Brown sugar
Pinch of salt
Dayap or lime for flavoring
Butter

I have not tried to cook this by myself but someday I would surely try this and cook this one perfectly.

Read more:
Purple Yam Recipe
Refrigerated Rocky Road Cake