Of all the Filipino desserts that my mother loved to cook, Halayang Ube (Purple Yam Jam in English) is the one I remember her cooking most often when I was little. It's because we used to have ube(purple yam) in our backyard together with kamote (regular yam) and gabi(taro) back then. Ube is a tuberous root vegetable that is used as an ingredient in many Filipino desserts and pastries. According to Wikipedia, it belongs to the species Dioscorea Alata that are native to Africa and Asia. It is bright lavender in color and is rich in fiber, potassium and Vitamins B6 & C. It also has anthocyanin, an antioxidant that helps keep your body’s immune system strong and prevent cellular damage.
In the Philippines, Halayang Ube is the most popular dessert made from ube. It is prepared by simply mixing mashed boiled ube tubers with evaporated milk, condensed milk and butter. It is then cooked over low heat with constant stirring until it becomes really thick and sticky, and then bottled as jam or molded into different creative shapes (like flower, fish and star) to be served on special occasions like fiestas, Christmas, weddings and birthdays. It is also a favorite topping for the Filipino favorite cooler called Halo-halo.
Last week, we got to host The Family Rosary Crusade and I made this Halayang Ube for the final prayer meeting last Saturday. I don't have fancy molds so I just used a square pyrex dish. It may not look very attractive, but it was definitely a hit! I guess the purple color makes it appealing enough...and it's really delicious, you know!
In the Philippines, Halayang Ube is the most popular dessert made from ube. It is prepared by simply mixing mashed boiled ube tubers with evaporated milk, condensed milk and butter. It is then cooked over low heat with constant stirring until it becomes really thick and sticky, and then bottled as jam or molded into different creative shapes (like flower, fish and star) to be served on special occasions like fiestas, Christmas, weddings and birthdays. It is also a favorite topping for the Filipino favorite cooler called Halo-halo.
Last week, we got to host The Family Rosary Crusade and I made this Halayang Ube for the final prayer meeting last Saturday. I don't have fancy molds so I just used a square pyrex dish. It may not look very attractive, but it was definitely a hit! I guess the purple color makes it appealing enough...and it's really delicious, you know!
Note:
*Fresh ube can't be found here in Texas so I always use frozen grated ube from the Asian store whenever I make halaya. It's good but I must say fresh ube tastes better.
*Latik (fried coconut milk curd) is the most commonly used topping for Haleyang Ube. I included a procedure on how to make it. But it really takes very long to cook, so I suggest that you just use toasted coconut flakes. It's a lot quicker to make.
*Fresh ube can't be found here in Texas so I always use frozen grated ube from the Asian store whenever I make halaya. It's good but I must say fresh ube tastes better.
*Latik (fried coconut milk curd) is the most commonly used topping for Haleyang Ube. I included a procedure on how to make it. But it really takes very long to cook, so I suggest that you just use toasted coconut flakes. It's a lot quicker to make.
