I love the taste of ube-macapuno, the Filipino sweet potato with young sweet green coconut. Problem is, it’s hard to find ube here. I became obsessed with ube and it purple colour right after trying a Goldilock’s ube cooler; a drink which is sort of a sweet smoothie but not as thick. Ube is purple yam (sweet potato for us Southerners), similar in texture to an orange sweet potato, more fibrous, but mellower; It goes well with well with coconut — or at least coconut is not far behind when ube shows up. There’s a few places to get ube here in Houston, but I already had some purple sweet potatoes that I had picked up earlier in the day. The purple sweet potatoes that we use here are known as Okinawan sweet potatoes; they are actually from Hawaii (originally from Okinawa Japan). You can use the purple variety much in the same way that you use orange. The purple’s taste is less like carrot and slightly tarter.
Okinawa Purple Sweet Yam
3–5 Okinawa purple yams (enough to make 1 lb. of filling after the skin is removed).
1 tbsp sugar
1/2 cup condensed milk
1/2 cup non-sweet toasted shredded coconut.
- Pre-heat the oven to 400F. Bake the yams for 45 minutes or until tender.
- Remove the yams from the oven, then allow to cool for about 15 minutes. While the yams are cooling off, bring the oven down to 350F.
- Remove the skins from the yam then add the filling to a bowl (I prefer to use a Kitchen-aid mixer).
- Add the coconut milk, sugar, and condensed milk. Combine ingredients on low speed for 1 minute.
- Add the mixture to the pie or tart shells. Bake for 15 minutes.
- Remove from the oven, let cool, then top with toasted non-sweet shredded coconut.
Michael this looks fabulous. Are you homesick?
I love ube too and macapuno. We usually buy the ube jam as they are too taxing to make. And then you paired it with condensed milk. Now, that’s comfort food.
I love your recipe. I tried to make that at one point. At a popular restaurant by my house made that pie with a macademia nut crust. Unfortunately, the topped was more like a whipped cream and it didn’t come out as well. Thank you for sharing.
Thanks for sharing. I tried a recipe similar with a macademia nut crust. It was good other than the topping. I generally don’t put condense milk in my ube but that I do use ube just for my ensaymada and hopia.
Hi Divina, yes I am a little. We may have to go to Thailand for a few weeks in May. If we do, we’ll make a pit stop in Manila.
Wow your photos look amazing — such a beautiful presentation for such a simple and nice dish!
I also prepared purple yams this week — baked them, but they don’t look anywhere near as good as yours
http://cookingrookie.blogspot.com/2010/03/baked-yam-fries.html
Gorgeous tart…lov it
Wow, what a showstopper! Coconut, condensed milk…all my favorite ingredients in this recipe. Not sure whether I can find these purple yams in NJ but I’m definitely going to look
Wow, that is such an interesting way to use Okinawa sweet potatoes!
Like you mentioned, cinnamon and nutmeg doesn’t go well with the this variety of sweet potatoes, but ginger complements them really well. I love serving steamed/boiled Okinawa sweet potatoes in a light ginger syrup — it’s my favourite comfort food!
Thanks Joy, I usually cook by taste then write my recipes later. I’m not much for plating, so whipped cream does not get used by me. I like the macadamia crust idea. Need to explore that one.
Thanks Cooking Rookie. Yam fries sound good too!
Hi Phyllis, To be honest, the best tastes of these yams are just baked plain by themselves. Good luck finding these in NJ. Some gourmets or markets may be able to order them for you.
Beautiful! Sweet potato is a beautiful pastry ingredient.
I have been looking for new ways to do sweet potatoes and this looks great. I will try it out this weekend. I enjoy sweet potatoes for all their health benefits and fiber.
Thanks. The purple ones in particular are good with coconut. You can whip up something quick with the orange ones also — just add a little butter, cinnamon, and brown sugar. I just do this to taste and it makes a good side.
These are just so gorgeous! I hope I can find some locally so I can try it — I just love ube and taro.
BTW, I hope you don’t mind, but I am passing an award along to you. I really love what you’re doing on your site — it’s always such fun to read your adventures in the kitchen! You can read what I wrote about you and my other favorite food bloggers here:
http://kitchen-worthy.com/walking-on-sunshine
Hi, Michael. I just found your blog, and I think it’s an outstanding and distinctive one.
This recipe reminds me of some of the food in Vanuatu, where I volunteered for a year, not too long ago. Lots of taro and yams there, not to mention coconuts…thanks for this tempting suggestion.
Thanks Dan for your comments. I’m not so familar with South Pacific food, but I hear yams and taro are staples.
I fell in love with purple yams last summer but have never seen them used in a recipe! I ate them steamed or baked but they looked just as good dressed up with coconut.
I’ve been looking for a recipe for purple yam tarts and didn’t find one until now. Thanks!
these are really really good…
Thank you so much for posting. We just moved to okinawa (husband’s military) We have tons of these purple yams, but no recipes to cook them with! Would love anything else you got on them! lol! Thanks again! Wonderful recipe!!!
Thanks Alicia. I have many that I have not posted. I’ve been so busy focusing on learning the past few months. Will keep let you know when I post new recipes with purple yam. BTW, I think that anything that calls for “ube” can be substituted with purple yams.
Thank you so much, I enjoy reading about other vegetarians as it gives me the strength to continue. I have about a thousand vegetarian feeds in my google reader, but I’m sure another can’t hurt!! I did manage to find a good lentil recipe here, but I’ll be sure to try yours too. Thanks!