Ube Halaya (Purple Yam Jam)

Ube Halaya (Purple Yam Jam)

Ube Halaya or purple yam or taro jam is the  most loved  Filipino dessert made of boiled or steamed and mashed purple yam, then cooked in milk and sugar. This dessert is not only eaten as dessert but also can be used as toppings, cakes, ice creams, bread and pastry fillings and many more.

 It's pretty hard to prepare halaya because it is slowly cooked gently over low heat while mixing strenuously to achieve the finest texture of purple taro or ube. It can also found on famous tourist souvenir shops.

This dessert somewhat became a Christmas icon for us back then. Our parents and relatives will prepare this dessert along with Leche Flan (a Filipino version of crème caramel) during Christmas and New Year's eve as a tradition. What lies behind that tradition I do not know, what I knew then is I will have a nice desserts during the Christmas and New Year's eve.

I am craving for this dessert for quite sometime now but could not find Ube in the market. This morning I am lucky, when we passed by at market after church I saw one of the stall selling Ube and without a second thought I bought right away. When we got home, cooked it right away and the result, craving satified!

 Here I used my small silicon moulds to shaped the cooked Ube for a change.Traditionally, it is shaped oval or circle and use the moulds also use for leche flan.

Cravings satisfied! 

Ube Halaya Recipe:

Ingredients:

1 kilo boiled Ube or purple yam

1 can evaporated milk

2 can condensed milk

1/2 cup sugar (optional)

2 tsp vanilla extract

250 grams Butter softened

Purple food coloring  (for enhancing the color)

Procedure:

1. Wash and clean the ube. Then boiled or steam for 30 mins or till the ube is soft and cook. 
2. Remove the ube from the pot or steamer and let it cool down.
3. Once, the ube is cool enough to be handled, grate and mashed it till achieved fine texture. Alternatively, sieved mashed ube to get a very fine texture.
   
    
4. Transfer the mashed ube on big bowl, then pour all the milk and mixed it till well blended. Or place the mixture in food processor or blender and blend till well blended (do it in batches if too much for your equipment to handle).
   
5. Pre-heat a non-stick wok, then pour the ube mixture.
6. Set the fire on medium to low and continuously stir the mixture. 
7. Once half of the liquid of the mixture had evaporated, add the food color mix then place the butter, and mix. Stir the mixture till you reach your desired stickiness or till the mixture is no longer sticking on the wok and clamp together.
   
   
   
   
   
8. Turn off the heat and transfer the ube on your desired moulds or container.
9. Cool it down or chilled it before serving.
   

Note:

1.  Slightly moist or with jam texture ube is good for toppings or spread.

2.  Sticky texture can eat by itself or as a filling on pie, tart, mooncakes or hopia.