Ube halaya is a Filipino purple yam jam served on its own and used in many desserts. Slow cooking concentrates the yam, dairy, coconut, and vanilla into a smooth, spoonable sweet.
Cooked ube is grated or blended before it is stirred with coconut milk and condensed milk. Patient stirring over moderate-low heat produces broad, smooth folds rather than a loose purée.
Use a wide heavy pan and scrape the base continuously near the end, when the mixture thickens quickly.
Serving Suggestions
Serve chilled or at room temperature with latik, toasted coconut, or a little grated cheese, or use it in halo-halo and pastries.
Recipe Notes
Refrigerate in a covered container for up to one week. The halaya firms when cold; let it stand briefly before serving.
Filipino Ube Halaya
Smooth Filipino purple yam jam slowly cooked with coconut milk, condensed milk, butter, and vanilla.
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
Cook and Prepare the Ube:
- Cover the unpeeled ube with water and simmer for 30 to 40 minutes, until tender. Drain, cool enough to handle, peel, and finely grate or process until smooth.
- Grease a shallow serving dish with 1 tablespoon butter.
Cook the Halaya:
- Combine ube, coconut milk, condensed milk, evaporated milk, sugar, remaining butter, vanilla, and salt in a wide heavy skillet.
- Cook over medium-low heat for 35 to 45 minutes, stirring and scraping constantly, until very thick and the mixture pulls cleanly from the pan in broad folds.
Set and Serve:
- Spread into the greased dish and smooth with a buttered spatula, leaving natural swirls. Cool completely, then cover and chill for at least 2 hours.
- Top with latik just before serving.
Nutrition
Notes
- Frozen grated ube can replace fresh; thaw and drain it well before measuring.
- Ube flavoring is optional and unnecessary when good fresh purple yam is available.
