I'm in love with Okinawan purple sweet potatoes! (Who would not be?) And this is the first recipe I ever used them for.
By the time I discovered them in my greengrocery shop, I had been cooking this jelly with their orange counterparts two or three times every fall-winter season for about two years. And as soon as I saw the flesh of this variety, I thought: "That'd be the bomb!". And it really is the bomb!
If you happen to prepare this recipe and photograph it, do not hesitate to tag me on Instagram (@a34de15). But first and foremost, enjoy it as much as I do!
Purple sweet potato jelly
Purple sweet potato jellySweet potato jelly (dulce de batata) is a traditional Argentine, Paraguayan, Uruguayan and Brazilian dessert, which is made of sweet potatoes. It resembles quince cheese because of its harder texture. This version uses purple sweet potatoes for an added twist.
Ingredients
Method
- Prepare an 6 by 2 inches (15 x 5 cm) round cake pan. Lightly grease it with butter and line the bottom with a disk and the edge with a long strip of parchment paper.
- Rinse the unpeeled sweet potatoes, put them in a large saucepan, and add enough cold water to cover. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to maintain a gentle simmer and cook, uncovered, until the sweet potatoes are tender when pierced with a toothpick, about 30 minutes. Drain them into a colander, rinse with cold water, and set them aside to cool.
- When they are cool, cut them into chunks and mash the flesh into a smooth purée. If needed, process it in a blender.
- In a medium saucepan prepare a syrup with the sugar and the first amount of water (7 tbsp) over medium heat. Let the syrup simmer for 5 minutes and set aside.
- Measure two cups of the mashed sweet potatoes and mix them into the sugar syrup. Add the vanilla extract. Return the saucepan to the stove and bring the mixture to a simmer. Let the mixture cook for 12-15 minutes at a constant simmer and stir constantly to avoid it sticking to the pan. Be careful, as the mixture can splatter.
- Five minutes before the sweet potato and syrup mixture is completely cooked, put the second amount of water and the agar powder in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Simmer for 2-3 minutes and stir from time to time to avoid the agar sticking to the bottom.
- Once the sweet potato mixture is cooked, remove it from the heat (don't turn off the stove) and mix in the agar water. Then cook further for 1 minute and pour immediately into the lined pan. Carefully smooth the surface with a spatula and cover with plastic wrap. Let it set at room temperature for a few hours. Unmold and keep it in the fridge covered.
