Ube Halaya
Made with boiled fresh purple yam, evaporated milk, condensed milk, brown sugar, and butter, this Filipino ube halaya cooks in 90 minutes into a creamy, glossy spread ready once a spoon trail holds.
Equipment
- Pot
- Potato masher
- Large nonstick skillet or wok
- heat-proof container
Ingredients
- 1 12-oz can evaporated milk
- ½ cup packed brown sugar
- 2.2 lbs fresh ube or purple yam see notes
- 1 10-oz can condensed milk
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ cup unsalted butter softened and cubed
Instructions
- Cut the unpeeled ube into pieces that fit inside your pot, submerge them in water, and boil for about 30 minutes. Test the thickest pieces with a fork; the flesh should offer very little resistance.
- Lift the cooked pieces from the water, let them cool for about 10 minutes, then remove the skins and crush the warm flesh with a fork or potato masher. A thorough mash at this stage leaves fewer firm pieces in the finished dessert.
- Dissolve the brown sugar in the evaporated milk over medium heat in a large nonstick skillet or wok, then mix in the mashed yam, condensed milk, and salt. The mixture will begin loose and uneven-looking as the yam combines with the milks.
- Keep the mixture moving continuously, scraping across the bottom and around the sides, with the heat no higher than medium. As moisture cooks away, the mixture grows more cohesive and offers increasing resistance to the spoon.
- Work in the softened, cubed butter when the mixture has thickened considerably, around 20 minutes into stirring. Continue stirring until no separate butter remains and the paste looks evenly glossy.
- Check for doneness around 30 minutes into stirring by drawing your spoon through the center of the pan. The exposed path should remain distinct rather than immediately filling with flowing jam.
- Spoon the finished halaya into a heat-proof container and let it cool. The paste becomes firmer as it cools, so its hot consistency should still have some softness.
Notes
Ingredient tip: Shop by label for true ube or purple yam rather than relying on purple color alone, since Okinawan purple sweet potato and taro give a different flavor.
Texture tip: Mash the boiled yam thoroughly while it is still warm, because coarse pieces left behind will not cook away during simmering.
Cooking tip: Use a wide nonstick skillet or wok and a long-handled spatula, keeping the heat no higher than medium while sweeping the bottom and edges constantly to prevent catching.
Doneness: Stop cooking once a spoon drawn down the center leaves a clear path and the warm paste still has slight softness, as cooling firms the texture further.
Storage: Keep cooled leftovers covered in a clean container in the refrigerator, and treat homemade halaya like a chilled milk-and-yam dessert rather than a shelf-stable preserve.
Nutrition information is an estimate based on common ingredients and serving sizes. Values may vary depending on brands, portions, and substitutions.