Ube, also known as a purple yam. This delicious root vegetable is rich in carbohydrates but low in protein and fat. Ube yams has a beautiful deep purple color, vitamin-rich, and they also contain a good amount of copper, iron and potassium. The antioxidant known as Anthocyanin is the pigment which is responsible for the purple color of the flesh. Did you know that, it’s the same pigment that gives blueberries, blackberries, cherries, red grapes and red cabbage their color?
Purple yams are often confused with Okinawan sweet potatoes, which are grey or tan on the outside skin and a violet-purple flesh with white starburst throughout. The whole yams have a purplish-brown colored rough skin and vibrantly purple inside, that transforms into an even deeper purplish-blue color when cooked. Ube yams can be fried, boiled, steamed, baked, or dried and made into flour, used in crackers and even breads. It’s used in smoothies, can be made into frosting, jams, spreads, make great desserts such as cakes, cookies, ice cream and other sweet treats. There are plenty more things what this beautiful looking yam can be made into.
Purple Yams can be found at your local Asian market – fresh or ready-made cooked and grated.
I think we can all agree that purple yam dumplings are pretty adorable 🙂
- Dumplings
- 2 + ½ cup purple yam puree*
- 1 tbsp water from soaked dates
- 1 tbsp cherry juice, from the thawed cherries
- 3 dates, soaked
- 1 inch slice creamed coconut
- Cherry filling
- ⅓ cup frozen pitted cherries, thawed at room temperature
- 3 tbsp cherry juice, from the thawed cherries
- 1+ ½ tsp beetroot powder, optional
- ⅓ cup dates, soaked
- ½ tbsp psyllium husk
- Peel and cut yams into small cubes. Place into a pot of water and bring to a boil. Cook until the potatoes are fork tender (about 15 minutes), drain and let them cool. Place in a food processor and process until smooth. Add remaining ingredients and process until mixture is well combined. Pour the mixture in a small bowl and place in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes (or until the mixture firm enough to roll into balls).
- For the jam filling simply blend the thawed cherries with some cherry juice (from the thawed cherries) and dates until it becomes smooth. Add a half tablespoon psyllium husk and pulse together. Let sit in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes.
- Remove dumpling mixture from refrigerator. Divide the dough into ten equal portions, and then gently roll each portion into a rounds. Using a circular motion with the palm of your hand.
- Remove cherry jam filling from refrigerator, then take about 1 tbsp from the jam and roll into balls.
- Holding a circle of dough in your palm, put the (jam ball) filling in the center of the dough and form a ball around the cherry center.
- For coating the dumplings, combine 5 - 6 tbsp shredded coconut with the remaining cherry juice, from the thawed cherries, spread this mixture on a dehydrator sheet and dehydrate at 140°F for 1 hour (or dry it in the oven). Roll dumplings in coconut. Enjoy!
Creamed coconut is a pure coconut made into a creamy paste and sold in the form of a hard white block. You can use coconut butter as a substitute in a 1:1 ratio in most recipes that call for creamed coconut.
