Ube Halaya is a dessert made from boiled and grated purple yam which is locally known in the Philippines as ���Ube���. Aside from Ube Halaya, different desserts and pastries such as ice cream, tarts, and cakes makes use of this root crop.

Ube is a purple yam, a root crop that grows mostly everywhere in the Philippines. The most popular way of cooking ube is to make it into halaya hence called Ube Halaya. Violet yam (Ube), boiled and grated, mixed with coconut milk and Sugar, and cooked until thick. The taste and texture is really neat - it comes across as a heavy icecream, custard type pudding. It is a sweet sticky jam-like concoction that may be eaten by itself or as an ingredient in other deserts like halo-halo.

The traditional way of cooking ube halaya is to boil the ube, peel off the skin and grate the meat. Put butter on a saucepan under medium fire. Throw in the ube, fresh milk, and the evaporated milk. Mix all the ingredients very well. Continuously stir the mixture; never leave it unattended, until it turns thick. Adding Sugar is optional.

쨌    1 kilo ube yam root

쨌    1 can (14 ounces) evaporated milk

쨌    2 cans (12 ounces) condensed milk

쨌    1/2 cup butter or margarine

쨌    1/2 teaspoon of vanilla (optional)

쨌    On a pot, boil the unpeeled ube yam in water and simmer for 30 minutes. Drain and let cool.

쨌    Peel and finely grate the ube yam.

쨌    Heat a big wok in medium heat.

쨌    Melt butter or margarine, add the condensed milk and vanilla flavoring. Mix well.

쨌    Add the 1 kilo grated ube yam,

쨌    Adjust the heat to low

쨌    Keep on mixing the ingredients for about 30 minutes or until sticky and a bit dry (but still moist).

쨌    Add the evaporated milk and continue to mix for another 15 minutes.

쨌    Let cool and place on a large platter.

쨌    Refrigerate before serving the halayang ube.

쨌    You may spread additional butter or margarine on top of the jam before serving.

쨌    For the sweet toothed, sprinkle a little sugar on top of the jam after placing on the large platter.

쨌    Instead of manually grating the ube, you may cut it in cubes and use a blender to powderize the ube.