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Rasavalli kilangu in coconut milk
Purple yam in coconut milk
இராசவள்ளிக் கிழங்கு (rasavalli kilangu): purple yam simmered soft with coconut milk and sugar into a warm Jaffna pudding
Rasavalli, the deep purple yam that grows up fences in Jaffna home gardens, turns into one of the simplest and prettiest sweets of the Tamil north: the tubers are boiled until they fall apart, then stirred into thick coconut milk with sugar until the whole pot is violet, glossy and porridge-soft. It is eaten warm in small bowls as an evening snack or for breakfast, and families often make it when the tubers are freshly dug and at their sweetest. The flavour is mild and nutty, with the creaminess of coconut and a hint of cardamom if you like. Raw yam sap can make your hands itch, and peeling it bare-handed is the mistake people regret, so wear gloves or rub your hands with oil. Look for purple yam (sometimes sold as ube) fresh or frozen in Asian shops. Chef's tip: mash only part of the yam and leave some soft chunks, which gives the pudding a far nicer texture than a smooth purée.
- Total time
- 40 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the pudding
- 1 ⅓ lb purple yampeeled (wear gloves) and cut into 3 cm cubes
- 1 ¾ cups water
- 1 pinch salt
- 2 ⅞ oz sugar or grated jaggery
- 1 cup thick coconut milk
- 3 pods green cardamom (optional)seeds crushed
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Rinse 1 ⅓ lb purple yam well in cold water to remove some of the sticky sap.
Step 2: Put it in a saucepan with 1 ¾ cups water and 1 pinch salt, bring to the boil, then simmer covered for 15–18 minutes until a cube breaks apart when pressed with a spoon.
18 minStep 3: Mash about half of the yam roughly in the pan, leaving the rest in soft pieces.
Step 4: Stir in 2 ⅞ oz sugar or grated jaggery, 1 cup thick coconut milk and 3 pods green cardamom and cook over a low heat, stirring constantly, for 5–7 minutes until thick, glossy and bubbling slowly. Do not let it boil hard.
7 minStep 5: Serve warm, or let it cool and thicken further.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 320 kcal
- Protein
- 3 g
- Carbs
- 52 g
- Fat
- 12 g
- Fibre
- 5 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does rasavalli kilangu in coconut milk take?
- About 40 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 25 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of sugar or grated jaggery?
- Dark brown or muscovado sugar, same amount.
- What can I use instead of thick coconut milk?
- Single cream, same amount (not dairy free).
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