Sweet Potato Dessert Soup

Sweet potatoes, as we have seen in many classic movies and dramas, belongs to the food for the poor. Yesterday morning, I found the truth through conversation between my grandfather and an uncle from Malaysia who is lacquering our doors.

I got to know that many people could not even afford to eat one sweet potato during wartimes. They had to hide the sweet potato they are having, find and dig a hole and bury it. Times were hard, and commodities were not easily available.

It cost about 7 or 8 cents to buy 1kg of sweet potatoes in the past, and had slowly risen to 10 cents or more, and until now it had inflated so much.

There is much historical meaning behind each kind of food, as well as knowledge into food selection and I'm still deepening to explore it.

Now, let's source for good ingredients and start boiling!

Selection

Sweet Potato:

Choose from Indonesia instead of Malaysia as it is sweeter in nature. Indonesia sweet potatoes are tastier to boil for dessert soup. The purple-coloured kind of Japanese sweet potato is best cook by steaming or baking method.

Recipe (Serve 5-6)

Ingredients:

• (Note: Add Tapioca based on likings - 1 whole)
• Pandan leaves ($0.40 from supermarket, requested Free when buying at vegetable store in wet market)

• Sweet Potato - average size; approximately 2 kg in totalling of 6 or 7 pieces (About $3 supermarket price)

• Sugar (10 tablespoons)
• Water (2 litres)

Method

1. Wash pandan leaves thoroughly and tie a handful bunch with a single pandan leave into knots.

2. Skined the Sweet Potatoes, break or chipped it and put aside. (Note: do not cut potato into neat chunks, instead sliced an inch deep and break it away into coarse edge using a knife as shown in the picture below.) / (Peeled Tapioca if any, and cut into pieces)

3. Place knotted pandan leaves and sweet potatoes (or tapioca, if any) to boil with water in a pot at medium or high heat.

4. Remove pandan leaves after 5 minutes.

5. Mix sugar into pot.

6. Boil for 15 minutes.

Ready to serve. Enjoy!

Sweet Potato ~ Best consume on its baked or steamed own / sweet dessert soup / sweet potato porridge

Best regards,