Halayang Ube: Purple Yam Jam

Halayang ube or also called haleya, is a popular Filipino dessert made from boiled purple yams. If you finish the jar all by yourself, try not to feel guilty. We all have done it, too. If it will make you feel better, here’s a recipe for homemade halayang ube. Once cooked and stored in jars, be sure to have a good hiding spot in the refrigerator for this one. You’ll want a place to keep your own stash. It’s ube and in Filipino homes, this is always an endangered jar. Serve the ube halaya as a dessert on its own. Or place it on top of halo-halo desserts, ice creams, pies or even cakes. This recipe was slightly adapted from the ube cream found in ‘Memories of Philippine Kitchens’ by Amy Besa and Romy Dorotan (from the Blueberry-Ube Tart recipe of their cookbook). This makes 2 cups of halayang ube.

Prep Time30

Cook Time45

Total Time1 15

Course: Dessert, Merienda, Snack

Cuisine: American, Asian, Filipino

Keyword: Filipino Ube Purple Yam Jam

Servings: people

Calories: 365kcal

Author: Asian in America

Equipment

Medium-sized, heavy stock pot

Ingredients

16 ounces boiled ube or purple yam pre-boiled, mashed (can be found frozen from Asian markets),
1 cup granulated white sugar
1/2 cup canned coconut milk
1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk
1/4 cup butter

Instructions

If using frozen ube: Thaw the frozen boiled ube at room temperature. (Do not use the microwave to thaw.)
In a medium-sized, heavy stock pot, combine the boiled ube, granulated sugar, coconut milk and condensed milk. Stir and blend till ingredients are mixed together.
Over medium heat, stir the ube mixture and cook till it becomes thick. Stir continuously. Do not leave the stock pot unattended or the mixture will burn. Stir the mixture slowly for about 30 to 35 minutes till the purple yam jam comes off the sides of the pot.
If the medium heat becomes too intense while stirring and cooking, lower heat to simmer. The coconut milk should not curdle.
At the last 5 minutes of cooking, when ube jam has thickened, add the butter to make the jam shiny. After the jam is cooked, remove the stock pot from the stove top and cool on the counter.
Store ube in glass jars that have been washed thoroughly and sterilized. Keep refrigerated. This keeps for a week up to ten days in the refrigerator.
Recipe notes: if using purple yam from scratch, boil the ube till it is soft, about 35 minutes. When cooked and soft, peel the ube. Grate the boiled ube and add as an ingredient to the Halayang Ube according to directions above, but be ready to cook the jam by ten minutes longer than the above (total 45 minutes cooking stove top). Please note the fresh ube or purple yam is abundant and easy to find in the Philippines. Here in the USA, the fresh tuber is not readily available, so I buy the frozen pre-boiled pack in Asian groceries.
Update - Instant Pot Halayang Ube:
For my recipe of Instant Pot Halayang Ube, find it in my newest cookbook "Instant Filipino Recipes" by Elizabeth Ann Besa-Quirino. This is a collection of classic Filipino dishes cooked in the Instant Pot, or any brand of multicooker. My cookbooks are sold worldwide in paperback or Kindle format on Amazon. CLICK HERE to buy on Amazon.

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Nutrition