So what made me decide to make this? I grew up with this as a treat from my Grandmother, though she used regular milk and sugar, I have veganized it. Granted there are a lot of different vegan versions of ice cream, purple sweet potato ice cream, and more out there, this just happens to be the one I like.
I know some people are thinking, WTF (?!) a sweet potato ice cream. Why… why… why would anyone do that? Because it’s fricking good. As well as beautiful when you serve it.
Well, then what the heck is a Japanese Purple Sweet Potato? It goes by a variety of names. The Okinawa sweet potato, also called beni imo, or purple sweet potato. They trace their origins back to South America and historical records reveal an intriguing tale from the 1400s when Spanish explorers introduced these tubers to the Philippines and China after encountering them in the Aztec Empire. With their captivating hue and distinct flavor, purple sweet potatoes swiftly gained popularity in these new lands, leaving a lasting culinary impact many people enjoy today.
In the early 1600’s Noguni Sokan, a Japanese government official trading with China, introduced sweet potatoes to Okinawa. It thrived in the Okinawan climate, eventually becoming a staple crop and spreading its cultivation to other regions of Japan.
The Okinawa sweet potatoes are not related to regular potatoes, which are a part of the nightshade family. Instead, like other sweet potatoes, they are a part of the Morning Glory family. Okinawa sweet potatoes are often confused with purple yams, another tuber popular in Okinawa and throughout Southeast Asia. However, while similar in appearance, purple yams are native to Asia. In addition, Okinawa potatoes and purple yams can be referred to as beni-imo in Okinawa.
When it comes to your health, Okinawan sweet potatoes are perfect for you and are even sweeter than regular sweet potatoes. The antioxidant anthocyanin causes Okinawa sweet potatoes’ deep purple color, the same antioxidant found in blueberries, a fruit often praised for its high levels of antioxidants. The Okinawa sweet potatoes though, contain 150% more antioxidants than blueberries, which makes them a powerful cancer-fighting superfood.
They also contain four times your daily value of vitamin A, half your daily value of vitamin C and manganese, vitamin B6, copper, and iron, dietary fiber, and potassium.
As well, studies have also shown that potatoes have antibacterial and antifungal abilities, which may help regulate blood sugar.
They are absolutely delicious when roasted in the oven. The heat caramelizes their natural sugars (a dish called yaki imo in Japanese). Another popular Okinawan way of serving them is sliced and deep-fried in the batter as tempura. Because purple sweet potatoes are naturally sweet, they are popular in many desserts, including pie, mochi, cheesecake, and Japanese ice cream.
This brings us back to the whole point of this post.
The recipe is actually very easy. Normally it would be made with whole milk or cream, and white, sometimes brown, sugar. My recipe calls for Oat milk and maple syrup as the sweetener. Maple syrup instead of Agave, because it’s sweeter. It blends well with the sweetness of the potatoes as well. Adding the vanilla or even other fruit hides any maple flavor. Though, If you use fresh vanilla beans they seem to hide it very well. Or just increase the vanilla extract until you have it to your flavor profile.
There are also three ways to create the ice cream with all the ingredients. I will explain all of them.
INGREDIENTS (This makes Approximately a quart.)
1 ½ cups purple sweet potatoes.
1 1/2 cups Oat Milk.
1/8 to ¼ of a cup maple syrup. The better the maple syrup the better it is for the recipe.
1 Tbsp vanilla extract (I prefer to use actual vanilla beans split and scraped out. Remember that 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract is equal to one 2-inch piece of vanilla bean, so 1 typical vanilla bean will equal 3 teaspoons extract.)
¼ tsp fine sea salt
Optionally you can add 1 cup of other fruit or nuts. It is AMAZING with finely chopped, toasted macadamia nuts.
INSTRUCTIONS:
Wash the potatoes.
Boil the potatoes for 1 hour, until soft.
Let cool.
Peel off the skin of the potatoes, then mash.
Add all ingredients to a high-powered blender and blend until very smooth. Typically around 3-4 minutes. Taste for sweetness and adjust if needed.
Now here is the preparation part. At home, I use a Cuisinart ice cream maker where you have to cool the bowl for 24 hours and you can make two quarts.
When I decided to do this here, I bought, and had delivered last week (I will ship it home when I leave Hawaii) a Whynter brand ice cream maker that uses a compressor instead of pre-freezing the bowl. It only takes 30 minutes to make 2 quarts with this machine.
If you use either of the ice cream makers, just follow the instructions from the manufacturer. There is an alternative for those who don’t have one. This is the way my Grandmother made it for me growing up. It takes a lot more time though.
Pour into a shallow dish or ice cube tray and freeze overnight.
The following day, remove from the freezer for 5 minutes to thaw. Then break it into chunks.
Re-blend the chunks in a high-speed blender or food processor until thick and creamy like soft-serve. You will need to use the tamper or stop and scrape down the sides frequently.
Serve immediately. Or spread into a shallow dish and re-freeze for 30-60 minutes until scoopable.
This is amazing with fresh fruit, something not as sweet as toppings would be. Tart is very good and a wonderful contrast to the sweetness of the ice cream.
I hope you enjoy it!
