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Rasavalli kilangu in coconut milk

Purple yam in coconut milk

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.

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