To cook ube, peel and cut the root, then boil for 20–30 minutes or steam for 25–35 minutes until fork-tender, or roast whole at 200°C (400°F) for about an hour for a deeper, nuttier flavor. Mash immediately for use in ube halaya or other recipes.
Boiling ube
- Peel the tough purple-brown skin with a vegetable peeler or knife.
- Cut into evenly sized chunks (roughly 3–4cm).
- Boil in water for 20–30 minutes, until a fork slides in easily.
- Drain well and mash while hot.
Steaming ube
Steaming (25–35 minutes depending on chunk size) keeps more of the delicate vanilla-like flavor intact compared to boiling, since less flavor leaches into water. This method is preferred when the ube will be eaten simply, without heavy added sugar.
Roasting whole ube
Wrap whole, unpeeled ube in foil and roast at 200°C (400°F) for 45–60 minutes, until soft throughout. Roasting concentrates the natural sugars and intensifies the nutty side of ube's flavor (see our taste and flavor guide), making it a great option for desserts where a deeper flavor is wanted.
What to do next
Once cooked and mashed, your ube is ready for ube halaya, folding into an ice cream base, or any recipe on our ube recipes hub.
