Minatamis na Kamote (Filipino Sweet Potato in Syrup)
Filipino sweet potato simmered gently in a dark brown sugar syrup until tender and glossy. Serve it warm, chill it over ice, or layer it into halo-halo.
Servings 6 servings
Ingredients
Syrup
- 3 cups water
- 1 cup panutsa or muscovado sugar packed, or dark brown sugar
- 1 pandan leaf knotted, optional but traditional
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
Kamote
- 2 pounds kamote (sweet potato) peeled, cut into 1 inch thick rounds
- ½ cup coconut milk optional, for the gata version
- ⅓ cup cooked small sago pearls optional
Instructions
Make the Syrup
- Peel the sweet potatoes and cut them into even 1 inch thick rounds. Even thickness matters more than shape.
- Combine the water, sugar, salt and knotted pandan leaf in a wide pot over medium heat. Stir until the sugar dissolves completely.
Simmer and Cool
- Slide in the kamote in a single layer and bring to a bare simmer, never a rolling boil.
- Cook uncovered 20 to 25 minutes, until a knife tip meets slight resistance at the center and the syrup has reduced by about half. Do not stir once the pieces soften. Swirl the pot instead.
- If adding coconut milk for the gata version, stir it in during the last 5 minutes.
- Take the pot off the heat and let the kamote cool in the syrup at least 20 minutes, or refrigerate overnight to serve cold. The pieces keep absorbing syrup as they cool.
Notes
- Sugar: panutsa or muscovado gives the authentic dark molasses syrup. Dark brown sugar is a close substitute.
- Syrup consistency: it should coat a spoon while warm and will thicken further as it cools. Pull it slightly early.
- Too thin: lift out the kamote and boil the syrup 3 to 5 minutes. Too thick: add hot water 1 tablespoon at a time.
- Texture target: makunat, slightly chewy at the edge and tender in the middle.
- Never boil hard: a rolling boil breaks the pieces apart.
- Kamote choice: orange sweet potato is soft and sweet, Japanese sweet potato is denser and holds its shape.
- Not candied yams: this is a simmered Filipino merienda dessert, not a baked Thanksgiving side.
- Storage: fridge in its syrup up to 1 week. Thin 2 tablespoons of syrup with cold water for a drink.