Learn how to make smooth and creamy homemade taro paste using the taro roots with just the right amount of sweetness. The taro paste is suitable as a filling for mooncakes, Asian pastries, steamed buns, cakes, and other desserts.
Taro or Yam is one of the popular ingredients in Asia that is cooked into a paste and used as a filling in many Asian pastries, cakes, bread/buns, and desserts. Just like the popular red bean paste/ dou sha (anko paste).
You can use taro/yam paste for:
1. Asian pastries: As a filling for Teochew Spiral Thousand Layer Mooncake, Traditional mooncakes
2. Bread/buns: As a filling for Soft fluffy steamed buns, Soft and Fluffy No Yeast Chinese Steamed Buns (Mantou/Baozi), Soft Fluffy Chinese Whole Wheat (Wholemeal) Steamed Buns
How to make homemade taro/yam paste
1. I got the taro root that has been peeled from the store. If you get the whole root, wear gloves and peel the skin and weigh to get 1200 grams. Cut into cubes and then steam 15 minutes over high heat or until you can easily mash with a fork
2. Mash the taro together with the sugar while they are still warm. You can also use an immersion blender or blender to make it really smooth
3. Transfer to a non-stick pan. Add oil and cook over low heat
4. It may seem very oily at first. Keep stirring until the oil is all absorbed by the taro and no longer sticky to the pan, may take about 15-20 minutes
5. Transfer to a plate and let it cools down completely. You can portion it out, and wrap in a cling wrap and put inside a freezer bag. Simply thaw overnight in the fridge and it’s ready to be used in recipe
Tips
1. Get the peeled-taro from Asian store if it’s available. It makes life easier. The skin of the taro is really thick.
2. If you get the taro root, make sure you wear a glove when working with taro. It may cause itchiness on the skin
3. Taro on its own doesn’t have much color but you can add a purple tinge to it by adding few pieces of purple sweet potatoes when you steam or you can also add purple food coloring. This is more for aesthetic purposes. I didn’t add any
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Homemade Taro/Yam Paste
Ingredients
- 1200 gr taro roots (peeled weight)
- 350 gr sugar
- 180 gr cooking oil
Instructions
- I got the taro root that has been peeled from the store. If you get the whole root, wear gloves and peel the skin and weigh to get 1200 grams
- Cut into cubes and then steam 15 minutes over high heat or until you can easily mash with a fork. Mash the taro together with the sugar while they are still warm. You can also use an immersion blender or blender to make it really smooth
- Transfer to a non-stick pan. Add oil and cook over low heat. It may seem very oily at first. Keep stirring until the oil is all absorbed by the taro and no longer sticky to the pan, may take about 15-20 minutes
- Transfer to a plate and let it cools down completely. You can portion it out, and wrap in a cling wrap and put inside a freezer bag. Simply thaw overnight in the fridge and it's ready to be used in recipe
