Sunday, January 2, 2011

Taro Ice Cream


A wonderful phenomenon has started taking place in my neck of the woods.  Lately all of these little frozen yogurt shops have started springing up everywhere.   Anyone who knows me well will attest that I am a total frozen yogurt junkie.  I have two favorite snacks: fro-yo and popcorn.  But not at the same time, and definitely not microwave popcorn.  That doesn't even count in my opinion, but I digress.

So as I mentioned, there have been several fro-yo places that have opened close to my house/work.  My favorite is called "Yumilicious" - and I hate to sound redundant, but it really is so very yummy.  They have like a billion flavors and you can serve yourself which is nice because you can mix and match all you want. They also have a huge topping bar, but I am a bit of a purist when it comes to ice cream and frozen yogurt; I like it plain.

The yogurt shop is owned by an Asian man and they always have the Taro flavor.  Purple taro to be exact.  Taro is an root vegetable that  is commonly eaten in the Caribbean and in Asia.  To us Cubans, it's  known as malanga and it's usually white instead of purple . The flavor is the same as the purple one which I used for this recipe.

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups taro root, peeled and cut into cubes
1 1/2 cup cream
3 cups whole  milk
1 cup plain yogurt
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. salt

In a deep sauce pan, combine the cream, milk and taro  and bring to a boil.  Once the milk begins to boil, reduce the heat to medium and let the taro root cook in the milk until it is tender.   Strain the milk and cream through a fine meshed sieve into another pot.  Taro is extremely starchy and slightly sticky so a non-stick pan or pot would be best for this next step.  Add the Taro infused milk and cream to your non-stick pot and add the sugar and salt. Cook on medium heat until the sugar is dissolved. Lastly, add the yogurt and combine well.   Chill in the fridge for 8 hours or overnight before churning.  I just added the mixture to my ice-cream machine and followed the manufacturer's instructions.

Side note: This ice-cream turned out really well but nothing like the yogurt  I was trying to recreate.  I have a theory about this though.  I think the frozen yogurt has "taro flavoring" not actual taro.  Sort of like how artificial grape flavor tastes nothing like real grapes.  Don't get me wrong, I love the Taro frozen yogurt, but it was really different tasting than my version.

8 comments:

norma said...

Hola!
I think that I am now following your official blog. I love this recipe and I am running as fast as I can to get my malanga.(i prefer the purple) and I am making this as soon as I can. I just purchased a tiny iecream maker and have been dying to use it...now I have an excuse. w(ill give you all the credit on my posting).

So nice meeting you and Happy 2011. Looking forward to more of your posts.

Stop by and visit me one of these days.

Saludos!
Norma

Lillian said...

I just discovered taro yogurt last weekend and found your blog while searching for a recipe.

Could you explain how the taste is different? I've never had "real" taro so I don't know what to expect (or even where to buy it).

I would love to make it at home. Have you ever tried Greek yogurt in your ice cream maker? I've been wondering about that, too.

Thank you!

Rox said...

Thanks for the comment Lillian. Taro, also known as malanga, has a starchy, earthy taste similar to a potato, but it's a lot creamier and more nutty flavored. That's the taste it imparts to the yogurt.
I've used Greek yogurt in the ice cream machine and it's great. I freezes well and is creamier than the non-Greek kind.

Taiga said...

Can you define a "large" taro root? Approx. how many cups when it's cubed? Because I have no idea how large a "large" taro root is... Thank you! Will definately try this if. :P

Rox said...

Hi Taiga:
I would say that I used roughly 2 1/2 cups of cubed taro root. I hope it turns out well ;)

dave said...

Most, if not all Taro flavored frozen yogurts I've tried contain tans-fat, i.e., hydrogenated oil...have any of you found one that does NOT contain this villain???

Rox said...

Hi Dave- I really haven't seen the ingredient list- but now i'll be curious to find out!

http://virginhair000.weebly.com/ said...

In South Africa, for example, Naipaul meets Joseph, “said to be a Zulu traditionalist” (228). Joseph is a charismatic figure, attracting ambitious followers and dictating political and cultural opinions for his township. “He was in demand” (229), Naipaul writes with finely-calibrated disdain. In the midst of a well-rehearsed self-aggrandizing speech designed to reconcile western-style media mogul fame with African traditions, Joseph breaks off to quiz Naipaul about his origins:


Back to Top