Ube Kalamay

Ube Kalamay simply made with Ube puree, coconut milk, macapuno and glutinous rice flour. Ready to eat in 35 minutes.

What is Kalamay?

Kalamay is a variety of Kakanin in the Philippines. There are different recipes depending on where you are from.

The base recipe is fresh pressed coconut milk, muscovado sugar and ground glutinous rice. It is cooked in a big pot over fire until the is at the right consistency. The Kalamay should be cooked to a point where it can hold its shape for a few seconds, yet still super soft to the bite.

One variety is Ube Kalamay where Ube puree is added to the mixture. That is what we are going to be making.

Ingredients

Again the list is minimal.

Coconut Milk - Our key wet ingredient and flavoring. Use a standard 13.5 can.

Macapuno - Instead of using sugar and to add more coconut flavor we are going to be using a whole jar of macapuno. No need to rinse it out. We will be using it all.

Ube Puree - Puree must be used in this recipe. You can find it at the frozen section at your local Filipino grocery store. And no, you can't replace it with purple potato and just add ube flavoring. That is cheating. Going out of your way to buy the right ingredient has a trickle down effect from the local shop to the distributor to the farmer. Please go and find Ube Puree.

Glutinous Rice Flour - You will just need one cup to give it the nice soft chew. In the Philippines we call this texture "makunat".

Let's Make Ube Kalamay

You will need a blender. It just makes it easier and the Ube Kalamay batter so much smoother.

First blend the coconut milk and macapuno until it's super smooth. Let it blend longer than usual. Those macapuno strings are thick. Go for 3 minutes.

Then add in the ube puree. Cover and blend again for 2 minutes.

Finally add the glutinous rice flour. Before blending, do a pre-blend with a spoon and just push the powder down into the mixture so it doesn't flying all over the place. Cover and blend for 2 minutes

Pour the Ube Kalamay mixture into your non-stick pan.

Now the fun begins! I mean the stirring. You will be at the stove for at least 35 minutes constantly stirring so before you do that go to the bathroom, have a glass of water next to you and possibly turn on some music as a distraction.

Here I have documented how the Ube Kalamay will look like at different 10 minute marks through out the cooking time.

During this time you will just be constantly stirring. I recommend using the smallest burner you have and using high heat. Also using a strong spatula is ideal.

As you can see as it cooks, the Ube gets darker. We won't be using any Ube flavoring. I don't think it's necessary. It's good as it is.

You will know it is done when you pass the spatula through the mixture it stays apart and the Kalamay also gets harder to stir. At 35 minutes it started to do that for me,

How to Serve Ube Kalamay

Normally it is served in a big platter. You can still do that. Use a 8 inch pie plate that has been brushed with coconut oil and pour in the Ube Kalamay and smooth it out.

Alternatively you can use small ramekins or bowls to serve it in. Like I did. This mixture was enough to fill four 6oz size bowls.

As a personal preference I don't like anything crispy with my Ube Kalamay. So it's served nice and smooth. Traditionally it is topped with Latik, crispy coconut curds. You can do that too.

To make latik, pour a can of coconut milk into a sauce pan and let it bowl over high heat. Once the coconut curd starts to separate from the coconut oil turn the heat down to low and cook until the curds turn golden brown.

Remove the curds right away and drain on paper towels. You can save the coconut oil to use another time. For more detailed instructions you can go and have a look at How To Make Latik With Coconut Milk.

Sprinkle the latik all top of the Ube Kalamay.

Storing Ube Kalamay

The storage depends on how you like to eat it. For super soft, spoonable Kalamay, leave it on the counter covered in either banana leaves or plastic wrap for up to 3 days.

If you like to eat it on the harder side keep it in the fridge for up to 1 week.

If you liked want to try another version of Kalamay you can make my Black Sesame version. It's super good!

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