Piele Purple

The Ingredients (for 8 servings):

• 1 kg (or 2½ lb) of Okinawan sweet potatoes
• 350 ml (or 1½ cups) of coconut cream
• 30 ml (or 2 tablespoons) of fresh lime juice
• 8 g (or 1½ teaspoons) of salt

The Method:

1. Brush the skins of the potatoes thoroughly and steam them whole for at least 45 minutes (or the equivalent in a pressure cooker) until they are soft in the middle. (I use a bamboo skewer to pierce the biggest one.)

2. With a small paring knife, scrape off the skins of the potatoes.
   
3. Cut the potatoes into thick slices.
   
4. Mash or process the potatoes with the coconut cream, lime juice, and salt until there are no large lumps of potato in the mash.
   
5. If necessary, reheat the piele in the microwave before serving.



Piele Purple accompanies *PC Stout Corned Beef and Caraway Cabbage, also in this blog

6. The Story:

The Okinawan sweet potato is not a true potato, but a tuber in the Convolvulaceae family, a taxonomic category that also includes the morning glory. Its origin is in Central America, and it said to have been brought to Hawai'i by the Polynesians. It has a much lower glycemic index than most potatoes and other tubers despite its sweet taste. Piele is one of the ways that Hawaiians like to prepare this vegetable.