Are you looking for a delicious home-cooked meal but running short on time? Purple yam cooked in a microwave can be your savior. It is easy and quick to cook purple yam in the microwave.
The sweetness and caramelization that is obtained when purple yam is baked in an oven can also be obtained when it is cooked in the microwave. Purple yam has a thin skin that will puff into a crisp finish with sweet flesh inside.
This when cooked in the microwave can be eaten either plain or with different toppings which give it a different taste altogether.
Below are the steps to cook purple yam in the microwave:
Wash the Purple Yam
Take the purple yam under running water and scrub it properly so that it gets cleaned nicely and then pat it with a paper towel. This cleaning is important if you want to eat the purple yam with the skin intact.
Prick the Skin with a Fork
Prick the purple yam with a fork 6-8 times all over. This helps the steam to escape while cooking the yam in the microwave. If it is not poked, steam will not be allowed to escape and yam will explode in the microwave.
In case you do not want to prick so many times, make an X on the top of the purple yam with a knife.
Wrap it with a Paper Towel
Damp the paper towel and squeeze the excess water from it. Now, wrap the purple yam in it properly and place it on a microwave-safe plate. While microwaving this yam, a steaming effect will be provided by the wet paper towel.
Also, a wet paper towel will keep the yam moist and prevent it from shrinking. Be careful not to wrap purple yam or anything else in aluminum foil in the microwave cooking as it can cause sparking.
Microwave purple yam
Run the microwave on high power for 5 minutes. Turn the yam and microwave it again for 3-5 minutes. This helps to cook the purple yam evenly on both sides. Check it again and if it is still not perfectly soft, microwave for 1 minute more.
In case multiple purple yams are cooked at a time, the cooking time has to be increased accordingly.
Remove the purple yam from the microwave
Once the purple yam is cooked, remove it from the microwave but be careful as yam and plate both will be hot. A perfectly cooked purple yam should yield to firm pressure but should not be too mushy.
To check whether it is done or not, stick a fork in the center, if it goes easily, your purple yam is ready.
Let the purple yam cool
Unwrap the purple yam and throw away the damp paper towel. Let the yam cool for about 5 minutes as it allows the center part to cook further with the heat that is still trapped in the inner layers of the yam.
In case you have to keep cooked purple yam for someone who is getting late, wrap it in aluminum foil while yam is still hot as this procedure will keep yam warm for a longer time.
Serve purple yam
Microwaved cooked purple yam is delicious to eat. While serving, cut it in the middle, add the toppings, and serve hot.
Can you microwave purple yams?
Yes, you can microwave purple yams easily and quickly. Some people think that cooking yam in the microwave destroys all its nutrients but it is not true.
It has been proved that no nutrients are destroyed in microwave cooking. Water-soluble vitamins that are destroyed in other ways of cooking are retained in the microwave.
Thus, it can be said that cooking purple yam in the microwave is the quickest, easiest, and healthiest way.
The method to cook purple yam in the microwave is provided in detail above. You can refer to it and cook delicious purple yams in just 10 minutes.
How long to microwave a yam?
It takes 8-10 minutes to microwave a yam. Within this time, you get a soft delicious yam that can be topped with various toppings according to your choice.
However, the time required to microwave a yam depends on the power of the microwave and the size of the yam. Generally, a 1000 Watts microwave requires approximately 10 minutes to cook a medium-sized yam.
If there are 2-3 yams to cook together, time increases by 2/3rd. So, if there are 3 medium-sized yams, it will take around 16-18 minutes in the microwave to cook them.
How to make pounded yam in microwave?
Pounded yam is a very popular African dish that is served along with soup and stew. Originally, a pounded yam is made by boiling tams and then pounding it in a smooth paste that is stretchy as well.
Its stretchiness is the main yum factor of this dish which is very difficult to achieve which requires a very special technique. However, yam flour is helpful and you can make pounded yam in just no time in the microwave.
To make pounded yam in the microwave, the following steps are required:
- Take a microwave-safe bowl and add 2 cups of pounded flour.
- Add 600 ml of water at a regular temperature.
- Mix it well so that a thick paste is made with no lumps at all.
- Keep the bowl in the microwave and run it for 10 minutes.
- Stir to check no white raw mixture is left. Keep stirring it with a stick until a smooth mixture is obtained.
- Pounded yam is ready to serve.
Purple Yam vs Taro
People often get confused between purple yam and taro as both are tubers with a similar appearance. But you must know that both of them are different and have different tastes as well.
Differences between purple yam and taro are –
| Characteristics | Purple Yam | Taro |
| Appearance | It is of intense saturated purple color. | It is lighter in color, often white when pulled from the soil. It changes into a light purple color when grated, chopped, or cooked. |
| Origin | It originated from Southeast Africa. It is used widely in the Philippines. | It originated from Southeast Asia. It is used widely in India and Japan. |
| Flavor | It has a mellow taste which is sweet and rich with a starchy feel to it. It becomes moist, soft, and slightly sticky when cooked. | It has a slight nutty taste with a starchy feel. It becomes soft, dry, and nutty when cooked. |
Purple yam vs ube
Ube and purple yam are the same. They are just two different names of the tuber which has a purple to bright lavender color. It has a mildly sweet, nutty, and earthy taste with a hint of pistachio and vanilla and is used in various dishes.
It is an important ingredient in Philippine cuisine which is either boiled, baked, or microwaved to make a sweetened dessert or savory dishes.
Purple yam or Ube is a rich source of vitamin C, antioxidants, and resistant starch due to which it is used as a great prebiotic. This tuber can be eaten either with the skin intact or only the flesh of it after cooking it.
Conclusion
Purple yam, tuber, can be microwaved easily and quickly to get a soft, moist, nutty, and delicious dish. To cook it in the microwave, you will just need a yam and a paper towel.
Always remember to prick the purple yam a few times with a fork before cooking in the microwave to prevent it from exploding in the appliance. With all the tips and steps mentioned above, you can easily cook purple yam in the microwave.