Desserts

Taro ice cream (aisa taro)

A creamy ice cream with the purple flesh of taro, flavoured with coconut milk. Sweet and slightly floury, it is served chilled, especially at festivals and on hot days.

35 min
4 servings
Medium
Budget-friendly
🇦🇸 American Samoa

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Instructions

Peel the taro, cut it into pieces and cook it by steaming or in boiling water for 20 minutes, until it mashes easily with a fork.
Mash the taro while still warm with the whole milk to obtain a smooth purée, without lumps.
Add the coconut milk, sugar, pinch of salt and vanilla, then mix until the sugar has completely dissolved.
Stir in the double cream and whisk lightly to get an even, purple-coloured mixture.
Leave to cool in the fridge for at least 2 hours, until the base is thoroughly cold.
Pour the mixture into an ice cream maker and churn for 20 to 25 minutes, until creamy and set.
Transfer to a container, smooth the surface and freeze for at least 3 hours before scooping.

Variations and tips

Without an ice cream maker. Pour the base into a dish, freeze for 1 hour, then blend it to break up the ice crystals. Repeat twice before the final freezing.

Using what's easy to find. If purple taro is unavailable, use purple sweet potato cooked the same way; the colour and flavour stay close.