Who would have thought that you could take a corm, a root vegetable like taro, that tastes like a potato and turn it into a delicious filling? Asians. I suppose it is no different from turning beans into sweet fillings as well. Veggies can be transformed and used sweet or savory if you just use some imagination and creativity.
There are different varieties of taro, ones larger than footballs and small ones like potatoes. I feel the flavor is just slightly different but that the large ones are easier to hold and peel. Use what you can find in your Asian grocery store.
Use the cooled paste as filling in mochi, baos or even in moon cakes! Use my coconut snowball mochi recipe but instead of peanut coconut filling, use taro paste. Another great idea is to thin out any leftover paste in a blender by adding milk and/or non-dairy milk like macadamia, almond or coconut milk and adding boba for a delicious taro "boba tea"!
Taro Paste
Ingredients (makes about 2-3 cups)
10 oz taro, peeled and cut up into 1" cubes
1/4 cup sugar (or more if you like it sweeter)
1/4 cup coconut milk
pinch of salt
Directions
Peel and cube taro into 1" pieces. Place cubed taro in a saucepan and cover with water. Boil on medium high for about 20-25 minutes until it is soft. Reserve 1/2 cup of liquid then drain and add to a blender with the pinch of salt, sugar and coconut milk. Blend until smooth. If too thick, add a little bit of the reserved liquid 1 tablespoon at a time to reach desired consistency. It will thicken as it cools. Going for a thick paste consistency. Set aside to cool. If not using right away, cool then store in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 5 days.
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