Sweet Potato Daube- Ladob Patat
Ladob could have derived from the French word ‘daube’ which is a classic Provençal stew made with inexpensive beef braised in wine, vegetables, garlic, and herbs and traditionally cooked in a daubière, a braising pan. Or, could it also have derived from the Malagasy word dauba-dauba?
In Seychelles this method of cookery has a different meaning when it applies to fish and meat to when it applies to desserts. The meat or fish ladob is like a stew to which fried potatoes and at times small green peas have been added. The fish and the meat may also have been fried or pot-roasted, cooked in a thick broth.
The ladob in a dessert context is a dish that has been cooked over moderate heat with coconut milk, nutmeg, vanilla and sugar. When the dish is cooked the coconut milk turns into a creamy consistency.
A Variety of Sweet Potatoes
Sweet potatoes are rich in beta-carotene- an anti-oxidant that may help improve immunity and prevent cancer. Pairing beta-carotene rich foods, like sweet potatoes, with a small amount of fat, such as the coconut milk, helps your body to better use this fat-soluble vitamin. Recent research has shown that a minimum of 3-5 grams of fat per meal significantly increases our uptake of beta-carotene from sweet potatoes.
Helpful Hints
This dish can be prepared with all types of sweet potatoes. In this recipe we have used three different types of sweet potatoes identified by their colours. We have used the purple, orange and white sweet potatoes. This explains why the sauce has a purplish colour. The texture of the potatoes is slightly different with the purple one being softer and the white one firmer and the orange fits in between.
Choose sweet potatoes that are firm and do not have any cracks, bruises or soft spots. Avoid those that are displayed in the refrigerated section of the produce department since cold temperature negatively alters their taste. Sweet potatoes should be stored loose in a cool, dark and well-ventilated place, where they will keep fresh for up to ten days.
As the flesh of sweet potatoes will darken upon contact with the air, you should cook them immediately after peeling and/or cutting them. If this is not possible, to prevent oxidisation, keep them in a bowl covered completely with water until you are ready to cook them.
You may decide to peel your sweet potatoes. You will however find out that, if you peel the sweet potatoes, they will break up too easily in the cooking process. The ladob is not meant to be mushy. However, if you wish to use ladob for a pie filling then it is recommended that you peel them.
It is recommended that you do not cover you pot fully when cooking ladob because sometimes the steam created within the pot can curdle your sauce, especially if you are using fresh coconut milk or cream. However, if you are using tinned coconut milk or cream, that may at times have a thickner like gelatine which makes the coconut milk more stable, you may decide to cover your pot. It is also recommended that you avoid cooking ladob on high heat as this could also result in the curdling of the sauce.
Traditionally, we would include a few pieces of dried orange peel. We used to dry the peel of a local orange called zoranz lapofin and preserve it to be used in ladob and other dessert dishes. I guess a pinch of freshly grated fresh orange peel will serve the same purpose and will impart the same fragrance to the dish.
Here is the recipe for Sweet Potato Daube- Ladob Patat
Sweet Potato Daube- Ladob papat is a hearty, nutritious and healthy dessert made with coconut milk and flavoured with nutmeg and vanilla.
- 1 litre fresh coconut milk
- 1 kg sweet potato
- 1 pod vanilla or 2 tsp vanilla essence
- 3 tbsp brown sugar
- 200 ml water or milk (optional)
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 pinch freshly grated nutmeg
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Wash and scrub sweet potato, then slice lengthways into two and then cut crosswise into even-size chunks of about 3 cm wide.
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Combine the sweet potato chunks in a large pan with the coconut milk (the coconut milk must cover the sweet potato; if it does not, add a little water or milk).
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Slit the vanilla pod in half lengthways and add to the pan along with the salt and nutmeg.
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Sweeten to taste with sugar then bring the mixture to a boil.
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Reduce to a simmer, and cook gently for about 40 minutes, or until the sweet potato is tender enough that they can easily be pierce with the point of a knife. Avoid covering the pot.
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This dish can be served warm or cold.
- If you do not have fresh vanilla, you can substitute with 1 tsp vanilla essence
- If you are using fresh vanilla, you may decide to slit the pod in two and scrape only the seeds and discard the pod. In the Creole daube we use pod and seeds and remove them after the daude is cooked, if required.
- You may decide to peel your sweet potatoes. You will however find out that if you peel the sweet potatoes, they will break up too easily. The daube is not meant to be mushy. However, if you wish to use the daude for a pie filling then it is recommended that you peel them.
- If you cover you pot fully, sometimes the steam created within the pot can curdle your sauce, especially if you are using fresh coconut milk or cream. However, if you are using tinned coconut milk or cream, that may at times have a thickner like gelatine which makes the coconut milk more stable, you may decide to cover your pot.
Did you make this recipe?
I hope you will enjoy cooking this dish. Please let me know how it turned out for you. If you have a different version of the recipe or have related questions, please leave your comments below.
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