Cream of Malanga (Taro)

Hello everyone!

This winter mini-vacation has been SUPER inspiring for me. I've been on FIRE in the kitchen doing all different kinds of recipes that I have to type down and share with you guys.

Today I want to share with you my "Crema de Malanga" recipe. (If you are wondering "what is malanga??" Well.. here's some info.: Malanga is a tropical plant grown primarily for its root vegetables most commonly known as taro. Taro is a food staple in African, Oceanic and South Asian cultures. It is believed that taro was one of the earliest cultivated plants.)

CAUTION: You might confuse MALANGA with Yautia and they are completely different.

This is what we Puertorricans call malanga:

 

and this is what we call yautia,

Notice that the malanga is larger than the yautia and it has a sweet nutty flavor. The yautia in the other hand is smaller, thinner, it has thin roots and its flavor is nutty but also starchy. For this recipe, I used the large one but it can easily be substituted for the smaller one, the yautia. Also, make sure you get one that has reddish purple specks inside or as we call it, lila.

Here is the recipe!

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Ingredients:

•  5 tbs of Coconut Oil or Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
• 4 garlic cloves (peeled)
• 1/2 yellow onion (medium sized)
• 5 culantro/recao leaves (chopped)
• 1/4 cup of cilantro (chopped)
• 2 pounds of malanga (peeled, cut into 1-inch-thick cubes)
• 2 cups of vegetable broth (can be substituted for chicken broth for non-vegans)
• Salt
• Pepper

Instructions:

1. Preheat to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Put the garlic and oil in a small baking dish/bowl and bake until the garlic and onions are soft.
2. Cook malanga in a large saucepan of boiling salted water until tender. (About 25-30 minutes)
3. Once the malanga is tender, drain and return to the pot. Add 1 cup of broth and with a handheld blender o normal blender, puree the malanga.
4. Next, add the soft garlic and onions with oil, and leaves to the mixture and blend.
5. If needed, add more broth little by little until you get the desired texture.
6. Lastly, add salt and pepper to taste.

I hope you enjoy this cream of taro as much as I did!

Buen provecho!
Love always,
Mimi