I planned to make a kamote cue for our merienda. My hubby really loved sweet potatoes, but only when they're coated in caramelized sugar.
Boiled kamote is okay, but kamote cues are his favorite.
As I checked the ingredients, it was complete. So I decided to make it.
Ingredients:
• 3 large sweet potatoes (kamote), peeled & cut into 1/2-inch
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup water
• pinch of salt
• oil for deep-frying (enough to submerge the sweet potatoes)
Cooking process:
• I started by peeling the sweet potatoes. But as I peeled them, the skin left a dark brown-to-green smudge on my hands. It looked messy, so I suggest using plastic gloves or a plastic bag to avoid this kind of stain.
• After peeling, I sliced each kamote into about a half-inch, not too thin, not too thick. Then place it into a bowl of water with a pinch of salt so they wouldn't turn dark while I prepared the pan.
• After that, I poured oil into the pan, enough for deep-frying, waited for it to heat up, then carefully added the sweet potato slices.
• After a few minutes, I sprinkled in the sugar, but it wasn't brown sugar. On this part, I expected that, as the kamote fried, the sugar would slowly melt, caramelize, and coat each piece beautifully.
Result:
The sugar didn't melt. 🥹 It just clung to sweet potatoes like tiny crystals. 🫣
Instead of turning into syrup, it remains rough and grainy.
Actually, I tried waiting for it, thinking it just needed more time. But nothing changed.
So yeah, I realized the problem. I used the wrong kind of sugar.
Kamote cue needs brown sugar because it melts faster and turns into that sticky glaze.
The one I used stayed dry and grainy no matter how long it fried.
--
So that's what happened.
Next time, I know what to do... use BROWN SUGAR!!
--
Well, it may not have looked like the glossy kamote cue I see in street stalls, but it was still so good.
We brewed some coffee and brought the plate upstairs. The sugar was grainy, but that didn't mean it wasn't sweet.
The kids loved it. And didn't care that it wasn't "perfect".
My hubby kept munching too. And we finished everything on the plate.
In the end, nothing was wasted.
Next time, I already know what to change and how to do it right.
Until my next cooking...
Thanks for the visit! Have a lovely day. Buh-bye. 💗🌸