The sweet potato is only distantly related to the potato but is also botanically very different from a yam which is native to Africa and Asia. The softer, orange variety is commonly marketed as a "yam" in parts of North America.

In Malaysia, sweet potato is often cut into small cubes and cooked with yam and coconut milk (santan) to make a sweet dessert called bubur caca. In Japan, boiled sweet potato is the most common way to eat it at home. Also, the use in vegetable tempura is common. In Korean cuisine, sweet potato starch is used to produce dangmyeon – cellophqn noodles.

Chef SK Raj of 10 Calangute fame has this very special Goan preparation for you.

Sweet Potato Kheer (Kanaga)

Ingredients:

Water 4 cups, sweet potatoes ½ kg, grated coconut 4 cups, jaggary ¼ kg, cardamom powder ½ tbsp, sago 2 tbsp, salt to taste

Method: 

Peel sweet potatoes and cut into thin small slices. Cook them and sago in 2 cups of water, till potatoes become soft. Add jaggary. Extract 3 cups thick coconut milk using about 4 cups of water and add to the sweet potatoes. Continue to cook for another 5 minutes. Add cardamom powder and salt. Stir and remove the pan from the fire.