Wednesday, December 8, 2010

Sweet Potato Pie (Crust/Egg/Gluten, Dairy, & Fat-free)

I have wanted to make Sweet Potato Pie ever since I read the book "The Yearling" a very long time ago. I was intrigued not only by the idea of a pie made with sweet potatoes, but also the character of the mother who gives up her share of pie! Wow! I remember Amma, my mother, holding back quietly, generously, and graciously so that everyone could enjoy more; I neither realized that nor even noticed until I was older. Mothers are amazing!

Scrumptious Sweet Potato Pie is a great alternative for pumpkin pie as sweet potatoes are available year around. Use the orange-fleshed sweets labeled "yams" for best color; bake/roast them whole for the best flavor. You can make it vegan by adding coconut, soy or other types of milk in the place of regular milk. Without a butter/shortening/oil-laden crust, it has minimal fat. Crust-free, gluten-free and fat-free, it is also guilt-free! I made it for the holiday weekend and it was gobbled up very quickly :-).

Notes: I used the ingredients I had on hand. I don't usually stock powdered spices as the fragrant oils in them are volatile and don't last long on the shelf. But if you have powdered spices, do go ahead and use them; you may want to use 1 tsp of ground dried ginger instead of the fresh, about 1/8 to 1/4 tsp of the allspice and cloves. Powdered tapioca, arrowroot, or cornstarch may be used instead of the tapioca pearls.

Sweet potatoes are one of the super foods that do not get the credit they deserve. For more information click here.

Ingredients:

2 cups mashed Sweet Potatoes (4 or 5 medium)
2 Tbsp Tapioca Pearls
1 1/2 cups Milk, any type
2 Tbsp fresh Ginger, chopped
3 berries Allspice
4 whole Cloves
2 tsp Cinnamon
1/4 tsp freshly grated/Ground Nutmeg
2 tsp Baking Powder
1/2 tsp Sea Salt
3/4 cup Brown Sugar, packed
1/2 cup Rice Flour

Raisin Sauce or Whipped Coconut Cream to serve (Optional)

Method:

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Roast the sweet potatoes until soft; cool slightly, peel and mash.

Coat a 9-inch deep dish pie pan (11/2 quart/liter capacity) with cooking spray, butter, or oil.

Place the first four ingredients, the tapioca, water, milk, and rice flour in a small bowl and let them soak for 20 minutes.

Blend the spices and the soaked ingredients until smooth.

Add the sweet potatoes to the blender container along with the remaining ingredients and blend gradually increasing the speed, stopping to scrape the sides as needed to make sure everything is thoroughly blended. This should take about 2 to 3 minutes. The pureeing may need to be done in batches; if so mix well before placing in the baking pan.

Pour the puree into the prepared pie pan.

Bake for 1 hour or the top and edges are browned and the pie pulls away a little from the sides.

Remove from the oven and place gently on a thick towel to cool slowly; the slower the pie cools, the less it shrinks or collapses.

Cool the pie completely, cover with cling wrap, and chill until ready to serve.

Serve with Raisin Sauce and/or lightly sweetened whipped coconut cream if desired.

4 comments:

Boiling Pot said...

A crustless pie sounds great, but I myself would prefer to use powdered tapioca and powdered spices instead. What do you think? Tks.

Geetha said...

Hello BP, You surely can use powdered tapioca and spices. I used what I had on hand since I do not keep a lot of powdered spices on my shelf. Try it and let me know how it worked. Happy cooking!

Boiling Pot said...

Many thanks, Geetha. I will take a crack at it!

Geetha said...

Glad to be of help BP! Please let me know how it works for you. Happy Cooking!