This absolutely delicious dessert is made of a medley of sweet potatoes in purple, orange, and yellow color and also taro/yam serve in sweet and aromatic coconut milk broth studded with soft and chewy tapioca pearls.

Bubur Cha Cha / Bubur U Ce Ce (Medley Sweet Potatoes Coconut Milk Dessert)

It’s really hard for me not to love many of the coconut-based desserts, cake, or kue/kueh. It’s in my blood I suppose. Coconut is truly a quintessential ingredient in Southeast Asia. Bubur means porridge in Bahasa or Malay language. However, bubur cha cha or u ce ce is not the kind of porridge you would imagine, thick and creamy. The coconut milk is actually more watery compared to a dessert such as bubur sumsum or bubur candil. Bubur cha cha is very similar to kolak ubi pisang.

TYPES OF SWEET POTATOES AND TARO/YAM

I used three types of sweet potatoes here: purple, yellow, and orange

Orange, purple, yellow sweet potatoes

After you peel the sweet potatoes, you can see that the purple doesn’t have the obvious purple color until you cut it into smaller pieces, exposing the purple color inside

purple, yellow, and orange sweet potatoes

We like to call this yam in Asia, which is actually a taro. Yam in the U.S., usually refers to sweet potatoes and not taro. I usually like to get pre-peeled taro from the Asian market. I hate peeling the thick skin of taro. It makes my skin itches too.

HOW TO MAKE BUBUR CHA CHA / BUBUR U CE CE

1. Steam sweet potatoes and taro
Peel and cut the sweet potatoes and taro into bite-size cube. Steam over high heat for 10 minutes or until they are fork-tender but not mushy. Set aside after that

2. Boil tapioca pearls
The tapioca pearls I got do not need to be soaked. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add tapioca pearls and cook until they turn translucent and cooked through, about 10 minutes or so. Give them a stir every now and then to prevent sticking to the bottom of the pot. Turn off the heat and cover and let them sit for 10 minutes

Drain off the cooking liquid and rinse the pearls in cold running water. This will get rid of excess starch and prevent the pearls from clumping into each other. Let them soak in cold water while you prepare other things. Set aside

3. Prepare the sweet coconut broth
Place all ingredients for the sweet coconut broth in a large pot, except for the coconut milk. Bring to a gentle simmer to melt the sugar. Once the sugar melts, add the coconut milk. Take care not to boil the coconut milk or they will curdle. Have a taste and adjust to your preference. Turn off heat

4. Serve
Stir in the cooked sweet potatoes, taro, and tapioca pearls. Serve warm or at room temperature
Bubur Cha Cha / Bubur U Ce Ce (Medley Sweet Potatoes Coconut Milk Dessert)

Something so simple and humble is truly so awesome and satisfy that craving for sweet without overdoing it.
Bubur Cha Cha / Bubur U Ce Ce (Medley Sweet Potatoes Coconut Milk Dessert)

TIPS

1. Don’t overcook the sweet potatoes and taro or they will turn into mush when you stir them into the sweet coconut broth
2. Don’t overboil the coconut milk. Just cook until the sugar melts over medium-low heat. The broth will turn frothy if the coconut milk is boiled and “break”
3. Tapioca pearls are best kept at room temperature as they will harden if you refrigerate them. They can be kept at room temperature for 2-3 days
Bubur Cha Cha / Bubur U Ce Ce (Medley Sweet Potatoes Coconut Milk Dessert)

DID YOU MAKE THIS GOLDEN CRISPY SALTED EGG YOLK RECIPE?

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Bubur Cha Cha / Bubur U Ce Ce (Medley Sweet Potatoes Coconut Milk Dessert)