Bebinca is a traditional Goan dessert, an egg and coconut milk pudding popular during the holidays. This Sweet Potato Bebinca come from Nik Sharma's cookbook, Season, and this version is what he calls a "mock bebinca" that is fragrant with a touch of nutmeg.
1 1/4poundssweet potatoes(2-3 large sweet potatoes)
6tablespoonsbuttermelted, plus more for the baking pan
6largeeggs
1cupjaggery or muscovado sugar
1/4cupmaple syrup
1teaspoonfreshly ground nutmeg
1/2teaspoonturmeric
1/4teaspoonfine sea salt
113 1/2-oz canfull-fat coconut milk
1cupall-purpose flour
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Instructions
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Rinse the sweet potatoes to remove any dirt, pat them dry with paper towels, and poke several holes in them with a fork for the steam to escape. Put the potatoes in a baking dish or on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil. Roast until completely tender, 35-45 minutes. Cool completely before handling. Peel the sweet potatoes, discard the skins, and puree the flesh in a food processor. Measure out 1 2/3 cups and set aside, saving the rest for another purpose. (The sweet potatoes may be roasted 1 day ahead and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.) Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F.
Line the bottom of a 9-inch round baking pan with 2-inch sides with parchment paper and grease lightly with butter. Put the pan on a baking sheet.
In a large bowl, whisk together the cooled roasted sweet potato purée, eggs, jaggery, maple syrup, 6 tablespoons butter, nutmeg, turmeric, and salt until smooth. Add the coconut milk and flour and whisk until the mixture is smooth, with no visible streaks of flour.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and put the pan, still on the baking sheet, in the oven. Bake for 55-60 minutes, rotating the baking sheet halfway through. The pudding should be firm to the touch in the center and light golden brown around the edges. Remove from the oven, and cool completely in the pan on a wire rack. Wrap the pan with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 6 hours, and preferably overnight, to set.
Once the bebinca has set, run a sharp knife around the edges of the pan, flip the pan onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, and tap gently to release. Peel the parchment off the top. Invert onto a serving dish, and peel off the second sheet of parchment paper.
To serve, with a sharp, serrated knife, cut the chilled bebinca into wedges. Store the leftover bebinca, wrapped in plastic wrap, in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.
Notes
Recipe reprinted with permission from Season: Big Flavors, Beautiful Food, by Nik Sharma (Chronicle Books, 2018).