Sweet potato & tahina pudding

METHOD

I first discovered this delicious pudding at the home of my Egyptian friends, Amr and his wife Olympia, in Cairo. All I remember is that, full as I was, I still couldn’t resist more than one helping, and I made sure didn’t leave the house without knowing how to make it. Since then, whenever I visit they’ll serve it and sometimes even send some in a special refrigerated parcel, via one of our friends visiting London. I love the way the sultanas are studded throughout, providing a little bit of texture in the creaminess, while the cinnamon softens the sweetness of the sweet potato.

Put the sultanas into a small saucepan and pour in enough water to cover. Add the cinnamon and the honey, cover with a lid and bring to a simmer. Cook for 5 minutes. Leave to cool.

Steam the sweet potato until tender, then mash until smooth.

While the sweet potato is steaming, melt the butter in a large saucepan over a low heat and add the flour. Stir for at least 1 minute, until the flour and butter turns into a paste and starts to leave the sides of the pan.

Gradually add the milk to the pan, stirring continuously, then the cream, tahina and sugar, and stir well over a low heat until the mixture is smooth.

Mix in the mashed sweet potato, half the sultanas and stir until smooth. Pour into a large serving dish or individual glasses and cool, then chill. Serve sprinkled with the remaining sultanas and their syrup, a little cinnamon and the toasted sesame seeds.

MY SECRET

You can also make this with butternut squash. Just use the same quantity and make sure you steam it until it is really tender.