Bebinca de Batata

Goan sweet potato and coconut milk dessert

Prep Time 45 min
Cook Time 55 min
Serving Size 8
Recipe Type

Bebinca de Batata is a Goan dessert made with sweet potatoes, coconut milk, eggs, and sugar, offering a denser, unlayered take on the iconic bebinca. Simpler than its many-layered counterpart, it reflects everyday Goan kitchens rather than grand feasts. Carried along Portuguese trade routes across the Indian Ocean, this version of bebinca connects Goa to Southeast Asia while remaining unmistakably Goan in flavour.

Ingredients

Sweet potatoes – 2 to 3 (large)
Unsalted butter, melted – 85 grams
Eggs – 6 large
Grated jaggery – 600 grams
Maple syrup – 60ml
Nutmeg – freshly grated
Ground turmeric – ½ teaspoon
¼ teaspoon – seasalt
Coconut milk – 400 ml (first extract)
All purpose flour – 1 cup

Method

Heat the oven to 400 C. Rinse the sweet potatoes clean, pat them dry with paper towels and poke several holes in them with a fork. Put the potatoes in a baking dish or on a baking sheet lined with aluminium foil. Roast until completely tender, 35 to 45 minutes. Cool completely before handling. Peel the sweet potatoes, discard the skin, and puree the flesh in a food processor. Measure out 400 grams and set aside, saving the rest for another purpose.
Reduce the oven temperature to 350 C.
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 sweet potato puree, melted butter, eggs, sugar, maple syrup, 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 to 60 mins, rotating the baking sheet halfway through. The pudding should be firm to 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 to set for at least 6 hours, preferably overnight.
Once the bebinca is set, run a sharp knife around the edges of the pan, flip the pan onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, and gently tap to release. Peel the parchment off the top. Invert onto a serving dish, and peel off the second sheet of parchment paper.
To serve, use a sharp serrated knife to cut the chilled bebinca into wedges. Store the leftover bebinca, wrapped in plastic wrap, in an airtight container in the refrigerator for upto 1 week.

Find out more about the history and tradition of the dish

In India, ragi has been found in archaeological excavations dating back to 1800 BC, and has been associated with honouring poets with a concoction of ragi, milk, and honey.

Read

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