What to expect
Fhred takes the comfort of childhood champorado and turns it purple with sweet potato, ube extract, coconut cream and caramel. Liem learns why rice needs salt, why adaptation matters when you cook far from home, and why chocolate rice porridge can be eaten with dried salted fish.
The fake-ube confession gives way to "Champiscado", a whole can of milk, and two hosts turning one pot into a Collingwood plate-off.
From the kitchen
The making of ube champorado
Final touches
The bowl comes together.
Toasted coconut, fresh berries and one last flourish. The final six seconds bring the finished bowl back for one last close-up.
The recipe
Ube champorado
Yield: 6 portions · Difficulty: Easy
Sweet potato creates the creamy body of this reimagined champorado, while ube, coconut and caramel turn it into a rich, glossy dessert balanced by fresh berries.
Ingredients
Ube champorado
- 300 g arborio rice
- 500 g sweet potato, peeled and diced
- 1.5 L water
- 400 ml coconut milk
- 20 ml ube extract
- 150 g caramel sauce
- 5 g salt
Garnish
- 60 g desiccated coconut, lightly toasted
- 60 g raspberries
- 60 g blackberries
- 120 g strawberries, halved
Cook the sweet potato
- Place the sweet potato and water into a large saucepan.
- Bring to a simmer over medium heat.
- Cook for 15–20 minutes, until the sweet potato is very soft.
Build the champorado
- Using a potato masher or stick blender, mash the sweet potato into the cooking liquid until mostly smooth.
- Add the arborio rice.
- Cook over medium-low heat, stirring regularly to prevent sticking.
- Continue cooking for approximately 25–30 minutes, until the rice is tender and creamy.
Finish
- Stir in the coconut milk.
- Add the ube extract.
- Add the caramel sauce.
- Add the salt.
- Continue cooking for another 5 minutes, until smooth and glossy.
- The consistency should be thick, creamy and similar to a loose risotto.
Plating
- Spoon the warm ube champorado into a serving bowl.
- Scatter toasted desiccated coconut over the top.
- Arrange the raspberries, blackberries and strawberries around the bowl.
- Serve immediately while warm.
Chef's notes
- Sweet potato creates the creamy texture while adding natural sweetness and body.
- Arborio rice gives the dish a luxurious, risotto-like consistency.
- Caramel replaces condensed milk, adding a deeper, toasted sweetness that pairs beautifully with the earthy flavour of ube.
- Toasting the desiccated coconut enhances its nutty aroma and adds texture.
- The fresh berries provide acidity and brightness, balancing the richness of the coconut and caramel.
- This dessert is inspired by the comfort of traditional champorado while reimagining it with ube, sweet potato and modern plating.