East African Sweet Potato Pudding

1 quart water

6 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into ½ inch cubes

3 cups whole milk

1 cup heavy cream

½ cup sugar

½ tsp. powdered saffron

½ tsp. ground cardamom

Preparation:

Boil the water in a heavy saucepan. Drop in the sweet potato cubes and cook, uncovered, until tender – about 25 to 30 minutes. Drain the potatoes and return them to the pan. Add the milk, cream, sugar, saffron and cardamom. Stirring often with a wooden spoon, bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, uncovered, for about 1 hour, stirring often. The pudding is done when it is smooth and is thick enough to hold its shape almost solidly in the spoon. With the back of the spoon, rub the pudding through a fine sieve into a serving bowl. Refrigerate the pudding until cool. Before serving, sprinkle the top with a little additional ground cardamom. Serves: 8.