Canh khoai mo gives a smooth, thick bowl in pale purple that is perfect on a rainy day. Finely chopped purple yam dissolves into the water and thickens it naturally, with no starch needed. The easy mistake is a watery soup, which happens when the yam has not been chopped finely enough.
The yam is split in two. One part is chopped fine and goes into rapidly boiling water so it melts away, and the other is cut into pieces so there is something to chew. Skimming while it cooks keeps the broth clear and the color pretty.
This batch weighs about 1.6kg, at roughly 46 calories per 100g.
Method
Soak 2 tablespoons vegetarian soy mince in cold water for 15 minutes until soft, then lift it out, rinse and drain.
Peel 500g purple yam, rinse it and cut it into small pieces, setting some aside to crush and chop fine.
Set a pan with 1/2 tablespoon cooking oil, fry the minced spring onion whites until fragrant, then add the soy mince with 1/2 teaspoon pepper, 1 teaspoon vegetarian seasoning powder, 1 teaspoon kOBE Monk Fruit Blend and 1 teaspoon vegan fish sauce. Stir over high heat until the seasoning is absorbed, then turn off the heat.
Bring 1 liter water to a rolling boil, add the finely chopped yam and stir until it dissolves into the water.
Once it returns to a boil, add the cut yam, 40g white tofu and the cooked soy mince, cover and cook for about 7 minutes until the yam is tender, skimming the foam as it goes.
Adjust the seasoning, scatter over 2 sprigs of sliced spring onion and turn off the heat.
Tips
Purple yam with dark skin that feels heavy and firm to the touch gives the most fragrant, best thickened soup.
Peeled yam keeps in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
The kOBE Monk Fruit Blend dissolves slowly, so it goes in while the soy mince is frying, where the hot pan helps it dissolve completely.
Chopping the yam with wet hands or gloves avoids the itch its sap causes.
The chopped yam goes into water at a rolling boil and gets stirred straight away, as cooler water leaves it in lumps.
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The recipe above is sweetened with kOBE Monk Fruit Blend, measured 1:1 like sugar. See the product page or send us a message.