Batata (sweet potato) is one of our most ancient foods, and it has been a food staple on this island since Precolumbian times. A very versatile and popular root vegetable, we use it to make flavorful savory dishes and delightful traditional desserts. See all you can make with it.
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- Last reviewed . Published Jun 21, 2021Why we ❤️ it
Batata is one of our favorite Dominican tubers, and we can enjoy it for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and even dessert. An inexpensive, versatile ingredient, our beloved batata has a special place on our tables.
We use to make delicious soups and stews, interesting desserts, and many other great dishes.
How to cook batata
Check our favorite batata recipes, and learn how to make pan de batata, paleta de batata y coco, jalea de batata, batata frita, and other ways prepare this delicious traditional tuber, or learn how to make roasted and boiled batata further down.
What is batata?
Batata – scientific name Ipomoea batatas – is a very popular root vegetable in the Dominican Republic, and is how sweet potatoes are locally known. It is one of the most popular ingredients in our cuisine and throughout the Caribbean.
Batata has a potato-like consistency, and a starchy, mildly-sweet flavor.
Unlike the orange-fleshed type of sweet potato common in the United States, Dominican batata has a purplish peel and a white flesh that turns greenish to dark green once exposed to air or boiled.
How to cook batata
Batata is a very versatile ingredient and is cooked in many ways. The easiest way to prepare it is to boil it, but it can also be fried, roasted, and made into a number of dishes, even desserts
How to peel batata
Peeling batata is very easy, just peel with a potato peeler or paring knife as you would potatoes.
How to fry batata
Batata can be made into sweet potato fries, just like French fries. Traditionally Batata frita cut them into round slices to fry them, though. Make sure to let them rest on a paper towel once fried to get rid of excess grease.
How to boil batata
Batata can be boiled in salted water for a quick, easy side dish. It's a common side dish in the Dominican Republic, with a lovely, mildly sweet flavor and potato-like consistency.
How to roast batata (batata asada)
Traditionally, batata was roasted under a bed of hot ashes, which cooks it over very low heat for a long time. The result is a smooth texture, smoky, lightly spicy, and sweetish side dish. You can make something slightly similar by wrapping a whole batata tightly in tin foil, then baking in the oven.
Serving suggestions
This vegan side dish is a great breakfast and dinner choice and can be served with Chocolate de agua (non-dairy cocoa), Chocolate con leche (Dominican hot cocoa).
For something more substantial, serve with Revoltillo de huevos (Dominican eggs), Salami Guisado (Dominican salami hotpot), Salami frito (Dominican fried salami) or Queso frito (Dominican fried cheese).
An unusual taste, but very flavorful option is boiled batata and Arenque con huevo (Smoked herrings with eggs).
Recipe
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How to Cook Batata
Ingredients
- 4 small batata, about 5 ounces [150 grams] each
- 1 tablespoon salt, (if you will boil it)
Instructions
To boil batata (batata hervida, batata sancochada)
1. Peel
- Peel the batata, and discard the skin. Rinse them, and chop into smaller pieces, about 2 inches [5 centimeters] each.
2. Boil
- Place the pieces in a medium pot, and pour in enough water to cover the batata pieces. Add the salt.Boil over medium heat until the pieces are cooked through (fork tender). Remove from the water and serve.
To roast (bake batata)
1. Wrap batatas
- Wash the unpeeled whole batatas. Wrap each separately in tightly wrapped aluminum foil.
2. Roast
- Cook in the preheated oven at 300 ºF [150 ºC] for 40 minutes, or until it's cooked through. To test it, remove one from the oven, unwrap, and poke to the center with a skewer or toothpick).
3. Serve
- Serve unpeeled (you can scoop it out of the peel with a spoon). The peel is not supposed to be eaten.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is calculated automatically based on ingredients listed. Please consult your doctor if you need precise nutrition information.
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Names for batata
Other names for sweet potato in the Spanish-speaking world are camote (Mexico, Central America, Peru, and Chile) from the Nahuatl camotli. Elsewhere (Cuba, Spain, and Uruguay) it is boniato. In English, the name for Dominican batata is Oriental sweet potato or Japanese yam.
An interesting side-note is that one of the Quechua names for sweet potato is kumar, similar to its Polynesian name kumara, taken as possible evidence of Pre-Columbian trans-oceanic contact.
History of batata
The name batata comes from the Taino and was blended with the Quechua papa to create the word patata for the common potato, but papa survives as the standard name for common potato in most of Latin America and even in some parts of Spain. So, batata: sweet potato, papa or patata: common potato.
How to pick batata
Select batata with as smooth skins as possible, and that have no holes from bugs. Small batatas tend to be sweeter, in my experience.
Nutrition facts
Batatas are rich in simple and complex carbohydrates, fiber, and beta-carotene. It also contains small amounts of vitamin B5, vitamin B6, and manganese, and once cooked, a vitamin C content equivalent to 25% of the daily recommended value.
Check each recipe to see its nutritional information
How to select batatas
Make sure the batata is firm, with no holes from insects (a common insect that attacks it is called "piogán" in the D.R., and it damages it and makes it bitter).
FAQs
Can you freeze batata?
Yes, you can peel, chop, and freeze raw batata. Just make sure to make it in an airtight bag, and remove all the air to prevent it from getting freezer burns.
Batata is a type of sweet potato, but this variety is specifically called Japanese sweet potato in English.
How long it takes to bake a batata will depend on the size. I generally calculate about an hour per pound.