Last holiday weekend, I was thinking of a potato side dish to accompany the roast I made but didn’t want to make any of the usual – scalloped, baked, roast, or mashed potatoes; I didn’t want potato salad either. I turned to the other type of potato that works great in all of the above-mentioned applications – Sweet Potatoes.
Borrowing from the popular Indian vegetarian and side dish – Jeera Aloo – I made spiced sweet potatoes, a dish I had not made in ages. I am talking about years. Does that ever happen to you? You forget about certain dishes or do not make them for a long time and when you do, you ask yourself, why do you not cook them more often? Happens to me all the time. Anyway, back to my sweet potato dish.
Geera/jeera/cumin is a spice that marries well with potatoes and sweet potatoes. It is a spice that can be assertive or mild depending on the application. When toasted whole in hot oil, the geera/jeera seeps into the oil infusing it with flavour that works harmoniously with other ingredients. When it is toasted dry and ground to a powder, the big boldness of this slender, tiny seed-spice belies its size.
This dish of Geera Sweet Potatoes was excellent on its own even though there was meat and seafood to accompany it. I encourage you to give it a try. For the type of sweet potatoes to use, I prefer the white or yellow-fleshed sweet potatoes that have a bit more starch and are better suited for the two-cook preparation.
INGREDIENTS
· 2 pounds sweet potatoes, boiled and cut into large chunks
· 3 – 4 tablespoons oil
· 1½ teaspoons whole cumin/geera
· 1 tablespoon finely minced ginger
· Minced hot pepper to taste
· ½ cup finely chopped onions
· ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
· 1 teaspoon chili powder
· 1 heaped teaspoon Amchar or garam masala
· Salt to taste
DIRECTIONS
1. Add oil to a large frying pan and place over medium heat until the oil is hot/shimmering on the surface.
2. Add cumin/geera and cook for 30 seconds then add ginger and pepper and cook for another 30 seconds.
3. Add onions and cook until golden then add turmeric, chilli powder and Amchar or garam masala, along with salt to taste, stir to mix, turn heat to low and cook for 3 minutes or until fragrant.
4. Raise heat to medium, add in sweet potatoes, and toss gently to coat and mix with the spices. Taste for seasoning (salt) and adjust if necessary. Cook for 4 -5 minutes tossing again.
NOTES
· Peeling the sweet potatoes before boiling is optional, I prefer to scrub and cook them in the skin.
· If you have, add some chopped fresh cilantro/coriander before serving.
Cynthia
cynthia@tasteslikehome.org
