Indian sweet potato with chutneys and a mint paratha

Indian sweet potato with chutneys and a mint paratha

Indulge in the delightful flavours of India with our moreish Chaat snack. Originating from the streets of India, this savoury treat is usually a starter or a quick bite on the go.  However, we’ve transformed it into a vegetarian meal served on a minty spiced paratha with tangy tamarind sauce, zesty green chutney, fresh coriander, and a sprinkling of crunchy sev (snack food made from chickpea flour paste – think Bombay Mix!). The sweet potato version of this snack is known as Shakarkandi Chaat and is a burst of authentic Indian flavours.

Cooking surfaces

Cast Iron Grid
Cast Iron Grid

BBQ Temperature

200°C

Ingredients

For the sweet potato

  • 700g sweet potato, peeled and cut into 2.5cm pieces
  • 2 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 1 tsp chaat masala

For the red onion pickle

  • 1 red onion, finely sliced
  • juice of 1 lemon (or lime)
  • 1.5 tsp sugar
  • 1 tsp Maldon salt
  • 1 red bird’s eye chilli, finely chopped, optional

For the Zingy Green Chutney

  • 5 green bird’s eye chillies (reduce if you want less heat or remove the seeds)
  • 30g fresh coriander leaves, roughly chopped
  • 150g (about 1) Granny Smith apple, roughly chopped
  • 1 garlic clove
  • 4 tsp sugar
  • juice of 2 limes
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • salt, to taste

For the Tasty Tamarind Chutney

  • 2 tbsp raisins
  • 150 ml water
  • 3 tbsp banana ketchup
  • 4 tsp tamarind paste concentrate
  • 1/4 tsp ground cumin
  • 1/2 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder

To serve

Method

For the sweet potato

  1. Set up your Big Green Egg for a direct cook at 200°C.
  2. Preheat a cast iron skillet on you Egg.
  3. Add the oil and sweet potato cubes to the pan.  Give them a good zhuzh!  
  4. Roast for about 35 minutes , stirring occasionally. You want the potatoes to soften, char around the edges and start to caramelise.
  5. Once cooked, pop in a bowl with the chaat masala and mix well.

For the red onion pickle 

  1. Place the finely sliced onion in a bowl.
  2. Add the lemon juice, sugar and salt to the onions. Chilli is optional.
  3. Mix all the ingredients together and leave to sit for at least 15 minutes.

For the green chutney

  1. Put all the ingredients in a blender.  Blitz until smooth.
  2. Place in a bowl until you’re ready to serve.  
  3. It will keep for 2 to 3 days in the fridge but once you’ve tasted it, you’re unlikely to have any leftovers!

For the tamarind chutney

  1. Soak the raisins in the water in a small bowl for about 15 minutes.
  2. Remove the raisins from the water (reserve as you may need to use to thin the chutney) and roughly chop.
  3. In a fresh bowl, add the tamarind, banana ketchup, cumin and chilli powder.  Check the strength of your tamarind paste as this can vary, add gradually.  Give it a good mix.
  4. If you need to thin the chutney, add a bit of the raisin water.
  5. Set aside until you’re ready to eat.

To assemble

  1. On a plate, place a minty spiced paratha or flatbread as a base.
  2. Spoon over a couple of generous spoonfuls of the sweet potato.
  3. Sprinkle over some red onion pickle, a couple of teaspoons of each of the chutneys.
  4. Top with the sev and sprinkle with some fresh coriander leaves.

 

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