Two Ways with Sweet Potato

The humble sweet potato is a versatile carbohydrate and a staple of my kitchen cupboard. It’s nice to have a different option to the trusty potato every now and again, and they taste good tossed into a curry, simply cubed and boiled, mashed or even chipped.

Sweet Potato Curry:

I know it’s another curry, but I really can’t say enough how perfectly suited they are to the student budget and kitchen. One big pan, lots of lovely leftovers and store cupboard basics, and you’ve got your self a flavoursome and eternally changing meal. I made this one before a night out, its heat and stodginess providing a defense against the long night ahead. I’d never tried a vegetarian curry before, but the sweet potato provided a great meat substitute.

Adapted from Leon: Naturally Fast Food

Serves 2

½ onion

large glug of vegetable oil

1cm piece of fresh ginger

1 tsp ground coriander

1 tsp ground cumin

½ tsp cayenne pepper

½ tsp turmeric

200g chopped tomato (1/2 tin)

2 average sized sweet potatoes

½ cauliflower

200g coconut milk (1/2 tin)

50g cashew nuts

handful of frozen peas

1. Peel the onion, roughly chop and fry in the oil in a large frying pan for 5 minutes. Peel the garlic and crush, and peel the ginger and finely chop. Add to the pan and fry for 1 minute. Add the spices and cook for 2 minutes.
2. Add the tomatoes and peeled and cubed sweet potatoes (I suggest just over bite sized or they won’t cook in time). Cook for thirty minutes over a low heat, covered with a lid, adding water if it appears to be drying out.
3. Add the florets of cauliflower and the coconut milk. Put the lid on and simmer for around 8 minutes, or until the cauliflower is soft. Add the peas for the final 2 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, toast the nuts in a dry frying pan.
5. Season and add nuts just before serving on rice.

 Culinary Know How: FRESHER

Budget: UNDER £5

Kitchen Requirements: LARGE FRYING PAN WITH LID, SMALLER FRYING PAN, SAUCE PAN FOR RICE.

Sweet Potato Fries:

Cut into fine strips and sprinkled with salt, these sweet potato chips make a tasty snack, and best of all they take less then five minutes to make.

From Leon: Naturally Fast Food

Sweet Potato

Vegetable Oil

Salt

1. Finely slice the sweet potatoes into slim chips, leaving the skins on.
2. Fry small batches in hot vegetable oil until golden.
3. Drain, dab off with kitchen towel, season with salt and eat immediately.

Culinary Know How: FRESHER

Budget: UNDER £1

Kitchen Requirements: FRYING PAN.