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Baked Sweet Potato Chaat

4.5

(2)

Baked sweet potato chaat on a platter and plate
Photograph by Aaron Barton, food styling by Michelle Gatton, prop styling by Alexandra Massillon

Here the fully loaded baked potato gets a total flavor makeover. Sweet potatoes take center stage, roasted whole alongside spiced chickpeas that get delightfully crisp in the oven. You’ll dress up the tender spuds with a medley of chaat-inspired toppings and a quick herbaceous blender sauce. Don’t skimp on the chaat masala-tossed crispy fried onions—any variety works, but this is a great place to use up the can you might have lingering in the pantry after Thanksgiving.

While you could absolutely make this recipe without the salty-sour chaat masala spice blend, it really does take the dish to the next level. Its savory, mouth-puckering flavor ties together the tang of the yogurt, freshness of the green sauce, and earthiness of the chickpeas and potatoes in each bite. In our opinion, it’s worth seeking out a whole tin; we love this version from Diaspora Co.

Recipe information

  • Total Time

    1 hour

  • Yield

    4 servings

Ingredients

4 medium sweet potatoes (about 2½ lb.)
2 Tbsp. plus ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
Kosher salt
2 15.5-oz. cans chickpeas, rinsed, patted dry
1 Tbsp. ground cumin
1 Tbsp. chaat masala, plus more for fried onions
1 bunch cilantro
4 scallions, coarsely chopped
1 jalapeño, halved, ribs and seeds removed, coarsely chopped
¼ cup fresh lime juice
⅓ cup store-bought fried onions
⅔ cup plain whole-milk yogurt
½ small red onion, finely chopped
Pomegranate seeds and mild chile flakes (for serving)

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Preheat oven to 450°. Prick 4 medium sweet potatoes (about 2½ lb.) all over with a fork; run under water to dampen (this will encourage steaming and help soften potatoes when baking). Place on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle 2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil over and season with kosher salt; turn to coat. Roast until skins are lightly crisped, 30–35 minutes.

    Step 2

    Place two 15.5-oz. cans chickpeas, rinsed, patted dry, in a medium bowl. Drizzle in ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil and sprinkle with 1 Tbsp. ground cumin and 1 Tbsp. chaat masala; toss to coat.

    Step 3

    Add chickpeas to baking sheet with sweet potatoes and spread out in a single layer. Roast until potatoes are tender and chickpeas are browned and crisped, 15–20 minutes.

    Step 4

    Meanwhile, pick a few leaves from 1 bunch cilantro for serving and set aside. Coarsely chop remaining cilantro leaves and tender stems and transfer to a blender; discard tough stems. Add 4 scallions, coarsely chopped, 1 jalapeño, halved, ribs and seeds removed, coarsely chopped, ¼ cup fresh lime juice, and remaining ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil and blend until smooth; season sauce with salt. Set aside.

    Step 5

    Toss ⅓ cup store-bought fried onions in a small bowl with a pinch of chaat masala; set aside.

    Step 6

    Arrange sweet potatoes on a platter. Split; open like a baked potato. Top with chickpeas, then ⅔ cup plain whole-milk yogurt and reserved sauce. Scatter ½ small red onion, finely chopped, pomegranate seeds, and reserved fried onions on top; sprinkle with mild chile flakes.

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