Baked Sweet Potato with Mexican Spiced ChickPeas

Uunibataatti ja meksikolaisittain maustetut kikherneet

Helsinki is experiencing temperatures of around minus 15 – 20 at the moment, so I am craving warming comfort food.  What could be better than a soft slow baked sweet potato, topped with spicy chick peas and a citrusy coconut sauce?  I love how simple this dish is, but it is still packed full of flavour.  It is also great served with some fresh guacamole or a fiery tomato salsa.  Sweet potatoes are great sources of vitamins A and C and also aids the body’s immune function and in the absorption of iron.  Try and buy organic sweet potatoes, if you can, as I really think you will notice the difference.

Baked Sweet Potato with Mexican spiced chickpeas – serves 2

2 Organic Sweet Potatoes (about 250g each)

400 g can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

olive oil

salt and pepper

a good pinch of ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

2 tsp smoked paprika

1 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp ground all spice

4 small shallots, sliced

1 clove of garlic, finely chopped

1 green chilli, finely chopped

4 tbsp coconut yoghurt or extra thick coconut milk

1 lime

handful of coriander, chopped

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees c.

Wash and dry the sweet potatoes, score a couple of times with a knife and bake on a foil lined tray for an hour.

Mix the chickpeas with the dry spices and good slug of olive oil.  Season well with salt and lots of freshly ground black pepper.  Roast in the oven with the sweet potatoes for the last 20 minutes of cooking time.

Meanwhile add a little live oil to a pan.  Fry the shallots, garlic and chilli over a low heat for around 5 minutes, until the shallots have softened.  Set to one side

Once the chickpeas have finished roasting add them to the shallot pan and toss together.

Mix the coconut yoghurt/ milk with the zest of half a lime and a good squeeze of lime juice.

Slice open the sweet potatoes and serve topped with the chickpeas, a dollop of coconut sauce and a sprinkle of fresh coriander.