A winter delicacy in parts of North India, shakarkand or sweet potatoes are very nutritious.
Chef Sabyasach Gorai elevates the starchy tuberous root further by bulking it with a healthy filling of walnuts and berries.
The ground cinnamon and maple syrup add extra oomph to the Stuffed Sweet Potatoes.
Chef Sabya, who has had a series of innings working at European and Mediterranean cuisine restaurants, started up Fabrica by Chef Saby, a New Delhi-based boutique hospitality consultancy company.
Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
Serves: 3-4
Ingredients
- 6 medium shakarkand or sweet potatoes, skin intact, scrubbed well to remove dirt
- 1 cup walnuts, chopped
- 1 cup dried sweetened cranberries or chopped strawberries
- ¼ cup salted butter, softened
- 3 tbsp brown or regular sugar or a sugar equivalent
- 1 tbsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp salt
- 4 tbsp maple syrup, optional
- Baking tray or sheet
- Silver foil or parchment paper
Method
- Preheat an oven to 180°C and line a baking tray with silver foil.
- Pierce the sweet potatoes a few times with a fork and place onto the prepared baking sheet.
Bake for 55-65 minutes, or until the sweet potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork or a sharp knife.
Let the sweet potatoes cool slightly and then slice open lengthwise, but do not cut into two pieces.
Spread it open slightly and mash the pulp of each sweet potato, within its case with a fork.
Keep aside. - In a medium-sized bowl, combine the chopped walnuts, cranberries/strawberries, butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, salt.
Mix well.
Mound each sweet potato with 1/3 cup of the nut-fruit mixture. - Place the sweet potatoes back in oven and bake for an additional 15 minutes or until the topping is warm and fragrant.
Take the sweet potatoes out from the oven.
Drizzle with maple syrup and serve warm.
Chef Sabyasachi Gorai is a consultant chef and mentor.
