Thursday, May 29, 2014

Jaggery & Ginger Infused Sweet Potatoes

Just as how I am bad at coming up with names for dishes, my mom is just as bad. This is a dish that is commonly prepared by my mom's family during religious fasts, because just a small serving of this provides the necessary carbohydrates/sugar and energy for the body to sustain the fast. She prepared this dish on the days preceding my husband's marathon to ensure he was loaded with sugar and carbs!

Sweet potatoes in India are actually sweeter than those here. Even texturally, they are slightly different.  Also, the inside of the Indian sweet potatoes is ivory colored as opposed to the bright orange tint of the sweet potatoes here. So, the dish was visually confusing to my mom because of the different color and texture :). But taste wise, it was really good. Visually, it looks almost like sweet-potato halwa!

It might seem like sugar overload to add jaggery to an already sweet vegetable, but nothing is overdone in this dish. The molasses of the jaggery and the mild heat from the ginger complement each other very well. This is an easy and versatile dessert option that can be amplified with as many add-ons as one desires. 


 Ingredients (serves 5):
  1.  2 medium-sized sweet potatoes, peeled and diced into 1 inch pieces
  2. 1.25 cups jaggery / brown sugar
  3. 1 teaspoon powdered ginger / sukku
  4. 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon ghee / clarified butter
Preparation: 
  1. Cook the sweet potatoes with just enough water to cover them. 
  2. When cooked, add jaggery and cook on medium-high heat until slightly thick (takes about 15 minutes). Stir now and then to avoid burning
  3. After 15 minutes, when almost thick, add 1 tablespoon of ghee and continue to cook for another 5 minutes
  4. When there is no moisture and the mixture has thickened, add 1 teaspoon ghee and the ginger powder and mix well. 
Serve hot, cold, or at room temperature. Ginger is added in order to help the tummy digest all the carbohydrates and sugar.


Instead of ginger, try adding cardamom powder for a sweet and fragrant flavor. Add some shredded coconut and some roasted nuts to boost the flavor!
 

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