A great vegetable that will warm you up with its sweetness during the harsh cold of winter is the sweet potato. Roasted sweet potatoes, puffed sweet potatoes, and dried yams entertain us in a variety of ways. Even in North India, there is a custom of eating sweet potatoes during the winter. Why not take a little extra effort and try a new flavor?
◈ Sweet Potato Chaat (Shakarkandi Ki Chaat)
This delightful dish combines the natural sweetness of sweet potatoes with a burst of tangy, spicy, and savory flavors, making it a perfect winter treat.
- Cut the peeled, puffed, or roasted sweet potato into easy-to-eat pieces.
- Add cumin powder, kala namak, and lemon juice to the sliced sweet potatoes, then mix well.
*For 150g of sweet potatoes, please use 1/2 teaspoon each of cumin powder and kala namak, and 1 teaspoon of lemon juice.
*Other recommended seasonings include:
◇ Chat masala and lemon juice
◇ Sandwich masala and lemon juice
◇ Cumin powder, amchur powder, and lemon juice
*If you want some spiciness, add red chili powder to taste.
◈ Sweet Potato Halwa (Shakarkandi Ki Halwa)
- Mash the peeled, puffed, or roasted sweet potatoes.
- Heat a frying pan and add ghee, allowing it to melt.
- Add the mashed sweet potatoes from step 1 to the frying pan. Stir-fry for 3-4 minutes, stirring continuously. Be careful not to burn the mixture.
- Add the desired amount of sugar and milk to the frying pan, stirring until the sugar is dissolved and fully incorporated.
- Add green cardamom powder and your choice of nuts. Stir-fry for another 1-2 minutes.
Your dish is now ready to serve!
*For 150g of sweet potatoes, please use 1 to 1.5 tablespoons of ghee, 1 to 3 tablespoons of sugar, 1 to 3 tablespoons of milk, and 1/3 to 1/2 teaspoon of green cardamom powder.
*You can also enjoy it with poori or paratha!
Once you have turned off the heat and the mixture has cooled down, you can roll it up and eat it like a laddu!
If you have green cardamom whole pods on hand, you can use them instead by removing the seeds and crushing them in a spice grinder or the corner of a jar, or chopping them finely with a knife.
The salty, sour, and slightly spicy chaat is complemented by the sweet halwa with its gentle aroma of ghee and cardamom. Please give it a try!
If you don't have sweet potatoes or don't like them, I also recommend making it with pumpkin.
