Curried Sweet Potatoes

Thanksgiving ~ My most favorite holiday of all. 

It's just the 5th year I am celebrating Thanksgiving, but every year I fall  in love with it, all over again.

I love celebration of any kind - be it my bright and colorful Indian festivals; creepy Halloween or the jolly Christmas. But Thanksgiving has the most special place in my heart. 

Being the non-religious person that I am, I love the fact there is no religious bindings on Thanksgiving. My friend Mili, puts it across beautifully. She says, "there is no ulterior motive in Thanksgiving. No gifts involved. Completely unpretentious. Its all about food, friends and having fun."

All my favorite "F - words" - Food, Family, Friends and Fun. No wonder its on top my "Favorite Holiday List"!

What a wonderful time to post one of my frequently cooked and much loved side dish - Curried Sweet Potatoes!

It is one of the easiest, simplest and quickest version of sweet potatoes that I make.
It's also the yummiest.

Chunks of sweet and soft potatoes coated with spicy, warm and aromatic spices... Need I say any more!

Bold and robust, this curried sweet potatoes will perfectly complement your gorgeous turkey this Thanksgiving. Also, it is homey and comforting enough to have  it on any weekdays with soft rotis, or stuffed in a tortilla, or have it as a side of rice and dal. I often mash them lightly with a fork, spread it on a tortilla, sprinkle on some cheese and make Quesadilla for Sid's lunch box. It is amazingly versatile.

Sweet potatoes are chock full of nutrients and this recipe has some amazing good-for-you spices like turmeric, ginger and cinnamon. This recipe can easily be called "Antioxidant s in a bowl"!

So here it is, just in time for Thanksgiving - Curried Sweet Potatoes (or "Antioxidants in a bowl", if you prefer!)

Recipe Snapshot: Curried Sweet Potatoes  Serves: 4 serving (1 serving = 1/2 cup) What I used: Sweet Potatoes - 3 medium sized or 2 large ones, peeled and cut into cubes Cumin Seeds - 1/2 tsp Bay Leaf - 1 Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tsp Red Chili Powder (or use Paprika for less heat) - 1 tsp  Ground Ginger/ Dry Ginger Powder - 3/4 tsp Cumin Powder - 1/2 tsp Coriander Powder - 1 tsp Cinnamon Powder - 1/4 tsp OR Curry Powder - 2 tsp Olive Oil - 1 tbsp Salt Cilantro/ Coriander Leaves - a small handful for garnish Splash of water What I did: 1. Heat a tablespoon of oil, in a wide pan or skillet over medium high heat. 2. Add the bay leaf and cumin seeds. 3. Once the cumin seeds have stopped spluttering, add the peeled and cubed sweet potatoes and give it a toss to coat with the oil. 4. Now, add the dry masalas - Turmeric, Red Chili (or Paprika), Ginger Powder, Cumin Powder, Coriander Powder, Cinnamon Powder and Salt. Give a good toss, so that it coats the sweet potatoes. Alternatively, instead of all these spices, you can add 2 teaspoon of store-bought Curry Powder.  5. Reduce the heat to 'Low' and cooked covered for 10 to 12 minutes or till the potatoes become tender. Do stir from time to time. You need to add a tiny splash of water every 3 minutes, so that the dry spices do not burn at the bottom of the pan.  6. Once the sweet potatoes are tender, remove from heat and add the chopped cilantro/coriander leaves. The dish will be dry with the spices just coating the potatoes.  7. Serve warm as a side to roasted chicken or turkey. Curried Sweet potatoes also goes well with soft rotis or as a side to rice and dal.   Notes/Tip: This same recipe can be used to make curries Butternut Squash or Pumpkin. Finely chopped or grated tomatoes can be added to this recipe for a variation. The dish, however, not be very dry. It will have a little gravy.

Diabetic Platter: Sweet potatoes pack a powerful nutritional punch. They have got over 400% of your daily needs for vitamin A in one medium spud, as well as loads of fiber and potassium. They have got more grams of natural sugars than regular potato but more overall nutrients with fewer calories. Many studies have suggested that increasing consumption of plant foods like sweet potatoes decreases the risk of obesity, diabetes, heart disease and overall mortality while promoting a healthy complexion, increased energy, and overall lower weight. Read More: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/281438.php

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