Did you know that International Sweet Potato Week runs from 4th to 18th April? An initiative from The American Sweet Potato Marketing Institute to encourage everyone to incorporate more sweet potatoes into their diet, they are one of my favourite ingredients in a number of both sweet and savoury dishes – I love the naturally sweet taste of this root vegetable and how versatile they are.
Sweet potatoes can be used for every meal, from breakfast through to dinner, from snacks to desserts, plus they are low in fat, rich in fibre and high in vitamins A and E. I’m kicking off the week with a delicious spiced biryani, packed with flavour and various vegetables alongside sweet potato chunks, rice and chickpeas to result in a complete healthy meal in one dish.
Ingredients:
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1 red pepper, sliced
- 2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into small cubes
- ½ cauliflower, cut into small florets
- 2 teaspoons coriander
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 400g basmati rice
- 1 litre vegetable stock
- 1 x carton passata
- 1 x can chickpeas, drained
- 2 large handfuls spinach leaves
- Black pepper
Get making!
- Preheat the oven to 200C and pour the oil into a large ovenproof / casserole dish and place in the oven for a few minutes to heat up. Add the vegetables and spices, stir well to coat and roast for 10 minutes.
- Mix the rice into the vegetables and pour in the stock and add seasoning. Lower the oven to 190C, cover with a lid or foil and bake for 20 minutes until the rice is tender and the liquid has been absorbed. Stir through the passata, chickpeas and spinach and return to the oven for another 10 minutes.
- Serve with yogurt drizzled over if you wish – then dish out and enjoy!
