Sweet Potatoes with Pistachio and Mint Pesto

by Yasmin Khan, featured in Sabzi

Published by Bloomsbury

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Introduction

Sweet potatoes are one of my dad’s favourite snacks. They remind him of the street food of Punjab, where he grew up. When we were kids, he’d often cook them for us, steaming them in the microwave before slicing them into discs and seasoning with fresh lime juice and salt. It was a sumptuous after-school snack and started my love of sweet potatoes.

These days, I prefer to slowly roast them so their sugars begin to caramelise. For this recipe, the roasted wedges are topped with a Sicilian-inspired pesto and finished with a sprinkle of pomegranate seeds. If you have any leftovers, you can serve it with pasta or use as a condiment for cheese or sandwiches.

As featured in

Sabzi

Image of Yasmin Khan's Sweet Potatoes with Pistachio Mint Pesto — Photo by Jonathan Gregson

Ingredients

Serves: 4 to 6 as part of a mezze

For the Sweet Potatoes

3 large sweet potatoes (scrubbed and cut into thick wedges)
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 small handful pomegranate seeds
salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the pesto

45 grams pistachios
80 millilitres extra virgin olive oil
1 clove garlic (finely grated)
1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
25 grams mint leaves
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

Sweet Potatoes with Pistachio and Mint Pesto is a guest recipe by Yasmin Khan so we are not able to answer questions regarding this recipe

Preheat the oven to 180°C/Fan 160°C/Gas Mark 4.
On a baking sheet, drizzle the sweet potato wedges with the olive oil and sprinkle with ¼ teaspoon salt and a generous grind of pepper. Use your hands to evenly coat the sweet potatoes.
Roast for 40 to 50 minutes, until the sweet potatoes are completely soft. Transfer to a large serving dish to cool.
To make the pesto, toast the pistachios in a small frying pan over medium heat. Lightly stir for 1 to 2 minutes, until they are slightly glossy and release a nutty aroma. Transfer to a food processor and add the olive oil, garlic, vinegar, ¼ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Blend until the nuts are coarsely ground. Add the mint and lightly pulse until a thick pesto forms.
To serve, spoon a few dollops of pesto over each wedge of sweet potato and top with the pomegranate seeds.