Aromatic Sweet Potato Casserole

This sweet potato casserole recipe was created by my sister-in-law Shelley and reminds me a little of the traditional Indian dish of saag aloo. As well as being absolutely delicious, it's perhaps also one of the most healthy casserole recipes around - nutritious sweet potato and fresh spinach combined with protein-rich chick peas, all set off by a warming blend of cumin seeds and turmeric.

Preparation Time 10 mins - Cooking Time 20 mins - Serves 2 as a main meal

Ingredients

1 large sweet potato, peeled and chopped into medium-sized chunks

200g fresh baby leaf spinach

4 shallots, finely chopped

1 small red chili, finely chopped

3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

240g of chick peas, drained

2 teaspoons of cumin seeds

Half a teaspoon of nutmeg

Half a teaspoon of turmeric

Pinch of ground black pepper

Olive Oil

Boiling water

Method

1. Heat a little olive oil in a large wok. Add in the sweet potatoes, shallots, chili, garlic, cumin seeds, turmeric, nutmeg and black pepper and cook over a medium heat for a few minutes until the veggies are all coated in the oil. Cover with a lid and cook for a further 10 minutes, although you will need to check and stir every few minutes.

Tip - always make sure there is some moisture in the bottom of the wok so that the vegetables don't dry out - keep adding in small amounts of boiling water as required throughout the whole cooking process. But do take care not to add in too much at once - you want the casserole nice and moist, but not waterlogged!

2. After the casserole has been cooking for 10 minutes, add in the spinach leaves, stir, cover and cook for 4 minutes until they have wilted down.

3. Next, stir in the drained chick peas, cover and cook for a further 5 minutes. Serve immediately with some toasted pita bread or some Indian naan bread.

Variations

You can also add some medium sized pieces of normal potatoes into this sweet potato casserole recipe for a bit of extra variety. And leave out the red chili if you like your food a little less spicy.

Top Tip

Always store sweet potatoes in a cool, dark place and where possible eat them as soon as you can after you buy them - the vitamins in them can diminish they longer they're kept for.

Nutrition Nugget

There are many different health benefits associated with sweet potatoes. For instance, they're a really good source of vitamins A and C, and may also offer some protection against high blood pressure, heart disease and some inflammatory conditions.

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