These roasted sweet potatoes and chickpeas kind of have a tropical vibe going on, giving your plate a well-deserved mid-winter vacation. Roast with brown sugar, cinnamon, cayenne, and garam masala to the point of caramelization. Toss with red onion and cilantro. Then dribble with lime and coconut milk. Nothing we’d have thought to put together ourselves. But we’re grateful someone did.–Jenny Latreille
CAN I MAKE THIS AHEAD OF TIME?
Absolutely. The roasted sweet potatoes and chickpeas are best straight from the oven in terms of textures although the tastes are still quite fetching even after a couple of days in the fridge You’ll simply want to be certain to not dribble yogurt sauce over all of the veggies that first night if you think you’ll have some left for lunch. Keep any remaining yogurt sauce refrigerated in a separate container.
Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Chickpeas
Ingredients
- 1 pound sweet potatoes or butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1-inch (25 mm) chunks (about 4 cups)
- 3 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for serving (optional)
- 1 small (1 oz) shallot, thinly sliced
- 1 teaspoon packed light brown sugar
- Kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 3 or 4 cinnamon sticks
- 3 to 5 sprigs fresh thyme, rosemary, or sage
- 1 1/2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 teaspoons garam masala or curry powder
- Pinch of cayenne pepper (optional)
- 2 (15-ounce) cans chickpeas or white beans, drained and rinsed
- 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut milk
- 2 teaspoons fresh lime juice, or more to taste
- 2 tablespoons diced red onion
- 1/2 cup (1/2 oz) chopped fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (177 °C).
- In a medium bowl, toss together the sweet potatoes or squash, 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, the shallot, brown sugar, a large pinch of salt, and the black pepper.
- On a large rimmed baking sheet, spread the sweet potatoes in an even layer. Tuck the cinnamon sticks and thyme sprigs around the potatoes. Roast the potatoes until soft and cooked through, tossing them once or twice, about 30 minutes.
- While the sweet potatoes are baking, in the same bowl you used for the potatoes (you don’t need to wash it), whisk together the tomato paste, garam masala, cayenne if using, 1 1/2 tablespoons of the olive oil, and 3/4 teaspoon salt. Fold in the chickpeas or beans until evenly coated.
- When the sweet potatoes have baked for 30 minutes, crank the oven temperature to 400°F (200°C).
- Add the chickpeas to the baking sheet, scattering them around the sweet potatoes, and roast, tossing halfway through, until everything is soft and caramelized, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from the oven.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the coconut milk, lime juice, and the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil.
- Using tongs, pluck the thyme sprigs and cinnamon sticks from the sheet pan and discard them. Sprinkle the red onion and cilantro over the chickpeas and sweet potatoes, and drizzle everything with the coconut milk mixture. Toss well and season to taste, adding more salt and lime juice as needed.
☞ TESTER TIP: If you’re planning on saving some for leftovers, drizzle the dressing over your plated portions and save the remaining dressing and potatoes separately.
- Drizzle with more olive oil, if you’d like, and serve.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Recipe Testers’ Reviews
Excellent combination of flavors and textures and a really well written recipe made this one a winner and definitely a TC. The chickpeas turn a bit crispy on the outside and remain creamy on the inside and the savory punch of the curry powder works perfectly against the sweet potatoes.
The last minute “dressing” of coconut and lime rounds the whole thing out. This makes a tasty vegetarian meal or a side dish with any protein. I do think next time I’d like to add more sweet potatoes, an equal amount to the chickpeas would be best I think.
I chose this recipe because I love all the ingredients, yet it seemed like a new combination and way of preparing them. And it turned out just that—a wonderful, pleasing combination of flavors I love in a new way.
As I gathered the ingredients and spices, I started to worry that there were too many flavors. I am suspicious (and often unjustifiably) about combining too many flavors—I worry that they will compete and overtake the soul of the dish. Not so with this combination of roasted sweet potatoes and chickpeas. The cinnamon added the faintest of flavor, and the combination with the butternut and thyme with it was smooth and soothing, and the sauce really complemented the dish. The greens added a nice pop of freshness.
Overall, we really enjoyed this dish and its unique flavor combination. It was very easy to prepare, and felt healthy eating it. I don’t think this would suffice as an entire dinner for my family, but great for lunch. It needs something to go with it—warm pita bread drizzled with some extra virgin olive oil would be fantastic with it, or salad. It would be a good dish to make at the start of the week for healthy snacking.
This recipe would also be great with fresh chickpeas, which I will try next time. I also like that you can spice it up with the cayenne pepper. The red onions add a really satisfying crunch to the dish – do not skip these!
