Sweet potato roast (Sakkaravalli Kizhangu)

 There are two types of sweet potato, one with pink skin and white on the inside. This is very sweet and hence the name sakkaravalli. The other has brown skin and is orange on the inside, often referred to as yam in the United States. I love roasted sweet potato. My mom use to roast it over coals. I love the smokey flavor and the stickiness. Today I made sweet potato roast in cast iron pan as a side dish for snake gourd kootu. Diced sweet potato coated with oil and curry powder, cooked on low flame. This is a quick and easy dish to make.

Ingredients for 4 servings:

1 lb. Sweet potato, peeled and diced (about 4 cups)

3 teaspoons oil (olive/sesame/coconut)

1 teaspoon each of mustard seeds and urad dal

curry leaves

1 Tablespoon Curry powder/ Sambar powder/ Paprika

salt to taste

Method:

1. Heat oil in a cast iron pan over medium flame. Temper mustard seeds, urad dal and curry leaves.

                                                           

2. Add diced sweet potatoes, curry powder, and salt. Lower heat to low medium.

                                              

3. Cover and cook until vegetables are cooked but firm, about 10 minutes, stirring in between. 

                                                           

4. Transfer from pan when cooked. Serve as side with sambar or kootu. Today, I served it as a side for snake gourd kootu.

                                             

Notes:

Other vegetables like potato, taro, plantain, and yam can be cooked using this method.