Yam / Orange Fleshed Sweet Potato Chaat {Updated}

Sweet potatoes are good for breakfast. Not only do they have a delicious flavor and a creamy, rich texture, but they’re full of fiber, vitamins and antioxidants, which nutritionally protects the body from many troubles. Lately I’ve started including sweet potatoes for fall and winter breakfasts and occasionally in summer. The recipe I am sharing today evokes nostalgic memories, one that always takes me back to my college days, when I got hooked to various street snacks available in famous joints of Chandigarh (a city in India).

Update December 11, 2020

To see the recipe in action watch my video on YouTube.

Before I come to the recipe I want to share this little story. One of my friends had high blood pressure despite her healthy lifestyle. She was on a prescribed medicine to control her blood pressure. Besides this, she watched her sodium intake, reduced eating refined carbs and for a short period, she was only on fruits, vegetables, and legume diet. But nothing really worked for her. During this transition period, she was somehow introduced to sweet potatoes and she started eating them in breakfast. Surprisingly, she found a significant change in her high blood pressure.potatoes area great source of potassium, magnesium, and vitamin B6 My friend has now been eating one sweet potato everyday in the morning for the last 6 months. She has managed to normalize her high blood pressure and the doctor reduced her dose of medication. She is one happy person again, who works in a stressful atmosphere of a multi-national company.

After watching her considerable improvement I thought to share her story and this mouth-watering yam/ sweet potato chaat that is my favorite since childhood. I know you must be wondering about the carb issue. But just take it easy, the carbohydrates from yam/sweet potato provide long lasting energy which fills you without eating too much. Plus it has a lower glycemic index.

I am sure there might be some people or their friends reading my post who suffer from this condition and might want to try a yummy recipe from this tuberous root.

Yam / Orange Fleshed Sweet Potato Chaat

Chaat is a sweet and savory snack typically served at roadside carts throughout India. Most street foods are considered junk food, but this one is really packed with healthy nutrients and is certainly not a junk food. It can be a perfect starter for a  party or just an evening snack.

Ingredients:

5 yams/ orange fleshed sweet potato

2 bananas

3 tbsp date and tamarind chutney (can be substituted with lemon juice but tamarind chutney tastes better)

2 tbsp dried cranberries

1/4 cup orange juice

1/4 tsp salt or to taste

1/2 tsp (+) chaat masala

1/4 tsp(+) roasted cumin powder

1 tbsp mint leaves, thinly cut

Method:

Soak cranberries in orange juice for 1 hour or overnight.

Bake, boil or microwave yams till tender but not mushy. Let it cool by itself or dunk them in ice cold water.

Peel and cut them into bite size pieces.

Put them in a large bowl. Slice the bananas and place them sweet potatoes.

Add all the remaining ingredients including orange juice soaked cranberries.

Gently toss or mix with salad spoon.

Sweet potato chaat is ready to be served.

Date and Tamarind chutney

Ingredients

1/4 cup tamarind

1/2 cup dates, chopped

1/2 tsp saunth (dry ginger powder)

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 tsp red chilli powder

1 tsp salt

Method:

1. Soak tamarind in 1 cup hot water.
2. Remove seeds and strain the pulp in a steel saucepan. add some water to fully squeeze out the pulp.
3. Chop dates and add it to the tamarind pulp. Add 1/2 cup water and bring it to a boil.
4. Reduce heat and let it simmer. Add the remaining ingredients. Cook till the dates get softened.
5. Remove from heat and let it cool for 5 minutes.
6. Blend the chutney with an immersion hand blender or in a stand blender till you get the desired consistency (its ok if there are any small pieces of dates left). Add more water if you like it thin.
7. Transfer in a glass bottle. You can keep this chutney for about a month in the fridge.

April 21,2012

Update:

You get these red skinned, orange fleshed sweet potatoes in the market by the name YAM. Hence, I have used both the names, but in reality it is not a yam. Sweet potato is a root vegetables where as yam is a tuber and are much bigger in size.