This is the first peek at my Thanksgiving 2013 menu in the form of Sweet Potato Purée with Curry Puffed Grains. I’m sharing it so that I can post another leftover recipe later this week. Yum. Sweet Potato Pancakes. How did we get to pancakes, when I’m supposed to be writing about Thanksgiving? It all started with a Caribbean Menu theme and the El Bulli documentary “Cooking in Progress.” I was watching it the first time I a notion of sweet potato syrup even occurred to me. And then I made this sweet potato purée, which features sweet potato syrup and I’ve been thinking about it ever since. Ok, not quite, but the syrup that is produced by roasting sweet potatoes for a long time is really, really amazing. It becomes this rich dark caramel of sorts, which creates a broad flavor base for this otherwise simple recipe of Sweet Potato Purée with Curry Puffed Grains, that is, until we top it with spicy, crunchy grains. Each bite includes a crunchy sweet curry explosion that pairs perfectly with the smooth creaminess of the sweet potatoes, and they’re so visually appealing. Sweet Potato Purée with Curry Puffed Grains is a side dish your guests won’t be likely to forget. And neither will you. And did I mention the pancakes you get to make with the leftovers? Just make sure you make enough Sweet Potato Purée with Curry Puffed Grains that there are indeed leftovers, or you’ll never forgive yourself.
Sweet Potatoes Curry Puffed Grains
Ingredients
- 6 pounds medium sweet potatoes
- 1 cup unsweetened coconut milk
- curry puffed grains
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450°F with rack in middle.
- Stab sweet potatoes in several places with a pairing knife, then bake in a glass or other roasting pan, rotating potatoes halfway through baking, until very soft, 60 to 90 minutes. (Part of why mine were so soft and produced so much syrup was that I cooked them for a long time, so feel free to keep letting them roast. You just don’t want them to burn.)
- When they’re soft and there’s lots of syrup, remove from oven.
- When the sweet potatoes are cool enough to handle, halve and scoop flesh into a bowl.
- Don’t discard the syrup that will be in the bottom of the roasting pan! Reserve it. And taste it. It’s the most amazing caramel sauce you’ve ever had. Seriously.
- Whisk the coconut milk into the roasting pan to scrape up all of the awesome syrup. Then add the salt and whisk until you can pour it out of the pan without losing any syrup.
- Finally, using a blender, food processor etc. combine the sweet potatoes and coconut milk mixture until very smooth.
- You can make ahead and refrigerate until you’re ready to serve. Smooth into a baking dish and rewarm at 350°F.
- Top with the curried puffed grains just as you serve them.
Curry Puffed Grains for Sweet Potatoes
Ingredients
- 2 cups puffed cereal I like Kashi’s 7 grains for this
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- ½ teaspoon curry powder
- dash of cayenne pepper
- dash of salt
Instructions
- Reduce oven temperature to 325°F.
- Whisk oil, syrup, curry, cayenne and salt.
- Toss in cereal and coat well.
- Spread on a lined baking sheet.
- Bake 20-30 minutes stirring every 10 until cereal is dry and toasty.
- Remove from oven and let cool.
- You can make this ahead and store in an airtight container.
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