One of the most important spots in my school growing up was an old tamarind tree that overhung the basketball court. While those who were born with a sense of coordination were engrossed with the ball, those of us who found eating to be a more rewarding sport occupied ourselves with dislodging the light brown seed pods from the tree. After much struggle, tossed rocks and many missed opportunities, we might sometimes be showered with our rewards, distributing them and eagerly cracking them open to devour the fruit within. Now, I’ll be honest, fresh imlis are not always the most desirable flavour, and they can be shudderingly sour, but they felt like a true gourmet meal. They, unfortunately, were not, but the recipe below definitely is.
Using the sour tang of tamarind in combination with the natural sugars of sweet potato, these Roasted, Tamarind Glazed Sweet Potatoes use all the ingredients to the best of their abilities while effortlessly harmonising them. Since they’re baked and not fried, they’re also healthier than your average fries and are perfect to be served drizzled with a yoghurt dressing or dip to add a creamy note to each bite.
Celebrity Chef, Padma Lakshmi swears by a similar recipe that she makes around Diwali to dissuade her family from gorging on deep-fried treats. The imli glaze is reminiscent of the chutney that adorns most Indian chaat and makes the snack feel like a guilty pleasure without any of the actual bad stuff.
Ingredients:
- 1 ½ pounds sweet potatoes, scrubbed and cut lengthwise into chips
- 2 tablespoons oil
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 onion
- 2 ¼ cups water
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 2-3 cups tamarind
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
Method
- Start by making a tamarind concentrate. Mix ½ cup imli pulp and 1 cup hot water in a medium bowl. Let stand for 20 minutes. Break up the paste and mix it with the water with a fork.
- Pass the mixture through a fine sieve set over a bowl, pressing against the solids and scraping the underside of it to collect as much of the pulp as possible. Discard solids.
- Combine sweet potato wedges, 1 tablespoon oil and ½ teaspoon salt in a large bowl; toss well to coat. Spread evenly on a large rimmed baking sheet and roast at 190 degrees C until golden on the bottom, 30 to 35 minutes.
- Flip and continue roasting until tender, about 10 minutes more.
- Meanwhile, combine onion and 1/4 cup water in a blender; puree until smooth.
- Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion puree, cumin, crushed red pepper and 1/8 teaspoon salt; cook, stirring frequently, until darker in colour, thickened and slightly reduced 3 to 4 minutes.
- Add tamarind concentrate, sugar and the remaining 2 cups of water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to maintain a simmer and cook until reduced by about half, about 40 minutes.
- Drizzle with yoghurt and pomegranate seeds to garnish.
