Sweet Potato in Tomato, Lime and Cardamom Sauce

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 500°F/ 240°C Fan. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

Step 2

ROAST THE SWEET POTATOES: In a large bowl, mix the sweet potato with the olive oil, maple syrup, cardamom, cumin, 1/2 teaspoon of salt and a good grind of pepper. Spread out on a large, parchment-lined baking tray, cover tightly with foil, and bake for 25 minutes. Remove the foil and return to the oven for 10-12 minutes, or until the rounds are cooked through and the undersides are very nicely browned. This might take longer if your sweet potato rounds are particularly large, or less time if they are smaller, so do keep an eye on them.

Step 3

MAKE THE GARLIC CHILI PASTE/OIL AND THE TOMATO LIME CARDAMOM SAUCE: Put the oil, garlic, chilli and 1/8 teaspoon of salt into a large sauté pan, for which you have a lid, and place on a medium heat. Fry very gently for 8-10 minutes, stirring every now and then, until the garlic is soft and fragrant ( you don’t want the garlic to brown or become crisp, so turn the heat down if necessary). Transfer half the oil, chilli and garlic to a small bowl, leaving the rest in the pan. Add the shallots to the same pan on a medium heat and cook for 5 minutes , stirring often, until soft and translucent. Add the blitzed tinned tomatoes, tomato paste, sugar, cardamom, cumin, lime zest and 1 teaspoon of salt, and cook for 5 minutes, stirring a few times. Add 250ml of water and bring to a gentle simmer, then cook for 5 minutes.

Step 4

COOK SWEET POTATOES IN THE SAUCE: Transfer the sweet potatoes, browned side up, to the pan of sauce (not all of them will fit in the sauce, but that’s fine, just pile them up haphazardly). Turn the heat to low, cover with the lid and continue to cook for 10 minutes.

Step 5

FINISH WITH THE LIME GARLIC AND CHILI PASTE: Mix the dill and lime juice with the reserved garlic chili paste/oil and frizzle over the sweet potatoes. Serve from the pan, with the lime wedges alongside.