Sweet potato, the starchy sweet tasting root vegetable, is a powerful nutritional pack. In one medium spud, there is over 400 percent of your daily vitamin A requirement. Sweet potatoes are considered low on the glycemic index scale, and recent research suggests they may reduce episodes of low blood sugar and insulin resistance in people with diabetes.

Sweet potatoes are a rich source of fibre as well as containing a good array of vitamins and minerals including iron, calcium, selenium, and they’re a good source of most of our B vitamins and vitamin C. One of the key nutritional benefits of sweet potato is that they’re high in an antioxidant known as beta-carotene, which converts to vitamin A once consumed. Sweet potatoes are high in fibre, which has been shown to promote a healthy digestive system.

Though sweet potatoes are an excellent addition to a balanced diet, they contain oxalates which bind calcium and other minerals. Too many oxalates in the diet may cause kidney stones and so should be eaten in moderation by those who have existing kidney stones or are at high risk of developing them.

Ingredients:

4 medium sized sweet potatoes, cooked, skinned and cubed

1 big tomato cut into small pieces

Some curry leaves

1 tbsp oil

½ tsp mustard seeds

½ tsp cumin seeds

1/3 tsp turmeric powder

1/3 tsp red chilli powder

1 tsp coriander powder

½ tsp sambar powder

1 tsp tamarind pulp or ½ tsp dried mango powder

Salt to taste

Jaggery or sugar to taste (optional)

1 ½ cups water

Instruction:

• Heat oil in a thick bottomed pan and add mustard seeds. When they splutter, add cumin seeds, curry leaves and chopped tomatoes.
• Stir on medium heat and when tender, add all the masala powders, mix well and add water, salt, sugar and tamarind or dried mango powder.
• When it boils, add the sweet potato pieces and simmer for five minutes.
• It is an awesome accompaniment for chapatis and steamed rice.