Sweet Potato With Tahini Dressing calls for cumin and paprika rubbed onto sweet potato halves. They are then air-fried with olive oil and dressed in homemade mint tahini. These air-fried sweet potatoes are spicy, crunchy on the outside, and tender on the inside. This healthy recipe comes together in less than 20 minutes and can be consumed any time of day!
I enjoyed grilled sweet potatoes with cilantro tahini sauce in the Caribbean as a snack by the beach. I wanted to tweak it by making them with mint-tahini sauce. They had used Scotch bonnet chilis that made the dish spicy. I have swapped it out for Thai green chilis. I recreated the dish with two simple spices from my pantry. But the explosion of flavors emanating from the sweet potatoes and the mint-tahini dressing is amazing. My family even loves the texture of the sweet potatoes, which are crunchy and crispy around the edges and soft and tender on the inside.
Benefits of sweet potatoes:
Sweet potatoes are high in fiber, vitamins A and C, manganese, etc. From boosting brain functions and immunity to better eyesight, these orange or purple vegetables are a true star in the kitchen. I usually choose colorful ones, such as orange or purple sweet potatoes. With so many varieties in grocery stores, one cannot go wrong in choosing them.
Frequently Asked Questions:
- Should I wash sweet potatoes before air frying or roasting them?
Yes, sweet potatoes must be rinsed and scrubbed with a vegetable brush to remove dirt, and then wipe them clean with a paper towel.
2. Do sweet potatoes need space between them while air frying or baking them?
Sweet potatoes need at least an inch of space on the baking tray to allow hot airflow to circulate and cook them evenly.
3. Do I need to soak the sweet potatoes before cooking them?
Soaking the sweet potatoes in cold water helps remove some of the starch. For fries, soaking for 30 minutes helps with those crisp edges. For this Sweet Potato With Tahini Dressing, soaking for 5 minutes in cold water with the cut side down will suffice.
4. Does wrapping the sweet potato in foil and air frying help in any way?
If you wish to bake the whole sweet potato, then wrapping them in foil helps seal the moisture and allow them to steam. But for this recipe, I did not wrap them in foil but air-fried them with the cut sides facing up.
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Ingredients:
- Sweet potato: orange sweet potato; feel free to use any color
- Spices: paprika and cumin
- Tahini dressing: mint leaves, chili, lemon juice, garlic, sesame seeds
- Garnish: dill or thyme
How to make Sweet Potato With Tahini Dressing:
- Prepare the ingredients. Wash, scrub and cut the sweet potatoes into halves longitudinally.
2. Rub the spices and salt all over the sweet potato halves. Drizzle olive oil on top.
3. Arrange the sweet potato halves on a foil-lined tray with the cut sides up and air fry them at 400 degrees F for 20-25 minutes or until slightly charred on the edges.
4. Prepare the ingredients for the tahini dressing. Toast the sesame seeds in a pan for 1-2 minutes.
5. Grind the ingredients in a food processor or spice grinder until slightly coarse.
6. Serve the sweet potato halves with tahini dressing on top and garnish with dill or thyme.
1. Dry roasting or toasting the sesame for 1-2 minutes brings out the nuttiness of the seeds, but it is important not to burn them.
2. Scouring or making small cuts on the sweet potato halves speeds up the cooking time.
3. Please watch your sweet potatoes as they get closer to the end time. A few extra minutes can make them crispy and more caramelized.
Serving suggestion:
I served the Sweet Potato With Tahini Dressing on top, garnished with dill or thyme at other times. It helps to serve the tahini dressing on the side for those who would like a second helping.
Storage:
Baked sweet potatoes can be refrigerated for 4-5 days. The mint tahini sauce can be frozen for 3 months.
Other sweet potato and tahini recipes that you might like:
Sweet Potato With Tahini Dressing
Equipment
- air fryer
Ingredients
For the grilled sweet potatoes:
- 3 sweet potato medium
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp cumin ground
- 1 tsp paprika powder
- ¾ tsp Himalayan pink salt
- 4 sprig thyme optional, for garnish
For the tahini dressing:
- 2 tbsp white sesame seeds toasted
- 1 green chili
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- ½ cup mint leaves chopped
- 3 tbsp olive oil extra virgin
Instructions
- Prepare the ingredients. Wash, scrub, and cut the sweet potatoes into halves longitudinally.
- Rub the spices and salt all over the sweet potato halves. Drizzle olive oil on top.
- Arrange the sweet potato halves on a foil-lined tray and air fry them at 400 degrees F for 20-25 minutes or until slightly charred on the edges.
How to make tahini dressing:
- Prepare the ingredients. Toast the sesame seeds in a pan for 1-2 minutes.
- Grind the ingredients in a food processor or spice grinder until slightly coarse.
- Serve the sweet potato halves with a drizzle of tahini dressing on top and garnish with dill or thyme.
Notes
- Cilantro can be substituted for mint leaves.
- This recipe serves well as an appetizer, snack or side dish.
Nutrition
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Tasty, and very healthy for you as well!
Oh yes, this is a very healthy snack! Thanks, DeChanze!
when I made this at home, it turned out great! love the mint tahini sauce
Thanks, I too love the mint tahini sauce!
olive oil is a great substitute as well!
Great snack, thanks Kanchan!