Thai Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

Thai Peanut Stuffed Sweet Potatoes with Crispy Chickpeas

INGREDIENTS

• 4-6 medium sweet potatoes, washed and patted dry
• 1 tbsp vegetable or sesame oil
• For the Thai Peanut Sauce:
• 1/2 cup hot water
• 1 tbsp Thai curry paste (see notes)
• 1/2 cup natural peanut butter
• 3 tbsp soy sauce (or tamari for gluten-free option)
• 2 tbsp rice wine vinegar (or lime juice)
• 2 tbsp maple syrup
• 1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated or minced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced

For the Crispy Chickpeas:

• 16 oz Stahlbush Island Farms frozen chickpeas, thawed and rubbed dry in a clean tea/paper towel (about 2 cups)
• 1 tbsp sesame oil
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1/2 tsp salt

For the Easy Cabbage Slaw:

• 2 cups shredded cabbage
• 1/4 cup green onions, sliced (about 3)
• 1 carrot, peeled and shredded
• 1/3 cup cilantro leaves, torn
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 tbsp lime juice
• 1/4 tsp salt
• black pepper, to taste

Serving Suggestions:

• vegan sour cream
• roasted peanuts

INSTRUCTIONS

For the Sweet Potatoes:

• Preheat the oven to 425°F/220°C/gas 7. Line a baking tray with parchment paper.
• Cut the sweet potatoes in half lengthwise. Brush them all over with oil and set them cut side down on the prepared baking sheet. Roast them in the oven for 20-30 minutes, or until soft through the middle when pierced with a fork. Smaller sweet potatoes will cook faster than larger ones.

For the Crispy Chickpeas:

• In a small bowl, toss the dried chickpeas with the oil, onion powder and salt. Place the chickpeas in a single layer on the same baking sheet as the sweet potatoes if there’s room. Otherwise, use a separate parchment lined tray. Roast for 15 minutes. If you like really crispy chickpeas, roast them on a separate baking sheet and increase roasting time to 20-25 minutes, or until they’ve reached desired crispiness.
• While the sweet potatoes are roasting, prepare the Thai peanut sauce and cabbage slaw.

For the Thai Curry Peanut Sauce:

• In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the hot water and Thai curry paste until the paste is dissolved. Add in the rest of the peanut sauce ingredients, whisking until smooth.

For the Easy Cabbage Slaw:

• In a medium sized bowl, toss all of the ingredients for the easy cabbage slaw together.

To Serve:

• Place the baked sweet potatoes on serving plates. Top each sweet potato half with vegan sour cream (optional), roasted chickpeas and drizzle with curry peanut sauce. Top with cabbage slaw and roasted peanuts, and enjoy!
• Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 5 days. Keep the slaw in its own container for best quality. The chickpeas will lose their crispness in the fridge – to reheat, heat a small amount of oil in a skillet over medium heat and fry until recrisped, about 5 minutes. The sweet potatoes can be reheated in the microwave. The peanut sauce may need thinning – whisk in a bit of warm water.

Thai Curry Paste:

• I use store-bought yellow Thai curry paste. This is the mildest – others, like red or green Thai curry paste work well in this recipe. Adjust the amount to your taste and level of spice/heat desired. 

Short on Time?

• Cook the sweet potatoes in the microwave. Using a sharp knife or a fork, poke holes all over the sweet potatoes and place them on a microwave safe plate. Cook them on high power for about 5 minutes for each sweet potato plus an additional 2 minutes for each additional sweet potato. Carefully turn them over halfway through cooking (use tongs). You’ll know they are cooked when there isn’t any resistance when you poke the potatoes in the middle with a fork. If there is, continuing cooking them for 30-60 seconds increments until they are tender. Cooking times will depend on the size of the sweet potatoes. Many microwaves even have a potato cooking preset which is helpful. 
• Sauté the dried chickpeas in an oiled skillet on medium high until they are lightly browned and crisped as desired. This takes about 5-10 minutes.

Storage Suggestion:

• These stuffed sweet potatoes are best served straight away. If you have leftovers or are doing some meal prep, store the coleslaw separately. Like any salad, it will soften as time goes on. We enjoy the potatoes stored with the chickpeas and peanut sauce already assembled, but naturally the chickpeas will lose their crispiness. To enjoy the chickpea leftovers crispy, you’ll need to store them separately and then reheat in a bit of oil in a hot skillet on the stovetop. Leftovers can be kept up to 5 days in the refrigerator.