Roasted Sweet Potato With Suya Spice Pistachio Crunch and Pistachio Cream
Suya spice meets the Central Valley in this fall salad, where roasted California sweet potatoes and candied pistachios get a bold, spicy West African kick.
Ingredients
For the suya pistachio crunch
- 2 tsp ground ginger
- ½ tsp brown sugar
- ½ tsp ground cayenne
- ¼ tsp ground grains of paradise see Tip or black pepper
- ¼ tsp onion powder
- ¼ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp kosher salt such as Diamond Crystal
- ¾ cup shelled unsalted pistachios
- 1 ½ tsp extra-virgin olive oil
For the roasted sweet potato spears
- 3 medium sweet potatoes
- 2 TBSP extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 TBSP coarse kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
For the pistachio cream
- 2/3 cup shelled unsalted pistachios, or 1/2 cup pistachio meal
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1/4 cup plain full-fat Greek yogurt
- 2 TBSP extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 TBSP lemon juice
- 2 tsp honey
- 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt such as Diamond Crystal
To serve
- 1 TBSP Balsamic vinegar for drizzling. We used Temecula Olive Oil Vanilla Date Balsamic vinegar
- 1/4 cup Fresh basil or mint leaves or a combination sliced thin
- 1 lemon, zest removed and lemon saved for another use.
- Coarse or flaky salt for sprinkling
Instructions
Make the suya pistachio crunch:
- Heat the oven to 300℉ ( 180℃) with a rack in the center of the oven. Line a small rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Mix the ginger, brown sugar, cayenne, ground grains of paradise, onion powder, garlic powder, and salt in a small bowl. Add the pistachios and oil, then toss to evenly coat. Spread in a single layer on the prepared pan.
- Bake until browned and fragrant, about 15 minutes. Cool completely on the pan, then coarsely chop. The pistachio crunch can be kept in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
Roast the sweet potato spears
- Heat the oven to 450°F (230℃). Scrub and dry the sweet potatoes.
- Cut each sweet potato in half lengthwise. Cut each half into 3 or 4 long spears (6 to 8 wedges per potato). Cut the spears as uniformly as you can so that they bake evenly.
- Place the spears on a rimmed baking sheet and drizzle with the oil, salt, and pepper. Toss to coat. Then spread into an even layer with cut sides facing down, being careful that the wedges do not touch. If needed, you can divide the wedges between two baking sheets and bake in the upper and lower thirds of the oven instead.
- Bake the sweet potato wedges for 15 minutes, then turn them over with a spatula. Return the pan to the oven and bake for another 5 to 10 minutes, until lightly browned and tender when pierced with a fork.
- Heat the oven to broil. Broil the sweet potatoes for 3 to 5 minutes, until they are crisped at the edges to your liking. Watch carefully so that they do not burn. Remove from the oven and immediately and set aside to cool briefly.
Make the pistachio cream:
- If using pistachios instead of pistachio meal: Using a spice grinder, food processor, or blender, grind the pistachios until very finely ground.
- Transfer the ground pistachio meal to a bowl and stir in the cream, yogurt, oil, lemon juice, honey, and salt until very well blended.
Assemble to serve:
- Spread the pistachio cream on smaller plates or a large platter. Arrange the roasted sweet potato wedges on top, drizzle lightly with vinegar, then sprinkle with the herbs, lemon zest, and more salt if desired. Scatter the suya pistachio crunch on top. Serve immediately.
Notes
Inspired by: Pluot Tomato Salad with Suya Pistachio Crunch on NYT Cooking
Nutrition
Calories: 277kcalCarbohydrates: 29gProtein: 3gFat: 18gSaturated Fat: 6gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 22mgSodium: 1426mgPotassium: 451mgFiber: 4gSugar: 9gVitamin A: 16398IUVitamin C: 14mgCalcium: 56mgIron: 1mg
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