Sweet and chilly

Sweet potato

The versatility of potatoes is such that it's ubiquitous across cultures and cuisines, appearing as everything from patate al forno in Italy to alur chop, a popular Bengali snack. But it doesn't make an appearance in desserts as much, because of its savoury flavour profile. That's where its spud cousin, the sweet potato, comes in. Home chef Shabana Salauddin tells us, for example, how the ingredient is a must-have in Konkani Muslim homes during Ramazan, when it's mashed up and turned into a kheer that's served as an Iftaar delicacy.

That's not to say that it can't be served as a savoury snack (albeit with an ingrained sweet touch). They can be baked and served as a side dish for a roast chicken meal, or cubed and dumped into stews. Salauddin, who runs a venture called Ammeez Kitchen, also tells us that in Indian villages, sweet potatoes are thrown into the warm ashes of a chulha, which gives it a smoky flavour that's similar to the whiff coming from Mumbai's street carts. Here, she shares a recipe for ratalu ki kheer, where sweet potatoes are roasted on a pan, making it more convenient for Mumbaikars leading an urban life.

Ratalu ki kheer

INGREDIENTS
>> 3 tbsp ghee
>> 50 gm rawa
>> 250 gm sweet potatoes, peeled and cut in 1/2-inch roundels
>> A pinch of salt
>> A pinch of elaichi powder
>> 1 litre full-cream milk
>> 50 gm charoli

METHOD
Heat the ghee in a kadhai, add rawa and roast it for two to three minutes till you get a discernible roasted aroma. Add the sweet potato pieces and roast it along with the rawa for three minutes. Add a pinch of salt to enhance the sweetness. Now, add the milk, which should be at room temperature. Add a pinch of elaichi powder for fragrance. Keep the flame on medium, stirring in between, or else the rawa will stick to the base of the pot. Add charoli or dry fruits of your choice. Cook and keep stirring till the sweet potatoes are soft, but not mushy. Kewra, or rose essence, can be added once the flame is switched off, but this is optional. Serve the kheer warm or cold.