Sticky Chili Sweet Potatoes

Jam-packed with flavors, the enticing combination of sweetness with a spicy edge made the sticky chili sweet potatoes absolutely phenomenal. They give a different meaning to sticky fingers. None of us could help stealing just one more right out of the tray, lacing our fingers with delicious and treacly sauces.

And yes, if you are wondering, these are very much my take on the popular Indo-Chinese dish – honey chili potatoes. All I did was veganize the recipe, and as always, in my bid to make healthier food, got away with frying. 

Sweet potatoes are an appetizing way to include some healthy carbohydrates in your meals, and roasting them makes them even more so. High in fiber and vitamins B and C, they lend themselves to any recipe with nary a worry. But this particular one feels like comfort food – much, much better than any takeout!

How to make sticky chili sweet potatoes?

There is a good chance that you’ll have all the ingredients to throw together sticky chili sweet potatoes if you make Asian food at home. The recipe is low on effort, yet it yields high reward flavors.

A midday snack or a side dish that pairs virtually with everything, it is super easy to make. Since the oven does most of the heavy lifting, all you need is a chopping board and a tray!

• Start by cubing the sweet potato, then tossing them in oil and salt. You can, of course, cut them in wedges, too.

• Be cautious with your salt. The sauces already have some in them, and you don’t want the sticky chili sweet potato to be excessively salty.
• Toast the sweet potatoes in the oven till they are perfectly cooked through. 

It takes around 20 to 25 minutes to toast the sweet potatoes. I always shift the tray to the top rack and turn on the broiler for the last 5 minutes to caramelize the sweet potatoes beautifully. 

Prepare the sauce

While the sweet potato cubes toast, get the sauce ready. 

• Combine rice wine vinegar, sriracha, and soy sauce with some maple syrup. 
• I am partial to chili bean paste, so that went in next, but any homemade or store-bought chili will do. 

• Pour the sauce on the crispy, golden cubes immediately after taking them out of the oven. 
• Keep your oven mittens at the ready and handle the tray carefully because it’s going to be hot. 
• Mix everything, taste, and adjust. Then drizzle a bit of cold-pressed sesame oil or peanut oil.

• Right before you serve, grace it with chopped green onions and fresh red chilies. 
• Finish off with a handful of sesame seeds for a bit of crunch.

You’d think putting together polar opposites like maple syrup and sriracha will lead to chaos. But they balance out to create a die for experience for the taste buds. The typical spicy Asian flavor of the sauce compliments the sweetness of the potatoes expertly.

Variations of the sticky chili sweet potatoes 

Both sriracha and chili bean turn up the volume on heat. If you don’t want the same intensity level, mix-in any chili sauce that suits your palate in quantities you feel like.

• If you enjoy a bracing punch of heat, try chili flakes or even fresh chilies. 
• I was all out of honey, which made maple syrup a necessity. But honey is an excellent choice to bring that sweet undernote.
• In case you don’t have sesame oil, try peanut oil as a finishing oil.
• For more texture and crunch, top the dish with roasted crushed peanuts. 

What other vegetables can you use for the recipe?

You can stick to the conventional path and try it with potatoes. Or switch things up a bit and try it with lotus stems.

Serving the sticky sweet chili sweet potatoes

Glazed with a dancing melody of savory and sweet, the delectable dish makes a super addictive appetizer and a crowd-pleaser. The trick is to eat it hot, and if you dig in right from the baking tray, I won’t judge.

Chances are the sweet potatoes will vanish with the first helping. But in case there are some left, you can reheat them. The microwave does the job well. Though I do prefer a cast iron pan for this.

You could also reheat in your oven. Tossing the sauce-laced sticky chili sweet potatoes in the oven again makes them stickier and yummier.

For more recipes that are better than takeout but just as quick – give Spicy Tofu Stir Fry and Raw Mango Rice a whirl.

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