Sweet potatoes can come out of the oven golden brown and crisp at the edges, soften under a fresh sauce, or play a creamy role in a coconut dessert. This collection has ideas for breakfast, side dishes, main courses and dessert. Choose roasted slices with feta for something fresh and savoury, or go for a bowl of curry, Surinamese heri heri or Malaysian bubur cha cha.
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Side dishSoft sweet potato, warming cumin and ginger, with peanuts for bite and a crisp breadcrumb coating. These oval chops are a familiar, contemporary take on Bengali vegetable chops; serve them warm with kasundi.
Side dishCrispy chickpea batter wraps around a soft, spiced filling of sweet potato, ginger and green chilli. Served with fresh coconut chutney, these make a flavourful starter best enjoyed warm.
Side dishRoasted sweet potato gets a fresh, tangy and spicy dressing with lime and fish sauce. Shallot, mint, coriander and toasted coconut add sharpness and crunch. Serve this salad warm as a starter.
Side dishGolden-brown sweet potato wedges get a tangy, slightly spicy tamarind glaze in the oven. Roughly chopped peanuts add a crunchy contrast to the soft flesh; a squeeze of lime at the table makes the whole dish even livelier.
Side dishGolden brown and crisp on the outside, soft inside: these cakes combine sweet potato with juicy corn kernels. A fresh coriander yogurt with lime and green chili keeps everything in balance.
Side dishRoast until tender first, then pan-fry briefly: that gives thick slices of sweet potato a soft center and browned edges. Miso-lemon butter melts over the top, while sesame and scallions add a savory, fresh finish.
Main courseThis sambar brings together tender toor dal and sweet potato in a spiced, gently tangy sauce. Mustard seeds, curry leaves and dried chilli give it its distinctive aroma; serve with rice or idli.
Main courseTender chunks of sweet potato simmer in a fragrant tomato sauce with ginger, cumin and turmeric. Peas add fresh color and a little bite. This Bengali version is delicious with rice or roti.
Side dishRoasted sweet potato, warm cumin and chili, bright lime and juicy pomegranate: this little Indian chaat gets plenty of contrast from just a handful of ingredients.
Side dishThin slices of sweet potato get a spiced coating of chickpea flour, ajwain and chili. The bright coriander-mint chutney with lemon and a hint of ajwain cuts through the warm, crispy pakora beautifully.
Main courseA bright Thai curry broth with tamarind, chili and garlic: sour, spicy and savory, with tender sweet potato and juicy pieces of white fish. Jasmine rice completes the dish.
Side dishWedges of sweet potato from a hot oven develop caramelized edges and a soft center. Green chili sauce with lemon adds freshness, while toasted pumpkin seeds bring a nutty crunch.
Main courseThis spicy gaeng pa gets its satisfying bite from sweet potato and long beans. The curry is cooked in stock, not coconut milk, so the pepper, Thai basil and green peppercorns come through clearly. Serve with fragrant rice.
Main courseRed curry paste, coconut milk and generous chunks of sweet potato make a hearty Thai curry with fresh lime and fragrant basil. Make it with chicken thigh fillets or firm tofu, and serve with jasmine rice.
BreakfastSpiced sweet potato, a soft-boiled egg and fresh pickled onion make this breakfast bowl a savory way to start the day. The lemon-tahini sauce brings it all together.
BreakfastSoft, warm sweet potato gets a fresh sauce of yogurt, tahini and lemon. Pomegranate seeds add juicy, crunchy pops; mint keeps everything light. A savory breakfast that’s also right at home at a leisurely brunch.
Main courseHeri heri brings together tender cassava, green banana and sweet potato with savory salt cod and a boiled egg. It’s a hearty meal where each ingredient remains distinct; sambal and lime add heat and freshness at the table.
DessertSoft cubes of sweet potato and taro, tiny sago pearls and fragrant coconut milk make bubur cha cha a dessert with plenty of texture. Serve the soup warm or well chilled.
Side dishSmall sweet potato rösti cook up golden brown, with crisp edges and soft centers. A thin layer of buttery miso glaze, toasted sesame and spring onion makes them savory, nutty and fresh.
Main CourseTender sweet potato cubes in a spiced coconut sauce, with lime for freshness and toasted peanuts for crunch. Serve this vegetarian curry with rice.
Side dishThick sweet potato wedges develop caramelized edges and a soft center in a hot oven. A light tahini and lime sauce adds creaminess and freshness; coriander and chili flakes finish the dish.
Main courseSoft, caramelized sweet potato gets a savory filling of warm black beans, creamy avocado, and fresh lime juice. Toasted pumpkin seeds add a satisfying crunch.
Side dishThick slices of sweet potato turn soft inside and caramelise at the edges. Creamy, tangy feta, spicy honey and toasted pumpkin seeds make this a starter with both contrast and balance.
Side dishOven-roasted sweet potato is balanced with a sharp lime dressing, fragrant herbs, and crispy shallots with peanuts. A colourful vegetable side dish with a balance of sweet, sour, spicy, and savoury flavours.
The cut and cooking method determine how the sweet potato turns out. Cubes and wedges are handy when you want browned edges: spread them well apart on the baking sheet so they roast instead of mostly steaming. Turn them halfway through and check with a knife that the centre is soft. For baked sweet potatoes, patience matters more than knife work; prick the whole potatoes and cook them until a knife slides in without resistance. This gives you a soft centre that goes well with tahini yoghurt and pomegranate. Grated potato calls for a different approach: squeeze the moisture out of the grated potato so the rösti holds together better and can brown in the pan. The roasted sweet potato recipes show how the same vegetable can become a hearty base for toppings, a side dish or a breakfast bowl.
Sweet potato benefits from contrast. Lemon or lime and pickled onion add acidity; feta, miso, fish sauce and black beans bring savoury flavours. Tahini and yoghurt make a sauce creamy, while pumpkin seeds, peanuts and sesame add a distinctly crunchy contrast. Add the water gradually to the tahini-lime sauce: tahini first thickens when the acid goes in, but becomes smooth and pourable again with more water. For roasted sweet potato with Vietnamese herb dressing, it’s the combination of lime juice, fish sauce, fresh herbs and crispy shallots that makes the dish. Rau ram gives the dressing its distinctive character; coriander and mint can replace it if rau ram isn’t available, but they’ll bring a different herbal flavour. No coriander on hand? Use parsley in dishes where it’s mentioned as an alternative, or leave out the herbs where they’re mainly used as a finishing touch.
For a filling meal, the curry combines sweet potato with coconut milk and spices; lime, coriander and peanuts make the bowl fresher and crunchier at the table. Surinamese heri heri is a very different meal: cassava, green unripe banana and sweet potato are boiled and served with salted cod, egg, sambal and lime. If you’re using salted cod, allow time to desalt the fish in the fridge, and taste before adding extra salt. For dessert, bubur cha cha uses sweet potato alongside taro, sago and coconut milk. Cook the tubers separately and remove them from the water as soon as they’re soft but still hold their shape; that way, the pieces stay distinct in the soup. You can serve it lukewarm or chilled. If you’re looking for something to serve alongside other dishes, choose rösti with miso, roasted wedges with tahini-lime sauce or slices with whipped feta. Add toppings with fresh herbs and crunchy elements just before serving so they keep their texture.