Sweet Potato & Plantain Mash, All Day Everyday

Kachhe kele aur shakkarkandee ka chokha evolved from the ubiquitous street-food vendors who roast sweet potato on charcoal fire, and serve it sliced and topped with masala. In this adaptation, we add plantains, found growing wild, for an extra does of potassium, and serve it mashed in a hummus-consistency.  This recipe is an excerpt from Veena Sharma’s book Vegetarian Cuisine from the Himalayan Foothills.

RECIPE FOR VEENA SHARMA’S SWEET POTATO & PLANTAIN MASH

Ingredients
2 mediums-sized sweet potatoes
2 whole plantains
1 tsp chaat masala
1 tsp lime juice
1/2 tsp Himalayan pink salt
1/2 tsp black salt
1/4 tsp red chilli powder
1/2 tsp roasted ground cumin
1/2 tsp dry roasted mixed seeds (pumpkin, cucumber, melon)

Method
Steam the 2 potatoes and plantains until soft. Peel the plantain, but leave the sweet potato skin on. Mash together and add in the spices and seeds. Finish with a swirl of olive oil.
Serve as a snack or as a dip with accompanying veggie sticks or crackers.

Veena Sharma’s Vegetarian Cuisine from the Himalayan Foothills (Niyogi Books) delves into recipes that draw upon local bounties from the Himalayas – grains and greens, spices and fruits. You can buy the book here.

ALSO ON THE GOYA JOURNAL