Curried Chickpea Sweet Potato Squares

Thanks so much for all your kind words about my first 5K! It was beautiful here in Boston this weekend so Apolinaras and I went on a long bike ride and it was so warm that I was able to just wear just a tank top and capris – yay! Apolinaras has gotten really into biking and goes on 40 mile trail rides every weekend now. I hung on for 10 miles this time, but definitely want to get a more comfortable seat and start going with him more often! It’s a bit ironic, but the days that I have a tough workout, I also tend to cook more healthy meals because I don’t want to undo all my hard work. So when I was craving a rich potato gratin the other day, I decided to see if I could make something just as tasty but a bit lighter.

I had some organic sweet potatoes left from Eva’s farm share, and decided to layer them with an Indian-spiced chickpea mash. The flavors were inspired by Nigella Lawson’s Sweet Potato and Chickpea Curry. Apolinaras complained that he missed the potatoes when they were all gone, so they were definitely a hit!  Also, I’m submitting this recipe to be included in Reeni’s March Side Dish Showdown!

Curried Chickpea Sweet Potato Squares
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:
6 tablespoons olive oil
1 yellow onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
1 15-ounce can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
4 large sweet potatoes, scrubbed, peeled and sliced into 1/4-inch rounds (mine were 38 ounces peeled)

Directions:
Heat oven to 400˚F. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium high heat in a large pan and sauté onions for 5 to 7 minutes or until tender; add garlic, coriander, cumin, turmeric, ginger, and cardamom, and sauté 1 additional minute. Place onion mixture in a food processor with the chickpeas, vinegar, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 cup olive oil, and pulse for several minutes until smooth.

Layer half the sliced sweet potatoes in a greased 9×13-inch baking pan. Spread chickpea mixture evenly on top; layer the remaining sliced potatoes on top of the chickpea mash. Brush top layer of the potatoes with remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and sprinkle evenly with remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. Bake at 400˚F for 30 to 35 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Cut into squares. Makes 12 servings.

Nutrition: 166 calories, 7.3g fat, 3.9g fat, 3.3g protein per serving
Cost: $0.53 per serving