Author Notes
If you’re wondering how to wake up tired vegetables, ask Yotam Ottolenghi. He’ll show you how to marry sweet and spicy, tangy and nutty, crispy and creamy. He’ll make your vegetables feel special. As they should! These sweet potatoes are pomegranate-glazed, tahini-drizzled, chickpea-scattered. Add in a crunchy, green salad alongside and you've got dinner.
Note: This recipe does not come from Ottolenghi himself or his cookbooks. It's just inspired by his style and go-to ingredients. Chickpeas are listed as an "everyday ingredient" in his book Simple, and the tahini and pomegranate molasses are fittingly termed "Ottolenghi ingredients." —Emma Laperruque
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Ingredients
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2 pounds
sweet potatoes
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3 1/2 tablespoons
olive oil, divided
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1 1/4 teaspoons
kosher salt (I use Morton's), plus more to taste
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2 tablespoons
tahini
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juice
of 1 lemon
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1 to 2 tablespoons
cold water
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1 cup
cooked chickpeas (roughly half a can)
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1 tablespoon
sesame seeds
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1/2 teaspoon
ground cumin
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1 pinch
ground cayenne
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2 tablespoons
pomegranate molasses
Directions
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Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Peel the sweet potatoes and chop into large (roughly 1 1/2-inch) chunks. Add to a naked, rimmed sheet tray and toss with 2 tablespoons olive oil and the 1 1/4 teaspoon salt. Roast—stirring the potatoes halfway through—until they're just tender and beginning to brown, about 24 minutes.
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Meanwhile, combine the tahini, lemon juice, and cold water in a bowl. Stir with a fork until smooth and runny, like yogurt. Season to taste with salt. (This can be made days in advance and refrigerated.)
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If you're using canned chickpeas, make sure they're very dry (I like to blot them between paper towels). Heat the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat until shimmery. Add the chickpeas, sesame seeds, cumin, and cayenne. Fry until golden and crispy, about 6 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate and sprinkle with salt.
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When the potatoes are done, let them hang out for about 10 minutes. Drizzle with pomegranate molasses and gently toss. Transfer to a platter. Squiggle with tahini sauce and scatter with crispy chickpeas. Serve warm.
Emma was the food editor at Food52. She created the award-winning column, Big Little Recipes, and turned it into a cookbook in 2021. These days, she's a senior editor at Bon Appétit, leading digital cooking coverage. Say hello on Instagram at @emmalaperruque.
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