Loaded baked potatoes are a popular go-to for a no-fuss main meal. The baked potato is the blank canvas for a wide variety of toppings - simple, easy and tasty. With this recipe, I want to take you on some unusual flavour adventures with sweet potato and less common toppings. For flavour, we use a pomegranate marinade to soak into the sweet potato; for the topping, a tahini/yoghurt sauce, herbs, fenugreek sprouts (instructions below on how to grow your own) and pomegranate seeds. I've tried to add a variety of flavours and textures.
Ingredients
- Sweet potato
- Pomegranate molasses
- Tahini
- Dairy-free yoghurt
- Fenugreek sprouts
- Pomegranate seeds
- Olive oil
- Cumin seeds
- Flaky sea salt
- Fresh parsley
- Fresh mint
See the recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
This recipe uses fenugreek sprouts. First, here are instructions for growing fenugreek sprouts.
Rinse and soak fenugreek in water overnight in a bowl
The next day, drain the water and transfer the seeds into an old jam jar or bowl. Rinse, drain, and repeat this process 2-3 times a day and keep the seeds away from direct sunlight.
By day two, the sprouts should emerge, and then you can keep the sprouts in indirect sunlight. Continue with rinsing and draining.
Sprouted seeds should be ready to use between days four and six.
Sprouts such as these fenugreek sprouts tend to be eaten raw. Please pay particular attention to food safety.
Now that the sprouts are ready, you can make the loaded sweet potato.
Pre-heat the oven to 180ºC.
Wash and dry your sweet potato and cut it in half, lengthwise.
Score the surface of each half of the potato so that the marinade flavours penetrate the potato.
In a bowl, mix pomegranate molasses, olive oil, salt and cumin powder
Coat the scored surface of the sweet potato in this marinade
Place the marinated halves of the sweet potato on a tray and bake for about 25 minutes.
Mix yoghurt and tahini in a bowl. Season with salt.
Spoon on the yoghurt-tahini sauce.
Add the sprouts, pomegranate seeds and chopped herbs. Serve hot.
Substitutions
I have home-sprouted fenugreek seeds; however, you can replace them with any sprouted seed.
Storage
It is best to eat this loaded sweet potato immediately. Please don't reheat it if you have assembled everything. However, you can keep your loaded sweet potato in the fridge for up to two days in an airtight container and eat it cold.
All the sauces, sprouts and other ingredients can be stored separately in airtight containers in the fridge for up to three days.
📖 Recipe
Loaded Baked Sweet Potato With Sprouts
Equipment
- Digital scales
Ingredients
- 515 gms Sweet Potato one large sweet potato
- 1 tablespoon Pomegranate molasses
- 1 tablespoon Olive oil
- 1 teaspoon Flaky Sea Salt
- ½ teaspoon Cumin Powder
- 40 gms Fenugreek sprouts optional, but highly recommended
- 50 gms Dairy-free yoghurt I used coconut yoghurt
- 20 gms Tahini
- 50 gms Pomegranate seeds
- 5 gms Parsley
- 5 gms Mint
Sprouting Fenugreek Seeds
- 20 gms Fenugreek seeds
Instructions
- If you decide to use fenugreek sprouts, you must start four to six days in advance from the day you try this recipe.
Fenugreek sprouts
- Rinse and soak fenugreek in water overnight in a bowl. The next day, drain the water and transfer the seeds into an old jam jar or bowl. Rinse, drain, and repeat this process 2-3 times a day and keep the seeds away from direct sunlight.
- By day two, the sprouts should emerge, and then you can keep the sprouts in indirect sunlight. Continue with rinsing and draining.
- Between days four and six, you should have small sprouted fenugreek seeds ready to use.
Loaded Sweet Potato
- Preheat the oven to 180ºC
- Wash and pat dry the sweet potato and cut it in half lengthwise.
- Score the surface of the sweet potato lengthwise and horizontally for the flavours to penetrate.
- In a bowl, mix pomegranate molasses, olive oil, salt and cumin powder.
- Coat the scored surface of the sweet potato in this marinade.
- Place the marinated halves of the sweet potato on a tray and bake for 25-30 minutes.
- While the potato is roasting, remove the seeds from the pomegranate, ready to use.
- Mix the yoghurt and tahini in a bowl—season with salt.
- Chop herbs and set aside.
- Once the sweet potato has finished baking, spoon on yoghurt-tahini sauce. Add the sprouts, pomegranate seeds and chopped herbs. Serve hot.
Nutrition
NOTES
FAQ
Before answering this, did you know that although a sweet potato is called a "potato", it is not very closely related to the potato? They belong to different botanic families. Although sweet potato can be considered the healthier of the two, the difference in nutritional benefit is not very significant. On their own, both potato and sweet potato are nutritious sources of fibre, carbohydrates, potassium, vitamin B6 and vitamin C, among others. Sweet potato has a lower GI (glycemic index) than potato, so it may be a preferable option for those wanting to control their blood sugar. To benefit from their nutritional value, they should be baked or boiled, preferably retaining the skins for the fibre content. You should avoid frying potatoes if health benefits are essential to you.
Yes, the skin of the sweet potato is edible; it is a good source of fibre, so peeling a sweet potato and discarding the skin is throwing away this health benefit. As with all vegetable produce you buy, ensure you wash your sweet potato to remove any residue from the surface.
You can sprout many seeds like alfalfa, pumpkin, coriander and carrot. Sprouting seeds enhances some nutritional benefits, making them good food to help lower blood sugar levels and aid heart and digestive health. Fenugreek sprouts are high in fibre, protein and iron. Sprouts can be eaten raw, but the risk of food poisoning is higher. Make sure you thoroughly wash your hands before and after handling sprouts. The best practice is to cook them by sauteing, or you can boil them for 10 minutes or so can kill any harmful bacteria.
Food Safety
In a professional kitchen, food hygiene and safety are top priorities, and from the beginning of my training, I practised good habits and routines. Of course, practising good food hygiene and safety at home is also essential. Here are some fundamental practices to adopt in the kitchen.
- Wash your hands regularly while preparing, handling and cooking food.
- Wipe down countertops and high-contact points regularly.
- If you cook meat and fish, do not use the same utensils on cooked food that previously touched raw meat. Use separate chopping boards for meat and fish. Wash your chopping boards immediately after use.
- Thoroughly cook food to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C).
- Don't leave food at room temperature for extended periods (more than 2 hours).
- Store food correctly.
For more details regarding food hygiene and safety in the home, visit the UK Government's Food Standards Agency webpage.
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