5 delicious sweet potato recipes to try
What's the story
Sweet potatoes are a versatile and nutritious staple of many African cuisines. Being rich in vitamins, minerals, and fiber, they're a healthy choice for a number of dishes. From across the continent, sweet potatoes are used in creative ways to make unique and flavorful recipes that emphasize their natural sweetness and texture. Here are five distinctive African recipes showcasing the versatility of sweet potatoes in traditional cooking.
Fufu Twist
Sweet potato fufu delight
Sweet potato fufu is a delicious twist to the traditional starchy dish found in West Africa. By boiling and mashing sweet potatoes with cassava flour, you get a smooth dough-like consistency ideal for pairing with soups or stews. This variation gives the meal a hint of sweetness while retaining the classic fufu texture.
Tagine treat
Moroccan sweet potato tagine
In Morocco, tagines are slow-cooked stews that are famous for their aromatic spices and rich flavors. A sweet potato tagine mixes chunks of sweet potato with chickpeas, tomatoes, and an array of spices such as cumin, and cinnamon. The end result is a hearty vegetarian dish that balances sweetness with savory notes.
Chapati charm
Ugandan sweet potato chapati
Chapati is a popular flatbread all over East Africa and is served alongside meals. In Uganda, adding mashed sweet potatoes into chapati dough makes this beloved bread moist and flavorful. The result is a soft but slightly chewy chapati that goes well with curries or can be eaten as is.
Porridge pleasure
Ghanaian sweet potato porridge
Ghanaian porridge made from sweet potatoes brings comfort in every spoonful. By boiling grated sweet potatoes with water or coconut milk until thickened, you get a creamy porridge enriched by spices like nutmeg or ginger for an extra warm touch during breakfast time or as an evening snack option.
Puff-puff perfection
Nigerian sweet potato puff-puff
Puff-puff, an iconic Nigerian snack, is loved across West Africa for its fluffiness. The fluffiness is achieved by fermenting the batter with yeast, but this treat gets even more unique by mixing in mashed, cooked, peeled, boiled, and then cooled sweet potatoes into the batter. Fried to perfection, this gives a deliciously crisp exterior and soft interior, with a hint of sweetness from these tubers.