spicy sweet potato fries

I literally eat so many potatoes in the summer. When the weather is warm, I mostly make salads at meal times, as I like to make the most of all of the fresh fruits and vegetables that are available around me at the time. I LOVE potatoes. There’s just something about their soft texture, and of course the way they can be made into so many delicious things. Some nights, I’ll simply boil new potatoes with some mint, or other nights I’ll roast them with garlic and olive oil if I wan’t to put some more effort into dinner. There’s just so many things you can make with them, and they are so perfect for livening up any salad.

All potatoes are heavenly in my eyes. But, I will of course always have an extra special soft spot for the sweet potato. I often read people describing them as ‘natures candy’ with their subtly caramel taste. I completely agree with this, and I love their natural sweetness. But, even though they’re sweet, I always prefer using them in savoury dishes. Their sweetness always brings that lovely balance in flavour between the sweet and salty, completely changing the taste of a dish. I especially love using them in curries or soups.

But, as I enjoy the warmer weather at the moment, I really like to make sweet potatoes into chips (fries). I love to add some flavour to my chips, so am always throwing in some herbs or spices when I make my own at home. The thing is, there are sooo many spices that work well with sweet potatoes! But, I definitely have a favourite – smoked paprika. It’s such a delicious spice, and it’s smokiness pairs perfectly with the potatoes sweetness. Lastly a kick of chilli brings a nice level of heat to these chips, finishing them off perfectly. I definitely like serving these with my summer salads, a veggie burger, or just snacking on them alone. Yum! I hope you enjoy them.

sweet potato fries

serves 2-4

ingredients

800g sweet potatoes (about 4 or 5)

2 tsp sunflower oil

1 tbsp smoked paprika

2 tsp chilli powder

1/2 tsp salt – I used pink himalayan

method

PREHEAT YOUR OVEN TO 250 C / 482 F

1. Firstly, peel and slice your sweet potatoes into long chunks.

2. Then, drizzle a baking tray with the oil, and sprinkle on top the paprika, chilli and salt. Then, pour the potato slices on top of the tray, and using a spatula, move them around so that they are evenly covered in spice.

3. Next, move them  into the oven and bake for about 50 minutes to an hour, until cooked through and are lightly crisp. When this is done, remove them from the oven and serve.