When the winter chill sets in, we crave hot and yummy foods all the more. Street food has its own charm. Think hot aloo tikki, aloo chat, kulcha-channa, pakodas and sweet potato chaat, which we colloquially call shakarkandi ki chaat. The smoky roasted sweet potato fragrance is an emotion for many. But if hygiene and
excess spice issues concern you, you can make your own version at home! Read on to know how to make sweet potato chaat at home with the most basic ingredients!

A root vegetable, a sweet potato is larger than your regular potato, is typically recognised by its rustish colour. As its name suggests, it tastes sweet. But that doesn’t necessarily mean it is unhealthy! Well, we will tell you all about the health benefits of sweet potato, but before that, let’s take a ‘jhatpat’ look at how to
make sweet potato chaat.

Step-by-step sweet potato chaat recipe

Even if you’re a novice in the kitchen, learning how to make sweet potato chaat can be a cakewalk. Here’s a recipe which takes minimal effort and delivers maximum taste and health benefits.

Ingredients

3-4 large sweet potatoes
Chat masala
Chilli powder
Cumin seeds powder
Rock salt
Lemon juice
1 green chilli chopped
Coriander chopped
Coriander chutney (optional)

Quick recipe of shakarkandi ki chaat

1. Take 3-4 sweet potatoes and wash them thoroughly.
2. Take a pan, add enough water and add the whole sweet potatoes to it.
3. Leave the pan on medium flame for around 30 minutes or till the sweet potatoes are done. Remember, the time taken for it to boil can also depend on their size.
4. Once the sweet potato pieces are boiled, take them out and peel.
5. Now cut these into cubes and add spices and condiments as per taste.
6. Adding homemade coriander chutney is a personal favourite addition that I do. It not just adds more flavour, but moisture too!

Isn’t that easy? Well, you will love this sweet potato chaat even more once you know the health benefits of shakarkandi.

Health benefits of sweet potato or shakarkandi

Sweet potatoes are high on nutritional value. They are packed with complex carbohydrates, dietary fiber, iron, and vitamin content such as beta-carotene, vitamin B2, vitamin C, and more. What about sweet potato for weight loss? Since they are high on fibre, they also promote the feeling of fullness, thereby reducing cravings and intake of calories. This also makes sweet potato a weight-loss superfood.

According to the Journal of Medicinal Food, since the sweet potato is a good source of carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals, it is a superfood for those who are involved in heavy-duty jobs. In fact, phytonutrients in sweet potatoes may even reduce health risk by free radicals.

Often, people ask if sweet potato is good for diabetics. Experts says this vegetable has a blood glucose lowering effect on the person with diabetes. Boiled sweet potato has a low glycemic index which falls between 40 and 50.

Also read: Try this baked sweet potato chips recipe

Can I eat sweet potato everyday?

Well, nutrition experts never suggest anyone to eat anything in excess. So, exercising moderation may be your best bet to reap the optimum health benefits of sweet potato.

“Since sweet potato is high on carbs and calories, eatong just a small bowl every day should be fine,” says nutrition expert Avni Kaul.