Name: tempura glazed crunchy sweet potatoes
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 55 min
Ingredients: 2 pounds sweet potatoes (washed, peeled and cut into 1-inch dice*); 1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon canola oil or butter; scant 1/4 low-sodium soy sauce; 1 tablespoon mirin (Japanese sweet rice wine); 1- inch piece of ginger (peeled and grated); 2 teaspoons rice vinegar; 1 teaspoon packed light brown sugar; 1 garlic clove (peeled and minced); 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs; 2 green onions (diced)

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03.14.2014

tempura glazed sweet potatoes

Growing up, my dad always made some variation of sauteed Chinese greens (gai lan, mustard greens or bok choy) a staple in our meals. I’m still working on my kids to get them to enjoy a good stir-fried green, but in the meantime, I recently stumbled on this delicious Japanese-inspired sweet potato dish. These tempura glazed sweet potatoes are super easy to prepare and have roasting in the oven while working on a main dish. The combination of crunchy, sweet and tangy was a hit with everyone in my family, including Gravy Too, who is having a thing right now with vegetables. I say “thing” because it’s not an outright rejection; it’s more like a decidedly tense love-hate situation.

Give these tempura glazed sweet potatoes a shot and let me know what you think!

tempura glazed crunchy sweet potatoes

Time55

CourseSide Dish

CuisineAsian

Servings3 -4

A crunchy, sweet side dish with Asian flavors.

Ingredients

2 pounds sweet potatoes (washed, peeled and cut into 1-inch dice*)
1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon canola oil or butter
scant 1/4 low-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon mirin (Japanese sweet rice wine)
1- inch piece of ginger (peeled and grated)
2 teaspoons rice vinegar
1 teaspoon packed light brown sugar
1 garlic clove (peeled and minced)
1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
2 green onions (diced)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
In a large bowl, combine 1/4 cup oil, soy sauce, mirin, ginger, rice vinegar, light brown sugar and garlic; add sweet potatoes and toss to coat well.
Spray a 13×9 baking dish with cooking spray and arrange sweet potato mixture in a single layer.
Cover dish with foil and bake for 25 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat remaining oil or butter in a skillet until shimmering.
Add panko bread crumbs, stirring constantly until panko is golden brown (watch the pan carefully so the panko doesn’t burn).
Remove panko to a paper towel-lined plate and let cool.
Remove the potatoes from the oven and remove the foil, stirring the potatoes.
Spread back into an even layer and roast, uncovered, an additional 10 minutes.
Remove potatoes again, toss, spread back into an even layer and roast for a final 10 minutes.
Remove potatoes from the oven and let cool slightly. Toss with panko and scallions and serve immediately.

Print Recipe

* I like using canola oil or butter when roasting in the oven because the smoke point is lower than that of olive oil, but you can substitute the butter/canola oil with olive oil if you want a healthier option.

(inspired by this Chow.com recipe)