This recipe is from professional chef and restaurateur Natalia Bushyager who believes you can make 1 dish for the entire family including baby. She is equal parts Mother, Chef and Entrepreneur and guided by the philosophy that often the best way to prepare a meal is to let the ingredients speak for themselves. She is owner of Picnic on Third cafe in San Francisco and her culinary style takes inspiration from meals cooked by grandmothers around the world.
This side dish is a Picnic on Third staple that complements a variety of sides from roasted chicken to braised pork. Hand mashing keeps the texture interesting, while a sprinkling of our signature pumpkin seed dukkah keeps the interest up for adults by adding a little texture and spice.
Ingredients
- 3 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into large chunks
- 1 15 oz can of coconut milk (full fat is best here!)
- 1 small knob of ginger, lightly smashed
- ½ cup pumpkin seeds
- 1 tbsp. black pepper corns
- 1 tbsp. cumin seed
- 1 tbsp. coriander seed
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1 tbsp. olive oil
Instructions
For the mash:
- Cover the sweet potatoes and ginger with water and season generously with salt. Slowly bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer. Cook until the sweet potatoes are totally tender, 20-30 minutes (time will vary depending on size of potato pieces)
- When the potatoes are tender, drain well and discard the ginger. Mash in the same pot with the coconut milk, seasoning with additional salt and reheating if needed.
- Garnish with dukkah if desired!
For the dukkah
- Toast the pumpkin seeds in a small sauté pan over medium heat, stirring frequently, until golden brown and slightly puffed, 5-8 minutes. Set aside to cool, then pulse in a food processor or blender until coarsely chopped, 10-12 pulses or 30 seconds.
- Toast the whole spices and grind in a spice grinder, mortar and pestle, or blender, aiming for coarse but uniform.
- In a small bowl, combine the ground seeds, spices, and salt, then moisten with the olive oil. Keeps at room temperature for a few weeks. Enjoy!
