Lentil Masala Sweet Potato Jackets
This one is a proper weeknight winner and we keep coming back to it whenever we want something that feels really satisfying but is still packed with good stuff. Sweet potatoes roasted until soft and caramelised, then loaded up with a smoky, spiced lentil masala that's rich, warming and genuinely full of flavour. The skins go a little crispy in the oven and the filling is creamy and hearty inside, so every mouthful is just brilliant. It's the kind of recipe that sounds fancy but is actually pretty straightforward once you get going. Make this tonight and you will not be disappointed.
Before You Start
- Preheat oven to 200°C
- Roasting tin
- Large pan with lid
- Fork
- Colander
Ingredients
- 4 medium sweet potatoes
- vegetable oil
- flakey salt
- 50g tahini
- 1 tsp curry powder
- ½ tsp turmeric powder
- ½ lime
- water (to loosen)
- salt to taste
- 2 large cloves of garlic
- 1 red chilli
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 60g tikka paste
- 2 400g tin of lentils
- 200ml coconut milk
- 2 handfuls of spinach
- 1 lime
- Salt and pepper
Method
Prepare the sweet potatoes
- Use a fork to pierce the sweet potatoes. Drizzle a little olive oil over the sweet potatoes and rub it into the skins, rub a little salt around the sweet potatoes. Put the sweet potatoes in the roasting tin. Roast for 40-45 minutes until soft and tender
Prepare the lentils
- Peel and finely chop or crush the garlic
- Finely chop the chilli (deseed for less heat)
- Heat 1 tbsp oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and tikka paste and cook for 1 minute. Drain and rinse the lentils and add them to the pan with the red chilli, coconut milk and a pinch of salt. Gently simmer for 15 minutes. By this point, the lentils should soak up most of the coconut milk
- Meanwhile, make the drizzle
Make the drizzle
- Add the tahini, 50ml water, curry powder, turmeric, salt and juice from 1⁄2 lime and stir to combine. Taste and season to perfection
Finish the lentils and serve
- Stir the spinach through the lentils and allow it to wilt in the heat
- Squeeze in the juice from a lime. Taste and season with salt, pepper and more lime juice if you’d like. Every sauce will taste different depending on the tikka paste
- Lay the sweet potatoes out equally on serving plates and split them down the middle with a sharp knife. Use a fork to fluff up the flesh of the potatoes before pressing down on the potatoes with the back of the fork to spread the potatoes out. Spoon the lentils over the sweet potato, drizzle the curried tahini over the sweet potatoes and serve immediately
Tips & Variations
- Got less time? You can speed up the sweet potatoes by microwaving them for 8-10 minutes first, then finishing them in the oven for 10 minutes to get those crispy skins. Not quite as good as the full roast but honestly still really tasty.
- Turn up the heat: If you like things spicy, leave the seeds in the chilli and add a pinch of cayenne to the lentils. Henry always throws in a little extra chilli and it really lifts the whole dish.
- Make it go further: A big dollop of vegan yoghurt and some fresh coriander on top takes this to another level. Ian discovered that a squeeze of lime right at the end brightens everything up beautifully, so don't skip that if you've got one knocking around.
Why This Works
The trick here is getting the sweet potatoes properly tender before you even think about the lentils. Rubbing the skins with oil and salt and giving them a full 40-45 minutes in the oven means they go almost jammy inside, which is exactly what you want as a base for that masala. The lentils soak up all those gorgeous spices and give the whole thing a real depth, so it never feels like anything is missing.