Sweet Potato Wedges with Rice and Peas — a plant-based British recipe by BOSH!
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Sweet Potato Wedges with Rice and Peas

This one is a proper weeknight winner and we genuinely make it on rotation. Jerk-spiced sweet potato wedges with crispy edges, fluffy rice and peas; it's the kind of meal that feels dead satisfying without being heavy. The jerk rub is punchy, warming and a little smoky, and the desiccated coconut in the coating adds this subtle sweetness that just works so well against the heat. It all comes together in about 40 minutes, and the washing up is minimal, which honestly makes us love it even more. If you've never tried jerk sweet potato before, tonight is the night.

Cook: 40 min
Serves 4

Before You Start

  • Preheat oven to 200°C
  • Food processor
  • Large mixing bowl
  • Large baking tray
  • Large pan with lid
  • Sieve

Ingredients

  • 1 tbsp fresh thyme
  • 1 ½ tsp salt
  • 1 ½ tbsp allspice
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tsp nutmeg
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • 1 ½ tbsp tomato purée
  • 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 3 spring onions
  • 2 inches of ginger - peeled, roughly chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves - roughly chopped
  • 2 Scotch Bonnets - deseeded
  • 1 lime - juiced
  • 4 medium sweet potatoes
  • 1 tbsp desiccated coconut
  • 1 tbsp salt
  • 2 tsp allspice
  • 200g basmati rice
  • 1 spring onion - finely chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves - minced
  • 6 sprigs of thyme
  • ⅔ x 400g can of full fat coconut milk
  • 200ml cold water
  • 1 x 400g can of kidney beans - drained
  • side salad
  • chilli sauce
  • mixed seeds

Method

1

First, make the sweet potato wedges

  • Cut the sweet potatoes into wedges and fork the wedges a few times (this will help the flavour of the rub get right into the flesh of the sweet potato
  • Put all the Jerk Rub ingredients into a food processor and whizz them up into a thick paste
  • Pour the paste and the desiccated coconut and the wedges into a mixing bowl and mix everything round so the potatoes are well covered in flavour
  • Place the seasoned wedges on a baking tray, put the tray in the oven and bake the wedges for 30-35 minutes at 200°C
2

Then, make the rice

  • Pour the rice into a pan filled with cold water and stir it round until the water is cloudy
  • Pour the rice into a sieve to drain off the water and pour the rice back into the pan
  • Pour all the other ingredients, except the beans, back into the pan and lightly stir them into the rice
  • Put the rice on the stove, turn the heat up and when the rice hits boiling point, reduce the temperature, put the lid on, set to a gentle simmer and leave the pan on the stove for 10 minutes
  • Take the lid off, pour the beans into the pan, gently fold them into the rice and let the rice sit for 5 minutes
3

Serve and enjoy!

  • Take the wedges out of the oven and serve them immediately with the rice, a side salad, some chilli sauce and a sprinkle of mixed seeds

Tips & Variations

  • Make it spicier: We love a good kick so we sometimes throw in an extra chilli when blitzing the jerk rub. Start with the recipe amount and taste the paste before coating; you're in control.
  • Rice hack: If you want to save time, microwave rice pouches work brilliantly here. No shame in it at all, we use them all the time on busy nights.
  • Get ahead: You can make the jerk paste a day or two in advance and keep it in the fridge. It actually gets better as the flavours settle, so it's a great one to prep on a Sunday.

Why This Works

The trick is forking the sweet potato wedges before you coat them. It sounds small, but it lets the jerk paste get right into the flesh so you get flavour all the way through, not just on the surface. Blitzing the rub into a thick paste in the food processor means every wedge gets properly coated and you get this incredible crust as it roasts. The coconut in the mix is the secret weapon; it balances the spice and gives the wedges a gorgeous colour in the oven.