The perfectly spiced, nutrient-dense, and super simple spin on your classic Aloo Gobi potatoes: these Indian Sweet Potato Chicken Bowls have become a staple in my house!
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Indian food truly has my heart. That being said, I really don’t know many traditional cultural dishes. In reality, when I order Indian takeout, I’m usually sticking to the well-known classics… aka something along the lines of tandoori chicken, naan, vindaloo, or tikka masala. On the other hand, when I go out to Indian, I usually opt for something more exotic… but, like, I have no idea what I’m eating! Hence, my predicament: I really don’t know too many traditional Indian foods. In 2022, I’ve been trying to branch out from my general realm of food knowledge to learn the classic dishes of other cultures… the type of food I may not be able to make as well as those who have been making it for generations, but that I can take my own spin on, ya know? In reading about Aloo Gobi, the pan fried spiced potato and cauliflower dish of India, I knew this recipe was the perfect contender. Thus, these Indian Sweet Potato Chicken Bowls were born — and they’re freaking delicious!!
the breakdown…
These Indian Sweet Potato Chicken Bowls are a nice mix between your classic Aloo Gobi and something a bit more jazzed up. You see, the traditional recipe calls for a lot of obscure spices and pastes that I just don’t have access to on a daily basis. So, I made a few substitutions of my own. Oh, and, how did I forget to mention… I use sweet potatoes for this recipe as opposed to your basic russet or Yukon gold. They just have so much more flavor, in my opinion, and bring so many nutrients to the table. Plus, I added some flavorful spiced chicken to the mix — bringing in even more nutrients and protein, and really just taking this side dish into a full on meal. One and done is always easier, in my opinion.
All this said, I still followed a somewhat classic technique for this Indian Sweet Potato Chicken Bowls recipe. To start things off, you have to par cook your sweet potatoes and cauliflower by boiling them in a large pot. This saves you a lot of time when it comes time to throw everything onto the stove. While getting that going, I like to mix up the spices: cumin, turmeric, garam masala, chili powder, and coriander. Nothing crazy, yet so delicious. Garam Masala is really a mixture of a ton of different Indian spices, which brings in most of that good cozy flavor here. Still, when sautéed up with tons of fresh garlic and ginger, all of the flavors shine.
Into that fragrant oil, go ahead and sauté up some onion and jalapeño. The pepper is not overly spicy, especially with the seeds removed. Rather, it’s a nice contrast to the sweet potato. If you’re prone to spice, however, feel free to reduce this to half of a pepper. Moreover, the addition of a bit of mango chutney really cools everything down. I like to buy my chutney from the store (usually in the Indian section or jam section), but you could also make yours homemade. Alternatively, if you can get your hands on it, you can substitute the chutney with some dried mango powder. I find that this is only available in specialty stores, so, while it is traditional to an Aloo Gobi, I opt to use more mainstream ingredients here. Go with what you can find, though!
blend it up…
Cook that all up until golden and caramelized and then you have even more options: to blend or to not blend. I left this step optional because it’s not reallllly necessary. However, your classic Aloo Gobi is composed of a ginger garlic paste, so I like to mimic that by using my immersion blender to puree up all of these flavors. But, at the end of the day, if you have an immersion blender, I say go for it… if you are contemplating the strenuous task of transferring everything to a blender or food processor, I say leave it chunky. It’s truly delicious either way.
With those onions ready to go, go ahead and toss in your chicken and sweet potatoes. The chicken should be coated in a good amount of spice and tomato paste by itself, just because it’s hard for chicken to cook up all of that flavor sometimes. The sweet potatoes, on the other hand, really take in so much flavor by simply cooking in the onion mixture. Give those more sturdy ingredients a few minutes to start cooking, then go in with your cauliflower, which takes a bit less time. For both vegetables, however, you want to make sure they are incredibly dry before tossing them into the skillet. The goal of the skillet is to achieve a somewhat healthier “pan-fry,” aka to make the potatoes and cauliflower super crisp. The dryer the veggies, the crispier they will be… so don’t forget to pat them with a towel!!
how to serve it up…
Finish everything off with the addition of some juicy diced tomatoes and a bit of broth. Give your liquids some time to reduce down and voila! Your aloo gobi is just about done. Top everything off with some fresh labneh (aka strained, thick mediterranean yogurt) and some fresh cilantro for a bit of brightness. Oh, and definitely serve these with a side of pita or homemade naan. It’s the best for sopping up all those flavors. These Indian Sweet Potato Chicken Bowls are the perfect, balanced, easy meal. You’ve got the cozy, hearty sweet potatoes, protein packed chicken, and tons of good veggies and sauces. It really doesn’t get much better than this!
I hope you love these Indian Sweet Potato Chicken Bowls as much as I do! Let me know what you think in the comments below:))
Indian Sweet Potato Chicken Bowls
Course: Main CourseCuisine: Indian, FusionDifficulty: Easy6
servings20
minutes20
minutes40
minutesThe perfectly spiced, nutrient-dense, and super simple spin on your classic Aloo Gobi potatoes: these Indian Sweet Potato Chicken Bowls have become a staple in my house!
Ingredients
- aloo gobi (potatoes and cauliflower):
2 medium sweet potatoes, diced into ½ – 1 inch cubes
2 small heads cauliflower, pulled apart into small florets
2 tbsp avocado oil (or olive oil, or another neutral oil)
1 large sweet onion, finely diced
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 inch fresh ginger, grated
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and finely diced
3 tbsp mango chutney
2 large tomatoes, finely diced
1 cup broth
- spices:
1 tsp ground cumin
1tsp turmeric
1 tbsp garam masala
1 tbsp chili powder
1 tbsp ground coriander
- chicken:
1 lb chicken breasts, diced into 1 inch cubes
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 tbsp avocado oil (or olive oil, or another neutral oil)
- assembly:
¼ cup fresh cilantro, finely diced
Labneh or greek yogurt, to serve
Warm naan or pita, to serve
Instructions
- Fill a large pot with salted water. Bring to a boil, then toss in the sweet potatoes and cauliflower. Boil the vegetables for 5-6 minutes, then drain and pat dry.
- In a small bowl, whisk all of the spices until combined.
- In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Once hot, toss in the onion, garlic, and ginger. Stir in HALF of the spice mixture.
- Optional: Using an immersion blender, puree your onion, garlic, ginger, jalapeño, and mango chutney until smooth.
- Toss the chicken cubes with the remaining half of the spice mixture, the tomato paste, and the additional tbsp of oil. Add the chicken and sweet potatoes to the skillet and sear for about 3 minutes. Then, toss in the cauliflower florets and cook everything for another 3 minutes.
- Pour in the tomatoes and broth into the skillet, and bring the liquids to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 6-8 minutes, or until the sauce has slightly reduced.
- Serve your saucy chicken and potatoes with a scoop of labneh and some fresh cilantro. Enjoy!