Padma Lakshmi's sweet potatoes with a 'tangy' tamarind glaze is perfect for Thanksgiving

Sweet potatoes are famously former first lady Michelle Obama’s favorite fall vegetable. 

With the American autumnal feast soon approaching, there are tons of recipes floating around to consider for your family’s Thanksgiving table, from Southern-style mac and cheese to Gordon Ramsay's turkey gravy recipe. Sweet potato casserole topped with melted marshmallows has become somewhat of a Thanksgiving staple for many Americans. However, Padma Lakshmi’s unique twist on the sweet potato recipe is a great one to consider to switch up your holiday dinner this year.

The Indian-born celebrity chef said she loves to make this roasted sweet potato recipe for Diwali, but it also fits in perfectly with the typical Turkey Day dinner. For her recipe, she oven-roasts the fall vegetable and tops it with a tamarind glaze, which gives it a tangy twist. You can make it yourself in about an hour and 15 minutes.

READ MORE: Here's how much Thanksgiving turkeys are going to cost in 2023

Ingredients

• 1 ½ pounds of sweet potatoes, scrubbed and cut lengthwise into wedges

• 2 tablespoons of canola oil, divided

• ¾ teaspoon of kosher salt, divided

• 1 small yellow onion, chopped

• 2 ¼ cups of water, divided

• 2 teaspoons of ground cumin

• 1 teaspoon of crushed red pepper

• ¼ cup of tamarind concentrate 

• 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar

• 1 cup of low-fat plain yogurt

• ¼ cup of chopped fresh dill or parsley, divided

• ½ cup of pomegranate arils (seeds)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450°F.
2. Combine sweet potato wedges, one tablespoon of oil and 1/2 teaspoon in a large bowl. Toss well to coat. Then spread evenly on a large rimmed baking sheet and roast until golden on the bottom, which should take approximately 30 to 35 minutes. Flip and continue roasting until tender, which should take about 10 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, combine onion and 1/4 cup water in a blender and puree until smooth.
4. Heat the remaining one tablespoon of oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion puree, cumin, crushed red pepper and 1/8 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring frequently, until darker in color, thickened and slightly reduced, which should take approximately 3 to 4 minutes.
5. Add tamarind concentrate, sugar and the remaining two cups of water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to maintain a simmer and cook until reduced by about half, which should take about 40 minutes.
6. Whisk yogurt and the remaining 1/8 teaspoon salt in a small bowl. Stir in 2 tablespoons dill (or you can sub with parsley).
7. Arrange the sweet potato wedges skin-side down in a circular pattern on a platter. Drizzle the tamarind sauce in a circular pattern, followed by the yogurt mixture. Sprinkle with pomegranate arils and the remaining 2 tablespoons dill (or parsley).