Move over, potato fritters and fries — there’s a root on the rise, and it’s sweet and yummy. Popular for a few years as the healthier version of the versatile alu, sweet potato is having a major glow-up, popping up in many dishes from gourmet salads to baos and could give your favourite potato-based dish a run for their money. With chefs worldwide getting creative with the rangalu (sweet potato sushi, anyone?), even Kolkata, the city that takes its food as seriously as its nap, is slowly hopping on the sweet spud bandwagon. From cafes dishing out sweet potato ravioli to restaurants whipping up crispy sweet potato fries, it’s clear that this root is here to slay, one delicious bite at a time.
My Kolkata sampled some sweet potato dishes at different city eateries to recommend to readers.
Ravioli at Mirabelle
Sweet Potato Ravioli with Brown Butter Sauce
Sweet Potato Ravioli with Brown Butter Sauce: The house-made ravioli is filled with a rich, creamy blend of cheesy sweet potato, which is then smothered in a delicate and flavourful brown butter sauce.
Price: Rs 499
Address: 2/2, Keyatala Road, Golpark
Salad at The Daily Cafe
Moroccan Salad
Moroccan Salad: This vibrant salad comes with fluffy couscous paired with spicy harissa-coated chickpeas and crispy falafel, topped with a crunchy seed mix. What brings it all together is a creamy sweet potato hummus, which also adds a touch of earthiness, while tangy pickled onions and crumbled feta bring a burst of sharpness.
Price: Rs 275
Address: 5, Satyen Dutta Road, Lake Market
Baos at Ping’s Café Orient
Hanok Village’s Sweet Potato Baos
Hanok Village’s Sweet Potato Baos: These plant-based baos are healthy, high in protein, and crafted from lotus flour. The sweet potato used in it is fried tempura style and is placed inside the bao with lettuce and cucumber. The bao is then finished off with a handsome drizzle of their dynamite sauce — a spicy mayo-based concoction. The Asian restaurant also serves a Crispy Sweet Potato where the root is deep fried and served with onions, bell peppers, and a chili dressing
Price: Rs 545
Address: 11-10, Sir William Jones Sarani, Middleton Row, Park Street area
Chips and dip at Serafina
Spinach Dip with Sweet Potatoes
Spinach Dip with Sweet Potatoes: A fun take on chips and dip, this dish has sweet potato crisps or chips, served with a spinach dip that has a zing of anchovies.
Price: Rs 500
Address: No 33, Quest mall, Syed Amir Ali Avenue, Park Circus
Gnocchi at Sienna Store and Cafe
Ranga Aloo Posto Gnocchi in Bonolokkhi Ghee Sauce
Ranga Aloo Posto Gnocchi in Bonolokkhi Ghee Sauce: This dish is Sienna’s take on the Bengali classic alu posto and true to their bajar-totable ethos. The sweet potatoes are sourced from Mati Farms in Odisha and the ghee is from Santiniketan’s Bonolokkhi Farms where Sienna’s workshop is located. Pillowy gnocchi in a flavourful ghee sauce, the dish is all things a bowl of comfort food should be.
(Sienna Store and Cafe is currently closed for renovations and will reopen soon)
Price: Rs 625
Address: 49/1, Hindustan Park, Gariahat