Easy Roasted Japanese Candy Potato Wedges

May 29, 2024

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These easy roasted Japanese candy potato wedges are crispy and salty on the skin, tender and candy on the within. They make for an irresistable vegan aspect dish or snack, particularly when you serve them with a fantastic dipping sauce!

An overhead image of crispy roasted Japanese sweet potato wedges. They're arranged on a white platter with a bright yellow dipping sauce.

I initially created these roasted Japanese candy potato wedges to be a part half of a bigger recipe.

I began snacking on them once they have been recent out of the oven, as I labored on the entire different parts.

I couldn’t imagine how good they have been.

Baked Japanese candy potatoes have been already a favourite. I had cubed and roasted them up to now as effectively, however I didn’t keep in mind discovering any previous batch as irresistable because the wedges I used to be sampling now.

Why have been the wedges so a lot better?

The reply, I noticed, was that reducing the potatoes into lengthy wedges was the perfect of two worlds, baking and roasting.

The wedges have been sizable sufficient that their interiors have been creamy and candy, harking back to baked Japanese candy potatoes.

Nonetheless, roasting these wedges gave their exteriors a pleasing, crispy texture, together with the depth of taste that comes with a bit of browning.

With cubes, there’s nice crispiness and browned edges. But the splendidly creamy texture of the potatoes is misplaced.

Wedges have all of it. And, as an added bonus, wedges are particularly enjoyable to snack on, to function appetizers, or to pile onto dinner plates as a aspect dish.

Let’s dive into my new favourite technique to eat one in every of my favourite potato varieties!

What are Japanese candy potatoes?

First issues first: let’s speak in regards to the distinction between various kinds of candy spuds.

Candy potatoes are root greens with great versatility. They are often mashed, roasted, baked, pureed into hummus (and even cashew cheese), blended into soup, or formed into veggie burgers.

Two bowls of a creamy vegan sweet potato and roasted red pepper soup, topped with homemade croutons.

For a small sampling of the various, some ways by which I prefer to eat candy potatoes, you may try my roundup of 20 healthful vegan candy potato recipes.

More often than not, my candy potato recipes characteristic the orange candy potato varieties which can be most prevalent and standard in America.

These are Beauregard, jewel, pink garnet, and Covington candy potatoes.

Nonetheless, at any time when I spot a candy potato with purple pores and skin and white flesh, I seize it.

Any candy potato that matches such an outline could be labeled as a Japanese candy potatoes in American grocery shops. Truly, there are some distinctions price stating.

An overhead image of whole and sliced Japanese sweet potatoes on a light brown cutting board. — Purple-skinned potatoes which have a white inside, together with Murasaki candy potatoes, are sometimes labeled or offered as Japanese candy potatoes.

Japanese candy potatoes vs Murasaki candy potatoes

One of the extensively offered forms of purple-skinned candy potatoes within the US are Murasaki candy potatoes. They’ve reddish purple pores and skin and a white inside.

As soon as cooked, Marusaki candy potatoes can have chestnut and vanilla taste notes. They’re drier and extra starchy than most orange candy potato varieties.

Relying on how lengthy you cook dinner these potatoes for—and at what temperature—they’ll develop an nearly cake-like texture.

Whereas they could be offered as Japanese candy potatoes, Marusaki candy potatoes have been truly developed in Louisiana within the aughts. As we speak, they’re grown primarily in California.

Then again, there are totally different cultivars of candy potato which can be generally grown in Japan. Satsumaimo, or Japanese candy potatoes, embody beni azuma and shiruku suito.

These candy potatoes are longer and thinner in diameter that Marusaki candy potatoes. Their flesh takes on a lightweight golden coloration after roasting or baking, they usually caramelize simply.

As soon as baked or roasted, these candy potatoes can grow to be meltingly tender and deeply candy.

Whereas I do spot satsumaimo in grocery shops close to me, particularly in New York Metropolis’s Chinatown, I discover Marusaki candy potatoes extra incessantly.

Both sort of potato will work on this recipe. You can too use Korean purple potatoes, an heirloom selection that appears similar to Marusaki candy potatoes.

Japanese candy potatoes vitamin

I’ve written already in regards to the glorious vitamin supplied by orange candy potatoes.

This consists of beta carotene, which is the precursor to Vitamin A, fiber, Vitamin C, and energy-sustaining complicated carbohydrates.

Japanese candy potatoes have related dietary advantages. We are likely to affiliate beta-carotene with orange-hued meals, together with orange-fleshed candy potatoes, carrots, and butternut squash.

Nonetheless, white-fleshed Japanese candy potatoes and Marusaki candy potatoes are additionally good sources of beta carotene.

Consequently, these potatoes can be glorious sources of Vitamin A, which performs a job in eye well being, in regulating cell progress and division, and in white blood cell manufacturing. Japanese candy potatoes are additionally nice sources of Vitamin C.

Japanese candy potatoes include modest quantities of two vital minerals, iron and calcium (about 10% and 4% of the RDA, respectively). They’re excellent sources of potassium, which performs a job in fluid steadiness.

Lastly, Japanese candy potatoes are good sources of dietary fiber, a very good portion of which is soluble fiber.

This kind of fiber is related to digestive regularity, and it performs a job in sustaining wholesome a wholesome lipid profile.

The underside line? Japanese candy potatoes are as nutrient-dense as different candy potato varieties.

Additionally, it by no means hurts to eat a wide range of totally different shades of a specific plant meals. I’m pondering not solely of pink, purple, white, and orange potatoes, but in addition beans, quinoa, rice, and plenty of others.

These colours point out the presence of various antioxidants, every of which can be related to potential well being choices.

Selecting and storing Japanese candy potatoes

Japanese candy potatoes might be present in some mainstream grocers within the US, in addition to many pure and natural chains. When you’ve got an Asian grocer close to you, there’s a very good probability you may find the potatoes there.

Attempt to choose candy potatoes which can be agency and clean. When you deliver them dwelling, retailer them in a cool, dry place for as much as two weeks. Don’t retailer them within the fridge.

Slicing good potato wedges

The form of your lower potatoes issues for this recipe, so the primary and most vital preparation step is to interrupt out your chef’s knife.

First, trim the tops and bottoms of the potatoes. Then, lower the potatoes in half lengthwise.

Utilizing a pointy chef’s knife, proceed to chop the potatoes lengthwise into wedges, or spears, which can be 3/4-inch / 2cm extensive at their thickest half.

When you use medium sized potatoes, you then must get 8-12 wedges per potato.

Getting ready roasted Japanese candy potato wedges

When you’ve lower the potatoes, it’s time to season after which roast them.

The seasonings for this recipe are so easy: simply avocado oil and salt. If you wish to add pepper of some sort, you may, however I truly favor the potatoes with out it.

You’ll have a chance to season the potatoes additional with a dipping sauce (or two) after roasting. However we’ll get to that in a second.

First, the cooking steps.

Long cut spears of Japanese sweet potato are arranged on a marble surface. A small salt cellar and pinch pot of oil are nearby. — The seasonings for the roasted Japanese candy potato wedges are quite simple: avocado oil, which is nice for roasting, and salt. Including a dipping sauce afterward can create extra taste!

Step 1: Season

That is very easy: line a baking sheet with parchment or foil. Prepare the wedges on that sheet, then drizzle them with oil.

Combine the wedges round along with your arms, coating them effectively and evenly with the oil, then sprinkle them with salt.

That’s it! Seasoning, achieved.

Step 2: Roast

You’ll switch the wedges to a pre-heated oven and roast them for 30-35 minutes.

It’s important to flip the wedges over midway via baking, in order that either side brown and crisp evenly.

Wedges of Japanese sweet potato are arranged on a brown parchment sheet. — Coat the wedges effectively with avocado oil, then prepare them on their lined baking sheet in neat rows.

By way of doneness, the purpose is for the wedges to be browning in spots and crispy throughout, but not burnt.

When you like a bit of extra burnt texture, then go for 30-40 minutes at 400°F. When you favor to your roasted wedges to be much less crispy, then half-hour will seemingly be tremendous.

Select your dipping sauce

At this level, you may serve the roasted wedges precisely as they’re.

The excellent news is that this sort of root vegetable is so candy and substantive that you just actually don’t have to taste it closely.

Nonetheless, I believe it’s enjoyable to serve the wedges with a stellar sauce.

These days, I’m all in regards to the combo of roasted Japanese candy potato with the vegan yum sauce that I shared (or re-shared) lately.

This tangy, golden concoction is filled with acid and tremendous zippy. It’s a very nice counterbalance for the candy, earthy Japanese candy potato.

Nonetheless, there are such a lot of different dressings that work superbly with the roasted candy wedges. Listed below are a few of my different favorites:

An angled photograph of a small, round ceramic bowl, which contains a golden colored sauce and a small serving spoon.

Meal prep & storage

It’s fairly laborious to withstand devouring the entire roasted Japanese candy potato wedges once they’ve simply emerged from the oven and are cooling on their baking sheet.

Nonetheless, when you’re doing a little vegan meal prep for the week, these generally is a nice contribution to your efforts.

The wedges might be saved in an hermetic container within the fridge for as much as 4 days. To reheat them earlier than serving, flip your oven to 400°F—this may be certain that they get good and crispy once more.

Prepare the wedges on a baking sheet and heat them within the oven for 5-10 minutes, or till sizzling and re-crisping.

At this level, you may go forward and revel in what you ready for future you.

The Vegan Week

Embrace the enjoyment of consuming do-it-yourself meals day by day with the hearty and healthful recipes in The Vegan Week.

Whether or not you will have three, two, and even only one hour of time to spare, The Vegan Week will present you find out how to batch cook dinner diversified, colourful, and comforting dishes over the weekend.