Recipe and images courtesy of Romy London (@romylondonuk on Instagram)

Indulge in a tasty adventure with these Vegan Buffalo Chickpea-Stuffed Sweet Potatoes! These loaded sweet potatoes are perfectly roasted and generously filled with fibre-rich chickpeas, cooked in a tangy buffalo sauce with a blend of spices for a smoky kick. Top them off with a dollop of coconut yoghurt, fresh coriander and a drizzle of balsamic glaze for a mouthwatering finish!

Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 60 minutes

Ingredients:

• 4 medium-size sweet potatoes
• 200g dried chickpeas, soaked, cooked & rinsed
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion, finely diced
• 2 tbsp hot sauce
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tsp smoked paprika powder
• ½ tsp garlic powder
• 150-200 ml water (for adjusting sauce texture)
• 60ml coconut yoghurt + extra for serving
• Salt and black pepper, to taste
• Fresh coriander, for garnish
• Balsamic glaze, for serving

Method:

1. Prepare the Chickpeas:

• 1.1 Soak the dried chickpeas overnight or for at least 8 hours. Drain and rinse.
• 1.2 Cook the chickpeas by boiling them in water for about 1 hour or until they are tender but not mushy. Drain, rinse and set aside.

2. Prepare the sweet potatoes: 

• 2.1 Preheat the oven to 200°C.
• 2.2 Wash and scrub the sweet potatoes. Pierce them with a fork a few times to allow steam to escape during baking.
• 2.3 Rub each sweet potato with a little olive oil and sprinkle with salt and black pepper.
• 2.4 Place the sweet potatoes on a baking sheet and bake in the preheated oven or about 45-60 minutes, or until they are tender when pierced with a fork.

3. Prepare the Buffalo Chickpeas:

• 3.1 In a pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat and sauté the onion until translucent.
• 3.2 Add the cooked chickpeas to the pan and sauté for a few minutes until they start to crisp up.
• 3.3 In a bowl, mix together the hot sauce, tomato paste, paprika, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper, then pour the buffalo sauce over the chickpeas in the pan.
• 3.4 Cook the chickpeas in the buffalo sauce for an additional 5-7 minutes, stirring to coat evenly. Adjust the texture of the sauce with a little water, and then stir in the coconut yoghurt before removing from the heat.

4. Assemble and serve:

• 4.1 Once the sweet potatoes are cooked, remove them from the oven.
• 4.2 Slice each sweet potato down the centre and top each sweet potato with the buffalo chickpeas.
• 4.3 Add a dollop of coconut yoghurt on top for extra creaminess and garnish with fresh coriander. Drizzle with balsamic glaze before serving and enjoy!