What about giving the sweet potatoes a savory treatment? Roasted until tender and slightly caramelized, then tossed in crushed red chili, sliced onions, green pepper, Parmesan cheese and some panch foron. Baked again, creating a wonderfully balanced sweet-savory, aromatic side dish. Hold on. What? Bengali aromatic five spice, panch foron, in a sweet potato au gratin that originated in France? Tantalizing, right?
The flavorful and aromatic Bengali panch foron fusion with cheese in this sweet potato gratin results in a gorgeous, delightful, satisfying dish. Parmesan cheese scattered over the sweet potatoes during the final 15 minutes of baking creates a delectable, crispy-chewy topping.
The Bengali panch foron or five spices are always used whole. The spice mix is generally a mixture of cumin seeds, fennel seeds, fenugreek seed, nigella seeds and radhuni. Black mustard seeds are often swapped for radhuni as radhuni may be hard to find in the Western world. All of these should be available at Bangladeshi/Indian markets or a good spice shop.
Whether you call it sweet potato au gratin, scalloped sweet potato or baked potato, this dish is a sophisticated alternative to traditional sweet potato dishes. With the softness of the potatoes, the satisfyingly crispy-chewy topping, the Bengali aromatic Panch foron flavor, the sweet-savory taste, this sweet potato gratin is the perfect way to round up your meal, be it the Thanksgiving meal, meal for any other holiday or just a meal to make any regular day a special day. Enjoy this dish with all of your senses!
- 2 lb sweet potato (about 4 depending on size)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium onion, sliced
- 1 small green bell pepper, sliced
- ½ teaspoon crushed red chili pepper
- ½ teaspoon panch foron
- Salt, according to taste
- ¼ cup Parmesan cheese
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Roast sweet potatoes until tender and starting to brown, 25 to 30 minutes.
- While potatoes are roasting, take a dry gratin dish and grease well with oil.
- Peel the roasted potatoes and cut into ½ inch rounds.
- Add a layer of potato rounds.
- Sprinkle half the crushed chili, panch foron and salt.
- Add a second layer of potatoes. Toss the sliced onions and green bell pepper.
- Sprinkle the remaining spices, salt and Parmesan cheese.
- Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 18-20 minutes or until cheese is bubbly.
The gratin is great with regular potatoes as well.
Adjust spices to your taste.
[print_this]রেসিপি: মিষ্টি আলুর গ্রাতিন
উপকরন:
২ পাউণ্ড মিষ্টি আলু (প্রায় ৪টি)
১ টেবিল চামচ তেল
১ টি মাঝারি পেঁয়াজ, স্লাইস
১ টি ছোট সবুজ বেল পেপার, স্লাইস
১/২ চা চামচ শুকনা মরিচের গুঁড়ো
১/২ চা চামচ পঁাচ ফোরন
১/৪ কাপ পারমেজান চীজ
লবন, স্বাদ অনুযায়ি
প্রস্তত প্রণালী:
১. ওভেন ৪০০ ডিগ্রী ফারেনহাইটে প্রিহিট করুন।
২. মিষ্টি আলু ওভেনে ২৫-৩০ মিনিট নরম না হওয়া পর্যন্ত রোস্ট/বেক করে নিন।
৩. তেল একটি বেকিং ট্রেতে মেখে রাখুন।
৪. আলু বেক হলে ছিলে নিন। গোলাকার ১/২ ইঞ্চি পুরু করে কেটে নিন।
৫. গোলাকার মিষ্টি আলু বেকিং ট্রেতে একটি লেয়ারে সাজিয়ে নিন।
৬. অধর্েক শুকনা মরিচের গুঁড়ো, পঁাচ ফোরন ও লবন ছিটিয়ে দিন।
৭. বাকী মিষ্টি আলু দ্বিতীয় স্তরে সাজান। পেঁয়াজ ও সবুজ বেল পেপারের স্লাইস আলুর উপর ছড়িয়ে দিন।
৮. বাকী মসলা ও পারমেজান চীজ ছিটিয়ে দিন।
৯. ওভেন ৩৫০ ডিগ্রী ফারেনহাইটে ১৮-২০ মিনিট বেক করুন।
প্রয়োজনিও কিছু টিপস্ এর জন্য দয়াকরে আটির্কেল অথবা ইংরেজি রেসিপির নোট সেকশনটা একটু দেখে নেবেন।[/print_this]
Fantastic! I bought sweet potatoes, I was looking for a not too complicate and healthy recipe. This is right up my alley. Your photography is very beautiful.
I love simple, not so complicated recipes. This one, as you said is healthy too. Thank you for your kind words and constant support Daniela. Have a fantastic weekend.
Paach foron is awesome! This is a creepy question, but is the book in the picture, the “Indian Delights” recipe book?
Hey – yes it is. I don’t remember how I own that book. I usually remember when someone gives me something as gift, so I know it wasn’t a gift. I didn’t buy it either, so the book is creepy. Have you ever used any recipe from the book? I have never even tried to read any of the recipe from the book. Is any of the recipes any good?
This is the first recipe book that I ever owned (it was actually a photocopy, cause they temporarily stopped printing the original), I eventually found the original! Its written by south african women and it has really good desi recipes, because they moved before the seperation. Its the must have book in any desi house back home. It even has recipes for mass cooking (100+), that my mom used when cooking for my gaye holud and I used dessert recipes for my wedding desserts. Flip through it when you get a chance, some recipes might catch your eye too!
Will have to look at it. Thank you for the recommendation. Our family kitchen bible has always been Siddika Kabi’rs book. I am grateful to her as I developed my cooking skills using her book 🙂
I have the bangla Siddika Kabir,(my mom gave it to me as a joke when I got married, cause I can’t read bangla) and also the simpler english one. But I like this book much more for desi cooking, it might be because the recipes have been modified for locally available ingredients. I hope you find a few food recipes in there! Have a great thanksgiving!
This gratin looks wholesome and super delish, Lail!
It is delicious, Denise. I love it when I make it with regular potato as well 🙂 Thank you for pinning. Have a fabulous weekend.
Gratin looks delish Lail. Love the punch to it you have given…
This dish was an accident and, my oh my, do we love it? Thanks Rekha for stopping by. I love the panch foron spin on the dish as well.
As I simply could not live without sweet potatoes this is a very welcome recipe addition! Have not used green peppers in my recipe either . . . Living semi-rurally would have to mix my own panch foron but do have all the elements in my pantry! Looks great and shall be tried 😉 !
Eha – Thank you so much for coming over. I am glad to hear that you’ll try out this recipe. I would love to know how you like the dish when you try it 🙂
Have a fabulous weekend.
Sweet potato seems to be in vogue my friend, this gratin looks wonderful 😀
Cheers
CCU
Thank you, Uru.
This gratin looks lovely. The crispy chewy topping and the spices sound incredible!
Thank you, Ruby.
I really like savory sweet potato dishes, including nice gratins like this. I love all the spices in it! Something I haven’t done in this sort of gratin, but need to try. Thanks so mluch.
I hope you really try it out. I can tell that you’ll love it. Thanks you for coming over.
love how you made those colors POP! Looks so good and was fun to read about.
Thank you, Liz. This dish was put together in a whim and it become so good that we made it a second time on the same week 🙂 Glad you love the colors, I do too. Thank you so much.
This looks great! I just bought nigella seeds and cooked with them for the first time. I absolutely loved them! I’ve never had panch foron but really want to make some. Would you use all the spices in equal proportions?
Thanks! 🙂
Hi Puja. Yes, you can use all the spices in equal proportions. If you like nigella seeds, I can tell you’ll love the additional seeds in panch foron too. Have you seen my oatmeal cookie with nigella?
Thank you puja.
This recipe sounds delicious and love the new spin you took on it. I liked it so much I mentioned it on my blog as a Thanksgiving alternative recipe. Wishing you a super week. BAM
Bobby – I am flattered and humbled for your mention. Thank you so so much. I am so glad you loved it. Have a fabulous week.
A beautiful gratin! What wonderful flavors. Scrumptious.
Cheers,
Rosa
Thank you, Rosa.
Oh Lail, this sweet potato sure look awesome, packed with flavor…love all the seeds in it….yum!
Have a wonderful week 😀
It is Juliana. The colors and flavors of this dish is outstanding. Glad you like it. You too, have a wonderful week.
This Bengali spin sounds like a nice little take on a something we see a lot at our table : D Great colors!
Thank you, Francesca. Glad you like it.