Spicy Sweet Potato Fries with Sriracha Dipping Sauce

I have to confess, I substituted frozen sweet potato fries for fresh cut in this recipe. I know, shame on me. But, a baked “fry” is such a contradiction of terms. To slice up fresh potatoes, then bake them, and expect them to have the texture French fries are famous for, is like trying to re-invent the wheel. One blogger was so determined to duplicate the fried texture, she actually soaked, dried out her sliced potatoes for 8 to 12 hours, and then dredged them in cornstarch, before baking. While I applaud her efforts, I think I’ll leave it up to the experts, like Ore-Ida, to successfully duplicate the taste and texture of fried potatoes after baking. Also, I’m not really a fan of sweet potatoes, no matter how they are prepared, mainly because that’s what they are…sweet. This recipe, however, won me over. The blend of seasoning is perfect, not too spicy, just enough to give the fries a real depth of flavor.  But, the highlight of this whole dish is the Sriracha dip, which, by the way, can be used for any veggies. Thumbs up on this one!

Preheat oven to 425° F.

In small bowl, whisk together Sriracha and olive oil. Pour over sweet potatoes. I usually use a zippered plastic bag instead of a bowl.

In another small bowl, combine cumin, chili powder, paprika, salt and pepper. Add the spice mixture to the potatoes and toss to coat.

 Arrange potatoes, in a single layer, on an unoiled baking sheet. Bake on lowest rack of the oven for 10 minutes. Turn potatoes, and bake for an additional 10 minutes, or until golden brown on all sides.

While potatoes are baking, in small bowl, whisk together dipping sauce ingredients.

 Serve sweet potato fries with Sriracha dipping sauce.

SPICY SWEET POTATO FRIES WITH SRIRACHA DIPPING SAUCE
Source: NPR.org
Posted by: www.meldingmagic.com

 
INGREDIENTS:

• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon Sriracha chili-garlic sauce
• 2 large sweet potatoes, cut in 1/4-inch-by-2 inches strips,
•    or 1 (19-ounce) bag frozen sweet potato fries
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon chili powder (for more heat, use Mexican chili powder)
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

Sriracha Dipping Sauce:

• 1 cup sour cream, or 1 cup Greek yogurt
• 1 small garlic clove, minced
• 1 Tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice, or lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons Sriracha chili-garlic sauce (to taste)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

            
DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 425° F.
2. Whisk olive oil and Sriracha together in a small bowl. Pour over sweet potatoes in a large bowl (or
     zippered plastic bag) and toss to coat.
3. Combine cumin, chili powder, paprika, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Add spices to potatoes and
    toss to coat. Arrange potatoes in one layer on an unoiled baking sheet.
4. Bake on lowest rack 10 minutes. Turn potatoes with a spatula and bake 10 more minutes, or until
    golden brown on all sides.
5. While potatoes are cooking, whisk dipping sauce ingredients together in a small bowl.
6. Remove potatoes from oven. Serve with Sriracha dipping sauce.