Sweet Potato Chaat (Baked Shakarkandi Chaat)

Let me introduce you to an underrated hidden gem: Indian sweet potato chaat (shakarkandi chaat). A medley of bold and vibrant flavours — roasted sweet potatoes, chutneys, and toppings — all come together to form a healthy dish that’s as visually impressive as it is tasty.

Sweet potato chaat may not be as popular as staunch favourites like ragda pattice or dahi puri chaat bombs, but it still has a following. Visit the street markets of Delhi during the winter months and you’ll see vendors handing out hundreds of leaf plates piled high with irresistible sweet potato chaat.

For me, sweet potato chaat always makes me think of the autumn (fall) season. Here in the U.K., the streets turn into rivers of burnt orange fallen leaves, the old stone buildings emit a welcoming warm glow, and the nights start to grow long and cold.

At such times, I look towards more robust, filling dishes. Carbs — Lots of carbs. And who doesn’t love potatoes?

Honestly, I wasn’t the biggest fan of sweet potatoes. But after I tried them a few times, I became obsessed with the rich and nutty flavour. It holds its own against the fiery, earthy, and aromatic Indian spices perfectly.

Plus, since this is such a hands-off recipe, you can watch some cosy TV while the sweet potatoes and chickpeas are roasting, then you’ll just need to spare a few minutes to mix the chaat together. Easy peasy.

❓ What is Sweet Potato Chaat?

Chaat is a subgenre of Indian cuisine. It usually features a crispy base topped with flavoursome, colourful chutneys, fresh herbs, and chopped vegetables.

This pattern is evident in my recipes, including palak patta chaat, dahi puri, and sprouts chaat. Sweet potato chaat is no different!

Here, vibrant roasted cubes of sweet potatoes are the base, while spiced crunchy chickpeas, chopped red onion, citrusy chopped coriander, pomegranate, crunchy sev (chickpea noodles) sweet tamarind, refreshing yoghurt, and piquant green chutney make up the toppings. It’s unbelievably moreish.

It sounds blasphemous, but you can think of sweet potato chaat an Indian version of potato salad!

🍠 Ingredient Notes

You can find the full list, with quantities, in the recipe card below.

• Sweet potatoes (shakarkandi) are rich, sweet, and creamy once roasted. I use the orange variety — the most accessible in the UK — but white sweet potatoes are just as tasty.
• Chickpeas add tonnes of nutrition to our recipe, but once roasted, they also provide a crunchy texture that complements the chaat.
• Oil is needed to roast sweet potatoes and chickpeas.
• Spices such as red chilli and cumin powder are added to our sweet potatoes and chickpeas when roasted, coating them in a fiery, earthy seasoning.
• Toppings such as onion, pomegranate, fresh coriander, and sev build layers of contrasting flavour and texture.
• Chutneys including vibrant, zesty green chutney, tangy tamarind chutney, and sweetened yoghurt are powerhouses of flavour. They can be made in advance or bought.
• Lime cuts through the sharp spice with a citrusy, tart sweetness.
• Chaat masala is a complex finishing spice essential for any chaat dishes!

Allergy Information

Sweet potato chaat is naturally gluten free, soy free, and nut free.

Where many similar recipes use peanuts to bring an element of crunch, I’ve switched them out for chickpeas, which supply a similar crispness and more plant-based protein, while staying allergy-friendly.

Because sweet potato chaat is topped with yoghurt, it’s not vegan. Nevertheless, it’s easily adaptable, and you can easily make shakarkandi chaat vegan by switching to a dairy-free alternative.

Variations and Substitutions

If you want to try some fun variations, the sky is the limit!

While I don’t recommend changing the recipe too much, and I always advise readers to make the recipe directly as written the first few times, here are a few examples of things you can change without losing the essence of the dish:

• Switch out chickpeas for roasted sunflower seeds, roasted/fried lentils, crispy peas, or roasted nuts.
• Add more herbs (such as chopped mint) alongside the fresh coriander, to add yet another nuance of flavour.
• Recreate Dishoom House Chaat by serving the meal with piled juliennes of beetroot, radish, and carrots on top.
• Crush papdi over the chaat to add extra crunch — or, for a fusion flare, try potato crisps.

🧑‍🍳 How to Make Sweet Potato Chaat

Sweet potato chaat is a straightforward, hands-off dish. You don’t need any complicated cooking skills, so it’s the perfect recipe for beginner cooks.

However, if you want the process to be as smooth as possible, I recommend making a few elements in advance. Namely, the chutneys — although they can also be storebought. No one’s judging … easy peasy.

You can find the full instructions in the recipe card below.

1. Roast the sweet potato and chickpeas by coating them in oil and spices, spreading them out, and then cooking until they have crispy edges.
2. Mix the chaat by transferring the sweet potato and chickpeas to a large bowl along with the chutneys. Shake well to coat.
3. Serve the sweet potato chaat by transferring it to a plate and topping it with chopped onion, coriander, pomegranate, and sev.
4. Finally, sprinkle with chaat masala and a squeeze of lime.

👩🏼‍🏫 Expert Tips

Honestly, there’s so little cooking involved in the recipe that there’s not much that can go wrong.

So, these expert tips are less about what might go wrong, than what you can potentially change to make the dish even better:

• Want a quicker option? You can air-fry the sweet potato and chickpeas (separately). Preheat your air fryer, prepare the ingredients as instructed, and cook for 10 minutes at 200 C (400 F).
• Crisp the sweet potatoes by adding cornflour to the oil and spice mixture before roasting. While this recipe makes softly roasted creamy sweet potato chunks with charred edges for extra tastiness, this version will be crisssspy.

🍽️ Serving Suggestions

You can serve shakarkandi chaat hot or cold — it tastes fantastic either way.

If you serve the dish hot, the warmth of the sweet potatoes and chickpeas contrasts beautifully with the cooling nature of the chutneys, especially yoghurt.

Conversely, serving the dish cold allows the flavours to meld together, and the seasoning can sometimes taste more bold and powerful. It’s especially well suited to hot days.

You don’t need to serve anything on the side of sweet potato chaat since the flavours are strong enough to stand alone — plus, the dish is surprisingly nourishing and filling.

Hosting a party? Make a DIY sweet potato chaat station by including ingredients in bowls and letting guests help themselves, making the dish customisable (and taking even more of the work off your hands!). It’s an uber-impressive and entertaining option.

❤️‍🔥 Everything You’ll Love About This Recipe

If you tried this sweet potato chaat recipe — or any other recipe on my website — please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know your thoughts in the ✍️comments at the bottom of the page. Thanks for being a part of my community!

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