Description

Sesame Cumin Tofu Bowls loaded with crisp and tender roasted potatoes. A bowl of comfort that is surprisingly packed with nutrition and covered in a garlic yogurt sauce.

Ingredients

Scale

Crusted Potatoes

450g sweet potato (about a pound), peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces
450g baby Yukon gold potatoes (about a pound), halved
2 tbsp potato starch
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp smoked paprika
1/ tsp ground coriander
2 tbsp avocado oil
Kosher salt

Cumin Sesame Tofu

1 tsp cumin seeds
2 tsp sesame seeds
1, 16oz block super firm tofu (I used Nasoya)
1 1/2 tbsp tamari
1 tbsp potato starch
1 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp light brown sugar
1/2 tsp fresh ground white pepper
2 tbsp avocado oil + 1 tsp oil

Yogurt Garlic Sauce

3 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
2 tbsp lemon juice (juice of half a lemon)
1/2 cup thick plant-based yogurt or skyr
2 tbsp vegan mayo
2 tsp extra virgin olive oil (optional)

For Serving (Optional)

Marinated Onions
Fresh cilantro or microgreens

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Instructions

Preheat the oven to 425F. Line a large baking tray with parchment paper and brush a second large tray with some oil. Use a mortar and pestle to freshly grind the cumin seeds and sesame seeds, and set aside.
Fill a large pot with about a quart of cold water. Add the baby potatoes, sweet potatoes, and a generous amount of salt (about 2-3 tsp), then place over high heat until the water begins to boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook the potatoes for 5-8 minutes. You should be able to pierce a sweet potato and meet a little resistance (you do not want it to fall apart). Drain the potatoes well, then let the potatoes rest in the same pot off the burner for a minute to dry off from the remaining heat from the pot.
To the potatoes, add the potato starch, garlic powder, paprika, coriander, oil and a pinch of salt. Cover the pot with it’s lid, then shake the potatoes until fully coated and roughed up (this can also be done in a large storage container with a lid). Your potatoes should look like they are smeared with some softened sweet potato. Transfer the coated potatoes to the tray brushed with oil. Make sure that each piece is spread out so they aren’t touching and placed cut side down to maximize their contact with the pan for even roasting. Bake for 20 minutes, then use a thin spatula to carefully flip the potatoes. Spread them out again, then bake for another 10 minutes. Flip again, then bake for another 5-10 minutes, or until the crust has set and they are golden brown in color.
Finely crumble the tofu onto the parchment lined baking tray. Top with tamari, potato starch, garlic powder, sugar, white pepper, and 2 tbsp oil. Toss the mixture until evenly coated, then spread out into a single layer. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove the tofu from the oven and top with the cumin sesame mixture and the remaining tsp of oil. Use a spoon or spatula to toss the mixture together then bake for another 10 minutes.
Place the garlic cloves in a blender cup with the lemon juice. Use an immersion blender to blend the mixture into a paste. Add the yogurt, mayo, oil, and a generous pinch of salt. Blend until completely smooth.
For serving, divide the potatoes between bowls, then top each with a portion of the tofu. Drizzle the bowls with some yogurt sauce and any optional herbs or pickled onions as desired.

Notes

Don’t skip boiling your potatoes. While you can bake them as is, the flavor and texture after roasting improves significantly with the initial boil in salt water. Softening the potatoes also helps rough up your sweet potatoes enough to combine with the potato starch to create a nice crust around the potatoes as they bake.

Don’t overcook your potatoes. Sweet potatoes are more delicate. I find both the halved baby potatoes and sweet potatoes were cooked enough in 5 minutes, but you can cook longer if they are still tough. Essentially you want to be able to slowly pierce the potatoes without them falling apart.

Prep these components in advance to make this meal faster. At the start of the week, mix together the sauce then boil and rough up the potatoes. Both can be stored in the fridge as is for 5 days (and you can get some gut loving resistant starch in the process). When ready to enjoy, just season your potatoes and roast as the recipe indicates until crisp.

Manage your roasting to save time. I like to prep the tofu tray while the potatoes are boiling. Then once both trays are set, pop them into the oven at the same time.

Potato texture after roasting. In terms of expectation, the potatoes will get a nice crust to them with a pillowy center, but they will not be the same texture of something battered and fried. Right out of the oven, they will be crisp. Overtime, they will lose some of their crisp, but should still maintain a really lovely bite and flavor.