Sweet Potato Stew (Chakaravalli)

Sweet potato (Scientific name Ipomea Batatas) is a tuber yam more suitable for diabetics since it does not raise blood sugar levels quickly after consumption. Though it is a soft and creamy vegetable suitable for pies and desserts, a scientist has found them to be the best source of vitamin A and packed with Vitamin B5, Riboflavin, Niacin, Thiamin, and Carotenoids giving their orange color. Sweet potatoes can be baked, grilled, and steamed and included as a carb substitute
Sweet Potato stew is an excellent addition to the Thanksgiving table and is loved by one and all. This recipe is a sweeter version of potato stew, cooked in coconut milk. black pepper and ginger add flavor to this colorful tasty dish. Green chili helps neutralize the sweetness

Buying & Storing Sweet potatoes: Select unblemished specimens with tight unwrinkled skins. Pale ones with light yellow skin, less sweet can be substituted for regular potatoes. Darker ones with dark orange skin & sweet flesh – cook to a moister texture.

History: How the sweet potato crossed the Pacific ocean before Columbus: Sweet potatoes originated in Central and S. America. Archeologists have found prehistoric remnants in Polynesia around 1100 AD and have hypothesized that the samples came from S. America. One of the Polynesian words “Knumala” resembles “kumara or cumal ” word for the vegetable in Quechua, a language spoken by Andean natives. Capt. James cook’s crew picked up the sweet potatoes in 1769 before inter-breeding took off. Examining the genetic blueprint of Cook’s sweet potatoes allowed Rouiller and her colleague to trace the root’s evolution all the way back to Ecuador and Peru.
So How did the sweet potato make the ocean voyage?
Its seeds could have possibly hitched a ride on seaweed or gotten lodged on the wing of a sea bird.
https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2013/01/22/16

Yam Recipes
Sweet Potato Stew ( Chakkaravalli Stew)
Elephant Yam Sauté (Chenai Upperi)
Chinese Potato Sauté (Koorkan Upperi)
Purple yam with cowpeas (Kavathu  Puzhukku)

Nutrition Facts of Sweet Potato (Ipomea Batatas) 100g

Sweet Potato Health Benefits

• Besides nutritional benefits, sweet potatoes are also packed with medicinal benefits. They contain anti-inflammatory, anti-diabetic and anti-cancer properties.

• Sweet potatoes possess antimicrobial properties that can be used in the prevention and treatment of a variety of bacterial pathogens and infections.

• Sweet potatoes help prevent vitamin A deficiency: being an abundant source of Betacarotene (every molecule produces 2 molecules of vitamin A) and vitamin, that help the body fight off infections and remain resistant to further infections. Betacarotene, zinc, and vitamin B complex make them an important food source for managing arthritis.
• Sweet potatoes are essential dietary sources in preventing anti-inflammatory activity: They contain high concentrations of Choline that reduce inflammatory responses in the body. Their typical aroma helps in curing congestion of the nose, bronchi, and lung for asthma patients.
• Sweet potatoes can help boost blood pressure: since they contain considerable amounts of magnesium and potassium which help fight against hypertension. They also help regulate blood pressure which reduces chances of individuals suffering from cardiovascular diseases.
• Sweet potatoes help protect, prevent, and manage cancer with Beta carotene a carotenoid that is essential for men that protects them from developing prostate cancer. Studies show that Anthocyanins present in purple sweet potato play an important part in reducing and preventing inflammation in colon cancer cells. In addition extracts from sweet potatoes have shown to accelerate the death of breast, gastric, colorectal, and prostate cancers limiting their spread and growth.
• Sweet potatoes can help minimize risk of cardiovascular diseases: The fibers, anthocyanin, polyphenol and high radical scavenging activity contained in sweet potatoes are important in the fight against cardiovascular diseases.
  
• Sweet potatoes help manage diabetes: several studies have indicated that they can minimize the occurrence of insulin resistance and low blood sugar levels as well as high blood sugar in people with diabetes. Their low GI 40 means they are able to release sugar into the bloodstream slowly unlike other starchy foods. This steady release of sugar aids in control of blood sugar levels to prevent any spikes. This regulation is noticed in diabetes type 1 & 2.

• Sweet potatoes are good for digestion & hydration: Their fiber content is higher than potatoes which promote a well-functioning digestive tract, prevent constipation, and help the body retain water to keep it hydrated.
• Sweet potatoes can boost fertility: They contain high doses of vitamin A essential in improving reproductive performance in women of childbearing age. Moreover sweet potatoes are rich in iron which is essential in the promotion of fertility in women. They can help reverse secondary fertility and also reduce chances of women suffering from ovulatory infertility.
• Sweet potatoes are important for good vision: They contain high amounts of vitamins A, C & E all of which are integral for promoting good vision. Vitamin A deficiency results in night blindness, total blindness, and malformation of the retina. Deficiency in vitamin C is associated with the development of cataracts.
• Sweet potatoes can help improve hair and skin with high levels of vitamins A, C, & E. These vitamins are useful in repairing skin damaged by UV light. They also slow down the aging process helping to retain youthful skin for a longer period of time. Vitamin E is useful in the treatment of Alopecia and maintaining good hair health.
• Sweet potatoes can help manage stress levels: Magnesium an essential mineral for normal body functioning helps reduce stress and anxiety.It also acts as an excellent facilitator for digestion.
• Sweet potatoes are memory enhancing foods: Anthocyanins contained in purple sweet potatoes possess memory-enhancing properties.
• Sweet potatoes can help guard against ulcers with chemicals that help heal wounds and ulcers in the stomach.
• Sweet potatoes help with weight management: They contain soluble and fermentable fiber that increases satiety and offers the body a natural self-sustaining mechanism for body weight regulation. The fiber helps maintain satiety as well as reduce the overall weight of an individual by snacking less.
• https://lacanadacarecenter.com/15-health-benefits-…

Spice & Herb Power

• Coconut milk: is high in MCT (medium-chain triglycerides) that act as agents to prevent obesity and stimulate weight loss by increased energy expenditure and fat burning (oxidation).
• Ginger powder: contains gingerol – potent anti-inflammatory compounds that can reduce symptoms of osteoarthritis of the knees.
• Pepper powder: promotes a healthy heart by removing the cholesterol build up in the arteries to prevent atherosclerosis, the main cause of people suffering from heart attacks.
• Curry leaves: protect against pathogen attack due to the presence of carbazole alkaloids that are anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory, and anti-cancer properties.

Method for cooking Sweet potato stew

• Peel and cut sweet potatoes into thin slices; rinse and drain in a colander.
• Add salt & cook them in a container in microwave or stove. _{(10 min.)}
• Allow the sweet potatoes to cool and mash them using a masher.
• Peel and slice onions into thin strips.
• Heat the oil in a frying pan; add onions and sauté until translucent.
• Add the powdered spices. Pour in 1/4 can coconut milk+ 1/4 can water and heat.
• Add the mashed sweet potatoes and the remaining coconut milk.
• Simmer on low heat. Allow the stew to froth and not boil. (5 min.)
• Remove from heat and garnish with chopped green chili and curry leaves.

Serve Sweet Potato Stew with Quinoa, Lemon Rice, Garlic Bread, Idli , Dosa, Upuma or Naan.

TIPS
_{Time saver: use canned/frozen sweet potatoes
Substitute coconut milk with almond or soy milk for vegans
Healthier version for diabetics; 1 serving can replace rice as carbohydrate intake}