I was so excited to find a bag of deep purple potatoes at the Carreira's vegetable shop this week. They looked like a sack of dusty purple gemstones. I don't often eat potatoes because of their high carbohydrate content, but these ones packed a phytonutrient punch I couldn't resist. Plus, they were pretty.
The beautiful purple hue of these tubers comes from high levels of the phytonutrient anthocyanin, a powerful cell-protecting antioxidant that helps ward off oxidative stress and the chronic inflammation it causes. They are also rich in chlorogenic acid, which may help to tame high blood pressure and reduce blood clotting risk according to recent studies. Despite their high-carb content, these potatoes are also packed with resistant starch and fibre. This means that they release those carbs gradually over time, providing a good fuel source for endurance athletes. The amount of resistant starch they contain increases when they cool after cooking, so they make a great cold potato salad too.
How you eat these precious potatoes is important. Deep frying them will negate just about all the benefits they offer you, and slathering them in butter and cream won't help your cause either. This potato bake tastes decadent without being a rich as traditional recipes.
Yoghurt Purple Potato Bake
Ingredients:
About 8 to 10 purple potatoes, depending on size
1 red onion, sliced thinly
1 clove garlic, minced
2 cups plain yoghurt (low or medium fat)
1/2 - 1 cup of milk or milk alternative
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1 round feta cheese, crumbled
Grated mozzarella to top (optional)
Fresh or dried dill, to taste
Herbal salt and pepper to taste
In a bowl, mix the yoghurt, garlic, dill, Parmesan and feta together to make a sauce. Thin it out with the milk if necessary.
Parboil your potatoes in salted water until soft. Cool and slice into 5 mm thick rounds. You can either mix these into your sauce with the sliced onions, toss to coat and turn out into a baking dish, or if you are meticulous like me you can arrange the potatoes and onions in layers, covering each layer with sauce as you go.
You can sprinkle mozzarella on the top for extra decadence if you wish. Bake at 180 degrees Celsius for about 30 to 45 minutes, until just crispy on top.
A dairy free version of this dish can be made by substituting the yoghurt with coconut milk and the Parmesan with nutritional yeast.
