Asian-style Baked Onions, Potatoes & Sweet Potatoes

Total Time: 1 hr 15 mins Preparation Time: 20 mins Cook Time: 55 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 6
• 1 teaspoon coriander seed
• 1 teaspoon sichuan pepper (or dry green or black peppercorns)
• 1 teaspoon kalonji (black onion seeds , aka nigella)
• 2 star anise
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 2 large spanish onions, peeled
• 3 large potatoes, such as desiree, unpeeled
• 2 large sweet potatoes, peeled
• 1 tablespoon peanut oil or 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 2 tablespoons tamari or 2 tablespoons light soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon peanut oil or 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• fresh lime juice (optional) or lemon juice, to serve (optional)

Recipe

• 1 preheat the oven to 220c/gas 7/fan oven 200°c
• 2 combine all the spices and salt in a small, electric spice or coffee grinder (or use a pestle and mortar), and pulverise them to a powder - ignore the bigger bits of coriander husk.
• 3 tip the ground spices into a very large mixing bowl.
• 4 cut the onions into sixths, leaving a little root attached to hold the layers together.
• 5 cut the ordinary potatoes into six segments, length ways.
• 6 if the sweet potatoes are slender (they normally are) cut them into quarters, length ways; if they're bulky round the middle, cut them into sixths.
• 7 put all the vegetables into the mixing bowl.
• 8 add the oil and toss thoroughly, using clean hands.
• 9 lightly oil the large tray which comes with your oven (or 1 or 2 baking trays)
• 10 spread the vegetables out in a single layer and bake them for 25 minutes.
• 11 meanwhile, combine the glaze ingredients in a small jug with 4 tablespoons cold water.
• 12 remove the oven tray; brush the vegetables with the glaze and continue to bake for about 20-30 minutes, or until they're slightly charred and tender.
• 13 a little squeeze of lime or lemon juice adds vivacity, but the vegetables are very nice with or without it.