Name: Asian-style baked onions, potatoes & sweet potatoes
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 55 min
Total time: 1 h 20 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: Chinese
Ingredients: 1 tsp coriander seeds; 1 tsp Sichuan pepper (or dry green or black peppercorns); 1 tsp kalonji black onion seed (aka nigella); 2 'flowers' star anise; a large pinch sea salt; 2 large Spanish onions peeled; 3 large, not-too-floury potatoes such as Desirée, unpeeled; 2 large sweet potatoes peeled; 1 tbsp groundnut oil or vegetable oil; 2 tbsp tamari or light soy sauce (tamari is a thick soy sauce made with rice); 1 tbsp groundnut oil or vegetable oil; fresh lime or lemon juice to serve (optional)

Asian-style baked onions, potatoes & sweet potatoes

1 tsp coriander
seeds
1 tsp Sichuan pepper
(or dry green or black peppercorns)
1 tsp kalonji
black onion seed (aka nigella)
2 'flowers' star anise
a large pinch sea salt
2 large Spanish onions
peeled
3 large, not-too-floury potatoes
such as Desirée, unpeeled
2 large sweet potatoes
peeled
1 tbsp groundnut oil
or vegetable oil

For the glaze

2 tbsp tamari or light soy sauce
(tamari is a thick soy sauce made with rice)
1 tbsp groundnut oil
or vegetable oil
fresh lime
or lemon juice to serve (optional)

Method

step 1
Preheat the oven to 220C/Gas 7/fan oven 200C. 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. Tip the ground spices into a very large mixing bowl.
step 2
Cut the onions into sixths, leaving a little root attached to hold the layers together. Cut the ordinary potatoes into six segments, lengthways. If the sweet potatoes are slender (they normally are) cut them into quarters, lengthways; if they’re bulky round the middle, cut them into sixths. Put all the vegetables into the mixing bowl, add the oil and toss thoroughly, using clean hands
step 3
Lightly oil the large tray which comes with your oven (or 1 or 2 baking trays), spread the vegetables out in a single layer and bake them for 25 minutes. Meanwhile, combine the glaze ingredients in a small jug with 4 tablespoons cold water. 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. A little squeeze of lime or lemon juice adds vivacity, but the vegetables are very nice with or without it.