Baked sweet potato with vegie chilli

Instructions

1 Preheat the oven to 200°C/fan 180°C/gas 6. Heat the oil in a large saucepan and add the onion. Cook for about 10 min over a medium heat until golden and caramelised. Add the pumpkin, cayenne pepper, cumin and cinnamon, season with black pepper, then cook for 1–2 min.

2 Add the capsicums, courgette, chillies and garlic and cook for another 3–4 min. Add the chickpeas, kidney beans and tomatoes and the stalks from the bunch of coriander.

3 Prick the kumara all over with a fork and cook in the oven for 20–30 min until cooked through.

4 Meanwhile, simmer the veg chilli, covered, for about 25 min until the sauce is thick and the vegetables tender, adding a little water if it becomes too dry. Season with black pepper, then sprinkle with the coriander leaves and serve with the baked kumara topped with the sour cream.

Star ingredient: CAYENNE PEPPER This is a type of chilli, and the compound that gives it its characteristic hotness – capsaicin – is also thought to be responsible for many of the health benefits. These include reducing inflammation, relieving pain, reducing cholesterol and triglycerides (a type of blood fat), helping to ease congestion caused by colds and even boosting metabolism slightly for 20 min after they’re eaten.