Roasted Sweet Potato And Cashew Pesto

I've had so much fun over the past few weeks experimenting with the fantastic MOO Dahi Indian style yoghurt.

This is my last recipe for the moment, but I can see that I'll be buying more of the Dahi in the future. It really is such a versatile yoghurt that you can use in sweet and savoury recipes, cooked and raw foods. Being low in sugar and quite mild in flavour, the Dahi is not too overpowering. Perfect when you want other flavours to dominate.

I'm calling this recipe a pesto, but it really is a chunky dip. With the lovely flavours of roasted sweet potato and garlic, nutty cashews and some tartness from the lemon and yoghurt, it is a great combination of flavours. If you find the pesto too thick for your liking, add a little more MOO Dahi and another drizzle of lemon juice. Nice and thick, this pesto would be perfect served with crackers and vegie sticks for an easy starter or nibble at a BBQ.

I served my pesto with golden pan-fried haloumi and a light salad of cherry tomato, avocado and baby spinach. You could even spoon it over pan-fried chicken fillets or fleshy white fish and then pop it into the oven for 5 minutes to warm through.

Use your imagination and see what wonderful ideas you can come up with!

Roasted Sweet Potato And Cashew Pesto

1 medium sweet potato, peeled and cut into chunks
2 cloves of garlic, skins on
1/2 cup cashews
1 1/2 cups MOO Dahi yoghurt
Juice of half a lemon
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 180 degrees.
Place sweet potato and whole garlic cloves on a baking tray and spray with oil spray.
Roast for approx 30 minutes or until the sweet potato is soft and the garlic is golden and bursting out of the skins.
Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.

While the sweet potato is roasting, place cashews on a small tray and roast for 5 minutes, or until golden. Keep an eye on them as they can burn easily.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool.

In a small food processor, combine sweet potato, cashews, MOO Dahi and lemon juice.
Whiz until just combined. Season to taste.

To serve, place in a bowl with crackers and vegie sticks and use as a dip.

If you're feeling more creative, like I was, serve golden fried haloumi slices on the pesto with a light salad over the top. Perfect on a warm night when a lighter meal is in order.