Sweet Potato and Black Bean Tacos

Method

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1. Put the sliced onion in a bowl with the vinegar, sugar and salt, press it under, and leave while you cook everything else. It needs 15 minutes and no more attention.

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2. Heat the oven to 220°C / 425°F. Toss the sweet potato with the oil, chipotle, cumin, paprika and salt.

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3. Spread over a large tray in a single layer — two trays if it is crowded — and roast 25 to 30 minutes, turning once, until the edges are charred and the middles are soft.

   Mark done Start 25 min timer

4. Meanwhile heat the tablespoon of oil in a pan, cook the garlic 30 seconds, then add the beans, cumin and 4 tablespoons of water.

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5. Simmer 5 minutes, mashing about a third of the beans against the side of the pan, until thick and scoopable. Stir in the lime juice and salt.

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6. Warm the tortillas one at a time in a dry pan, 20 seconds a side, until pliable and blistered. Keep them stacked under a cloth.

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7. Build each taco with beans first, then sweet potato, then avocado, pickled onions and coriander, with a lime wedge alongside.

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Chef’s Tips

• Single layer on the tray. Crowded sweet potato steams and never chars.
• Beans on the bottom. They glue everything else to the tortilla.
• Warm the tortillas in a dry pan, not a microwave — the blistering is half the flavour.

Common Substitutions & Variations

• Lemon is the everyday swap for lime in this kind of dish — the acidity plays the same role even though the flavour is not identical.
• An eighth of a teaspoon of garlic powder per clove is the usual stand-in when you are out of fresh garlic — it will not caramelise the same way, but it carries the flavour.

Pairing Suggestions

• A cold Mexican lager
• Charred corn
• Hot sauce

Storage & Reheating

The components keep 4 days refrigerated and the pickled onions 2 weeks. Assemble to order.

Common questions

Nutritional Highlights

Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list. Treat these as an estimate — brands and cuts vary.