Aromatic, tender, and filling sweet potato rice.
This sweet potato rice recipe offers a delicious blend of fluffy, slightly sticky, short grain rice combined with golden sweet potato chunks.
This recipe is so simple to make, and is the ultimate comfort food to devour all year round.
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This sweet potato rice recipe combines tender sweet potatoes with fluffy rice for a comforting and satisfying dish.
The natural sweetness of the sweet potatoes balances beautifully with the rice, creating a versatile recipe that can be served as a side dish or light meal.
This sweet potato rice recipe is something you have to try.
The gentle sweetness of the sweet potatoes in this dish perfectly complements the comforting earthiness of the rice.
The two components come together to create a delicious blend of flavors and textures that capture the essence of Japanese cuisine.
Rice with sweet potatoes is a delightful balance of starch and natural sweetness, making it a wonderful choice for those seeking a satisfying and wholesome meal.
Sweet potato rice is not only a delicious and satisfying side dish but also a practical choice for meal prep.
Its versatility makes it a wonderful accompaniment to various main courses, adding a touch of autumn to your plate.
Hungry for more easy lunch or dinner recipes? Check out these easy risotto recipes, ideas on what to serve with yellow rice, parboiled rice recipes, and these rice bowls with chicken.
What kind of sweet potato do I use?
Sweet potatoes come in various types and colors, with some of the most common varieties being the orange-fleshed sweet potatoes.
There are also white-fleshed sweet potatoes, which have a milder and less sweet flavor, and purple-fleshed sweet potatoes, which are known for their vibrant color.
Additionally, there are variations like the Japanese sweet potato (Satsumaimo), which has a reddish-purple skin and a creamy white flesh, and the Garnet and Jewel sweet potatoes, both of which are popular for their deep orange flesh and sweet taste.
For this recipe, you could use any kind of sweet potato that is available to you.
It's important to keep in mind that different types of sweet potatoes may have varying levels of sweetness and moisture content, so you may need to make slight adjustments in your recipe to account for these differences.
For example, if you find your rice to be too moist, you may need to cook it for a bit longer.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Sweet potato rice is a dish that is easy to make. It is so simple and uses less than 10 ingredients.
- This sweet potato rice recipe is great for meal prep as it can be made in advance.
- Serve this recipe for sweet potato rice as a main meal on those busy weeknights, or serve it as a side dish when you are hosting a dinner party or pot luck.
- Great to serve at special occasions like Christmas or Thanksgiving.
- This recipe is gluten free, vegetarian, and vegan friendly.
Cost To Make
Estimated cost = $6.15, or $1.53 a serve
Ingredients
Please note that below is a guide for some of the ingredients we used in the recipe. The printable recipe further down the page has the complete list of ingredients, including quantities and step-by-step instructions.
For the Rice
- Sweet potato
- Short grain white rice: such as sushi rice, rinsed and drained.
- Kosher salt or sea salt
- Sake: Sake is a traditional Japanese alcoholic beverage made from fermented rice.
- Mirin: This is a Japanese sweet rice wine.
- Water
Sesame Salt
- Sesame seeds: toasted
- Kosher salt or sea salt
Why Sweet Potato and Rice Work So Well Together
Sweet potatoes add natural sweetness, moisture, and texture to rice dishes. As they cook, they soften and blend with the rice while still maintaining small pieces throughout the dish.
The combination creates a balanced texture, with fluffy rice complementing the creamy consistency of the sweet potatoes.
Instructions
This sweet potato rice recipe serves 4 to 6. The ingredient quantities can easily be adjusted to suit how many serves you need to make.
Step One: Wash the sweet potatoes in room temperature water. Once washed, leave the skin on and cut into cubes about 2 cm (0.75 inches) thick. Soak the sweet potato in cold water until ready to use.
Step Two: Place the rinsed and drained rice in a medium sized saucepan. Add the salt, sake, mirin, and water. Mix together. Taste for seasoning. Add more salt if desired.
Step Three: Drain the sweet potatoes and place on top of the rice in an even layer.
Step Four: Place saucepan on the stovetop over medium high heat and bring to a boil. Once at a boil, reduce the heat to low and gently stir the rice.
Cover with a lid and cook for a further 20 minutes. Turn off heat, remove from stove, and allow rice to rest for 10 to 15 minutes.
Step Five: While the rice is resting, combine the toasted sesame seeds and salt in a small bowl. Set aside.
Step Six: Once rested, fluff the rice. Serve, sprinkled with some sesame salt.
Tips for Success
- Make sure you rinse and then drain your rice before cooking.
Substitutions / Variations
- Teriyaki Sweet Potato Rice: Toss the cooked sweet potatoes in teriyaki sauce.
- Sauté your choice of mushrooms (shiitake, shimeji, or enoki) and mix them through your sweet potatoes.
- Add some citrus zest, such as lime or lemon, to the dish for a fresh and zesty twist.
Serving Suggestions
Here are some ways you might like to serve this sweet potato rice recipe:
- Toss sweet potato rice with mixed greens, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, and your choice of protein (tofu, seared ahi tuna, or shredded chicken).
- With grilled fish, teriyaki salmon, or grilled vegetables like bell peppers or zucchini.
- Onigirazu: Wrap sweet potato rice in nori sheets with various fillings like avocado, shredded carrots, and a protein source to make onigirazu, a Japanese sandwich-like dish.
- Turn this sweet potato rice into a rice bowl by using it as a base. Top with sauteed greens, a protein of your choice (such as shrimp, grilled chicken, or tofu), and drizzle with teriyaki sauce.
- Bento Box: Pack sweet potato rice into a bento box, along with some grilled or teriyaki chicken, steamed vegetables, and pickled radishes.
- Sushi Rolls: Use sweet potato rice as a filling for sushi rolls along with other ingredients like avocado, cucumber, and nori seaweed.
- With Asian vegetables like Japanese broccoli gomaae.
Storage
This rice with sweet potatoes can be stored in an air tight container in the fridge for 2 to 3 days.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Cutting the Sweet Potatoes Too Large
Large pieces may not cook through at the same rate as the rice. Smaller cubes help ensure even cooking.
Using Too Much Liquid
Sweet potatoes release moisture during cooking, so adding excess liquid can result in soft or mushy rice.
Skipping the Resting Period
Allowing the rice to rest after cooking improves texture and makes it easier to fluff without breaking the grains.
FAQ
Yes, rice and sweet potatoes can be enjoyed together in dishes like sweet potato rice or rice bowls for a delicious and satisfying combination.
Soaking sweet potatoes in cold water helps to prevent browning and maintain their color and texture, particularly when they're peeled and cut.
Sweet potatoes pair well with a variety of ingredients, such as cinnamon, nutmeg, brown sugar for sweetness, and savory options like garlic, rosemary, and thyme for a more complex flavor profile.
Looking for your next meal plan recipe? Whether you're after a recipe for lunch or dinner, there is plenty to choose from. Try this spicy salmon sushi bake, Korean rice balls, Instant Pot arroz caldo, ghee rice with coconut milk (or this other version), recipes for congee, chicken katsudon, sweet potato rice recipe, ho fun noodles, or California sushi roll recipe.
Made this recipe? Let us know how it went in the comments below! We'd love to hear how it turned out.
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Recipe
Sweet Potato Rice Recipe
Ingredients
For the Rice
- 275 grams (9.70 ounces) sweet potato
- 1 ½ cups (340 grams, 12 ounces) short grain white rice such as sushi rice, rinsed and drained
- 1 ½ teaspoon (6 grams, 0.21 ounces) kosher salt or sea salt or to taste
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml/grams, 0.53 ounces) sake
- 1 ½ tablespoon (25 ml/grams, 0.89 ounces) mirin
- 2 ¼ cups (562 ml/grams, 19.82 ounces) water
Sesame Salt
- 2 teaspoon (25 grams, 0.89 ounces) sesame seeds black or white, toasted
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt or sea salt
Instructions
- Wash the sweet potatoes in room temperature water. Once washed, leave the skin on and cut into cubes about 2 cm (0.75 inches) thick. Soak the sweet potato in cold water until ready to use.
- Place the rinsed and drained rice in a medium sized saucepan. Add the salt, sake, mirin, and water. Mix together. Taste for seasoning. Add more salt if desired.
- Drain the sweet potatoes and place on top of the rice in an even layer.
- Place saucepan on the stovetop over medium high heat and bring to a boil. Once at a boil, reduce the heat to low and gently stir the rice. Cover with a lid and cook for a further 20 minutes. Turn off heat, remove from stove, and allow rice to rest for 10 to 15 minutes.
- While the rice is resting, combine the toasted sesame seeds and salt in a small bowl. Set aside.
- Once rested, fluff the rice. Serve, sprinkled with some sesame salt.
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