Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (204 C), and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. (NOTE: Depending on the size of your baking sheets and sweet potatoes, you may get away with using one baking sheet instead of two. Just be sure not to crowd the pan too much otherwise the chickpeas will steam instead of roasting — see photo example above).
Add potatoes to one of the baking sheets and drizzle with avocado oil and sprinkle with sea salt. An optional step to infuse more flavor is to rub the potatoes with curry powder or green curry paste.
Lay potatoes cut side down on the baking sheet and bake on a top/center rack for 25 minutes or until tender.
In the meantime, add drained and dried chickpeas to a small mixing bowl and top with avocado oil, tandoori masala seasoning, sea salt, and a pinch of cayenne (optional). Toss to combine, then taste and adjust seasonings as needed, adding more masala blend for smokiness, sea salt for saltiness, or cayenne for heat.
Arrange chickpeas on the other baking sheet and bake on a bottom/center rack for a total of 20-25 minutes alongside the sweet potatoes. NOTE: For crispier chickpeas, it’s best to bake the chickpeas under the sweet potatoes so they don’t steam.
To prepare the chutney, add cilantro, garlic, salt and pepper, lime juice, sweetener, and avocado to a small blender or food processor (or use a mortar and pestle) and mix to combine.
Add only enough water to encourage blending and make the sauce pourable. Taste and adjust seasonings, adding more garlic for spice/zing, salt to taste, sweetener for sweetness, or lime juice for acidity. Set aside.
For serving, flip potatoes cut-side up and smash down the insides a little bit with a spoon or spatula. Top with chickpeas and chutney and enjoy immediately. Garnish with extra cilantro or lime juice if desired.
Best when fresh. Store leftover chickpeas in a well-sealed container at room temperature up to 3 days. Chutney will keep (separately) in the refrigerator up to 3 days. To reheat, bake sweet potatoes and chickpeas in a 375 degree F (190 C) oven until hot. Top with chutney.
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Notes
*This recipe is not a Traditional Indian dish, but rather, Indian-inspired. We were inspired by the flavors of Tandoori Masala spice blend (explained in the post above) and by this original recipe of ours for Mediterranean Baked Sweet Potatoes, which takes inspiration from Mediterranean flavors. *We buy Tandoori Masala blend at Whole Foods. If you can’t find it, try this DIY blend for similar results: 3 Tbsp cumin, 2 Tbsp garlic powder, 2 Tbsp paprika, 3 tsp ginger, 2 tsp coriander, 2 tsp cardamom. Multiply as needed. Or, for a more authentic, homemade version of Tandoori Masala, you could try this recipe from Binjal's Veg Kitchen. *Small sweet potatoes cook faster. If too large, plan on increasing cooking time or cutting into quarters instead of halves to speed cooking time. *Nutrition information is a rough estimate calculated with medium-sized sweet potatoes, the lesser amounts of maple syrup and avocado, and without optional ingredients.