Sweet Potato Chivda

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Get ready to add extra flavor to this festive season with our irresistible Sweet Potato Chivda. It’s a bit spicy, sweet, tangy, and crunchy. Our chivda recipe features sweet potatoes, crunchy peanuts, daliya dal, cashews, plump raisins, aromatic curry leaves, and a delicious blend of easily accessible Indian spices. And the best part? It’s not just a delightful treat but also a breeze to prepare and completely vegan-friendly.

While I thoroughly enjoy making delicious sweets during the Diwali festival, I also love making various savory treats such as Mathri, Chakli, Fafda, Cholafali, Bhakarwadi, and chivda. Among these, chivda holds a special place as it is a staple during Diwali and is commonly enjoyed as an accompaniment to a warm cup of chai during tea time.

Although chivda is readily available at Indian grocery stores, I strongly believe the homemade version tastes better and is healthier. Making this savory snack at home allows for customization according to personal preferences, ensuring a delightful and satisfying snack.

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What is Chivda?
Ingredients
Instructions
Variations
Storage
Top tip
FAQ
Related
Sweet Potato Chivda

What is Chivda?

Chivda is an Indian snack mix commonly enjoyed to celebrate festivals like Diwali but can be enjoyed year-round. The recipe varies by family and region-some use poha, puffed rice, sev, makhana, fried lentils, chickpeas, and more.

It also has many names! Depending on the region, it can be called Bombay mix, namkeen, chevdo, chivda, chevro, chewda, chawanu, etc. Whether you’re in the mood for a festive celebration or a simple teatime indulgence, chivda never fails to deliver a satisfying crunch and a burst of flavor.

While the traditional chivda made with Thin Poha remains immensely popular, have you ever considered a unique twist on this classic snack? Imagine the delightful twist of sweet potatoes in chivda - an unexpected yet pleasant combination that adds a whole new dimension of flavor and texture to this timeless treat.

Sweet potatoes, known for their delectable taste and nutritional benefits, are versatile vegetables that can be enjoyed in various forms throughout the day. They always impress, whether as a hearty breakfast, a wholesome lunch, a satisfying dinner, or a delightful snack. Pairing them with a green salad or exploring other tantalizing recipes like Instant Pot sweet potato curry and Butter sweet potatoes further showcases the versatility and appeal of this humble yet extraordinary vegetable.

Fun fact: Sweet potatoes, also called yam, are referred to in Hindi as shakarakand and in Gujarati as shakariya. They add a delightful sweetness and nutritional value to any dish.

So today, I am Presenting” From Our Kitchen to Yours: Our Secret Recipe for Sweet Potato Chivda.”

Sweet Potato Chivda is a delightful twist on a classic snack. I love to make this chivda at home, but I never got around to sharing the recipe on the blog. With Diwali coming up in just a few weeks, I thought this would be the perfect time to share this addictive and delicious recipe.

This recipe offers the perfect blend of sweetness and crispiness. It’s healthier than store-bought chivda. Whether you’re in the mood for a sweet and savory snack or a delightful addition to your tea time, Sweet Potato Chivda is the perfect choice. Plus, it is addictively delicious and has a great shelf life, making it the perfect teatime snack. Also, it’s naturally vegan, which is a huge plus!

Ingredients

Sweet Potatoes: When you’re at the store picking out sweet potatoes, make sure to choose ones that are firm and small to medium-sized. Check the skin for any cracks, soft spots, or blemishes, and opt for sweet potatoes with a bright, uniform color. The skin should be smooth without any visible damage. White and orange sweet potatoes both work fine.
Nuts: You’ll need peanuts and cashews. Skip if you are allergic.
Dalia dal: You will find Daliya dal in any Indian grocery store.
Oil: I usually use peanut oil, but you can use any cooking oil you like.
Curry leaves: give the chivda all the beautiful flavors.
Sugar and Raisins: They help to balance the flavors in this namkeen chivda.
Spices: Turmeric powder, red chili powder, aamchur powder, salt, and asafetida (skip for gluten-free version). These spices give the chivda wonderful fragrance and warmth.

See recipe card for quantities.

Instructions

Step 1: Firstly, peel the skin of the potatoes and put them in water. Now, using a grater with a big hole, grate all the sweet potatoes. Take all the grated potatoes in a big bowl filled with cold water. Then, give the grated sweet potato a bath in cold water well to remove the starch. Drain the water.

washing sweet potatoes in cold water and drying on kitchen towel.

Step 2: Then, take all the grated sweet potatoes on a clean kitchen towel and spread them in a single layer. With the help of another kitchen towel, pat dry the potatoes to remove any excess water. Keep it aside.

Frying peanut, dalia dal, cashew, raisin and curry leaves in oil.

Step 3: Heat oil in a pan for frying. Once hot, fry the peanuts, daliya dal, cashews, raisins, and Curry leaves one by one on medium flame. Take everything in a bowl. Note: Be careful while frying raisins, as they burn quickly. Fry only for a few seconds.

Step 4: Then, deep fry the potato in small batches by spreading it into the hot oil. Do not overcrowd the kadai with the grated potatoes while frying.

As soon as the sweet potatoes are added to the oil, they take about 2 minutes to become lightly crisp. Keep turning them and frying them until the potatoes turn golden and crisp. Fry them until the sizzling and bubbling sound stops.
Note - frying timing will vary with the thickness of the potato sticks added to the oil
Once the bubbling sound subsides, you will notice that the sweet potato sticks have turned entirely lightly brown and crisp. You should hear the crispy sound when you move them to the side of the pan using a slotted spoon.
Take them out and add them to the peanut (other fried ingredients) bowl.
Fry the remaining sweet potatoes the same way in batches.

Step 5: After frying all the sweet potatoes, gently toss them with the spices.

Step 6: Sweet Potato Chivda is ready. Let it cool down and store it in an airtight container.

Variations

You can also add different dried fruits, such as dried cranberries, dried sour cherries, besan sev, fried lentils, poha, or roasted chickpeas. The options are endless!

To make it suitable for Vrat (feral), avoid red chili powder and turmeric powder. Instead of regular salt, use sendha namak.

Storage

Chivda should be thoroughly cooled before being stored in an airtight container. This Banana chivda stays suitable for up to 2 weeks (even more if it lasts that long).

Top tip

I highly recommend rinsing and drying the grated sweet potatoes before deep frying them. This will ensure that the potatoes are free of excess starch and thus more crisp and tasty.
The size of the grated potato is critical in this recipe, so make sure to use a big grater.
Deep fry these on a low to medium flame so that it cooks evenly.
Cook these in small batches; do not overcrowd the deep fry pan.
Mix spices gently into chivda so grated potatoes will not break.
These are mildly spiced chivda recipes. You can alter the spices as per your liking.
The quantity of peanuts and cashews can be adjusted to your liking. If you like more peanuts, add more or reduce the amount.
You can double or triple this chivda recipe as needed.
Don’t skip the sugar; it balances and combines all the flavors.
I’ve used peanuts with the skin, but you can use them without the skin.
You can use store-bought roasted cashews and peanuts.
You can also add dried coconut slices to this chivda. I don’t prefer to add it, so I skipped them. Fry them along with nuts one after the other.

FAQ

Do you need to peel the sweet potatoes?

Whether or not you choose to peel sweet potatoes is entirely up to you. I prefer to peel them, although it does take extra time. If you do not peel them, thoroughly wash and scrub the potatoes to remove dirt before using them.