Purple yam sliced into thin pieces and baked until crispy, then seasoned with a little bit of salt and maple syrup. Sweet and savory, these Baked Maple Purple Yam Fries are the perfect snacks and appetizers.
Don’t you just love the color? I am so obsessed with that deep purple.
My parents made a trip to Chinatown and brought two vegetable bags full of these purple yams home. When I saw the gorgeous color hiding inside, I knew I had to use them for a recipe. And I just couldn’t resist making them into fries.
Have you had purple yam before? It’s sweet, slightly starchy, and moist. The texture and flavor is very similar to sweet potatoes. Or Butternut Squash Fries. But it’s really the color that’s soo attractive.
These purple yam fries are crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. Just the way fries should be. Purple yams are already slightly sweet on their own, so you’re welcome to serve these fries without any seasoning. But! With a pinch of salt and a light coat of maple syrup, the flavors of these purple yam fries are amplified. I could sit there and munch on these all day.
Preheat the oven to 400F. Line a baking sheet with foil, and lightly grease the surface with vegetable oil or nonstick cooking spray.
Peel the purple yams, then cut the purple yams into thin slices about a ¼ inch thick. Thinner slices will bake faster and become crispier.
Place the sliced purple yams into a large bowl, and add cornstarch. The cornstarch will help make the fries crispier. Toss the purple yam until they’re all lightly coated with the cornstarch. Spread them onto the baking sheet in one layer. You want to make sure that they’re not overlapping too much so that they can bake evenly.
Drizzle olive oil over the fries. You’ll want all the surfaces to be lightly covered in oil so that they become crisp. Areas that don’t have oil will retain the powdery whiteness of the cornstarch, which isn’t what we want.
Place the baking sheet into the oven and bake for about 20 minutes, then turn the fries to the other side and bake for an additional 10 minutes. The fries will be crispy and slightly brown.
Allow the fries to cool for a few minutes before transferring them to a bowl. Sprinkle salt over the fries, then drizzle the maple syrup. Toss until the fries are lightly coated. You can garnish with chopped cilantro or parsley for a pop of color.
These fries are amazingly crispy, sweet, and savory.
Serve these fries as a snack or an appetizer.
Enjoy!
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- 2 medium to large purple yams
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil
- ⅛ – ¼ teaspoon salt, to taste
- 1 teaspoon maple syrup
- Cilantro or parsley for garnish
- Preheat the oven to 400F. Line a baking sheet with foil and lightly grease it with nonstick cooking spray or vegetable oil.
- Peel the purple yams and then cut them into about ¼ inch pieces.
- Place the yam into a large bowl, and add cornstarch. Toss the yam until they are all lightly coated with the cornstarch.
- Place the yam onto the baking sheet in one layer. Drizzle the olive oil over the fries until all surfaces are lightly coated with the oil.
- Bake the purple yam in the oven for about 20 minutes, then turn the fries and bake for an additional 10 minutes. The fries will be lightly browned and crispy.
- Allow the yam fries to cool for a few minutes before transferring them to a bowl.
- Add a little bit of salt and the maple syrup. Toss until the yam fries are lightly coated.
- Garnish with cilantro or parsley.
- Serve the fries as a snack or appetizer.
Wow, these are delicious!
Thanks!
You have some awesome recipes!
I’ve seen a lot of baked sweet potato fries (or even kale chips) around on Pinterest etc, but never purple yam fries! These are so ingenious and they look delicious too! What a great idea to pair them with maple 🙂
I’m going to try making this later this week.