The Low Down on Kumara & a Healthy Kumara Recipe (2024)

The Kumara King!

That’s what I called myself round the dinner table as a kid. When the pressure was on to eat all your vegetables, you could guarantee I’d eat all the kumara on my plate, and then some. Beans, well beans were a different story. Mum grew every type of bean imaginable and they came served with nearly every meal. It’s not that I didn’t like beans, it’s just that there’s a point of bean saturation where ya just can’t take it anymore. But we’re not here to talk about beans, I’ll deal with my childhood bean trauma in my own time. Today is all about the kumara.

Not surprisingly I stopped referring to myself as ‘The Kumara King’ a few years ago. Stuff like that doesn’t really cut it as an adult. People look at you a little strange if you announce yourself as ‘The Kumara King ‘ when you’re making conversation round the dinner table.

Things You Ought to Know About Kumara:

Turns out I had it wrong anyway. Kumara is King! And an old King at that. Kumara is one of the oldest vegetables known to man, dating back 10,000 years, kumara, or sweet potato relics have been found in Peruvian caves. That’s pretty old! The Incans may have missed the mark with their doomsday prophecies but they were certainly onto something where kumara was concerned.

Kumara has a lengthy history here in New Zealand too. Brought here by the early Maori settlers over 1000 years ago from the Pacific Islands, and grown in the warmer regions of the North Island. These ‘bush’ kumara were much smaller than the American varieties we eat today though, probably no bigger than a finger.

Okay, enough with the history lesson, what’s so great about kumara?

Health Benefits of Kumara:

• Rated by food scientists as one of the most nutritious vegetables
• Kumara is a near-perfect blend of everything you need for sustained energy
• Bloody near fat-free
• Huge in Vitamin A
• Excellent source of fibre
• A good source of Vitamin E & C
• Excellent source of minerals such as potassium, iron, manganese, and copper
• Has cancer-fighting properties in: quercetin and chlorogenic acid

That’s a bit sciencey for me, what does it mean? To make a long story short, kumara is all round good sh*t! It’s packed full of stuff that’s good for you, low in carbs and low in calories. If you’re looking to lose weight and eat healthy, kumara should definitely be in your diet!

Stuffed, Baked Kumara with Bacon & Spinach

Serves: 2

Ingredients:

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 220C

2. Wash and lightly scrub the kumara. We’re cooking these with the skin on, so we just want to remove any dirt and anything else you don’t want in your meal.

3. Lightly rub the kumara with just a little coconut oil.

4. Line a baking tray with baking paper, place the kumara and bake for 60-75 minutes.

5. While the kumara is baking, dice onion and bacon and cook together in a frying pan for 4 or 5 minutes then set aside.

6. Chop spinach and set aside. If using frozen spinach, cook, drain well and set aside.

7. When kumara is soft, remove from oven and let it sit for 10-15 minutes to cool slightly.

8. With a very sharp knife cut around the top third of each kumara and gently peel the skin away. You can dice this skin and use with the mixture later, or simply discard.

9. Scoop the inside out of each kumara and set aside, be sure to leave about 5-10mm of the flesh in place around the skin. This will help the stuffed kumara stay together when serving.

10. In a bowl combine: Kumara flesh, onion & bacon mixture, cinnamon, praprika, spinach and mix well.

11. Carefully spoon the kumara, bacon and spinach mixture back into the kumara skins and top with a little cheese (if desired).

12. Place the stuffed kumara back into the oven for 20-30 minutes or until the cheese is golden. Serve immediately with sour cream or a little natural yoghurt on the side.

Enjoy!

Tell me what you think. Did you try it? Did you make a few changes? I’d love to hear from you in the comments below.

-Shane