Sweet Potato & Coconut Soup

This is one of those rich, warm and filling kinds of soup, ideal to stave off the chilling cold during winter season. Sweet potatoes are filled with all sorts of 'good-for-you' nutrients, so that is an added bonus. This soup keeps well, so it can be prepared ahead of time and warmed up when required. You can enjoy it simply as it is, or with some croutons or toasted bread.

Instructions
Ingredients
1 large or 2 medium sweet potatoes
(you can use whichever is available to you, the white-fleshed ones or orange-fleshed ones)
1/2 cup coconut milk
2 cups warm water (or as needed)
1 small onion, diced finely
2 tbsp. butter
1/4 tsp. fresh garlic paste
1/4 tsp. fresh ginger paste
1 tsp. red chilli flakes or 1 whole red chilli
1/4 tsp. black pepper powder
1/2 tsp. cumin powder
1/4 tsp. turmeric powder
juice of half a lemon
salt to taste

Peel and chop the sweet potatoes into cubes. Rinse them well to get rid of the excess starch. Drain and put them in a pan, add enough water to cover them and 1 tsp. of salt. Simmer on medium heat until the potatoes are fork-tender. Drain and drizzle 1 tbsp. of melted butter over them. Lay them out on a tray and put the tray in a hot oven for about 10 minutes, turning the potatoes once midway to make sure they are evenly roasted. This step helps caramelise the natural sugars found in the sweet potatoes which brings out the sweetness even more.

(If you like, you can roast the boiled and buttered potatoes on a lightly greased frying pan on the stove top over medium heat, turning them over regularly until they start to turn golden.)

You can garnish with some reserved coconut milk when serving in the bowls.