Creamy Sweet Potato Chickpea Coconut Curry
A thick, pale orange coconut curry with whole sweet potato cubes, chickpeas, and spinach, built on whole cumin seeds bloomed in oil. One pan, 40 minutes, naturally vegan.
Servings 4 servings
Ingredients
For the Curry
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
- 2 teaspoons whole cumin seeds
- 1 large yellow onion finely diced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger grated
- 1 ½ tablespoons curry powder
- 2 teaspoons garam masala
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes or to taste
- 15 ounce can fire roasted diced tomatoes with juices
- 13.5 ounce can full fat coconut milk
- 1 ¼ pounds sweet potatoes peeled and cut into ¾ inch cubes
- 15 ounce can chickpeas drained and rinsed
- 5 ounces baby spinach
- 1 lime juiced
- 1 ½ teaspoons fine sea salt divided
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro chopped
Instructions
Build the Spice Base
- Heat the coconut oil in a deep skillet over medium heat. Add the whole cumin seeds and cook 30 to 45 seconds, until they sizzle and pop.
- Add the onion with a pinch of the salt and cook 6 to 7 minutes, until soft and translucent. Stir in the garlic and ginger and cook 1 minute more.
- Add the curry powder, garam masala, turmeric, coriander, and red pepper flakes. Stir constantly for 60 seconds, until the mixture looks like a dry paste and smells deeper.
Simmer
- Pour in the tomatoes with their juices, scraping the bottom of the pan, and bubble 2 minutes. Add the coconut milk and stir until the sauce is smooth and pale orange.
- Stir in the sweet potato cubes. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook uncovered 15 to 18 minutes, until a knife tip slides into a cube easily but the cube still holds its shape.
- Add the chickpeas and cook 8 minutes more, until heated through and coated in the sauce.
Finish
- Turn off the heat. Stir in the spinach in two handfuls and let the residual heat wilt it, about 2 minutes.
- Stir in the lime juice, the remaining salt, and the cilantro. Taste and adjust before serving.
Notes
- Full fat coconut milk only: light coconut milk gives a thin broth instead of a creamy sauce.
- Thicker sauce: mash four or five sweet potato cubes against the side of the pan and stir them in.
- Add chicken: brown 1 pound of cubed chicken thigh first, set aside, and return it with the chickpeas.
- Kale instead of spinach: chop and add it 5 minutes earlier.
- Storage: keeps 5 days refrigerated and freezes 3 months. Reheat gently with a splash of water.