Chickpea and Sweet Potato Curry – 🍠😍🎉 An EASY one-skillet curry that’s ready in 30 minutes and is layered with so many fabulous flavors! HEALTHY comfort food that tastes AMAZING!
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Thai Sweet Potato Curry Recipe
This sweet potato coconut curry is an easy curry that’s healthy, made in one skillet, ready in 30 minutes, hearty, comforting, and naturally vegan and gluten-free.
If you’re trying to make more meatless meals, this is a winner. You’ll never miss the meat because between the sweet potatoes, chickpeas, and spinach there’s a lot of great textures going on to keep you full and satisfied.
And holy moly, let’s talk about the flavor explosion going on. Onions are sautéed in coconut oil with garlic, ginger, and coriander before adding Thai red curry paste, coconut milk, lime juice, and soy sauce, and finishing the dish with spinach and cilantro.
The ingredients create layers of umami goodness. Savory, with a touch of acid from the lime juice, and natural sweetness from the sweet potatoes and sweet Vidalia onions.
Sweet Potato Curry Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need to make this easy red curry with sweet potatoes:
- Fresh cilantro
- Coconut oil
- Yellow onion
- Garlic
- Fresh ginger – ground ginger also works
- Ground coriander
- Large sweet potato
- Thai red curry paste
- Vegetable broth
- Salt and pepper
- Chickpeas
- Coconut milk
- Fresh spinach – I prefer baby spinach for a slightly sweeter taste
- Fresh lime juice
- Soy sauce (or fish sauce, if not vegan)
- Brown sugar
How to Make This Vegetarian or Vegan
If you’re making this as a vegetarian or vegan curry recipe use vegetable broth or water instead of chicken broth, and use soy rather than fish sauce.
Note: Scroll down to the recipe card section of the post for the ingredients with amounts included and for more complete directions.
How to Make Sweet Potato Curry
This sweet potato and chickpea curry couldn’t be easier to make! Here’s an overview of the basic recipe steps:
- Simply sauté the onion until softened, then add in the garlic, ginger, and coriander.
- Add the diced sweet potato, curry paste, broth, salt, and pepper, and cook until the potato chunks have softened.
- Stir in the chickpeas and coconut milk and let the mixture bubble away until sufficiently thickened.
- Add the spinach, lime juice, and soy sauce last.
- Cook until the spinach has wilted, then serve!
Recipe FAQs
I used Thai red curry paste because I think it adds a richer and smoother flavor profile than curry powder (Indian) does, but if all you have is curry powder, you can go for it knowing that the flavor of Thai vs. Indian curry products is vastly different and your dish won’t taste like mine.
Of course! If you have extra veggies you want to incorporate — such as cauliflower, bell peppers, diced tomatoes, or edamame — add them when you add the chickpeas and coconut milk to really make this a veggie-centric dish.
Yes! I love have planned leftovers of this Thai sweet potato and chickpea curry recipe because they’re great for lunch the next day or an easy nuke-in-the-microwave kind of easy dinner that’s ready and waiting. In fact, I think the leftovers taste even better as the flavors marry and meld while it sits – similar to how lasagna or marinara sauce tastes better the next day!
As with all curry pastes and powders, they vary in intensity and everyone’s preferences for spice and heat vary, so adjust to taste. I used 2 rounded tablespoons and I wouldn’t call this sweet potato curry spicy, but there’s robust flavor. My 10-year-old (at the time I originally posted this!) said she gives it a 4 on a 1-10 scale of spiciness. We like spicy food though.
I used canned lite coconut milk to make this sweet potato curry, but you’re welcome to use full-fat if desired. Full-fat coconut milk will result in a richer, creamier sweet potato chickpea curry.
Storage Instructions
This easy curry recipe is amazing right out of the skillet. In fact, I can’t stop taking little tastes of the broth as it simmers.
However, leftovers taste just as good! The chickpea sweet potato curry keep airtight in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 4 months.
What to Serve with Sweet Potato Curry
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Sweet Potato Curry
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil, olive oil may be substituted
- 1 medium/large sweet Vidalia or yellow onion, diced small
- 3 cloves garlic, finely minced or pressed
- 2 to 3 teaspoons ground ginger or 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, finely chopped
- 2 teaspoons ground coriander
- 2 medium/large or 1 extra-large sweet potato, peeled and diced into 1/2-inch cubes (about 3 cups, diced)
- 1 to 3 tablespoons Thai red curry paste, or to taste (curry powder may be substituted, to taste)
- 1 cup low-sodium broth, vegetable or chicken or water (I used water)
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
- one 15-ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed (I used no-salt added)
- one 13-ounce can coconut milk, I used lite; full-fat will deliver a richer/thicker result
- about 3 cups fresh spinach leaves
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 1 tablespoon soy or fish sauce, optional and to taste
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar, optional and to taste
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped for garnishing (basil may be substituted)
- rice, quinoa, or naan, optional for serving
Instructions
- To a large skillet, add the oil, onion, and sauté over medium-high heat until the onion begins to soften, about 5 to 7 minutes; stir intermittently.
- Add the garlic, ginger, coriander, and cook for about 1 minute, or until fragrant; stir frequently.
- Add the sweet potato and stir to combine with the onions.
- Add the curry paste, broth or water, salt, pepper, and stir to combine.
- Cover, reduce the heat to medium-low, and allow mixture to gently boil for about 10 minutes, or until sweet potatoes are mostly tender; they don’t have to be completely cooked through yet.
- Add the chickpeas, coconut milk, turn the heat to medium-high, and cook uncovered for about 7 to 10 minutes, or until liquid volume has reduced as much as desired and thickens slightly.
- Add the spinach, optional lime juice, optional soy or fish sauce, and stir to combine. Cook until spinach has wilted and is tender, about 1 to 2 minutes.
- Taste and optionally add brown sugar, additional curry paste, salt, pepper, etc. to taste.
- Evenly sprinkle with the cilantro and serve immediately.
Notes
- Curry will keep airtight in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 4 months.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Originally posted September 27, 2017 and reposted September 29, 2023
This was delicious! I used frozen spinach, which worked ok but I would probably use fresh in the future as I think it made the curry a little bit more watery. The only issue I had was that my curry isn’t the deep red/orange in the pictures and is more of a yellow, any tips?
I am glad you enjoyed it overall. Yes, fresh spinach is the way to go here. If you use frozen, it will water the taste down, make the curry more watery, and overall mute the color of it. The color is also dependent on the brand of curry used, how much you use, and how long you simmer it. I only use this one for my red curries https://amzn.to/4fRKWiP and use 3/4 of the jar.
Fast, easy, great tasting recipe even on second day. Substituted Swiss Chard for spinach because that is what I had in the garden.
Thanks for the 5 star review, Angela, and I am glad that this was great on the second day (recipes like this tend to actually get better with time!) and that’s impressive you still have a garden with produce at this time of year!
I have made this several times. It always turns out wonderful! The recipe allows for how much heat (Thai curry paste) you like. I like adding lime, fish sauce and cilantro. Thanks for the recipe!
Thanks for the 5 star review, Wendy, and I’m glad this always turns out wonderful for you!
I just made this for dinner and it was absolutely delicious!! So easy too. I used Kale instead of Spinach and it worked really well.
Thanks for the 5 star review and I am glad to hear this was a winner with the kale instead of spinach for you!
I used butternut squash instead of sweet potato. So delicious!
Thanks for the 5 star review, Sarah, and I am glad it turned out great with butternut squash instead of sweet potato. Great swap!
Just made this this other day. A family favorite and quick to prepare Tasty flavors
Just made this this other day. A family favorite and quick to prepare Tasty flavors
Thanks for the 5 star review and I’m glad that this is a family favorite, quick, and tasty!
Soo good, eveytime I serve it to folks who have not had it fall in love with it even if they’re not curry eaters!
Soo good, eveytime I serve it to folks who have not had it fall in love with it even if they’re not curry eaters!
Thanks for the 5 star review and I’m glad that this is a hit, even with folks as you said who “aren’t curry eaters” but this will make a curry eater out of anyone!
I’ve made about 30 new recipes this year, and this is either my first or second favorite
Really delicious! My family doesn’t like spicy so I made with curry powder and left out the pepper and coriander. I added chicken as well. Came out great!
Really delicious! My family doesn’t like spicy so I made with curry powder and left out the pepper and coriander. I added chicken as well. Came out great!
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad this came out great for your family and that you tweaked the recipe to your liking!
I have been making this for years and I LOVE it! It is so flavorful and unique. I do either use full sodium broth or double the salt, but that’s my preference. Just a warning to cooking newbies – 35 minutes is AMBITIOUS! This recipe usually takes me an hour or more (sweet potatoes are hard to dice!!). But it doesn’t use too many dishes and it’s so worth it.
I have been making this for years and I LOVE it! It is so flavorful and unique. I do either use full sodium broth or double the salt, but that’s my preference. Just a warning to cooking newbies – 35 minutes is AMBITIOUS! This recipe usually takes me an hour or more (sweet potatoes are hard to dice!!). But it doesn’t use too many dishes and it’s so worth it.
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad this has been a winner for you!
To save time chopping, it is more expensive but you can always buy them prechopped (many better grocery stores sell them that way), use bagged shredded carrots, etc. Possibly an option but if not, the more you cook, the faster you get :)