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, soy sauce, and finishing the dish with spinach and cilantro.
The ingredients create layers of unami 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:
- Coconut oil
- Yellow onion
- Garlic
- Ginger (ground or fresh)
- Ground coriander
- Sweet potato
- Thai red curry paste
- Vegetable broth
- Salt and pepper
- Chickpeas
- Coconut milk
- Fresh spinach
- Lime juice
- Soy sauce (or fish sauce, if not vegan)
- Brown sugar
- Fresh cilantro
How to Make This Vegetarian or Vegan
If you’re making this as a vegan/vegetarian 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, 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
We love serving this curry alongside rice for soaking up the sauce, and naan bread for mopping up our plates. Other great curry side dishes are:
- Brown, basmati, or cauliflower rice
- Naan bread
- Roasted Cauliflower
- Green Edamame Salad
- Roasted Mixed Vegetables
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Sweet Potato Curry
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
Omg! This came out so good! Thank you for sharing the recipe. I only made one change; I swapped the vegetable broth for Thai coconut broth. I randomly saw it at WF and decided to try it.Â
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad that it came out great!
Hi Averie,
thanks for the recipe! I am wanted to make your Thai chicken coconut curry recipe, but am running out of chicken, so I figured I would try to blend that recipe with this one and supplement with sweet potatoes! I am just wondering when exactly to add the chicken. I guess after letting the sweet potatoes boil for 10m?
Thanks!
Liz
Just saw this question, yes after the sweet potatoes because really it won’t take too long once the mixture is simmering, maybe 5-7 mins to cook depending on size of pieces.
I made this for dinner tonight and it has fantastic depth of flavor and everything is so tender. Really solid recipe thank you!
I made this for dinner tonight and it has fantastic depth of flavor and everything is so tender. Really solid recipe thank you!
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad you loved this and feel it had fantastic depth of flavor!
this chickpea and sweet potato curry is my new favorite recipe! Even my husband loves it. I did the original version, with a few changes: 2 cups kale instead of spinach; tamari instead of soy or fish sauce, and yes, I definitely added the optional lime juice! This is an easy vegan recipe that will be a regular part of my cooking repertoire.
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad this is your new favorite recipe! I love the lime juice too and glad this is a new vegan staple for you!
This recipe is ridiculously AWESOME!! I stumbled onto it, via the chicken version but was happy to find the vegetarian counterpart. I didn’t have curry paste but found Trader Joe’s curry sauce to be an adequate substitute. To the reviewer who could not use chick peas, I highly recommend edamame beans instead… they work quite well. As I read the chicken version, with the shredded carrots, I added them to the veggie version as well, along with some edamame… I’m still aglow from the explosion of flavors. I never write reviews yet felt compelled to write one this evening. Thank you for inspiring us home cooks, who love to experiment, and find healthy choices in today’s culinary diverse world. I look forward to exploring more of your recipes. Cin cin!
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This recipe is ridiculously AWESOME!! I stumbled onto it, via the chicken version but was happy to find the vegetarian counterpart. I didn’t have curry paste but found Trader Joe’s curry sauce to be an adequate substitute. To the reviewer who could not use chick peas, I highly recommend edamame beans instead… they work quite well. As I read the chicken version, with the shredded carrots, I added them to the veggie version as well, along with some edamame… I’m still aglow from the explosion of flavors. I never write reviews yet felt compelled to write one this evening. Thank you for inspiring us home cooks, who love to experiment, and find healthy choices in today’s culinary diverse world. I look forward to exploring more of your recipes. Cin cin!
I am glad this turned out AWESOME for you! And yes TJs curry sauce is really good stuff.
Thanks for taking the time to write a review and glad you found this version from the chicken version.
I bought way too many sweet potatoes for Christmas so I needed a way to use them up. This was a perfect change of pace. I used 3 TB of red curry paste and it was good for flavor but no spice. I would recommend adding a sufficient amount of cayenne to really bring out the rest of the flavors. It’s great with brown rice! I’ll definitely make this again.
Glad to hear you’ll definitely make it again!
Delicious! Very satisfying
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad it was delicious and satisfying!
Amazing recipe! Thank you. Keep up the great work!!!
Thanks for reading my site and glad this turned out amazing!
Had this for dinner tonight. Excellent! Served on quinoa with a piece of cod topping it off. Will definitely make again.
Thanks for the 5 star review and I am glad you will make it again and it was excellent!
This recipe (as well as the chicken version) are now in our normal rotation of weeknight dinners. So quick, easy, and tasty! Thanks
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad that this one and the chicken version are in your normal weeknight rotation of dinners!
This recipe was a hit! Thank you very much. I’m slowly discovering more and more vegan recipes to add to my weekly meals and this one will go in the rotation :) I didnt have any curry powder or thai pasta so I added my own Indian spices : 3/4 teaspoon garam masala, 2tsp coriander, 1/2 tsp of black pepper, 3/4 of cumin, 1/4 of turmeric, 1/2 of red chilli powder, 2 tsp of ginger powder, 1 small tsp salt. I didnt add soy sauce or the sugar, it was sweet enough without. I also had no coriander so I couldn’t add it, otherwise it goes in all my curries. Again, thank you for the recipe!!! Served with brown rice. Xx
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad this was a hit and will go into your rotation! Glad you were able to improvise with your own blend of spices, too.
DELISH this is a regular on my meal menu. Thanks for a great recipe
Thanks for the 5 star review and I’m glad it’s on your regular meal plan!