This sweet potato and chickpea curry is easy to make but bold in flavors. Serve this creamy plant-based curry over rice or with naan for a fuss-free yet delicious midweek dinner.
Sweet potato and chickpea curry is comfort food in a bowl! It's an aromatic and nutritious meal that's packed with protein from the chickpeas and ready in just 30 minutes.
This sweet potato curry is relatively mild to keep it family-friendly, but you can up the spiciness as much as you like.
You can serve this curry with brown rice, basmati rice or, if you're trying to keep things low-carb, with cauliflower rice. Naan breads or roti also pair great with this curry.
Why you'll love this sweet potato and chickpea curry
- It's extra flavorful and feels just like a takeaway treat, only healthier and cheaper.
- You can make it as spicy as you want and play with the veggies to make it your own.
- It only takes 30 minutes to make — just perfect for a busy weeknight.
Ingredients and substitutions
Coconut oil — You can also use avocado oil or olive oil instead.
Onion — Yellow or red onion are both good choices in this sweet potato and chickpea curry.
Garlic and ginger — Fresh garlic and ginger are always best in this kind of curry, but you can use the stuff in a jar or a garlic ginger paste if you like.
Tomato paste — Feel free to add more tomato paste if you want a more pronounced tomato flavor. You can also add a can of crushed or diced tomatoes.
Spices — I used a mix of mild curry powder, garam masala and chili powder in this vegan sweet potato curry.
If you want it extra spicy, use medium or hot curry powder or add a finely chopped green chili with the garlic ad ginger.
Chickpeas — Canned chickpeas work great in this curry for convenience, but you can also use dried chickpeas if you want. You'll have to soak them overnight and then cook them until tender before adding them to the curry.
Sweet potatoes — Cut the sweet potatoes into ½-inch cubes so they cook quickly.
Baby spinach — You can use other greens here, such as kale, for example, but you may need to adjust the cooking times because kale takes longer to wilt.
How to make sweet potato coconut curry
Heat the coconut oil in a large, deep pan and cook the onion for 3-4 minutes over medium heat until softened.
Add the garlic and ginger and continue to cook for another minute until you can no longer feel the raw smell.
Stir in the tomato paste, then add the curry powder, garam masala and chili powder. Stir to combine, then add the coconut milk and bring to a simmer.
Add the chickpeas and sweet potatoes and simmer on medium-low heat for 15 minutes or until the sweet potatoes are fork tender.
Stir in the baby spinach and lime juice and cook for another minute until wilted. Add the fresh cilantro, season to taste and serve over rice or with naan.
Leftovers and storage
- You can store any leftovers for up to 3 days in an airtight container in the fridge.
- Reheat the curry on the stovetop or in the microwave until piping hot.
- This sweet potato and chickpea curry can be frozen for up to 3 months. Defrost it overnight in the fridge before reheating.
Recipe notes and tips
- To make the sweet potato chickpea curry even creamier, add 1-2 tablespoons coconut cream with the coconut milk.
- Other veggies that you can add to this curry include broccoli, cauliflower and bell peppers.
- Serve the curry topped with freshly chopped cilantro and with extra lemon wedges on the side.
If you liked this sweet potato and chickpea curry, you might also like some of my other easy vegan curry recipes:
- Thai Coconut Chickpea Curry
- Easy Courgette Curry
- Aubergine and Chickpea Curry
- Vegan Thai Yellow Curry
- Coconut Tofu Curry
Don't miss out on any new recipes! Follow Vegan Cocotte on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest.
Sweet Potato and Chickpea Curry
This sweet potato and chickpea curry is easy to make but bold in flavors. Serve this creamy plant-based curry over rice or with naan for a fuss-free yet delicious midweek dinner.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
- 1 medium onion, finely diced
- 2 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, chopped or grated
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 tablespoons medium curry powder
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 can (13.5 fl.oz/ 400ml) full-fat coconut milk
- 1 lb (450 g) sweet potatoes, cut into ½ inch cubes
- 1 can (14 oz / 400g) chickpeas
- 2 cups (50 g) baby spinach
- Juice of ½ lime
- ¼ cup (20 g) fresh cilantro (coriander), chopped
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat the coconut oil in a large, deep pan and cook the onion for 3-4 minutes over medium heat until softened.
- Add the garlic and ginger and continue to cook for another minute until you can no longer feel the raw smell.
- Stir in the tomato paste, then add the curry powder, garam masala and chili powder. Stir to combine, then add the coconut milk and bring to a simmer.
- Add the chickpeas and sweet potatoes and simmer on medium-low heat for 15 minutes or until the sweet potatoes are fork tender.
- Stir in the baby spinach and lime juice and cook for another minute until wilted. Add the fresh cilantro, season to taste and serve over rice or with naan.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 479Total Fat: 19gSaturated Fat: 14gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 205mgCarbohydrates: 69gFiber: 15gSugar: 22gProtein: 14g
Nutritional information is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator.
Sandra
This was really good. Tried it out on the family first. Now making it for a church dinner as the vegan option (read 30 people) along with the usual non-vegan options. Thx
Paris
Glad you like it Sandra!
Jackie
I’m making this tonight. Very straightforward. If my husband likes it (non vegan) then my vegan daughters are sure to love it. I’m getting together with them next week and plan in making it.