This sweet potato curry is sweet, it's smoky, it's spicy, and it's packed with veg, including plenty of roasted sweet potato. Easy, healthy comfort food!
A curry has got to be one of my favourite dinners ever. Any time I need to clear out the last few veg from the fridge, curry is always one of the first meals that pops into my head - and this sweet potato curry is a brilliant option!
Roasted sweet potatoes
I make vegetarian curries all the time, but one ingredient I always regret not including more often is sweet potato! It makes such a wonderful addition to any curry, bringing a touch of sweetness that goes so well with the rich, smoky curry flavour.
As with most veg, sweet potato is vastly superior once it's been roasted, so that's exactly what I did. Just cut it into little cubes, drizzle with a little oil, and pop it in the oven.
The sweet potato becomes beautifully caramelised and crispy round the edges - it really does intensify the flavour so much more than if you were to just boil it up.
More veggies!
While the sweet potato is busy roasting, you can get on with making the rest of the curry.
It starts just like any other - cooking off some veg in a pan. This time I went for courgette (zucchini) and yellow pepper, along with plenty of garlic. Feel free to use other veggies if you like - you could even add a tin of beans or chickpeas for a heartier curry.
Curry paste
You could add you own blend of spices if you like - it's not tricky as long as you have a fairly well-stocked pantry, and it is something I do often. But on this occasion, I was feeling even lazier than usual, so I just used a good dollop of a shop-bought curry paste.
Curry pastes are brilliant - an expert has already blended up all the right spices in just the right ratios to produce an absolutely beautiful curry. I've got nothing to prove, I'm more than happy to go with the expert!
Mash the sweet potato (or don't!)
When the sweet potato is done roasting, add it to the pan, along with some tinned tomatoes and a big handful of fresh spinach.
As soon as everything's piping hot, you can serve it up - but I'd recommend waiting just a little longer! If you give everything a really thorough stir, the sweet potato will start to break down into the curry, giving a really hearty, comforting texture.
It's like mashed potato... but twenty times better.
Sweet potato curry
As the sweet potato mashes down into the vegetables, it almost creates a super thick, rich, sweet sauce for your curry.
I also added a splash of cream to loosen it up a little and to give it an extra hint of luxury, but feel free to skip the cream, or use coconut milk, if you want a vegan curry.
How to serve sweet potato curry
Since this sweet potato curry isn't particularly saucy, I didn't want to serve it with rice. Instead, we had ours with naan bread, which was perfect for scooping up big heaps of curry.
Poppadoms would be great too, for the same purpose!
Have you ever made sweet potato curry?
Sweet potato curry
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Print Pin CommentIngredients
- 1 large sweet potato (~ 500g / ~ 1 lb)
- 2 tablespoon oil, divided
- 1 courgette (zucchini), sliced or diced
- 1 bell pepper (I used red), sliced or diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ teaspoon ginger paste
- 2 tablespoon curry paste (I used tikka paste)
- 400 g tin (~ 1 ⅓ cups) chopped tomatoes
- 2 large handfuls fresh spinach, chopped
- 100 ml (~ ⅓ cup) single cream (optional)
- 3 tablespoon cashew nuts
Instructions
- Peel the sweet potato, and cut it into dice. Toss it with some oil, and spread it out in a single layer on a baking tray. Roast at 190°C (Gas Mark 5 / 375°F) for around 25 minutes, until crispy around the edges.
- While the sweet potato is roasting, heat a little more oil in a large frying pan. Add the vegetables, garlic and ginger, and cook for 5 minutes over a medium heat. Add the curry paste, and mix to combine.
- When the sweet potato is ready, add it to the pan with the vegetables, along with the chopped tomatoes and a couple of handfuls of spinach. Simmer for a further 5-10 minutes, or until cooked to your liking (the sweet potato will break down more the longer you cook it).
- If desired, stir in a little cream just before serving.
- I like to serve the sweet potato curry topped with some cashew nuts - just toast them for a few minutes, in a dry pan over a medium heat, until lightly browned. Watch them carefully, as once they start to turn brown, they can burn quickly.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is approximate, and will depend on your exact ingredients. Please calculate your own nutritional values if you require accuracy for health reasons.
This is another incredible, easy curry - creamy roasted carrot dal:
A.S.Ramakrishnan. says
Dear Becca,
We also make sweet potato curry in a typical
Soth Indian style. But the variation in your recipe is interesting. Besides the mild sweet taste,the slightly overwhelming curry powder taste will score. I liked your preparation.