An easy vegetarian curry
Hi Friends! Happy Wednesday! I know I've been a little MIA around here, but for good reason which I'll be sharing in a little while! But to keep you quickly updated, last month went back to Australia for a few weeks and it was AMAZING albeit the 4 day heatwave!
I realised though when I got home just how much Aussie produce inspired me to make healthier choices when it came to food. The food over there is honestly so fresh and vibrant! I came back super inspired to cook up some more healthier choices for you guys and I think you're going to love that I've started with this easy sweet potato chickpea curry!
In an attempt to also make more recipes catering for dietary requirements, this recipe is vegetarian. I forget how often you might need to make meals to suit your friends and family! So I'm making a conscious effort to bring you some more vegetarian/gluten-free/vegan etc recipes for dinner parties!
**Want to PIN this recipe for later? Click HERE to save the recipe to your favourite Vegetarian Board on Pinterest. ***
How to make Sweet Potato Chickpea Curry
This curry is super easy to make and requires some very simple ingredients easily found in your local supermarket or Asian grocery store.
The basis of this curry is a Thai-stye curry, determined by the ingredients such as the Thai red curry paste, fish sauce, lime and sugar - all ingredients that are found in Thai cooking.
Thai cooking is easy, however requires a delicate balance in flavours which is why it's important to keep tasting this recipe as you go.
What are the Elements to Thai Cooking
Thai flavours are all based around four key taste profiles - salt, sweet, spicy and sour. The spicy comes from the Thai red curry paste, sweet from the sugar, sour from the lemon and salt from the fish sauce. These flavours need to balance out for optimal flavour.
If you find it too sweet, try adding more lime juice. Too sour - balance out the flavour with sugar. Keep adjusting the flavours and understand that each person has a difference flavour profile. Adam for example likes a sweeter curry compared to me, meaning we are constantly arguing about the right flavours of Thai food!
What Curry Paste Should I Use?
For this recipe, you'll need red curry paste. Red curry paste is actually less spicy than green curry paste and has a different flavour profile to massaman or panang curry paste.
The two brands I use for red curry paste are the Thai Kitchen curry paste and the Maesri red curry paste. I use the Maesri massaman curry paste in my massaman chicken curry and love it!
I have definitely found the Thai Kitchen brand in our local big supermarket, but have only found the Maesri brand in smaller Asian grocers. Regardless, they will both work fine!
Something funny that I have found though, is that the American Thai Kitchen curry paste for some reason isn't as spicy as the red curry paste I found in Australia! So if you're an Aussie follower, just be careful about how much curry paste you add! I tend to use 1 tablespoon in Australia, and 1 ½ tablespoons in America. Weird huh!
What Vegetables Do I Use?
For this particular recipe, I chose to stay with sweet potato, cauliflower and chickpeas. Ok I know chickpeas aren't a vegetable, but they can stay in this category!
You could definitely substitue ingredients, but if you're looking for a more vegetable packed curry, check out my vegetable coconut curry instead!
I love the earthiness that the cauliflower brings, and love the touch of sweetness from the sweet potato. They combine beautifully together, then the chickpeas add protein and a bit of crunch!
What Liquids Go Into This Curry
Liquid is an essential element of this curry because the sweet potato has to cook down. I usually only use coconut milk for my curries, but the sweet potato and chickpeas make this a thicker curry.
To keep it vegetarian, I use a vegetable stock in combination with the coconut milk. When using coconut milk, make sure you shake up the tin really well before you use it. Some cocnout milks have a tendency to seperate in the can.
As well as vegetable stock and coconut milk, you add fish sauce and lime juice. If you're looking for a vegan option, you can swap out the fish sauce for a vegan-friendly soy or coconut aminos. I think this would work without changing the flavour too much of the curry.
How Do I Cook This Curry?
That's the easy part!
- Fry off the red curry paste in coconut oil. BE CAREFUL - red curry paste does spit in hot oil, so be careful to cover your arms and watch your skin.
- Add in the sweet potato until it's coated with curry paste.
- Add your liquids (coconut milk, veggie stock, fish sauce, lime juice) and sugar.
- Simmer for 40 minutes before adding the cauliflower.
- Simmer for 10 minutes before adding the chickpeas.
- Simmer for a further 10 minutes to cook the chickpeas.
- Serve and enjoy!
The curry should be nice and thick, and the sweet potato should start to break down. In addition, the cauliflower should be cooked through and the chickpeas should be slightly warmed.
What Can I Serve this Sweet Potato Chickpea Curry With?
Totally up to you, but I like to keep it healthy and serve it with brown rice or quinoa. If I'm feeling like I need more, I'll also serve it with naan bread. This curry is quite brown, so add some cilantro or snow pea shoots for some greenery at the end.
This sweet potato chickpea curry is a cozy, warming and hearty dish that will leave you feeling good, healthy and fullfilled. A great dish if your entertaining vegetarian friends, if you need a meal prep idea or if you just want something easy to make for a weeknight meal!
Enjoy!
Georgie x
Sweet Potato Chickpea Curry
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
- 1 ½ tablespoon red curry paste
- 1 small sweet potato peeled and diced
- 1 cup vegetable stock
- 14 oz can coconut milk shake it well
- 4 teaspoon fish sauce
- 2 teaspoon sugar
- 2 teaspoon lime juice
- ½ head cauliflower cut into small florets
- 14 oz can chickpeas
- 2 cup baby kale
Instructions
- Heat coconut oil in a large Dutch oven over medium to high heat until melted. Stir in curry paste for 1 minute until fragrant - be careful that it doesn't spit on you!
- Add in diced sweet potato, and stir until the sweet potato is covered in the paste.
- Add vegetable stock, coconut oil, fish sauce, lime juice and sugar. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 40 minutes.
- Add cauliflower and simmer 10 minutes.
- Add chickpeas and simmer a further 10 minutes until cauliflower is cooked through. Stir through baby kale until it has wilted.
- Serve with naan, brown rice or quinoa.
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