Sweet Potato Curry

This sweet potato curry recipe with chickpeas makes an irresistible healthy dinner! It stars luscious coconut milk and Thai curry paste.

When it comes to healthy recipes, here’s a plant-based dinner that’s just as satisfying as a margherita pizza or chili cheese fries (we think). Try this Sweet Potato Curry! Tender sweet potatoes and bell peppers swim in a luscious broth of coconut milk and Thai curry paste, topped with fresh cilantro and crunchy peanuts. There’s so much flavor going on, you’ll want to take another bite before you’re finished savoring the first. Welcome to: your easy weeknight dinner soulmate!

The origin of curry

What’s the origin of a curry? The word “curry” is a Western invention to poorly describe the nuance of what colonizers observed in foreign cuisines (see Bon Appetit). Today, the term is pretty broad: it’s used to describe any dish with a spiced sauce and meat or vegetables, often eaten with rice or flatbread. It’s made in many countries with varying flavor profiles, including India, Thailand, Cambodia, Malaysia, Indonesia, South Africa, Nigeria, England and more.

This recipe is loosely based on a Thai or Southeast Asian-style red curry using red curry paste and coconut milk. After traveling in Southeast Asia, we fell in love with the flavors of ginger, garlic, galangal, lime and lemongrass. Sweet potato and chickpeas aren’t traditional ingredients in this type of curry (though pumpkin is); so this is a non-traditional spin on the concept.

Ingredients in this sweet potato curry recipe

This sweet potato curry is a fantastic easy dinner recipe that makes vegetables taste irresistibly rich and nuanced. The broth uses the shortcut of curry paste to infuse massive flavor into each bite. Here’s what you’ll need to have on hand:

Sweet potato: find medium-sized orange sweet potatoes
Yellow onion
Bell pepper
Garlic
Spinach
Red curry paste: we like Thai Kitchen brand because it’s flavorful yet not too spicy! See below for more notes
Coconut milk: Use only full-fat or regular here for the right richness and body
Peanut butter
Lime juice (optional)
Olive oil

Red curry paste: what to know

Red curry paste is a shortcut for Western kitchens, not an authentic ingredient: it’s a jarred paste that takes all the flavor of a Thai curry and concentrates it! Curry paste is made with chili peppers, garlic, lemongrass, ginger, kaffir lime leaves, cumin, coriander, and more. It brings a massive amount of flavor and lasts for months in the fridge. A few notes on this ingredient:

The heat level varies based on the brand. We like Thai kitchen curry paste because it’s very mild (and works for our 4-year old!). There are many great brands to try: just make sure to taste your curry paste and if it’s very spicy, use a little less than the recipe specifies.
Find it near the Thai products in most grocery stores. It keeps for months in the refrigerator. You can also buy it online: Thai Kitchen red curry paste.

Ways to serve sweet potato curry

This sweet potato curry is a Southeast Asian-style curry, so it’s best served with rice. (Reserve naan for an Indian-style curry.) That makes it a vegan and gluten-free dinner recipe that’s packed with flavor. Here are the best styles of rice to serve alongside:

Jasmine rice : Jasmine rice is also called Thai fragrant rice because of its popcorn-like nutty flavor. Here’s How to Cook Jasmine Rice
Basmati rice: Basmati rice is more often used for Indian-style curries, but also works. Go to How to Cook Basmati Rice.
Any long grain rice: Use white rice or brown rice. Here’s a tip for how to cook brown rice quickly!

More curry recipes

We could eat curry every night of the week! Here are a few more tasty curry recipes:

Go for 20-minute Easy Chickpea Curry, a fan favorite
Try this Coconut Tofu Curry, another favorite healthy vegan dinner
Opt for Butternut Squash Curry
Try stunning Shrimp Curry
Go for Quick Coconut Lentil Curry or Quick Vegan Curry

Easy Chickpea Curry

Coconut Tofu Curry

Butternut Squash Curry

Shrimp Curry

This sweet potato curry recipe is…

Vegetarian, vegan, plant-based, dairy-free and gluten-free.