Sweet potato and chickpea curry with coconut milk is an easy and spicy vegan meal with Indian influences that tastes simply divine.
Whilst the cooking time for this delicious curry stretches to 45 minutes (including prep) most of it is spent with your feet up waiting for the sweet potato to cook!
Vegan Sweet Potato Curry with Indian Influences
My site is littered with curry recipes and this vegan sweet potato and chickpea number is one of my favourites!
In many ways, this recipe is a partner to a series of vegan or vegetarian chickpea recipes that include chana aloo, chickpea and lentil curry, Carrot and chickpea curry, parsnip and chickpea curry and of course my Thai satay sweet potato curry.
It is simple rustic food that tastes great, it is spicy, vegetable-rich just like my vegetable karahi and comforting & creamy.
It's a really easy recipe to cook too!
A garlic, onion and tomato paste is the base flavour which gets fried in a little oil.
Then tinned chickpeas and peeled sweet potato is thrown in with some spices, coconut milk and water.
All you have to do is wait for it to cook, finish with a bit of lime juice and coriander and you have a delicious vegan dinner waiting for you!
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to use mustard oil?
No, but it does add a wonderful background flavour to this recipe. You can use any oil you wish, although I would avoid olive oil!
Can I use low-fat coconut milk?
If you need to, please go ahead, personally speaking, it is not for me and not a product that I would recommend.
Can I make this in advance?
Yes, it will be fine in the fridge for 4-5 days.
However, I would not advise freezing it because the sweet potato will break down and the sauce tends to go grainy.
Do I have to use tinned chickpeas?
No, but this recipe has been developed to use cooked chickpeas so you will need to cook them separately.
This handy guide has a host of methods for cooking dried chickpeas.
What sort of chilli should I use?
Well, that all depends on your tolerance level to capsaicin! Chuck in anything from a red jalapeno to a Scotch bonnet, this recipe is great with them all!
I've given it 30 minutes and my sweet potatoes are not cooked, what should I do?
Cook it for longer, I find that sweet potatoes have a really inconsistent cooking time. If you need to add a little more water, then do so!
Serving Suggestions
I've mentioned my love of Indian flatbreads on more than a few occasions and I'm going to do it again!
This sweet potato and chickpea curry recipe begs for it, I am not vegan so I usually pair this with naan bread.
But you can omit the ghee if you are going full-on plant-based or serve this with chapati or roti!
You can, of course, serve this with rice.
I personally prefer plain boiled or steamed rice but it works well with a pilau too!
I also often add a kachumber salad on the side of this recipe. The sweet and sour flavours are great at cutting through the creamy richness.
Equipment Used
I only mention specific brands of equipment if I think they make a material difference to a recipe. If you have any questions feel free to ask them in the comments section below the recipe.
- Stovetop.
- 20cm or 8" saucepan.
- Mini blender.
- Vegetable peeler.
- Kitchen knife.
- Chopping board.
- Stirring spoon.
- Weighing scales and or measuring cups and spoons.
Chickpea and Sweet Potato Curry Recipe
Ingredients
- 250 g Sweet Potato 1⅔ Cups
- 400 g Tin of Chickpeas 14oz
- 1 Small Onion 100g
- 5 Garlic Cloves
- 2 Small Tomatoes 200g Total
- 1 Red Chilli Pepper
- 200 ml Coconut Milk ⅔ Cup plus 2 Tbsp
- ½ teaspoon Asafoetida (Hing)
- 175 ml Water ⅔ Cup
- 1 teaspoon Kashmiri Chilli Powder
- ½ teaspoon Turmeric Powder
- ½ teaspoon Cumin Powder
- ¼ teaspoon Cinnamon Powder
- 1 teaspoon Dried Fenugreek Leaves
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- 2 tablespoon Cooking Oil
- 1 tablespoon Lime Juice
Instructions
- Peel the onion and then cut it into rough chunks and place them into a mini blender.
- Cut the tomatoes into four and add them to the onions.
- Peel the garlic cloves and throw them into the blender.
- Roughly chop the chilli pepper, throw it into the blender and blend everything to a paste.
- Peel and cut the sweet potato into 2.5cm (1") bite-sized pieces.
- Drain the tinned chickpeas.
- Heat a 20cm or 8" saucepan over a medium-high heat. Add the oil, followed by the asafoetida, and cook for 30 seconds.
- Then add the onion paste and cook for 5 minutes, stirring constantly, you want almost all of the moisture to evaporate and the onion to begin to colour.
- Throw in the sweet potato, chickpeas, salt, turmeric, chilli powder, cumin and coriander, then stir to combine.
- Pour in the coconut milk, water and dried fenugreek and give everything a stir. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for 25-30 minutes, giving it a stir every 8-10 minutes.
- Check the sweet potatoes are cooked before serving, then add the lime juice to taste.
Emese
Monday 9th of September 2019
Stunning. Making your own curry paste. That's what I call cooking from scratch.
Jacqueline Debono
Monday 9th of September 2019
Fabulous tasting vegetarian curry. My hubby had 2 helpings of this and wants me to make it again soon!
Natalie
Monday 9th of September 2019
I love chickpea and sweet potato together - such a delicious combo.
Brian Jones
Wednesday 11th of September 2019
Thank You!
Amy Chung
Monday 9th of September 2019
You're absolutely right about not being afraid to try making a curry at home. The list of ingredients always looks so long but in actualy fact, its not as difficult by any means. Just need to stock the pantry once and you're off!
Brian Jones
Wednesday 11th of September 2019
I could not agree more :)