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Sweet Potato Chickpea Coconut Curry

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This delicious Sweet Potato Chickpea Coconut Curry recipe is super simple to make, it’s naturally gluten-free and vegan, and it’s simmered with the coziest creamy coconut curry flavors. Perfect with rice and/or naan bread!

Sweet Potato Chickpea Coconut Curry with Cilantro in Saute Pan

On chilly winter nights that call for cozy comfort food…this sweet potato chickpea coconut curry is sure to hit the spot. ♡

We’ve been making versions of this recipe all season with whatever leftover veggies we have in the house, but this simple combination of sweet potatoes, chickpeas, tomatoes and spinach has definitely been our favorite. These basic ingredients are all simmered together in a silky, creamy, coconut curry broth that is brightened up with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice. Then I highly recommend serving the curry piled high with lots of fresh toppings (hello, fresh cilantro and thinly-sliced red onions) over either rice, rice noodles, and/or homemade naan bread.

It’s a quick, easy, vegetarian (also vegan), gluten-free, flavor-packed meal that’s easy to customize with whatever veggies and greens you have on hand. And, bonus, it also makes for fantastic leftovers the next day. So go rummage through that crisper drawer and let’s make some cozy coconut curry together!

Sweet Potato Chickpea Coconut Curry | 1-Minute Video

Sweet Potato Chickpea Curry Closeup

Coconut Curry Ingredients:

Before we get to the full recipe below, here are a few notes about the ingredients you’ll need to make this coconut curry:

  • Onion: Our curry begins with onion (white, yellow or red), sautéed in olive oil until softened.
  • Ginger and garlic: I highly recommend using fresh ginger and garlic for maximum flavor in this curry, which we will mince (or you can grate the ginger) and add to the sauté. That said, if you don’t have fresh ginger in the house, you can substitute 1 teaspoon of ground ginger in place of the fresh ginger.
  • Spices: I kept things simple for this curry with a combination of garam masala and curry powder (plus salt and pepper).
  • Milks: To make this curry nice and creamy, we will use a blend of full-fat coconut milk (I like this brand) and some type of plain plant-based milk (I used oat milk). Alternately, you could also just add in some veggie stock in place of the plain plant-based milk.
  • Tomatoes: One can of diced tomatoes. (I recommend fire-roasted diced tomatoes, if they are available in your grocery store, for extra flavor.)
  • Sweet potato: One large sweet potato, diced into 1/2-inch cubes.
  • Chickpeas: One can of chickpeas, rinsed and drained.
  • Greens: I added a few handfuls of fresh baby spinach to this curry, but feel free to use kale, collards, or any other greens that you prefer.
  • Lemon juice: A generous squeeze of lemon juice (or you could also use lime juice) really helps to brighten up the flavors of the broth.
  • Toppings: Finally, I recommend loading each bowl of curry up with lots of chopped fresh cilantro, a sprinkling of thinly-sliced green onions, and/or a pinch of crushed red chili flakes if you would like to add some heat. Feel free to serve your curry with naan bread, rice, and/or rice noodles.

Sweet Potato Chickpea Curry in Sauté Pan with Cilantro

Possible Curry Recipe Variations:

Here are a few additional ways that you can customize this curry recipe if you’d like:

  • Make it spicy: If you would like to add more heat to the entire batch of curry, add a few pinches of crushed red chili flakes to the broth. Or you can also mince and add in a fresh chili, such as jalapeño, serrano or a Thai bird chili.
  • Make it lighter: You are welcome to sub in low-fat coconut milk if you prefer, but note that the broth will be significantly less creamy and a bit thinner.
  • Use butternut squash (or other potatoes): Feel free to sub in diced butternut squash or another type of potatoes (such as Yukon Gold or red potatoes) in place of the sweet potatoes.
  • Add a protein: Feel free to also add meat (chicken, beef, pork, ground turkey, etc) or seafood (shrimp, salmon, etc) to add some protein to this dish if you would like, either in addition to or in place of the chickpeas.

Sweet Potato Chickpea Coconut Curry in Bowl with Naan Bread and Rice

More Favorite Curry Recipes:

Love curry as much as I do? Here are a few more of my favorite curry recipes on Gimme Some Oven:

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Sweet Potato Chickpea Coconut Curry in Saute Pan

Sweet Potato Chickpea Coconut Curry

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 4.9 from 40 reviews
  • Author: Ali
  • Prep Time: 15 mins
  • Cook Time: 20 mins
  • Total Time: 35 mins
  • Yield: 4 to 6 servings 1x

Description

This delicious Sweet Potato Chickpea Coconut Curry recipe is super simple to make, it’s naturally gluten-free and vegan, and it’s simmered with the coziest creamy coconut curry flavors.  Perfect with rice and/or naan bread!


Ingredients

Scale

Instructions

  1. Sauté the veggies. Heat the oil in a large sauté pan or stockpot over medium-high heat.  Add the onion and sauté for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened.  Add the ginger and garlic and sauté for 1 minute, stirring occasionally.  Add the curry powder and garam masala and sauté for 1 minute, stirring occasionally.
  2. Add the next round of ingredients. Add the oat milk, chickpeas, tomatoes, coconut milk, sweet potato and stir to combine.  Continue cooking until the mixture reaches a very low simmer.
  3. Simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low and continue cooking the curry (uncovered) over a very low simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sweet potatoes are softened, about 10 to 15 minutes.
  4. Stir in the remaining ingredients. Add the baby spinach and lemon juice and gently toss with the curry until the spinach has begun to wilt.  Season the curry with however much salt and pepper you think is needed, to taste.
  5. Serve. Serve warm, garnished with lots of toppings, with either naan, rice, and/or rice noodles.

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51 comments on “Sweet Potato Chickpea Coconut Curry”

  1. When do you add the chickpeas? I don’t see them in the recipe. Looks amazing!






  2. What can one substitute if they do not want to use coconut oil due to its saturated fat content?

    • Coconut milk? You are welcome to use low-fat coconut milk, if you prefer. Or you can also sub in almond or oat milk…although the curry will be much less creamy and considerably thinner.

    • Any thoughts on whether this soup would freeze well?

  3. Made this recipe and it was a hit! Used chicken stock and used all curry my garam masala was old and only tiny bit left. Used tomatoes with green chilies. Will make it again and thanks for all that you do. Can’t wait to have the leftovers for my lunch. I also made a rice pilaf and BBQ”D chicken leg quarters (skinless bone in) You are a great Cook/Chef






  4. Delicious! (Did not have oat milk so used skim milk instead)






  5. Hi can I use regular diced tomatoes if I can’t find the diced ones?






  6. Forgot to mention that instead of the fire-roasted tomatoes (not sure I know what this is), I used regular tomatoes and a touch of liquid smoke!






  7. Excellent recepe,kudos.

  8. Oh my goodness! Beyond delicious. Also, I got some light colored sweet potatoes in my CSA that were so dry and hard you almost couldn’t eat them. They did great in this recipe…and the sauce was the perfect thing!!! I only had light coconut milk, but I had some half-n-half so subbed about a half cup of that for the oat milk! We even forgot the toppings…did not need them.






  9. My whole family loved this recipe. It was a perfect comfort food and the lemon really brightened it up. Thank you for a delicious recipe!






  10. Such a rich meld of flavors in this dish! I made this recipe as is served over basmati rice, although I may have added a bit more ginger than the recipe called for, and took the suggestion to add cilantro as a topping. My husband is not a big fan of curry but he loved it! This recipe is a keeper — thanks for sharing it!






  11. YUMMY!!! I made this today while on a work ZOOM (video off) and so quick, easy and flavorful! I used two sweet potatoes just because I had two and the extra doesn’t hurt. I didn’t have any garam masala so I used equal parts cumin and allspice as a substitute. I also used regular milk as well as an already opened can of evaporated milk plus coconut. Used rotel which is tomatoes with chiles since all I had on hand and added 1 lb of shrimp that I seasoned prior to. The flavor is amazing and the dish is so creamy! I added no salt and pepper once done, didn’t need it. I added spinach and lemon as instructed and served over rice. I know it will taste even better tomorrow once the flavors meld. Word to the wise, do not skip adding cilantro, it’s a MUST. Your recipes never fail.






  12. Let me just say, I didn’t like curry….until we tried this recipe! My son is home from college and loves curry. He made this recipe for the family last night and it was dynamite. Even my husband, the biggest curry snob in town, loved it. Thank you for another delicious and fairly easy recipe!






  13. I made this, and it was amazing! Easy and so flavorful. A really satisfying meal. I used veg stock instead of milk. Thanks for this great recipe that is definitely going in regular rotation!






  14. I’m new to cooking Indian food but love all the ingredients in this recipe! I followed this recipe as much as I could. I used whole milk instead of oat and I couldn’t find garam masala. I also threw in chicken. We served it over rice. OUTSTANDING flavors and textures!!! I’m not familiar with Garam masala so I don’t know how it would change the flavor but I’m so happy with the way this came out! My family loves it and it will be a recipe I will definitely be making again. Thank you for sharing!!! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️






  15. This recipe was so wonderful until the last step when I added the lemon juice. Perhaps my lemons are larger than the ones you use. The curry became a sour disaster and very disappointing since it was so delicious before. I would make this again and just skip the lemon juice or add very slowly and taste after each bit.






  16. This was fantastic! I made some changes based on what I had in the house (no spinach, but added frozen peas; no coconut milk, used half½ no gram marsala, used cumin and allspice) and I did add some sauteed chicken breast and served it with jasmine rice. It was easy and forgiving… Will definitely make it again, and now I know it can easily be scaled up for a larger group when my kids visit. Thank you!






  17. Excellent and simple recipe!!! Serve it with the naan bread….also an excellent recipe!!






  18. This recipe was delicious!! Would it also freeze/thaw well?

  19. This was a huge hit! Instead of spinach we used kale. This is a great vegetarian dinner option! Thank you for the recipe!






  20. I am not keen on sweet potatoes, could one use normal white or reds ?

  21. Just finished making it for lunch, for my hubby who works so diligently from home. He loves curry, so it was a welcomed treat on this cozy, unusually rainy, Santa Barbara day. Thanks, Ali!






  22. Oh my goodness! This is so delicious. I made as written except instead of the plant-based milk, I used unsalted chicken broth, as I am not vegetarian and had an open carton. I also made the naan which is also delicious. I made the curry and let it sit over very low heat while I cooked the naan.
    I can hardly wait until tomorrow so I can have leftovers!






  23. Our toddler loved it, which is pretty much our defining standard at the moment!! We used a mix of veggie broth, whole milk and water instead of oat milk. We also started with about 25% of the spices and then added to taste to make sure it wouldn’t be too spicy for our daughter. Ended up adding a little more than 25% of the curry powder, 25% of the garam masala and then I made my own garam blend without any spice ingredients and added that. We did half of the lemon, to taste. I also salted throughout each step of the cooking process, instead of just at the end. Served over jasmine rice, would probably do basmati next time. Another great recipe, will definitely be going in the regular rotation!






  24. I made this recipe twice already! It taste very good and I think it is very healthy. Thank you ?






  25. This is a great recipe however, I found it a little bland. I added cumin seeds which brought it to another level. I used coconut milk only, thank you for so many wonderful recipes.

  26. I don’t normally comment on recipes, but this ….wow! I made this and I have to say – like all good curries, make it early, leave to thicken and cool (or leave in the fridge overnight) then reheat gently. I had it as leftover the next night and couldn’t believe how amazing the flavours were. Definitely recommend you try this.- it’s quick and simple. I used regular canned tomatoes as other types are not readily available in the U.K. and I only had medium curry powder, but there was nothing missing in the flavour.






  27. Definitely a keeper and quick and easy. I added both chickpeas and shrimp which I let sit in curry and a few other spices for added flavor. I had about 3 sweet potatoes even though the recipe called for one, that I needed to use so the more the merrier. Followed the recipe but I used heavy cream cause I wanted a richer texture and I didn’t have any oat milk or stock anyway. But turned out VERY tasty. I had a half bag of kale and arugula and other greens so I dumped in. If you like heat like me, add more red pepper and don’t skip fresh lime juice and cilantro, lends to a great finish. I paired mine with creamy coconut rice. The house smelled amazing from the curry and this was perfect for a chilly evening.






  28. I started on a Low Fodmap diet on 13 January 2020 so it’s been just over a year to so I changed this recipe to use Asafoetida (Hing), used my homemade curry powder and used normal chopped tinned tomatoes but added some chilli flakes. I have to say the result was awesome, this is one of the best curries I’ve made and I’ll be making it again and again.

    Thank you so much for this recipe.






  29. Made this delicious dish last night and it is a new family favorite! I changed a couple of things due to what I did and didn’t have on hand. I added broccoli and used cashew milk instead of oat or veggie broth. I didn’t have fire roasted tomatoes so I used regular and added a bit of smoked paprika to get the roasted taste. I used only half of the tomatoes called for, just for preference. I also didn’t have the garam masala and used a red curry paste instead of powder bc that’s what I had. Half of a seeded jalapeño was perfect. Delish! Thankee!






  30. There is a LOT of snow here in NYC and I decided to make this recipe for lunch today. It was phenomenal!
    I followed the recipe exactly as written, but I also added 1 jalapeño pepper for a bit of heat (I sautéd it in together with the ginger and garlic). Also I used dry chickpeas instead of caned chickpeas (While it is convenient to use canned chickpeas, dried chickpeas really are a better option since they tend to have a more natural flavor because they aren’t soaked in preservatives. Also, when using canned chickpeas instead of dried ones, you loose half the nutrients). I used 3/4 cup dry chickpeas, soaked over night and cooked the next day.
    I used both the full-fat coconut milk and full-fat oat milk and it was perfect, not too “runny”.
    I skipped adding the lemon juice at the end, I just seasoned with salt and pepper and served over rice.
    It was SOOO GOOD! Now THAT’S what you want on a super cold winter day (Or night)!
    I will make this again and again. THANK YOU, Ali for this A-MAZING healthy, nutritious, sooo good easy recipe.






  31. My taste buds are doing a happy dance and my house smells SOOOO good! This is beyond delicious and satisfying, full of good, healthy ingredients and it came together in no time at all. Thanks for yet another goodie!






  32. This was awesome! I grinded fennel and fenugreek seeds with the garlic to give it some extra oomph, and also didn’t have coconut milk so used chicken broth and heavy cream. This is my new favorite curry recipe!
    Another flavor bomb I found out last night; cook your basmati with a cinnamon stick and whole cloves. Soooo fragrant and delicious!






  33. Thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe. Making it for the second time and planning to make it many more times. I cannot wait to make it for my family one day.
    ~ South-African living in the Netherlands :)






  34. I’m a Vegan and have IBS. I followed the Low Fodmap diet under a Dietician last year and was only making Low Fodmap meals until I came across this recipe. I omit the onions and garlic, make my own curry powder mix and add in Hing to replicate the onions and garlic. Even though I’ve had to change the recipe because of my dietary needs, the recipe is still awesome. This is the best Sweet Potato Chickpea curry I’ve ever made, it’s delicious






  35. I could eat this everyday! I thought it was too mild while I was cooking and tasting it, but the spices build, so it was actually perfect for me. I might double the sauce ingredients next time because I love the sauce so much and naan or basmati rice is perfect for soaking it up! Thanks for this recipe!






  36. I use an emersion blender and make this into a wonderful thick nutrient punch for my 1 year old! Wonderful recipe!






  37. I made this and it was SO GOOD!! I added a little sugar to balance the acidicness. This was my first vegan type recipe and my whole family loved it!






  38. Can you freeze this?

  39. So good! I did the classic internet recipe thing and subbed in what I had in the kitchen and left out what I didn’t so wasn’t totally accurate to the recipe as written but the spice amount and blend is PERFECT. For veggies I used: chick peas, carrots, sweet potato, regular potato and peas. Skipped the tomatoes because I don’t like them (so my curry was a little thicker which is my preference!). Only had vanilla almond milk (oops) so did half cup that and half cup water. Added cilantro at the end and a squeeze of lime!






  40. This was easy and delicious! I used partial chicken broth and low fat milk as well as low fat coconut milk. I also added some cumin and sprinkled with cilantro when served. Served it with microwaved brown basmati rice to which I added a little butter, cumin, salt and a pinch of cinnamon. This is a keeper!






  41. to me it tasted overly acidic , and was missing important spices. Also there is no heat. I had to do major amendments with the spices






  42. Very tasty enjoyed the flavours,thank you for sharing this recipe






  43. This is my absolute favorite dish/recipe!! Easy to make, super healthy, amazing flavor. I can eat this three days a week. I’ve made it over a dozen times and have shared it with several people. I recently made it for our Indian themed Thanksgiving and it was a hit. Everyone loves it, even meat eaters! Thank you for this amazing recipe!!






  44. So good! I made it as written except I used Rotel tomatoes with green chiles because that’s all I had on hand. Used veggie broth and added one large shredded chicken breast for extra protein. Thanks for another great recipe!






  45. Made this last night, easy and delicous. My toddler loved it!






  46. Please tell me how many people this recipe serves