This is a simple curry to make that also looks colourful and pretty. Plus it’s pretty budget-conscious too. It’s also very nice with brown rice. Adding extra greens helps to create more of a ‘rainbow plate. A favorite, from https://www.veganrecipeclub.org.uk/recipes/chickpea-sweet-potato-tomato-curry
Ingredients:
- 750g/1lb 10oz sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped into bite-sized pieces (a mixture of white and sweet can also be used if that’s all you have)
- 1 medium white onion, finely sliced or chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1 tbsp oil
- 1 tbsp cumin seeds
- Ginger, 50g/scant 2oz, peeled and grated (use a teaspoon to peel, much quicker than a knife)
- 1 pinch chilli flakes OR ½ tsp chilli powder (add a smaller amount and taste it first if you’re very sensitive to heat)
- 1 heaped tsp garam masala
- Salt and black pepper
- 2 tins of chickpeas, drained (keep the chickpea water (aquafaba) to use in other recipes, eg vegan mayo, chocolate mousse, cakes… it will keep in a clean screwtop container in the fridge for 3-4 days). Search elsewhere on this site for recipes
- 1 x 400g tin tomatoes – whole are best as less watery. Chop them up in the pan
- 300-500ml water or vegan stock (if using stock, reduce the amount of salt used)
Optional: finely shredded cabbage/spring greens or roughly chopped spinach, Swiss chard or kale
Method:
- Prepare the sweet potatoes and set aside. Use a Y-shaped vegetable peeler, they whizz through veg prep!
- Prepare the onions and garlic. Get the spices measured out and ready also.
- Heat a large saucepan over a medium heat and add the oil. Once hot, add the 1 tbsp cumin seeds and fry for a minute, or until aromatic. Add the onion and a pinch of salt and reduce the heat. Cook the onions gently for 5-6 minutes, or until it is soft and translucent. Add the garlic, chilli flakes, garam masala and ginger and fry for a further three minutes. Add a splash or water if the mixture starts to stick at any point.
- Drain and rinse the chickpeas. Add to the pan with the tomatoes and sweet potato. Add enough stock/water to cover the chickpeas and sweet potatoes and bring to a simmer, stirring to mix everything together.
- Cover with a lid and simmer over a medium low heat, stirring now and again, for 20-30 minutes, or until the potatoes are soft and beginning to break apart and the sauce has thickened. Top up with a little more water during the cooking if needed. If you’re adding greens of any kind, cook them in for about 5-15 minutes before the end – spinach and chard will cook quickly but kale or cabbage will need 10-15 minutes. Serve with rice, chappatis, plain vegan yogurt, chutney, chillies, lime, coriander, salad – any or all of these!