chickpeas – FoodWatcher

Sweet Potato Curry with Chickpeas

Sweet Potato Curry with Chickpeas and Spinach is an easy one-pot meal you can make for weeknight dinners and meal prep! It’s comforting, flexible, and loaded with flavor. Craving more easy curry recipes? You’ll have to try my Thai Red Curry, Easy Vegan Curry, and Vegan Thai Green Curry recipes as well! When you’re searching…

Sweet Potato Curry with Chickpeas and Spinach is an easy one-pot meal you can make for weeknight dinners and meal prep! It’s comforting, flexible, and loaded with flavor.

Craving more easy curry recipes? You’ll have to try my Thai Red Curry, Easy Vegan Curry, and Vegan Thai Green Curry recipes as well!

When you’re searching for winter comfort foods, you’ll typically stumble on hearty stews and creamy soups, but I’m a bigger fan of curry recipes. They’re the ultimate cozy meal, with warm spices, creamy sauces, and loads of seasonal veggies in every bite. It’s everything you need in a winter meal!

That’s why you’ll find this Easy Sweet Potato Curry Recipe on my dinner menu almost weekly when it’s cold outside. I can’t get enough of the hearty sweet potatoes and protein-packed chickpeas swimming in the aromatic and creamy red curry sauce! It also doesn’t hurt that it quickly comes together in one pan.

Just like my Butternut Squash Curry, you can quickly throw this red curry recipe together for a comforting family dinner or during your Sunday meal prep. It stays fresh and flavorful for days and even freezes well!

Why you need to try this sweet potato curry recipe

A seasonal Thai-inspired curry recipe – Sweet potatoes give this Thai-inspired curry a fall and winter twist, while the spicy-ish curry sauce warms you up.
Quick, easy, and made in one pan! This has to be one of the easiest fall dinner recipes. All you have to do is toss everything in a skillet, simmer until the potatoes are tender, then serve!
Make it your own – Add more vegetables, swap the sweet potatoes for pumpkin, or tone down the heat. The ways to make this recipe your own are endless!

using a wooden spoon to scoop sweet potato curry in a black skillet.

Ingredients needed (with substitutions)

Vegetable oil
Garlic and ginger
Red curry paste – My favorite red curry paste is by Thai Kitchen because it’s vegan, full of flavor, and easy to find in most well-stocked grocery stores.
Ground turmeric
Sweet potatoes – The star of the curry! Use regular sweet potatoes, yams, or swap them for peeled and diced pumpkin or butternut squash to make a recipe that’s similar to my Butternut Squash Curry.
Coconut milk – Use canned full-fat coconut milk to make the curry super creamy. You can substitute plain yogurt or cashew cream, or even some sort of vegan cream like Ripple brand half and half.
Water – Or vegetable broth.
Chickpeas – I like to use canned chickpeas for convenience, but freshly cooked chickpeas are delicious here, too. Or, instead of using chickpeas, make the curry with pre-cooked or canned green or brown lentils.
Salt and pepper
Spinach – For a hint of green in the curry. Kale works, too.
Sugar – This is optional but balances the flavors very well.
Lime juice

ingredients for Sweet Potato Curry with Chickpeas in individual white bowls.

How to make sweet potato curry with chickpeas

Find the complete recipe with measurements in the recipe card below.

Start by sautéing the garlic and ginger in an oiled skillet over medium heat.

Stir in the red curry paste and turmeric to coat the aromatics, then pour in the coconut milk and water/broth. Stir to combine and use a wooden spoon to loosen any bits of food stuck to the bottom of the pan.

stirring red curry sauce with a wooden spoon in a black skillet.

Add the sweet potatoes, chickpeas, salt, and pepper to the curry.

Heat to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer until the potatoes are fork tender.

For deeper layers of flavor, roast the sweet potatoes (tossed in a little olive oil) in a 400ºF oven for 30 to 45 minutes, then add them to the curry with the chickpeas and only simmer for 10 to 15 minutes.

stirring sweet potatoes into a red curry sauce with a wooden spoon in a black skillet.

To finish, stir the spinach, sugar, and lime juice into the curry and cook until the spinach is wilted.

Take the skillet off the heat and serve the curry right away over cooked basmati rice with cilantro or Thai basil on top. Enjoy!

fresh spinach on top of red curry in a black skillet.

Frequently asked questions

What else can I add to vegan curry?

As with most curry recipes, you can add all kinds of different vegetables or plant proteins to make the recipe your own. Add fresh or frozen vegetables, swap the chickpeas for white beans, lentils, cauliflower florets, or broccoli florets, and/or add fried tofu cubes for extra protein.

Is red curry paste spicy?

Most red curry paste has a mild to medium level of heat, but it varies from brand to brand. In this recipe, most of the heat is tempered by the coconut milk, so you won’t set your mouth on fire.

If you’re still worried about it being too spicy, you can start with only 1 1/2 tablespoons of red curry paste, then gradually add more until you reach just the right amount of heat.

I can’t find red curry paste. What can I use instead?

Don’t use yellow curry paste or green curry paste as a substitute. They will completely change the flavor profile! Instead, replace the red curry paste with 1 tablespoon of garam masala, 2 teaspoons of curry powder, and 1/4 teaspoon of ground cumin. The flavor will be different but will complement the veggies and warm flavors well.

How do I store leftover sweet potato curry?

Wait for the curry to cool before transferring it to an airtight container. Store the leftovers in the fridge for 4 to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Sweet Potato Curry with Chickpeas

Sweet Potato Curry with Chickpeas and Spinach is an easy one-pot meal you can make for weeknight dinners and meal prep! It’s comforting, flexible, and loaded with flavor.

Course Main Dish

Cuisine Thai-inspired

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 20

Total Time 30

Servings servings

Calories 335kcal

Author Nora Taylor

Ingredients

Sweet Potato Curry

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 large cloves garlic minced
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
3 tablespoons red curry paste vegan friendly
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
2 medium sweet potatoes peeled and chopped into 1/2 inch chunks
13.5 ounce can full fat coconut milk
1/2 cup water
15 ounce can chickpeas or lentils, drained and rinsed
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
4 cups baby spinach or kale
1 tablespoon granulated sugar optional
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

For Serving

cooked rice
chopped fresh cilantro or basil

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add the garlic and ginger and cook, stirring frequently for 1-2 minutes.
Stir in the red curry paste and turmeric, then pour in the coconut milk and water. Stir to combine and scrape any stuck bits from the bottom.
To the pan, add the sweet potatoes, chickpeas or lentils, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for about 15 minutes, or until the sweet potatoes are fork tender.
Stir in the baby spinach, sugar and lime juice. Cook until the spinach is wilted, then remove from heat and serve over cooked rice with cilantro or basil.

Notes

Any kind of sweet potato will work here, or yams. Pumpkin or squash would be a good substitute if you have it.
If you don’t have red curry paste, you can substitute 1 tablespoon of garam masala, 2 teaspoons curry powder and 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin. The flavor will be quite different.
You can leave out the chickpeas/lentils if desired. Add some cauliflower florets or even broccoli, instead.
Nutritional information is an estimate only and does not include rice.

Nutrition

Spicy Hummus

This spicy hummus is a spin on the classic dip with a little heat! It comes out ultra creamy and…

This spicy hummus is a spin on the classic dip with a little heat! It comes out ultra creamy and spiced to perfection, a great snack with veggies or pita bread. Add a spicy garnish if you like!

We could eat hummus for breakfast, lunch, and dinner over here. (So could our children!) But sometimes you need a little variation to keep things interesting. Introducing…spicy hummus! Adding a little hot sauce to hummus makes it truly sparkle.

Use your favorite hot sauce to add the heat here: we like Cholula, but Sriracha or Franks are also nice. If you’d like, top with oil from a jar of Calabrian chilis or even chili crisp: the added pop of heat really takes it over the top! Use it for dipping veggies, pita chips, and more.

Tips for this spicy hummus recipe

If you’ve got 5 minutes and a food processor, you can make spicy hummus! It’s fun to whip up this dip at home, knowing that you made it with your bare hands. The best part about spicy hummus is that you can customize the heat level to taste. Here are a few tricks:

Use a food processor. This tool makes the best hummus because the mixture is too thick to make in a blender.
Use aquafaba to make a creamy texture. The liquid from a can of chickpeas is called aquafaba—you can also use it as a vegan replacement for eggs in some recipes. It gives the hummus a creamy, smooth body.
Blend the garlic with the lemon juice first. This helps to mellow the garlic flavor a bit before blending.

Hot sauce ideas

This recipe is a spin on our classic hummus recipe, made with chickpeas, garlic, lemon juice, tahini, cumin and salt. All you have to do is add hot sauce to taste! Each hot sauce adds a different flavor and heat level, since not all hot sauces are created equal. We like using Cholula, but here are a few other choices:

Mexican-style hot sauce: Cholula is our favorite; it has a medium heat and tangy flavor. Or try Valentina, which has smoky notes.
Tabasco: This popular sauce has a sharp, vinegary flavor.
Frank’s hot sauce: This American style hot sauce is known for its use in Buffalo wings, so you could call this Buffalo Hummus if you use Frank’s.
Sriracha: This iconic Thai sauce with a rooster logo has a garlicky, slightly sweet flavor.
Chili garlic sauce: It’s similar to Sriracha but tastes brighter, with a thicker and chunkier texture, made with chilies and lots of garlic.
Sambal oelek: This Indonesian chili sauce is made of chili peppers, garlic, ginger and lime. It has a chunkier texture than Sriracha and little to no sugar.
Gochujang: This Korean fermented chili paste makes a nuanced, funky spicy hummus.

More ways to make spicy hummus

There are a few other ways to make a spicy hummus that are more true to its Mediterranean roots. Here are a few ideas:

Chili peppers: You can add slices of fresh hot pepper to this hummus before blending to make it spicy. Or, you can add jarred Calabrian chilis by the spoonful.
Hot paprika: Sprinkle in hot paprika to taste.
Harissa: This spicy North African chili paste can add a bold body to spicy hummus.

Ways to serve it

This spicy hummus is such a fun party food idea and easy appetizer recipe! You can also use it in other ways for meals, like in bowl meals and sandwiches. Here are a few ideas:

Veggie dip with carrots, celery, cucumber slices, bell pepper, or broccoli, or part of a veggie tray.
Dip for bread or chips like pita bread, pita chips, flatbread, pretzel chips, bagel chips, crackers, or crostini.
Layered dip like a loaded hummus dip meets taco dip situation.
Bowl meals like this quick hummus bowl, served with veggies, olives, and rice, orzo or couscous.
Sandwiches or wraps like this hummus sandwich, spread on bread and layered with vegetables.

Storing leftovers

This spicy hummus recipe lasts 5 days refrigerated. You can also freeze hummus: place it in an freezer-safe container and drizzle a little olive oil on top before sealing. Here’s How to Freeze Hummus.

Dietary notes

This spicy hummus recipe is vegetarian, vegan, plant-based, dairy-free, and gluten-free.

Spicy Hummus

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

No reviews

Author: Sonja Overhiser
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 0 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes
Yield: 1 ½ cups

Save Recipe

Print Recipe

Description

This spicy hummus is a spin on the classic dip with a little heat! It comes out ultra creamy and spiced to perfection, a great snack with veggies or pita bread. Add a spicy garnish if you like!