I recently did a lil’ catering gig for a restorative retreat at PranaShanti Yoga Centre.  Anne Tessier, the yogi who organized the retreat, requested that I make a comforting and warming meal for the participants. While the entire meal hit the mark and was very well received by the participants, my personal favourite recipe from that day was a sweet potato & chickpea curry that I made. The spices (particularly the ginger and red pepper flakes), combined with rich and creamy coconut milk, gives this curry a very warming and cozy feel. Not to mention that the the healthy fats, protein and fibre content keeps you full and satisfied.

This dish has been on high rotation in my house this past winter and I’m happy that I’ve finally managed to take a photo and post this recipe to my blog. I’ve served it with a mixtures of sides including sautéed garlicky green, steamed broccoli, rice and quinoa, but you can enjoy it as is.  Just a head’s up, although this dish doesn’t take take too long to prepare (besides a bit of chopping), you’ll want to allow a least 45 minutes to an hour of cooking time in the oven. The long cook time enables the sweet potatoes to soften and the flavours to merge creating a rich and flavourful dish. I personally haven’t used a slow cooker, but I’m sure it would work well too.

The full recipe is below. If you try it out, please let me know and share your feedback. I love hearing from you!

SWEET POTATO & CHICKPEA CURRY

Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Ingredients:

3 cups cooked chickpeas or 2 cans drained and rinsed
3 medium sized sweet potatoes, cut into small dice
1 red or yellow bell pepper, cut into small dice
1 Tablespoon coconut oil
2 medium sized red onions, cut into thin slices
1 Tablespoon mild curry powder
1 teaspoon mustard seed
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon red chili flakes
1 Tablespoon finely grated or minced fresh ginger or 1 teaspoon dried ginger
3 tomatoes, roughly chopped
1 400 ml can full fat coconut milk
1 Tablespoon maple syrup, optional
Salt and pepper to taste
Micro greens, sprouts, chopped cilantro, or thinly sliced green onions, for garnish, optional

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 400F.  Place the chickpeas, chopped sweet potatoes and bell pepper in a large baking dish.

Warm coconut oil in a medium sized saucepan or skillet. Add the sliced onions and a big pinch of salt. Sauté and stir the onions until they begin to soften and become translucent.  Add a little bit of water if they start to stick to the pan.

Add the spices, mix well, and cook for a minute. Stir in the coconut milk, tomatoes, maple syrup (if using), salt and pepper. Allow the mixture to simmer for about 5 minutes.

Pour the coconut milk mixture over the chickpeas, sweet potato and peppers, and then pop the baking dish in the oven. Bake for about 45 to 60 minutes, or until the sweet potatoes are nice and soft. Once you remove the baking dish from the oven, taste for salt and pepper and adjust the seasoning according to your preference.  Serve immediate with a garnish and a side dish of your choice.

This recipe is inspired by The Buddhist Chef's butternut squash curry recipe.