Description
This Chicken Sweet Potato Curry is a rich and flavorful dish combining tender chicken thighs and sweet potatoes simmered in a fragrant coconut milk curry sauce infused with garlic, ginger, and a blend of vibrant Indian spices. Perfectly balanced with a hint of heat from serrano or jalapeño pepper and finished with fresh cilantro and lemon juice, this curry is a comforting and satisfying meal that can be served over rice or with flatbread.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil, or avocado oil
- 1 red or yellow onion, diced
- 1 serrano pepper or jalapeño pepper, finely diced
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1.5 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite-size pieces
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated (or minced)
Spices
- 2–3 tablespoons curry powder
- 1/2 teaspoon Indian red chili powder, or regular chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon garam masala (optional)
Other Ingredients
- 1 (14.5 oz) can crushed tomatoes, or half of 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
- 1 1/2 pounds (about 2 medium) sweet potatoes, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 can (13.5 oz / 400 ml) full-fat unsweetened coconut milk
- 3 cups (45g) baby spinach, roughly chopped
- 1–2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1/4 cup chopped cilantro, plus more for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Sauté Aromatics and Chicken: Heat the oil in a large sauté pan with a lid over medium-high heat. Add the diced onion, serrano or jalapeño pepper, and salt. Sauté until the onion starts to soften, about 2 minutes. Add the chicken pieces in an even layer and cook, stirring occasionally, until they are slightly browned in spots.
- Add Spices and Tomatoes: Stir in the minced garlic, grated ginger, curry powder, chili powder, cumin, turmeric, black pepper, and garam masala if using. Cook while stirring constantly until the chicken is evenly coated with the spices, about 1 minute. Pour in the crushed tomatoes and stir well to combine all ingredients.
- Simmer with Sweet Potatoes and Coconut Milk: Add the sweet potato chunks and the entire can of coconut milk, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Bring the mixture to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat to maintain a simmer. Cover the pan and cook for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sweet potatoes begin to soften.
- Finish with Spinach and Herbs: Taste and adjust seasoning with more salt and pepper if needed. Add the chopped spinach, cover the pan again, and cook until the spinach wilts and the sweet potatoes are fork-tender, about 5 more minutes.
- Final Touches and Serving: Turn off the heat, drizzle in the lemon juice, and stir in the chopped cilantro. Serve the curry hot over rice or with flatbread, garnished with additional cilantro if desired.
Notes
- Serrano pepper heat: For a moderately spiced curry, use one serrano or small jalapeño with seeds. For milder heat, remove seeds and membranes. For more heat, leave seeds and membranes intact and add an extra pepper.
- Curry powder strength: If your curry powder is mild or older, use 3 tablespoons instead of 2 to 3 for a more robust flavor.
- Coconut milk quantity: You can add an extra can or one cup of coconut milk if you prefer a saucier curry.
- Slow cooker adaptation: Omit oil, use whole chicken thighs, and combine all spices, coconut milk, tomatoes, chicken, onion, garlic, pepper, ginger, and sweet potatoes in slow cooker. Cook on low 7-8 hours or high 4 hours. Shred chicken before stirring in spinach, cilantro, and lemon juice near the end.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving (about 1/5th of recipe)
- Calories: 380 kcal
- Sugar: 7 g
- Sodium: 450 mg
- Fat: 21 g
- Saturated Fat: 18 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 22 g
- Fiber: 5 g
- Protein: 30 g
- Cholesterol: 85 mg
