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Hello! I’m Anjali. I’m a board certified health coach, author, wife, mom and food lover from the SF Bay area (now living in Seattle, WA!); with a passion for delicious food and a desire to make healthy eating easy, tasty and fun! Learn more about me here and stay for a while!

Anjali Shah

Sweet Potato and Chickpea Curry

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This wholesome, comforting sweet potato and chickpea curry is crave-worthy and delicious. You can whip it up in just 40 minutes and you will end up with a fantastic dinner that will keep you warm and satisfied. Naturally gluten-free and vegan too!

sweet potato and chickpea curry in a white bowl served with rice

Sweet Potato and Chickpea Curry is warm, spicy, and packed with detoxifying nutrients. It’s a super easy one pot curry that’s hearty, delicious and healthy for you too!

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This recipe has become a regular weeknight meal in our household. Everyone in my family loves it, and we’re more than happy to eat it several times a month.

In addition to a tasting amazing, chickpea vegan curry is loaded with nutrients from the baby spinach, chickpeas, onions, bell peppers, sweet potatoes, corn, carrots, celery, and crushed tomatoes.

It doesn’t even require a ton of spices to build flavor. Garlic, ginger, salt, and curry powder do the trick.

The best part is, this chickpea and sweet potato curry makes eight servings, so you can usually feed your family at least two meals if not more. 

Just 10 minutes to prep, then allow to cook for 30 minutes in one pot. Easy and hardly any clean up! It’s also super customizable with any veggies you have on hand. It also makes for tasty leftovers!

This truly is a recipe that’s layered with tons of flavor, it’s healthy comfort food at its best!

How To Make Sweet Potato and Chickpea Curry

Tools and Equipment You’ll Need

Recipe Ingredients and Notes

sweet potato and chickpea curry ingredients

Sweet Potatoes: You’ll need 2 medium sized sweet potatoes, cut into small cubes.

Onions, Garlic and Ginger: I recommend fresh garlic and ginger for maximum flavor in this recipe!

Veggies: I used bell peppers, corn, carrots, celery, and baby spinach, but you can use whatever veggies you have on hand!

Tomatoes: Canned tomatoes are perfect in this recipe. They save you prep time and are usually canned when they are in season, making them super flavorful!

Curry Powder: One of the main reasons this vegan chickpea curry with sweet potatoes has so much flavor! The best curry powder I have found on the market today is Simply Organic Curry Powder – just a couple tablespoons of that one spice makes this dish taste like it’s been building flavors all day long. This curry powder has the perfect balance of warm spices, sweet spices and a little bit of heat – I love it!

Coconut Milk: I used light coconut milk to get the creamy consistency of curry without all of the fat and calories!

Step by Step Instructions

Step 1: Heat a large pot over medium heat. Add the olive oil, onion, carrots, celery, and bell peppers. Saute for 8 minutes, often stirring until the onions are translucent. 

veggies sauteeing in a pan

Step 2: Add the garlic, ginger, corn, spinach or baby kale, and curry powder—Cook for 2 minutes. 

veggies sauteeing in a pan

Step 3: Add in the rest of your ingredients. 

cooked chickpeas added to pan

Step 4: Bring to a boil, reduce to simmer. Cover and cook for 30 minutes until the sweet potatoes are tender. 

chickpea curry in a saute pan

What Makes This Sweet Potato Chickpea Curry Healthy?

  • Fiber and Protein: Each serving of this vegan chickpea curry is loaded with 9 grams of protein and 9 grams of fiber.
  • Vitamins and Minerals: An undeniable reason to eat this chickpea curry recipe is the fact that it is loaded with lots of vitamins and minerals. Iron, manganese, B vitamins, Vitamin C, and many other nutrients in this recipe are worth eating regularly. 
  • Low Calorie: Eating foods that keep you full is a great way to prevent yourself from munching on unhealthier foods later. This sweet potato chickpea curry recipe will keep you feeling satisfied, for only 250 calories per serving! It’s great to eat for lunch or as an easy dinner option. 

Will Kids Enjoy This Sweet Potato Curry?

Oh yes! Kids are typically excited to eat this sweet potato curry recipe. Due to the natural sweetness of the corn, carrots, and sweet potatoes, children normally are drawn to this meal. If your kids are sensitive to curry flavors, just use less of the curry powder in their portion and add more to your portion!

sweet potato and chickpea curry in a white bowl served with rice

Recipe FAQs

What Do I Serve With Chickpea Vegan Curry?

You can serve this sweet potato chickpea curry with pretty much anything you want.
We like to serve this curry alongside a whole wheat flatbread or naan bread, brown rice or quinoa, a hearty salad, or we just eat it plain. One of the things we like to do is to take some type of bread and dip it into the chickpea curry. It’s really delicious and adds to how comforting it is. 

Can I Use Frozen Spinach?

Yes, you can use frozen spinach to make this dish. I’d recommend thawing it and laying it on a paper towel to get any extra water out of the spinach. That way the water in the frozen spinach won’t water down the flavors of this dish!

How to Store and Keep Sweet Potato Curry?

Once this sweet potato and chickpea curry has cooled, transfer it to an airtight container and store it in the fridge. It will keep for up to 4-5 days in the refrigerator. To freeze, transfer the sweet potato curry to an airtight freezer safe and microwave safe container. Place it in the freezer. It will keep for up to 3- 4months in the freezer.

Recipe Variations

This sweet potato chickpea curry is already vegan and gluten free, but here are some of our favorite variations for this dish:

  • Use different veggies: This recipe tastes great with any veggies! Just make sure you have the sweet potatoes + chickpeas and you’re all set to add in any veggies you have on hand.
  • Make it creamier: This recipe calls for light coconut milk, but for an even more creamy curry, use full fat coconut milk.
  • Make it spicier: If you like spicy food, feel free to add a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper to this chickpea vegan curry. Remember, if you’re serving it to kids and adults, reserve the spicy-spices for the adult portions!
  • Add more protein: While this recipe already has a good amount of plant protein, if you want even more protein, I recommend adding in some tofu crumbles to this recipe!
  • Use lentils instead of chickpeas: Lentils would taste great in this recipe! Red lentils would pair nicely with the sweet potatoes. They also make a great substitution if you just don’t have any chickpeas on hand.

Top Tips For Making Sweet Potato and Chickpea Curry

  • If you haven’t used can coconut milk often, keep in mind that sometimes that separates into layers while it’s in the can. That is completely normal and everything is fine. You can use a whisk to blend the milk back together and it will be perfect. 
  • Dice the sweet potatoes roughly the same size, and cut them into small cubes, so they cook evenly and quickly.
  • All curry powders vary in intensity and heat. If you are using a different brand of curry powder than the one I mentioned, make sure to taste your curry powder and the sweet potato curry itself while you’re cooking to make sure it doesn’t get too spicy and the flavors remain balanced.
  • Store in the fridge for up to 4-5 days, or in the freezer for up to 3-4 months.
sweet potato and chickpea curry in a white bowl served with rice

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sweet potato and chickpea curry in a white bowl served with rice
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5 from 6 votes

Sweet Potato and Chickpea Curry

This wholesome, comforting sweet potato and chickpea curry is crave-worthy and delicious. You can whip it up in just 40 minutes and you will end up with a fantastic dinner that will keep you warm and satisfied. Naturally gluten-free and vegan too!
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Total Time40 minutes
Course: Main Course, Soup
Cuisine: Indian, Vegan
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 250kcal
Author: Anjali Shah

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Heat a large pot over medium heat. Add the olive oil, onion, carrots, celery and bell peppers. Sauté for 8 minutes, stirring often until the onions are translucent.
  • Add the garlic, ginger, corn, spinach/baby kale, and curry powder. Cook for 2 minutes.
  • Add in the rest of your ingredients.
  • Bring to a boil, reduce to simmer. Cover and cook for about 30 minutes until the sweet potatoes are tender.

Notes

Top Tips For Making Sweet Potato and Chickpea Curry
  • If you haven’t used can coconut milk often, keep in mind that sometimes that separates into layers while it’s in the can. That is completely normal and everything is fine. You can use a whisk to blend the milk back together and it will be perfect. 
  • Dice the sweet potatoes roughly the same size, and cut them into small cubes, so they cook evenly and quickly.
  • All curry powders vary in intensity and heat. If you are using a different brand of curry powder than the one I mentioned, make sure to taste your curry powder and the sweet potato curry itself while you’re cooking to make sure it doesn’t get too spicy and the flavors remain balanced.
  • Store in the fridge for up to 4-5 days, or in the freezer for up to 3-4 months.

Nutrition

Calories: 250kcal | Carbohydrates: 44.8g | Protein: 9.2g | Fat: 5.4g | Saturated Fat: 2.6g | Sodium: 793.8mg | Fiber: 9.3g | Sugar: 8g

Posted In…

Vegetarian Indian Recipes ·

From traditional samosas to a variety of dahls and curry reicpes, I have easy recipes for everyone’s Indian favorites! All of these healthy Indian recipes are plant based, and lightened up from the traditional versions, but still totally authentic and absolutely delicious!

Most of the recipes you’ll find here have a vegan and/or gluten free option as well.

Try a trendy golden milk turmeric latte, a traditional guyanese roti, a satisfying lentil cauliflower curry, or a healthy homestyle Indian vegetable sabji and fall in love with these rich flavors!

25 responses to “Sweet Potato and Chickpea Curry”

  1. Such a delicious and healthy curry recipe, the sweet potatoes soaked up the curry flavouring so well. I served mine up with coconut pilau rice.5 stars

  2. We are trying to eat more meatfree meals and this is such a comforting and tasty dinner option for those evenings! Delicious.5 stars

  3. I love anything that has sweet potatoes in it and this curry is getting pinned for later. Loved how you added some corn, too.5 stars

  4. We’re not vegetarians but I usually include a couple of completely meatless meals 2-3 times a week. It’s healthier. This curry looks so good. I love that it’s easy to make and done in one pot! On my meal plan for next week!5 stars

  5. Thanks for sharing this recipe, Anjali! This looks great for those cold nights or days when you need something to warm you up from the inside. The ingredients also speak healthy, and we love it! Would it ruin the recipe if we added chicken or beef or pork in it?

    • Hi Elizabeth! Absolutely – fall and winter are the perfect seasons for this recipe! You can absolutely add chicken, beef or pork to it – I think chicken would probably go best with the flavors in the recipe. If you do end up adding some sort of meat, I’d also recommend increasing the amount of spices you use since otherwise it’ll probably taste under-seasoned with additional protein added. Hope that helps, let me know if you have any other questions!

  6. Absolutely love this recipe. It is amazing.
    My question is what do you consider a serving size ? I use a tracking tool to measure amounts and wonder how many ounces/ cups one serving might be. Thanks so much.
    Can’t wait to try more of your recipes.
    Kathy from NC

    • Hi Kathy! Yay I’m so glad you like this recipe! It’s one of my favorites 🙂 Regarding a serving size, I’d say about 1.5 cups – but what I usually do is just divide the whole curry into 8 equal parts and use 1 part as 1 serving. Hope that helps!!

  7. I love potatoes and you give me an idea to try a new way to eat potatoes . I must try it . Thank you 🙂

  8. Oh what a nice recipe! I need to try your recipes for my 2018 goal to get healthier!

    • Thank you so much! I’m sure you will love this and it will definitely align with your health goals for the year!

  9. This looks so good and perfect meal for the Colorado cold nights. I’m also a big fan of both sweet potatoes and chickpeas. We are suppose to be getting some snow this week and now I have a great recipe to try out thank you.

    • I’m sure you’ll love this recipe Shweta! It’s one of our favorites! You’ll have to keep me posted on how your daughter likes it too – my daughter absolutely devoured it 🙂

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