If you’re looking for a comforting vegetarian dinner, this Sweet Potato Curry is for you. It’s made with quick-cooking red lentils and creamy coconut milk, for a satisfying meal!
This recipe is allergy-friendly, since it’s naturally gluten-free, dairy-free, and vegan.
It comes from my friend Gena from The Full Helping, and her first cookbook, Choosing Raw. Serve it with white rice (try Instant Pot white rice), or cooked quinoa, for a comforting meal that is ready in just 30 minutes.
Love curry recipes? You may also love Coconut Curry, Pumpkin Curry, or Salmon Curry.
Ingredients You’ll Need
What’s in Sweet Potato Curry?
- Sweet potato
- Lentils
- Coconut milk
- Onion
- Garlic
- Ginger
- Curry powder
You can add any other vegetables you like to this dish, such as bell pepper, spinach, or diced tomatoes. Adding a big handful of fresh cilantro at the end takes the flavor to the next level, and you can add a squeeze of fresh lemon juice or lime juice, to brighten it up, if you’d like.
It’s very easy to customize!
How to Make Sweet Potato Curry
1. Saute the aromatics. Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat, and add in the onion. Saute until it’s softened, about 5 minutes.
Add in the turmeric, curry powder, garlic, and ginger, and saute briefly, just until they are fragrant, about 1 minute.
2. Simmer. Add in the water (or use vegetable broth), lentils, and sweet potatoes, along with salt and pepper. Bring the liquid to a boil, then lower the heat and cover.
Cook until the lentils and sweet potatoes are both tender, about 15 minutes.
3. Finish. When everything is tender, add in the coconut milk and cilantro. Stir well, then adjust any seasoning to taste.
Serve warm, with cooked rice or quinoa, and extra cilantro on top, if you like. You can also serve it with lime wedges, so everyone can add an extra squeeze of lime juice, if they’d like to.
Storage Tips
This sweet potato curry will be soup-like when it’s warm, and will thicken as it cools, so don’t be surprised if it thickens up significantly when the leftovers are stored in the fridge.
It will keep well in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. When you reheat it, the sauce will thin-out again, but you can always add a little extra water or broth, to thin it out even more.
Frequently Asked Questions & Substitutions
Do I have to use lentils? No, but you’ll need to adjust the liquid if you leave them out. If you’d like to use canned chickpeas, or another protein instead, I would remove 2 cups of liquid.
Can I use green lentils? Yes, but the cooking time will increase, which will also make the sweet potatoes softer. Green and brown lentils tend to cook in 25 to 30 minutes.
Can I use curry paste? Sure! You can replace the curry powder with 2 tablespoons of red curry paste, for a similar flavor.
Prefer to skip the coconut milk? Use almond milk, oat milk, or even heavy cream, if you don’t need a dairy-free recipe.
Variations
Thai Sweet Potato Curry: Add a squeeze of lime juice and a tablespoon of maple syrup, for an added sweet and sour flavor, similar to my Thai Chickpea Curry. You can also add fresh basil!
Peanut Butter Curry: Add 2 to 4 tablespoons of peanut butter to the sauce, and top the dish with crushed peanuts. Peanut butter curry also goes well with crushed tomatoes or tomato paste, if you’d like to add that in.
Indian Sweet Potato Curry: Try adding in a can of diced tomatoes and a teaspoon of ground cumin, for a different variation. Indian curry tends to be a little heartier and warmer, so you can also add a pinch of cinnamon or cloves, if you like.
Sweet Potato Curry
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 yellow onion , diced
- 1 cup dried red lentils
- 1 medium sweet potato , cut into 1-inch cubes
- 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1 tablespoon curry powder
- 2 garlic cloves , minced
- 1 inch fresh ginger , minced
- fine sea salt
- ground black pepper
- 3 1/2 cups vegetable broth or water
- 1/2 cup coconut milk
- 1/4 cup freshly chopped cilantro
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat, and saute the onion until softened, about 5 minutes. Add in the turmeric, curry powder, garlic, and ginger, and stir for 1 more minute, just until fragrant.
- Add in the broth or water, lentils, sweet potatoes, 1 teaspoon of salt, and a 1/4 teaspoon of ground black pepper. Bring the liquid to a boil, then lower the heat and cover the pot. Cook until the lentils and sweet potatoes are both tender, about 15 minutes.
- Stir in the coconut milk and cilantro, and adjust any seasoning to taste. I usually add more salt, about a 1/2 teaspoon at a time, but this will vary based on if you used broth or water. (I add an extra full teaspoon of salt when using water.) Season to taste, with a squeeze of lemon or lime juice, if you'd like to brighten the flavor, then serve warm over cooked rice or quinoa.
- Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. It will thicken when chilled, but the sauce will thin out again when you heat it up.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
If you try this Sweet Potato Curry recipe, please leave a comment and star rating below. I’d love to hear what you think!
Looks fabulous! Planning on making this tomorrow & enjoying for lunches this week.
I would love to see more one pot & soup recipes & also meal planning tips & recipes for make ahead meals.
Thank you!!!!
I would love to see more vegan and gluten free recipes. Especially easy recipes that I can make and take to work for lunch.
I would love to see more vegan/g-free meals for breakfast/lunch/dinner that can be made easily in a small kitchenette or dorm room. I’m moving into my freshman year of college and I want nothing more than to easily maintain my healthy lifestyle/eating habits. I found your blog during my freshman year of High School and you really helped me and my family understand how to thrive on a plant based whole foods lifestyle. Thank you so much for all you do!
Sounds wonderful! I can’t wait to try it. Would love to see some grab and go items.Kid friendly. 🙂
This book looks great!! I’d love more raw main course recipes 🙂
Hi,
I’m new to your web page (found it through zite) and as I’m from the other side of the globe in Australia where it’s late winter so this hearty casserole is perfect! I will be adding it this weeks menu plan – can’t wait. I’m not vegetarian but like to have a non meat meal at least once a week. Hearty casseroles like this are perfect and what I’d like to see more of – great for cooking up large batches and having handy ready meals in the freezer for those busy evenings. Mild curries are also great as my kids won’t touch dishes that are too hot (spicey).
I am looking forward to exploring your web site and adding some more vegetarian foods to my repertoire.
Teresa
It would be great to see some travel friendly recipes. It’s always hard to eat gluten-free and vegan on the road (my husband and I found that out the hard way when we moved from Virginia to Florida, and we may soon be moving from Florida to Georgia, if not just making the trek once before a move up that way to go to a wedding). Granola is great, but it gets old quick. Thanks for this opportunity!
Wow, sounds great! I would love to see more easy, Raw recipes that could be served as an entree and would appeal to vegans and non-vegans alike 😉
I could always use more quick weeknight dinners!
Vegan easy and quick morals
Healthy dessert recipes!
Soups and stews sound very appealing right now. Thanks for the giveaway!
More vegan breakfast recipes please.
I would LOVE to see you share some healthy asian-inspired recipes. My 6 kiddos and I love asian food, but rarely eat it because it’s generally chock full of salt and sugar. Thanks! 🙂
Oops! I forgot to rate the recipe. I’m giving it a 5 based on the ingredient list and easy of recipe, but as I just saw this post today, I haven’t had the opportunity to make it yet (I will be though, as I happen to have ALL the ingredients on hand…yay!).
This looks delish! Im new to all things vegan!would love to see more recipes using coconut milk. Thankyou.
I would love to see lunch box type foods for people who work shifts; specifically night shifts. these foods would need to be light but provide energy for a body that is already stressed out and screaming to sleep!!I would also love to see more recipes using sea vegetables and foods that you can forage for !! yes honestly!!
Quick easy to do recipes for after work.
I just made this recipe tonight and it was completely amazing! I served it over some cooked millet!
I would like to see more different fall/winter type main dish recipes. I am better at fall/winter type cooking, but a lot of my recipes are alike.
Hey!
Your blog is great; I am a daily follower. I would like to see more dinner recipes. I’m trying to get my father into clean, healthy eating. I want to make him meatless meals. Also, some out of the box breakfast recipes. Thanks for the opportunity to win the giveaway!
Best,
Marissa
I’m fairly new to eating plant based foods and although I am loving it, my husband is a fast food junkie and picky eater. Are there any recipes that you could recommend that I can make that he’d enjoy? He’s not a fan of many vegetables and beans but he does like tofu. W
We love beans. I’d love to see more recipes that incorporate beans (without dairy)!!
I would love to see more quick and easy meals
I like ethnic recipes, especially Indian and Mexican
Like the sound of this easy recipe. Would love to see more of anything comfort food related.
More soups or slow cooker recipes.
we love lentils…in all colors! 🙂
would love to see a lot more heart
healthy breakfast recipes! thanks.
I’d love to see more salad/healthy packable lunch recipes!
I would love to learn more about plant based diets and would love seeing more paleo approved recipes!
More recipes with stevia please 🙂
More vegetarian protein recipes – especially ones that are easy to grab and go!
I always love seeing easy, one-dish kind of entrees that can be made ahead of time (especially since my classes are about to start back up this week)!
This looks great! I’d love to see more stews for the colder months 🙂
http://youtube.com/addalittlefood
This looks great! I’d love to see some more main dish recipes. 🙂
I agree with several comments thus far — hearty soups and stews that are cheap, easy, nutritious! This looks delicious!
I always love ideas for fun salads!
I’d love to see more recipes that are easy to bring to potlucks, like cassaroles.
Vegan, sugar-free sweets please.
I think u have a good variety! What I love is old comforting recipes made new again the healthy way!
Wow Gena, your new book looks amazing! Thank you both, Gena and Detoxinista for this opportunity! I would love to see more recipes that contain SCD legal ingredients. Both myself and my youngest daughter, who has Celiac and ulcerative colitis follow the SCD diet. Thanks again and LOVE your blog!!
I would love to see more breakfast recipes that are free of coconut and almond-especially waffles! Also some dairy and coconut free ice cream!
I’d love to see more easy meals for weeknights. Thanks for the great recipes! 🙂
I really appreciate all the diary-free and grain-free and other ___-free 😉 recipes you share on your blog! With family that ranges from deadly allergies to just food sensitivities your blog has been a blessing!! More low-carb dinner ideas (that are fairly “normal” and easy to make) would be awesome, plus more dairy-free recipes. 🙂
Looks delicious. I’m looking for good healthy recipes to help with diabetes. Thanks for sharing.
Thank You for this recipe! I would love more recipes like this one. Also, more soups recipes like maybe a parsnip soup. I am making more and more of your veggie chips and snacks, more recipes like that would be delightful. Thank You for all of the wonderful dessert recipes…can’t go wrong their either. You are amazing,
More CURRIES, please!
Made this tonight. Yum! And leftovers for lunches this week! 🙂
This cookbook looks really cool! I’d love to see more recipes with exotic flavors, just like this curry recipe!
I’d like to see more lunches you can prepare a head and take to work
I’d love to see more one pot meals such as
soups, stews and curries.