Sweet Potato, Tomato, and Coconut Curry – a vegetarian Dinner

print
vegetarian Curry (1)

This recipe came in the November 2021 edition of Sainsbury’s magazine. It was one of a series of recipes designed to help you ‘get ahead’ in the run-up to Christmas.

It’s a large recipe, to feed 8 people. The idea was to feed 4 now, freeze the rest, and feed another – or the same – 4 later on. I made half the recipe to see  whether we liked it, or if it was going to be taking up precious space in my small freezer. It’s got that ‘one-pot magic’ that I’m so fond of, although you do have to serve rice, Naan etc separately.

We tried it, and we did like it, so I thought you might like it too..

EQUIPMENT:

  • A large saucepan
  • A grater

INGREDIENTS: This is for 4. Double everything if you’re catering for more, or you’re going to eat some/freeze some.

  • 1 tablespoon of oil                                                  P1590798
  • 1 large onion, cut into crescents
  • A thumb of Ginger, peeled and grated
  • 2 large garlic cloves, grated
  • 1 Teaspoon of ground Turmeric
  • 1 Teaspoon  of Cumin seeds
  • 1 Teaspoon of ground Coriander
  • 2 Teaspoons of mild Curry powder
  • 1/2 a Teaspoon  of Cayenne Pepper
  • 250g Red Lentils, washed in a sieve.
  • 500g of Sweet potato, peeled and chopped into 1-2cm chunks
  • 500g Plum tomatoes, roughly chopped
  • 300mls hot vegetable stock
  • A tin of Coconut milk
  • Chopped fresh Coriander, to garnish.
  • Basmati rice, Naan Bread to serve.

METHOD:

  • Prepare your sweet potatoes and tomatoes, ready to add them when required.

vegetarian Curry (2)

  • Heat a tablespoon of oil in the saucepan, and add the onions. Cook for 4-5 minutes until they start to soften.
  • Add the garlic and ginger and stir in. Reduce the heat slightly

P1590797

 

  • Add all the spices, and stir in.
  • Stir in the Sweet Potatoes, the Red Lentils, and the Tomatoes, mix well  so that everything is coated with the onion/spice mix.
  • Add the hot stock (300ml)
  • Add the Coconut milk.
vegetarian Curry (1)

Sweet potatoes, tomatoes and Coconut milk added..

  • Bring the whole pot to a simmer, and cook -uncovered – for 30-35 minutes, stirring regularly, until the Lentils and Sweet Potatoes are cooked (test them with the tip of a sharp knife)
  • ** To get ahead – prepare the curry to this stage, then leave it, covered, for re-heating later on** If you’re freezing half, divide the Curry in 2, then cool, label, and freeze for up to a month.
  • Taste for seasoning.
  • Serve with plain Basmati rice, and Naan bread.

NOTES: 

  • I cut my Sweet Potatoes into quite large chunks, which took quite a while to cook. Having said that, I wasn’t simmering the curry as strongly I should have (I wasn’t in any hurry) I quite liked the large chunks – it gave definition to the dish. If you want to eat soon, make sure your pot is on a steady simmer, and stir it fairly regularly. Or pre-cook the Sweet Potatoes and add them to the pan.
  • This is a really good recipe to have up your sleeve if Vegetarians come to call.
  • Apologies for the lack of ‘finished product’ photographs! I’m a sucker for anything with Coconut milk in it, so we had it beaten into us, and the kitchen tidied away before I even thought about photographs! I suppose that’s an indication of how much we enjoyed it. I’ll definitely be making this again, so I hope to add proper photographs at a later date!
About

I started writing down recipes in an old copybook when I was about 16. With 6 children at home, my Mother was always glad of a hand in the kitchen, and really allowed us to experiment - as long as we washed up afterwards, and left the kitchen immaculate! Having a tidy kitchen has followed me through my life, as has the habit of writing down my favourite recipes; except that these days I write them for my website, and add photographs when I can. The website really started when it occurred to me that my daughter might like to have these recipes when I've forgotten them. In my early days of cooking for family and friends, I used to phone my Mum all the time to ask her for the recipe for some of our favourite family dinners. She rarely had a recipe to hand - I think, like me, she made a lot of it up as she went along.. So welcome to Eating for Ireland - these are the recipes that my friends and family having been eating these past 40 years.. yes, I truly am ancient! They are tried and tested, and have worked for me for all that time - I have updated them as new ingredients became available - I really hope you'll find something that you can make into a family favourite of your own. You don't have to tell anyone where you found these great new dishes that you're serving up - it can be our little secret, but I'd really love it if you could give me a sneaky 'follow' on Facebook and Instagram.. So off you go - have a good rummage around, you're bound to find something new! My sincere thanks to all of you who have found a recipe that you liked and dropped me a line to tell me - I really do love to hear from you! Happy Cooking! Becks xx

Posted in