Sweet Potato Chickpea Curry with Garam Masala

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Sweet potato chickpea curry is an easy vegan curry recipe with tender sweet potato and protein-packed chickpeas, in a creamy, richly spiced coconut broth for a delicious, hearty, and nourishing meal. Every bite warms you up from the inside with so much flavor from aromatic spices like cumin, turmeric, and garam masala.

Two bowls of sweet potato chickpea curry.

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This post was originally published in 2013, and has been updated with more thorough instructions and tips.

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Why This Recipe Works
Ingredient Notes
How to Make Sweet Potato Chickpea Curry
Helpful Tips
Serving Suggestions
FAQs
Want more sweet potatoes? Try these recipes, too!
Recipe
Comments

Sweet Potato Chickpea Curry with rice in a pottery bowl.

Why This Recipe Works

Great Option for Plant-based Meals: This curry recipe is incredibly simple yet intensely flavorful, making it one of the most delicious veg-packed meals you can make. It's full of wholesome fiber, protein, and vitamins.
Fast and Budget-Friendly: The best part is that the whole thing comes together in one large pot in less than 30 minutes! It's a great recipe for busy weeknights. Plus, it uses pantry staples like canned tomatoes, chickpeas, and coconut milk.
Perfect for Healthy Meal Prep: Since the flavors deepen over time, this easy curry recipe is even better the next day!

Ingredient Notes

Ingredient quantities and full instructions are in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.

Olive oil: Regular olive oil tastes perfect in this recipe. However, I have tested this recipe with coconut oil too. I like the less greasy result that I get with olive oil.
Onion: I'm using a regular yellow onion, but you can use a white onion.
Fresh garlic: Fresh garlic is my preference for this recipe. But, you can use one teaspoon of minced garlic or a ½ teaspoon of garlic powder.
Fresh ginger: Just like garlic, fresh ginger is best. But you can use ¼ teaspoon of dried ginger instead. Dried ginger is more concentrated but lacks the same freshness and bite as freshly grated ginger.
Diced tomatoes: I always have canned tomatoes stocked in the pantry. They're convenient and work great for lots of recipes. If you want to use fresh tomatoes, use cherry tomatoes, halved. Add them along with the spinach, at the end.
Coconut milk: I recommend using full-fat coconut milk for the best creamy sweet potato curry. Remember to use a can of coconut milk, not the kind in milk cartons.
Chickpeas: I use canned chickpeas to keep things simple. If you use dried chickpeas, you'll need to soak and cook them first.
Sweet potato: While some curry recipes add white or brown sugar, I find that a sweet potato adds plenty of natural sweetness to this dish.
Garam masala: Make your own with my easy recipe for garam masala Indian spice blend (You won't regret it! Use it for jackfruit curry, lentil curry, or even roasted veggies like butternut squash). Or you can buy a pre-made blend from the grocery store.
Spices: Along with garam masala, this flavorful curry is infused with the warm spices of cumin, turmeric, and red pepper chili flakes.
Fresh spinach: Although I really recommend using fresh spinach, you can use frozen spinach. Just thaw and drain it before adding it to the curry. You'll also need to half the amount since frozen spinach is pre-cooked and shrinks more than fresh.

The ingredients for making this recipe in glass bowls.

How to Make Sweet Potato Chickpea Curry

Heat the olive oil and sauté the onion until softened, then
Add the garlic and ginger and sauté for one minute, then stir in the spices and sauté for another minute.
Add the coconut milk, tomatoes, chickpeas, and sweet potato. Bring the mixture to a boil, then simmer 15 minutes.
Stir in the spinach just before serving, and garnish with lime juice and cilantro.

Helpful Tips

Don't buy too much spice at once. If you buy packaged garam masala from the grocery store, get a small amount that you can use quickly. Dried spices don't stay fresh for long, and you can taste the difference in your cooking.
Toast the spices. Toasting the spices before adding the wet ingredients unlocks their full potential. It releases their natural oils to intensify their aroma and flavor. It only takes one minute for them to release their fragrant aroma and that's just what we want.
Drain the chickpeas and tomatoes. Don't forget to drain the chickpeas and diced tomatoes before adding them to the pot since the excess liquid will make your curry watery.
Coconut milk. Before opening, give the can a good shake to combine the coconut cream and liquid.
Spinach. If you add the spinach too soon, it will be overcooked, so wait to add it at the end of the cooking time. Stir it in until it's just wilted.
Other vegetables. This sweet potato chickpea curry recipe is versatile!. So feel free to add kale instead of spinach. You can also add frozen peas, diced bell peppers (a red pepper is perfect), chopped zucchini, or green beans.
Spice. In terms of heat, this is a mild curry. But you can spice it up by adding cayenne, hot curry powder, or even slice fresh chilies, like jalapeno.
Storage. Transfer the cooled curry to an airtight container and refrigerate it for up to 4 days. The flavors continue to meld, so it can actually taste better the next day!
Reheating. Warm up leftovers on the stove over low heat or zap it in the microwave. The curry can thicken when refrigerated. You can a splash of vegetable broth, coconut milk, or water to thin it out a little.
Freezing. Freeze the cooled curry in a sealed container for up to 3 months. Thaw it overnight in the fridge and reheat it on the stove or in the microwave.

Serving Suggestions

A squeeze of lime juice adds a bright note, so be sure to serve the curry with lime wedges. Lemon juice works, too. Fresh cilantro is a perfect topping choice, but if you're a cilantro hater, just use parsley or leave it out. Basmati rice, especially brown basmati, is perfect for serving with this curry and makes for a complete vegetarian protein. You could also serve it over rice noodles with warm naan bread on the side to sop up all the creamy goodness.

A cooling cucumber raita sauce is a great contrast to balance the curry's warmth. To add extra nutrients and texture to the meal, serve roasted veggies on the side, such as roasted cauliflower, eggplant, or Brussels sprouts.

For sweet Indian-themed desserts, enjoy a creamy mango lassi yogurt drink or mango coconut ice cream. A coconut milk rice pudding or tropical chia pudding would be tasty, too!

Two bowls of curry and rice on a countertop

FAQs

What is garam masala?

Garam masala is the spice blend that makes this dish so delicious. The name garam masala literally means "warm spices." You can easily create a garam masala spice blend from scratch for maximum flavor. Otherwise, you can buy a packaged blend at most grocery stores if you don't want to make garam masala for this chickpea curry.

Is garam masala the same as curry powder?

No. Garam masala is not the same as curry powder. Although either spice blend can be used to make a curry, they have different flavor profiles. Curry powder usually contains turmeric, coriander, cumin, mustard seeds, and fenugreek, among other spices. It has more heat, while garam masala is milder, more aromatic, and has rich, earthy flavors. Garam masala features warm spices like cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg.

Can I make sweet potato chickpea coconut curry in the slow cooker?

Yes! This curry recipe is also perfect for the slow cooker. Just put all ingredients, except for the spinach, in the slow cooker and cook on low for 5-6 hours or until the sweet potatoes are tender. Remove the lid and cook on high heat until the sauce has thickened. The time will depend on your slow cooker. Stir in the spinach just before serving.

Want more sweet potatoes? Try these recipes, too!

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