Sweet Potato, Chickpea and Spinach Coconut Curry

By charlotteh371

Ingredients

• INGREDIENTS
• 4 4 2 teaspoons (20 mL) virgin coconut oil (I did not use the oil in her recipe, I subbed with 2 tablespoons broth instead and added a little bit as needed)
• 1 1 1 tablespoon (15 mL) cumin seeds
• 1 1 2 medium onion, finely chopped (about 2 cups/500 mL)
• 3/4 to 1 3/4 to 1 to 5 to to 5 mL) fine sea salt, to taste, plus a pinch
• 3 3 cloves 3 large cloves garlic, minced
• 4 4 4 teaspoons (20 mL) grated fresh ginger
• 1 1 1 teaspoon (5 mL) ground turmeric
• 1 1 1 teaspoon (5 mL) ground coriander
• 1/4 1/4 to teaspoon (1 mL) red pepper flakes, or to taste
• 1 1 1/4- to 1/2-inch to 1 3 cut into 1/4- to 1/2-inch (5 mm to 1 cm) dice (about 3 cups/750 mL)
• 1 1 1 1/2 mL) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed, or 1 1/2 cups (375 mL) cooked chickpeas
• 1 1 1 (14-ounce/398 mL) can diced tomatoes, with juices
• 1 1 1 (14-ounce/400 mL) can light coconut milk
• 1 1 1 (5-ounce/142 g) package baby spinach
• Freshly ground black pepper
• For serving
• Cooked basmati rice, quinoa, millet, or sorghum
• Chopped fresh cilantro leaves
• Unsweetened shredded or large-flake coconut
• Lime wedges (optional)

Preparation

Step 1

In a large saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat. The oil is hot enough when a cumin seed sizzles when tossed into the pan. Add the cumin seeds and toast for about a minute, until fragrant and lightly darkened in color (be careful not to burn them). Immediately stir in the onion, season with a pinch of salt, and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, or until the onion is soft and translucent.
Add the garlic, ginger, turmeric, coriander, and red pepper flakes. Stir to combine and sauté for a couple of minutes, until the garlic softens.
Add the sweet potato, chickpeas, tomatoes with their juices, and coconut milk. Stir to combine, cover, and simmer over medium heat for 20 to 30 minutes, until the potatoes are fork-tender. At this point, I always mash one-third of the mixture to thicken the sauce (using a potato masher), but this step is optional.
Stir in the spinach and cook until wilted. Season with the salt and black pepper to taste.
Serve on a bed of cooked grains, garnished with cilantro and coconut. If desired, offer lime wedges for squeezing over the curry. Store the cooled curry in an airtight container in the fridge for 4 to 5 days, or in the freezer for up to 1 month.
NOTES

I did not use the oil in this recipe, I simply subbed it with broth and added more as needed to cook the onions and garlic, so they didn't burn. Easy!