Crackin' Coconut & Sweet Potato Curry

Hello readers, it's been a minute! I must admit, I've lagged behind a bit with keeping my blog updated, and with cooking too. It's been a busy few months for me, but now I've firmly settled into my new home and new job, I'm hoping to get back to cooking and blogging about it at least every fortnight (no promises though, as we all know life is WILD at the moment!)

Although I've been cooking sporadically since my last post, I haven't really tried anything new and have just been relying on old recipes that I know I can whip up quickly. However, last weekend I fancied a bit of a challenge, and came across this gorgeous recipe online. It's healthy, yummy, and 100% vegan! I've adjusted it to suit me, so you can do the same; for example use whatever type of chilli you prefer, or grab ginger and garlic paste to save time.

As you'll see, it's a bit of a longer recipe time-wise, however the prep side of things is relatively quick so it won't take longer than just over an hour in total. You could do what I did and batch cook it for the week ahead, or make it as a healthy substitute for your weekly takeaway. You can get hold of all the ingredients you need in your local supermarket, so why not add them to your list for your next shopping trip and give this crackin' coconut and sweet potato curry a go!

Ingredients:

• One white onion

• One tablespoon of coconut oil

• Three garlic cloves (as big & juicy as possible!)

• 400 grams of chopped tomatoes

• 480 grams of chickpeas - that's about two tins drained

• One large sweet potato

• One or two green chillies, depending on how hot you want the curry to be! (I used two finger chillies and it was mild-medium)

• 400 gram tin of coconut milk

• Half a teaspoon of the following dried spices: cinnamon, coriander, turmeric, cumin and ground cloves

• About a tablespoon's worth of grated fresh ginger (or ginger paste for ease - I just couldn't find any in the supermarket!)

• A lovely big pinch of rock salt

Method:

1. Start off by finely chopping your cloves of garlic - as with the ginger, you could use garlic paste here for ease if you like

2. Next peel and finely dice your onion

3. Then grab your chillies, top and tail, then chop into fine pieces (as always, if you don't want the dish to be too hot, discard the seeds inside the chillies)

4. Next, peel your sweet potato and chop it into small chunks (about the size of a large grape)

5. Then you want to peel and grate your fresh ginger (if you're using it!) - note: don't be silly like me and use a miniature grater just because the piece of ginger is small, it doesn't work like that...

6. Grab yourself a big skillet or wok and chuck in your coconut oil

7. Let it melt over a medium heat, then throw in your onion and leave to soften for about five minutes

8. Next, throw in your garlic, chilli, ginger and all the dried spices, give everything a good stir and leave to cook for a couple of minutes until very fragrant

9. Then you're going to chuck in your drained chickpeas, stir, then your chopped tomatoes, stir, and finally your coconut milk and give it another big stir

10. Finally, pop your sweet potato chunks in along with a generous sprinkling of salt and pepper, then leave over a medium heat for about an hour, stirring occasionally

11. Once you're ready to serve it up (don't forget to taste it first to make sure it doesn't need any more seasoning!), pop it into bowls and tuck in! You can have this with or without rice; I had mine without and it was still very filling!

I found this recipe online a while ago and hadn't tried it out, but I thought it would be perfect to make in a batch then freeze or store in the fridge. So, I gave it a go last weekend ready to take into work with me this past week, and what do you know I was right! It's great to store and take in (only if your workplace has a microwave, mind!) and is very hearty so will fill you up for the afternoon.

With the measurements above I was able to make five portions, which as I mentioned above I had without rice as it was filling enough on its own. The flavours of the curry were both rich and creamy; the tang of the tomatoes was counterbalanced by the light and creamy coconut milk, and the array of spices gave the dish a subtle bite. The coconut milk also gave the sauce a thicker consistency which was enjoyable, as sometimes my curries can turn out a little watery!

I really enjoyed cooking (and eating) this coconut and sweet potato curry and will definitely be making this again for friends and family, seeing as this time I took it all for myself! In my opinion this recipe is definitely one to enjoy in the colder months because it's so hearty, so why not give it a go yourself? Let me know what you think in the comments!