Sweet Potato Curry
Ingredients:
2 Tablespoons oil
1 small onion, quartered and thinly sliced, about 1 cup
1 inch piece of fresh ginger, finely grated, about 1 Tablespoon
3 cloves garlic, finely grated, about 2 teaspoons
¼ teaspoon Kosher salt
2 Tablespoons red curry paste
2 Tablespoons tomato paste
1 13.5 ounce can full fat coconut milk
1 ½ pounds sweet potatoes, 2 medium size, peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes
1 cup water
3 cups baby spinach, roughly chopped
white basmati rice
Optional garnishes:
lime wedges for squeezing, roasted peanuts, cilantro, thinly sliced scallions and red Thai chile
Make the curry:
In a large heavy pot, heat the oil and add the onion, ginger and garlic. Cook until softened and lightly browned, about 3-5 minutes.
Push the vegetables off to one side and add the red curry and tomato paste. Cook until beginning to brown, about 2 minutes. Add the coconut milk, stirring up any browned bits on the bottom of the pot. Cook for about 5-7 minutes to combine flavors.
Add the sweet potatoes and the 1 cup water. Bring to a boil, turn down to a simmer, cover and cook for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are cooked through. Remove the lid and cook for another 5 minutes to thicken the curry. Stir in the spinach and cook 2-3 minutes more until wilted. Stir in the lime juice, and taste for seasoning. More salt is probably not necessary.
Serve over basmati rice and top with any or all of the garnishes.
Will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.
Makes 4 servings. YUM!
LESSONS Learned:
1. Sweet potatoes can vary wildly in size. So, make sure to weigh them to get the right amount, and cut them all about the same size so they all cook at the same time.
2. If you have one, use a microplane to grate the ginger and the garlic.
3. Buy the tomato paste in a tube. For uses like this where you only need a small amount, you won’t waste any.
4. You can switch out the spinach and use, another green instead---chard or kale come to mind. And, if you’re not a fan, just leave the greens out.
5. I prefer white basmati rice with this curry. But any rice will be delicious.
