Ready in less than 30 minutes with 15g's of protein per serve, this is one of my favourite veggie curries. Packed with fibre and texture from the sweet potatoes and the chickpeas with creamy peanut butter, fresh ginger, kaffir lime and a touch of sweetness from the maple syrup. Fridge and freezer friendly too, this is great to make for a quick midweek dinner with extra portions stored away for following months when you're short on time but want something cosy and nourishing.
Time to prepare : 10 minutes
Time to cook : 30 minutes
Servings : 4
Ingredients
2 tbsp olive oil
1 yellow onion, diced
2 galic cloves, minced
Thumb-sized piece of fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
3 tbsp red Thai curry paste
2 sweet potatoes, cut into 1cm cubes
4 tbsp peanut butter (smooth or crunchy)
400ml tin coconut milk, I use full fat
400g tin chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 kaffir lime leaves
Juice of 1 lime
2 tbsp maple syrup
Large handful of spinach
Salt and pepper, to season
To garnish: fresh herbs such as coriander, basil or Thai basil, handful of chopped nuts such as peanuts, cashews or coconut flakes, pinch of red chilli flakes.
Method
Heat the olive oil in a large heavy-based saucepan over a medium heat. Add in the onion and a pinch of salt and cook for 2 minutes until soft and translucent. Add in the garlic and ginger and cook for a further 1 minute.
Stir in the red Thai curry paste then add in the cubed sweet potatoes, peanut butter and coconut milk. Fill the emptied tin up with water (400ml) and add that in too. Add in the kaffir lime leaves, scrunching them up with your hands to release their flavours. Bring to the boil then reduce to a gentle simmer, uncovered, for 20 - 25 minutes until the sweet potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork.
Add the drained chickpeas and cook for another minute or two until warmed through. Add the lime juice and maple syrup. Taste for seasoning and adjust as necessary.
Remove from the heat and remove the kaffir lime leaves*. Then, add in the spinach, stir through and leave it for 1 - 2 minutes to wilt.
Serve with rice and garnish with fresh herbs, chopped nuts and a pinch of red chilli flakes if using.
Nutritional Information
(per serving)
542 calories
15g protein, 45g carbs, 32g fat
Good to know:
Vegan, gluten free.
Kaffir lime leaves add a wonderful citrus, lemongrass like flavour, common in most Thai dishes. Crushing them up before adding them to the sauce allows the flavours and oils to be released but they shouldn't be eaten, so remove them from the dish before serving. They're common in most supermarkets but if you can't find them, you can just skip them out.
Use whatever leafy greens you like; Swiss chard, kale (leaves stripped from stalks) or throw in some frozen peas. Add tougher greens or frozen peas in with the chickpeas to allow them to soften and cook for 2 - 3 minutes before serving.
Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Store in an airtight container in the freezer or up to 3 months. Defrost in the microwave, overnight in the fridge or at room temperature for 4 - 6 hours before warming up either on the hob or in the microwave.