Creamy Thai Sweet Potato Curry – packed with nutrition! Our favorite easy, healthy, winter comfort food recipe.
Creamy Thai Sweet Potato Curry
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I LOVE this recipe. Honestly, it’s one of the recipes I make most frequently in fall and winter, it’s a great cozy meal that reheats well through the week. Thanks!
Jessica F
So now we know what kind of food they serve in heaven.
It’s for surely gotta be sweet potato curry, for surely for sure. There just cannot be anything else.
I’m not just talking about just any old curry -> I’m talking about the kind of curry that hits that perfect spot between silky-creaminess and fire-breathing flavor all in one sweeping, saucy bite.
For example, just off the top of my head: Creamy Thai Sweet Potato Curry that can be made in about 20 minutes and that just makes your heart sing for joy when you remember that you have at least three servings of it left in the fridge and you are about to win big at Leftovers Lunch.
There is not one single thing I don’t love about this type of food.
This Will Be In Your Forever Recipe Rotation
You know those recipes that you make once, and then you make twice, and then suddenly a week has gone by and you’ve really only made that one same recipe and you realize that you’re either a boring person for making the same thing over and over again or (more accurately) a winner for knowing which recipes are worth your time?
This is that.
It’s too good NOT to make. It is all this and more:
- nutritious
- quick
- easy
- COMFORT FOOD TO THE MAX
Let’s Talk Curry Paste
Store-bought red curry paste works just fine in this recipe. It’s how I started making it, actually. But then I did something that ended up being magical: I started adding a spoonful of homemade yellow curry paste in with the store-bought red curry paste and BOOM! Flavor explosion. Maybe it’s all in my mind, but probably not – the curry paste combo is just epically delicious.
You laugh now, but we’ll see who gets the last laugh here. WE’LL SEE.
Three Curry scenarios here:
- You are intimidated by curry-making. Just buy some red curry paste (available at most grocery stores these days) or grab some on Amazon because you have Prime with 2 day shipping, don’t you, you little smartie? I knew we were twinning on that. Curry Paste: http://amzn.to/2f1WVea (affiliate link)
- You are not intimidated by curry-paste-making. In which case you are probably too advanced to be reading this blog.
- You are semi-intimidated by curry-paste-making, but you are intrigued. Friend, you are the perfect middle child that I seek for this assignment. I so strongly encourage you to try your hand at making this adapted, familiar-ingredients version of homemade Thai yellow curry paste. Keep that jar of golden love close at hand because it will go on to gift you many batches of fragrant, cozy curries all through the winter with just the swish of your spoon. I am very, very excited for you.
Voila! Look at you, Curry Master.
Thai Sweet Potato Curry: FAQs
I’m fresh out of sweet potatoes. Anything else?
Butternut squash would be good!
Should I use sweetened or unsweetened coconut milk?
Definitely use unsweetened canned coconut milk for this recipe.
Any vegan-friendly proteins ideas to add here?
Chickpeas, tofu, or tempeh would all be delicious options!
Prefer To Watch Instead Of Read?
Creamy Thai Sweet Potato Curry
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4–5 (4 in our house) 1x
Description
Creamy Thai Sweet Potato Curry – packed with nutrition! our favorite easy, healthy, winter comfort food recipe. vegetarian and vegan.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 2 shallots, thinly sliced
- 2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
- 3–4 cups fresh baby spinach
- 2–3 tablespoons curry paste (see notes)
- 1 14–ounce can regular coconut milk
- 1/2 to 1 cup broth or water
- 1/2 cup chopped peanuts and cilantro
- fish sauce (or vegan fish sauce) to taste
Instructions
- Start your rice, if you’re serving this over rice (highly recommend)! Make your HOMEMADE curry paste (you rockstar, you). Roast your garlic, shallots, and ginger. Hydrate your chili peppers. Blitz it all up in the food processor with some spices, lemongrass paste, and cilantro.
- Heat the oil over medium high heat. Add the shallots and stir fry until soft and fragrant. Add the sweet potatoes and stir to coat with oil. Add the curry paste and stir until well-combined.
- Add the coconut milk and broth and let it simmer over low heat for 10-15 minutes until thickened. Stir in the spinach until wilted.
- Add half of the peanut/cilantro mixture; reserve the rest for topping. Add a quick splash of fish sauce to the curry to make the whole thing just sing harmony in your mouth. Yummy.
- Serve over rice, topped with remaining peanuts/cilantro.
Notes
For some reason, I am loving the taste of combining red curry paste and yellow curry paste in this! I’ve made it with both strictly red and strictly yellow and they’re both great as well. If you are a curry lover, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE make yourself some homemade yellow curry paste. It’s amazing. This recipe uses familiar ingredients and works perfectly for quick last-minute batches of curry if you keep it in the freezer!
For vegetarian/vegan option, just double check that your curry paste is compliant or make your own. Also, obviously, omit the fish sauce.
Nutrition is for 1 out of 5 servings, not including rice or fish sauce.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Simmer
- Cuisine: Thai-Inspired
Keywords: vegetarian curry, sweet potato curry, red curry, yellow curry, curry paste
All The Vegetarian Curry, Please
- Instant Pot Cauliflower Curry
- Bangkok Coconut Curry Noodle Bowls
- Coconut Curry Ramen
- Red Curry Lentils (Instant Pot version, too!)
- 5-Ingredient Green Curry
One More Thing!
This recipe is part of our collection of best healthy gluten-free recipes. Check it out!
Filed Under: 5 Ingredients All Recipes Dairy-Free Dinner Gluten-Free Healthy Main Dishes Quick and Easy Rice Sugar Free January Sugar-Free Sweet Potato Vegan Vegetarian Winter
January 27, 2020
Nice to meet you!
I’m Lindsay and I ♡ FOOD. I used to be a teacher, and now making food and writing about it online is my full-time job. I love talking with people about food, and I'm so glad you're here.
Did you make a recipe? Tag @pinchofyum on Instagram so we can find you!
I can’t see a reason not to make this either! This is so easy!! And I’ve been meaning to make your curry paste for a while now so I best be getting on this 🙂
Katrina,
Have you ever tried curry paste one extra-large Tiger shrimp? 🙂
I could totally eat this every.single.day! There’s something about a big bowl of curry that’s SO comforting!
YELLOW CURRY PASTE IS MY LIFE.
That is all. Seriously though, I just bought a HYOOGE jar of it on Amazon to make ALL THE RECIPES.
I guess I could have just been awesome and made it myself though.
Anyway. This curry. it is heaven in my mouth and I need it NOW. Pinned!
Oh my goodness, I’ve never even had curry. I get all weird about making it! IT’s like c’mon Laura curry is good for you and high in protein. And sweet potatoes are hoppin’ good for you too. Just make plans for Spring break and that bathing suit is gonna have to come out! Time to join the YMCA (sing with me please) and make sweet potato curry.
I think you’ll love it! Give it a try, Laura. 🙂
Please specify *cooked* sweet potatoes.
I’m singing with you Laura
Wow, this is perfection in a bowl! I love everything about this and it’s now my mission to make my own curry sauce!
Yeeeeees. That’s all I can muster.
Yes, PLEASE!! This is my kind of dinner. And will likely be dinner tonight… and tomorrow! Thanks for the recipe!
Um, yum. This looks warm and comforting and all sorts of fabulous. Oh, and it has sweet potatoes, so YES. In my little dorm apartment, I’m intimidating by making my own paste, but when I have a bigger kitchen, that’ll need to happen!
I am curry obsessed and I can’t believe I’ve never made sweet potato curry! This looks delicious and I have to make it soon. Thanks for sharing!
I have a ton of cubed butternut squash in the fridge. Think I can use that instead of sweet potatoes for similar/same results? This looks so good I don’t want to wait to make it but have to use what’s in the fridge…
That should work fine, Sarah! Enjoy. 🙂
Kristin will this work with white sweet potatoes? Thanks
I’m obsessed with sweet potatoes and this looks AMAZING. I love how the potatoes are the bulk of the meal, rather than meat in other kinds of curries. Healthy, warm, cozy… everything I look for in a winter meal! Can’t wait to try this!
I’ve never had curry with sweet potatoes before, but I love the way the colors pop with the white rice!
Kari
http://www.sweetteasweetie.com
This curry looks so delicious! I love creamy coconut curries, they are so comforting and tasty, perfect with a ton of brown rice. Love it how it can be adapted to vegans, pinned!x
You use “creamy” and “curry” in one sentence, and I’m all yours 🙂 This sounds like just the type of comfort food I’ll be eating once I get off my “smoothie-detox-whatever” I’m currently in the middle of 🙂 This recipe sounds delish!
This looks delicious!!!!
I keep unsweetened coconut milk in my house. Can I just use that instead of the can of coconut milk plus water?
Hi, Barbara! I am not very familiar with unsweetened coconut milk, but I would assume that would work just fine. 🙂
I love curries! This one sounds so quick and easy. I’ve made homemade green curry paste and it was totally life changing so I definitely need to try your yellow version!
So…what;s exactly wrong with making this 24/7/365? I mean LOOK at it – oh wait – you’ve looked at it and eaten it 24/7/11 so far right? 🙂
Fabulous recipe!
Sounds delish and I’m making this for supper tonight! Does the nutrition info include the rice? (so I can accurately track calories) thanks!
Hi, Niha! At the end of recipe notes, Lindsay says “Nutrition is for 1 out of 5 servings, not including rice or fish sauce.”
Great recipe! Does it freeze well?
Yes!
This recipe speaks to my heart. I love sweet potatoes and I love curry but i’ve never though to combine them. Can’t wait to make this one!
Also, who was the cute dog you were running with this morning on snapchat? Does Sage not do cold morning runs?
What kind of broth are you using?
Just veggie broth here. 🙂
You crack me up! I am convinced that this dish is super awesome and want to make it now! Hubby does not care for Indian spices so it is the perfect week to try this since he’ll be off on a biz trip for a few days. Hope my gals like it, I know I will! thanks for sharing ✨ Bita
Yummy!
Have you ever made lemongrass paste? I want to make the yellow curry but I have been to every grocery store and none carry it!
Hi, Robyn! We have never tried making it from scratch. If you have access to an Asian food store, they might have it. Otherwise there’s always Amazon! 🙂
I’m giving up on the yellow curry paste. I went to 3 Asian supermarkets today and none had lemongrass paste. Perhaps they just don’t sell it in Canada. I’m in a city of over s million people so it’s not like we don’t have lots of grocery store selection. How frustrating
Sorry to hear that, Robyn. I have directed a few other readers to this recipe for homemade lemongrass paste: https://www.marthastewart.com/339045/lemongrass-paste. It would be extra time and effort to make, but it would certainly work well in the recipe. Otherwise, you can definitely find lemongrass paste on Amazon.
Thanks. I decided to make it using a tbsp of ground lemongrass so we’ll see how that tastes. Otherwise I’ll make the paste next time
It turned out really well even using the ground lemongrass 🙂
Awesome! Thanks for the feedback, Robyn!
Amazon has authentic red, green and yellow curry for shipping.
Love the video! It looks so simple to put together.
You had me at creamy Thai. Such a perfect weeknight dish!
So delicious and healthy. Have to make this
Kisses from http://poshnessary.com ❤