Looking for a cozy dinner that's easy to whip up with just a few simple ingredients? This sweet potato chickpea curry is the ultimate plant-based comfort food. It's aromatic, a tiny bit spicy depending on the curry paste you're using, healthy, and filling! Bonus: it's meal prep friendly, too.

A plant-based staple!
In my opinion, curries are an essential dish that anyone on a plant-based or plant-forward diet should master. They are packed with so much flavor thanks to the curry pastes, yet so easy to make.
It can be as simple as a curry paste, a veggie, a can of coconut milk, and a can of beans.
But you can make countless different versions, using different curry pastes (red yellow, green), seasonal veggies, and a variety of protein sources (beans, lentils, tofu, tempeh). The method, however, always stays the same.
This green curry with tofu and broccoli is another staple of mine.
Key ingredients and substitutions

- Sweet potatoes: Their sweetness goes perfectly with the spice of the red curry paste. Carrots or butternut squash are great alternatives.
- Aromatics: You could skip the aromatics and just fry the curry paste in a little bit of oil. But I find that red onion, fresh garlic, and freshly grated ginger make the curry sauce a little more complex and the ginger brightens it all up (this curry is even better the next day, as you tend to taste the ginger even more).
- Baby spinach: For an extra serving of greens.
- Red curry paste: It's a hot curry paste commonly made from dried red chilies and lemongrass. This recipe calls for a ready-made store-bought curry to keep things simple and avoid having to buy countless ingredients at the Asian market. But if you're up for a challenge, you can totally make your own using this authentic red curry paste recipe from Pailin at Hot Thai Kitchen.
- Coconut milk: It's important to use full-fat canned coconut milk to get a really creamy curry. If possible, choose a brand made from coconut and water only–no gums or emulsifiers.
- Vegetable broth (optional): I like my curry very saucy! So adding a little vegetable broth allows you to stretch the sauce while adding a little bit of flavor. I'm aware that it's not very traditional so feel free to skip it.
- Canned chickpeas: My plant-based protein of choice for this recipe.
- Jasmine rice: My biggest recommendation when it comes to curry is to serve it with jasmine rice (sometimes called Thaï rice). It's slightly sticky, moister, and more flavorful than other kinds of white rice, such as basmati rice.
Elo's tips
- Try different red curry pastes. Different brands of curry pastes will have very different flavor profiles so don't hesitate to test your way through.
- Fry your curry paste! This is a non-negotiable step that will make your curry so much more flavorful. Frying the curry in oil helps develop and intensify its aromas.
- Cut the sweet potatoes into small pieces, they will cook quicker!
- Top the curry with peanuts. It adds a nice crunch that complements the flavors of the curry really well.
Step-by-step instructions

- Step 1: Chop the sweet potatoes and aromatics. Peel the sweet potatoes and cut them into bite-sized dice. Finely chop the onion, and grate the garlic and the ginger. P.S. You don't need to peel the ginger if it's organic and thoroughly washed.

- Step 2: Sauté the aromatics. Heat a skillet with coconut oil or your preferred vegetable oil. Sauté the onion, garlic, and ginger over medium heat for 2 minutes until the onion starts to soften. Then, add in the red curry paste and fry for another minute. Pour in a splash of water to prevent it from burning and help coat the sweet potatoes.

- Step 3: Sauté the sweet potatoes. Add them to the skillet and sauté for 10 minutes until they start to soften.

- Step 4: Simmer. Add the coconut milk, vegetable broth, and drained and rinsed chickpeas to the skillet. Give it a good stir and cover with a lid. Let it simmer for 12 minutes.

- Step 5: Cook the jasmine rice according to package directions while the curry is simmering. Don't forget to add a little bit of salt to the cooking water.

- Step 6: Finish the curry. Stir in the spinach until wilted. Add the juice of a lime and give it a final stir. Taste the curry sauce and adjust the seasoning with salt if needed (it heavily depends on the curry paste and vegetable broth you're using).
Meal prep and storage tips
- Meal prep tip: If you're making the curry ahead of time, I strongly recommend stretching the sauce with a little vegetable broth as some of it will get soaked up by the other ingredients.
- Storage: The best way to store this sweet potato and chickpea curry is to have the curry and the cooked jasmine rice in 2 separate containers. You can divide everything into 4 meal prep containers if you want ready-to-grab meals, but note that the rice will absorb most of the sauce (but I get that it's handy to take to the office so do what works for you!).
- You can keep the curry and rice in airtight containers in the refrigerator for 4 days.
- Reheating: Use the microwave or reheat the curry in a saucepan on the stove. If it looks a little dry, add a splash of water or vegetable broth.
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The recipe

Sweet Potato Chickpea Curry
Ingredients
- 1 ⅓ cup (260) jasmine rice
- 2 (± 600 g) medium sweet potatoes
- 1 red onion
- 2 garlic cloves
- 0.6 inch (15 cm) fresh ginger
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil or vegetable oil
- 2 tablespoons red curry paste
- 14 oz (400 ml) canned full-fat coconut milk
- ½ cup (120 ml) vegetable broth optional, see notes
- 15 oz (400 g) chickpeas
- 10 oz (280 g) baby spinach
- Juice of 1 lime
For serving (optional)
- 2 handfuls unsalted peanuts
- 1 bunch (20 g) fresh cilantro
Instructions
- Rice: Cook the rice according to package direction.
- Sweet potatoes: Peel the sweet potatoes and cut them into medium dice.
- Aromatics: Mince the onion and grate the garlic and ginger. Heat a large skillet with coconut oil. Sauté the onion over medium-high heat for 2 minutes. Add in the garlic, ginger, and curry paste, and sauté for another minute. Then, add a splash of water to prevent it from burning.
- Sauté: Add in the sweet potatoes and sauté over medium heat for 10 minutes.
- Simmer: Pour in the coconut milk, vegetable broth, and drained and rinsed chickpeas. Cover with a lid and simmer for 12 minutes over medium heat.
- Finish making the curry: Stir in the spinach until wilted. Finish it off with the juice of 1 lime. Adjust seasoning with salt if needed.
- Serve: Optionally serve with chopped peanuts and fresh cilantro.
Notes
Nutrition
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