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Sweet potato, chickpea and spinach curry

A mild, creamy vegan curry made with coconut milk, sweet potato and chickpeas. Naturally gluten-free and dairy-free, freezer-friendly, and ready in 50 minutes.

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This is the kind of curry you can make on a weeknight with mostly store-cupboard ingredients. It’s vegan, dairy-free and naturally gluten-free, so it works when you’re cooking for a mix of dietary needs. It also freezes well, which makes it a good batch-cooking option.

Two ingredients to check

Most of this recipe is naturally gluten-free, but two ingredients depend on the brand. Check the label every time, as Coeliac UK advises, because recipes and manufacturing processes can change:

  • Curry powder. Some spice blends contain flour. Choose one with no gluten-containing cereal in the ingredients, or one labelled gluten-free. If you’d rather avoid blends, use 2 tsp ground coriander, 1 tsp garam masala (check), ½ tsp chilli powder and the cumin and turmeric above.
  • Vegetable stock. Coeliac UK lists stock cubes among the products to check. Use one labelled gluten-free.

Make it your own

  • More heat: add a finely chopped green chilli with the garlic, or a pinch of chilli flakes.
  • Extra veg: cauliflower florets, red pepper or frozen peas can all go in with the chickpeas.
  • Not vegan? It’s also good with a spoonful of natural yoghurt on top (check flavoured yoghurts for added cereals).
  • Swap the carbs: serve with baked potatoes or quinoa instead of rice.
A note on leftover rice

Cooked rice needs extra care. The FSA’s cooking guidance covers how to cool, store and reheat leftovers safely. If in doubt, cook rice fresh.

Batch-cooking tip

Double the recipe and freeze half in portions. It’s on Day 3 of our 7-day gluten-free meal plan, with leftovers for lunch on Day 4. Another freezer-friendly favourite is our gluten-free chilli con carne, and for a meat-free bake that’s also free from dairy, eggs, nuts and soya, try our vegan lentil cottage pie.

Sweet potato, chickpea and spinach curry: recipe

Prep
15 min
Cook
35 min
Total
50 min
Serves
4

Ingredients

Items marked check label can contain gluten in some brands. Choose a version labelled gluten-free or with no gluten-containing cereal in the ingredients.

  • 1 tbsp vegetable or rapeseed oil
  • 1 large onion, finely chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves, crushed
  • Thumb-sized piece of fresh ginger, finely grated
  • 2 tbsp medium curry powdercheck label
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • ½ tsp ground turmeric
  • 2 medium sweet potatoes (about 600 g), peeled and cut into 2 cm cubes
  • 400 g tin chopped tomatoes
  • 400 ml tin coconut milk
  • 200 ml vegetable stockcheck label
  • 400 g tin chickpeas, drained and rinsed
  • 100 g baby spinach
  • Juice of ½ lime
  • Salt, to taste
  • To serve: cooked rice and a handful of fresh coriander

Equipment

  • Large, deep frying pan or casserole with a lid
  • Wooden spoon

Method

  1. Heat the oil in a large, deep pan over a medium heat. Add the onion with a pinch of salt and cook for 8–10 minutes, stirring now and then, until soft and lightly golden.
  2. Add the garlic and ginger and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the curry powder, cumin and turmeric and cook for another minute, until fragrant. Add a splash of water if the spices start to catch.
  3. Add the sweet potato and stir to coat in the spices. Pour in the chopped tomatoes, coconut milk and stock, and bring to a simmer.
  4. Cover and simmer gently for 15 minutes, then stir in the chickpeas. Simmer uncovered for 5–10 minutes more, until the sweet potato is tender when pierced with a knife and the sauce has thickened slightly.
  5. Stir in the spinach a handful at a time until wilted. Add the lime juice, taste, and season with salt.
  6. Serve with rice, scattered with coriander.

Storage

Cool and refrigerate within two hours, then eat within two days, or freeze in portions. Reheat until steaming hot. If you are storing cooked rice, see the note below on rice.