I always think of this cauliflower sweet potato curry as an autumn dinner, but it’s equally good well into winter. It’s a particularly enjoyable, comforting meal, with plenty of vegetables to make sure you feel good after eating it.
We often make this about once a week from about September right through end of November, when both cauliflower and sweet potatoes are readily available in this region. It’s an excellent weeknight dinner with a short-ish cooking time, though it’s well worth taking the extra time to make some spelt naan to have on the side.
If this is a familiar recipe to you, don’t worry! The post has been updated, and the recipe tweaked, but only to improve. The video will also need to be updated but it’s still pretty accurate. See below for some new notes and substitutions as well.
Have lots of sweet potatoes to use? Try sweet potato flatbread to serve with this curry in place of naan, or make some black bean sweet potato chili or sweet potato latkes.
Ingredients
It might seem like a long list, but that’s largely due to the spices. See below for some tips on that if you don’t have a big spice cupboard.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
- Spices: if you don’t have all of the spices on hand, feel free to use a store bought curry powder or garam masala that you like. You can also leave a couple of spices out (the coriander and cinnamon in particular) if you know you don’t like them or you’re out.
- Tomatoes: fresh tomatoes are a good substitute for canned if you have them, in the same quantity.
- Sweet potato: carrots and pumpkin also work well in place of the sweet potato.
- Greens: I’ve used spinach in the curry pictured because it’s doing well in my garden right now. Rucola (rocket/arugula), chard, and kale are all excellent substitutions. If you’re using kale, you may want to cook it for a minute in the curry instead of just wilting it at the end. Frozen greens are great too, which you can see are used in the recipe video.
Recipe Notes
The original recipe called for vegetable broth and only a partial can of coconut milk. The impracticality of this bothered me, and when I make this curry I never do that now, so it’s been updated with a full can of coconut milk instead. If you want a lighter dish, use a lower fat coconut milk.
I really like this with naan, but rice is great too, and you really don’t even need a side with it. Without something carb-y to soak up the sauce, it’s a tiny bit like a soup and equally delicious.
Apple cider vinegar helps to cut through the sweetness of both the coconut milk and the sweet potato, and it’s not noticeable in the finished dish. It’s key to include some acidity somewhere in the dish, in just about any dish, to make sure it’s well rounded and tastes the best that it possibly can. I don’t recommend leaving it out (and it’s only a tablespoon).
How to Store
Storage: this can be stored in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to three days.
Freezing: transfer any leftovers to an airtight container and freeze for up to a month. Thaw in the refrigerator and reheat as usual.
Newsletter
Expert Tips
- Cook until done: if your vegetables are quite chunky then it may need a bit more time – go for fork tender on the sweet potato.
- Rinse the chickpeas: this goes for cooked and canned, but mostly for cooked – make sure you drain the liquid from the can and rinse the chickpeas well in a sieve.
- Don’t boil the coconut milk: this is added later because coconut milk can sometimes split when it’s overheated.
More Warming Curries and Stews
Chickpea, Sweet Potato, and Kale Curry
Pumpkin Chickpea Curry
Lentil and Potato Stew
Moroccan Chickpea, Sweet Potato, and Kale Stew
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Cauliflower, Sweet Potato, Chickpea Curry
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons coconut oil
- 150 grams yellow onion diced (1 medium)
- 350 grams sweet potato diced (1 medium)
- 300 grams cauliflower cut into small florets (1/2 head)
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon ginger grated
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ½ teaspoon ground coriander
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 400 ml canned diced tomatoes
- 300 grams cooked chickpeas or canned, rinsed well
- 400 ml canned full-fat coconut milk
- 70 grams spinach or other greens
Instructions
- Heat a large pot over medium heat and add the coconut oil. Once the pot is hot, add the onion and cook for a couple of minutes, or until translucent but not browned.2 teaspoons coconut oil, 150 grams yellow onion
- Add the sweet potato and cauliflower and cook for another five minutes to brown slightly.350 grams sweet potato, 300 grams cauliflower
- Stir in the garlic and ginger, followed by the salt, cumin, turmeric, cayenne pepper, coriander, black pepper, and cinnamon, and cook for another 30 seconds.3 cloves garlic, 1 teaspoon ginger, 1 teaspoon sea salt, 1/2 teaspoon cumin, 1/2 teaspoon turmeric, 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- Stir in the apple cider vinegar, then add the tomatoes and chickpeas. Bring to a low boil, then reduce the heat to simmer. Cook, covered, for about 20 minutes, or until the vegetables are fork-soft.1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar, 400 ml canned diced tomatoes, 300 grams cooked chickpeas
- Once the vegetables are cooked, stir in the coconut milk.400 ml canned full-fat coconut milk
- Remove the curry from the heat and stir in the greens. If using kale or frozen greens, cook for a couple of minutes.70 grams spinach
- Serve hot with naan or your grain of choice (rice, quinoa, etc.). Leftovers can be refrigerated in a sealed container for up to three days and freeze well for up to a month.
Video
* For American cup measurements, please click the pink link text above the ingredient list that says ‘American’.
Nutrition
Nutrition is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate. If this information is important to you, please have it verified independently.
This post was originally published in March 2018. It has been updated with some tweaks to the recipe, new photos, and an updated post as of October 2020.
Amy says
How much is one serving??
Alexandra Daum says
A quarter of the recipe, a fairly large bowlful.
Anne says
I have been looking for the perfect curry for a long time and this is it. Such a delicious recipe. Thank you for sharing. Anne
Lucy says
This is the best curry I have ever made. So easy to make and tastes so good! Perfect
Pam says
First time making this recipe and it was a hit! I followed the recipe to a T. It was so delicious and so easy to make! Will definitely make this again!
Frith says
I found there was not enough liquid to simmer thr vegetables in so added the coconut milk with the tomatoes and chickpeas and simmered all together. Actually it’s simmering now. I have made the curried cashew nuts to go with it – they taste great and will add a lovely bit of protein.
Allison says
I added more tumeric, cumin, and cinnamon just because these are my favorite spices. This dish is delicious. Thank you!
Debra Johnson says
Wow! This dish is delicious. It is very flavorful, filling and nutritious. I used frozen chopped swiss chard from my summer garden for the greens and followed the recipe closely, accept that I substituted canola oil for the coconut oil (which I did not have). I measured and prepared all ingredients prior to beginning the cooking. It was very easy. I will be making this again and again. Thank you.
Sheila says
Delicious and easy to cook, fasts good after freezing too. This will be a regular meal for me