Sweet Potato & Chickpea Curry with Rice
Sweet potato cubes soften in coconut milk and red curry paste until the sauce thickens and the kitchen fills with warmth. Chickpeas and spinach join the curry in the final two minutes, staying firm while the sauce does all the work.
Served over brown rice, the full bowl delivers 881 kcal with 19g of fiber from four different sources — chickpeas, sweet potato, brown rice, and spinach. One wok, twenty minutes.
Sweet potato cubes soften in coconut milk and red curry paste until the sauce thickens and the kitchen fills with warmth. Chickpeas and spinach join the curry in the final two minutes, staying firm while the sauce does all the work.
Served over brown rice, the full bowl delivers 881 kcal with 19g of fiber from four different sources — chickpeas, sweet potato, brown rice, and spinach. One wok, twenty minutes.
Ingredients
- brown rice 3 ounces
- sweet potato 5 ounces
- garlic 1 clove
- chickpeas 4 ounces
- olive oil 1 tablespoon
- red curry paste 1.5 tablespoon
- coconut milk 3.5 fluid ounce
- water 1.5 fluid ounce
- spinach 1 handful
Method
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Cook the rice according to the package instructions.
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Peel the sweet potato and cut it into cubes of about 3/4 inch.
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Press the garlic clove and rinse the chickpeas with cold water.
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Heat the oil in a wok and add the sweet potato cubes. After 2 minutes, add the garlic and curry paste and sauté for 1 minute. Then add the coconut milk and water. Bring to a boil and let simmer on low heat for about 15 minutes. If needed, add a splash more water.
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Add the chickpeas and spinach to the curry and cook for 2 minutes until the spinach has wilted.
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Serve the sweet potato and chickpea curry with the rice in a bowl or deep plate.
Keep the sweet potato cubes close to 3/4 inch. Too large and they will not soften in fifteen minutes. Too small and they fall apart into the sauce. You want pieces that hold their shape but give easily when pressed with a spoon.
Behind this recipe
Is 19 grams of protein enough for a dinner?
The 19g of protein in this bowl comes from chickpeas, brown rice, and sweet potato. Research on per-meal protein absorption found the body can use well beyond the commonly cited 20–30g ceiling for muscle building, so none of the protein here goes unused. A side of Greek yogurt or a handful of roasted nuts pairs well with this curry for a higher-protein version.
Read the full evidence reviewWhy add the chickpeas and spinach at the very end?
Chickpeas are already cooked, so they only need two minutes to warm through and soak up curry flavor. Simmering them longer makes them mushy. Spinach wilts in under a minute, so adding it with the chickpeas keeps the leaves bright and slightly textured instead of turning them into green paste.
Can I use light coconut milk instead of full-fat?
It works, but the sauce will be thinner and less creamy. Full-fat coconut milk gives the curry its rich body and helps the curry paste distribute evenly through the sweet potato. If you switch to light, reduce the water slightly and expect a leaner sauce with noticeably fewer calories.
