This chickpea curry recipe with sweet potatoes is creamy from the coconut milk, with a kicked-up flavor from red curry paste. But the secret ingredient is tomatoes. A combination of balsamic-roasted and sun-dried tomatoes.
Perfect for a weeknight dinner, this meal comes together in about 30 minutes with my shortcuts!
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Let's say you have some omnivore family members at the table who say vegetarian food is bland. They roll their eyes. Maybe they paw at the floor and whinny.
Ok, maybe only my husband does that.
But if this happens to you too, then you need this Sweet Potato and Chickpea Curry to completely change their minds. Forever. The sauce that this chickpea curry makes is really flavorful from the coconut milk, red curry paste and tomatoes.
It totally changed my husband's mind about vegan food.
What are curries?
I think of curries as the Indian form of a stew. They include a variety of veggies, and many have chickpeas or meat that are all cooked in a spiced sauce. There is no one traditional curry dish in India, as the spice and food combination changes from region to region.
All curries tend to be hearty dishes, similar to a stew, and are perfect fare in the winter cold months. A curry similar to this one is this Pumpkin Chickpea Kale Curry that can use a variety of squash ranging from Red Kuri Squash, kabocha, or butternut squash.
Vegetarian curries are very versatile because they can use many different legumes and veggies. For example, if you've never tried black chickpeas, I recommend making this Chana Masala with Black Chickpeas. If you love eggplant (and even if you don't), make this aubergine curry. The flavors are off the charts!
And if you like Ottolenghi's cookbooks as much as I do, check out this Roasted Moroccan Eggplant Stew with Charred Red Bell Peppers and Tomatoes.
❤️ Why you'll love this recipe
Umami!
Umami is the fifth taste that gives dishes a savory depth that makes our taste buds wake up and sparkle. Here's where the umami punch comes from:
- Sun-dried tomatoes
- Better Than Bouillon Roasted Vegetable Bouillon
- Balsamic Roasted tomatoes
- Roasting the sweet potatoes instead of cooking them by simmering in liquid
For more information on umami, check out my post on 10 Umami Flavor Boosts that can add pizzazz to any meatless dish.
Another curry dish that's full of umami is this tomato gratin casserole. It has cauliflower, spinach, tomatoes (of course), and a yogurt - curry sauce with Worcestershire sauce. It's topped with cheese and breadcrumbs.
🧅 Ingredients for Chickpea Curry
For the all of the ingredients, measurements and directions, go to the Recipe Card at the bottom of this post.
- Sweet potatoes
- Serrano chile - Include the pith and seeds for more heat, remove them for lower heat. For even less heat, use ½ jalapeño pepper.
- Thai red curry paste
- Balsamic Roasted Tomatoes, chopped with juices, or substitute one (14.5 ounce) can of fire-roasted diced tomatoes plus 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar for an extra umami kick
- Coconut milk - either full fat or lite
- Cooked chickpeas
- Sliced sun-dried tomatoes
- Better Than Bouillon paste - or substitute 1 vegetarian bouillon cube. Red miso paste is another good option.
- Halloumi cheese - Halloumi is a Greek cheese that is known for not melting easily, and is great for grilling or searing on the stovetop.
- Cilantro and mint
- Limes
Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links to products and foods I use in my kitchen. This means that at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase. To view my entire storefront of recommended kitchen tools and equipment, check out my shop on Amazon.
🔪 Recommended Equipment
Sharp chef's knife
Cutting board
Baking sheet
Wooden spoon
Skillet
📝 Instructions Overview
Detailed instructions for making this sweet potato chickpea curry are in the recipe card below, but here's a quick overview!
Step 1 (10 - 15 minutes)
Roast the sweet potatoes. Peel and dice the sweet potatoes. Toss in a little olive oil, and season. Roast until tender. You can do this in the oven, a toaster over or an air fryer. The air fryer is the fastest method.
Prep Tip - Use a Y-shaped potato peeler to peel the sweet potatoes. They're easier to work with, faster, and create (IMO) fewer fingernail injuries. I lean towards OXO products, because I like how they generally fit my hands, but anyone's will do the trick.
Step 2 (11 minutes)
Make the curry broth. Sauté the Serrano chile and red curry paste until aromatic.
Add the tomatoes, coconut milk, cooked chickpeas, sun-dried tomatoes, and bouillon paste. Bring to a simmer, and add the roasted sweet potatoes.
Step 3 (4 minutes)
Sear the halloumi. Sear the halloumi in a skillet, and stir into the curry.
Step 4
Serve. Serve topped with cilantro, mint and a squeeze of lime to sharpen the flavors.
⏰ Tips to Simplify and Save Time
- Cook the chickpeas in advance or purchase frozen cooked chickpeas, if available at your market, or 1 14.5 ounce can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed.
- Make the Balsamic Roasted Tomatoes in advance or use 1 can of Fire-Roasted Tomatoes plus 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar.
- Dice the sweet potatoes into smaller cubes. (This can be done ahead and sealed in a storage container. The smaller the dice, the faster they roast. Or nix the roasting, and add them to the curry with the Serrano chili, and cook them that way.
- While the curry simmers, cube and sear the halloumi. It only needs searing 2 minutes per side.
🤷♀️ Chickpea Curry with Sweet Potatoes FAQ
What meat goes well with this dish for the meat-eaters at the table?
Add slices of linguiça sausage.
How can I make this dish vegan?
Eliminate the halloumi cheese, or replace it with with paneer, which is usually vegetarian.
Can I make this dish ahead?
Yes. The flavors only get better overnight. You may need to add some water when you warm it back up.
🐠 Seafood Curry
I have very few recipes on this blog that aren't vegetarian or vegan, but this one from 2014 has been one of the most pinned posts I've ever created. It's a Coconut Curry Mussels I modeled from one I'd had at a local restaurant that I loved. As note, I do eat fish / seafood when I eat out in restaurants.
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Chickpea Curry with Sweet Potatoes Recipe
Equipment
- baking sheet
- Chef's knife
- Dutch oven or other heavy-bottomed pot
Ingredients
- 2 cups sweet potatoes, peeled and diced into ¾" cubes, about 2 medium - small sweet potatoes
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil divided
- ½ Serrano chile seeded and minced
- 1 tablespoon Thai red curry paste (up to 2 tablespoons, depending on your preferences)
- 14.5 ounce can Fire-roasted diced tomatoes or 1 ½ cups Balsamic Roasted Tomatoes, chopped with juices
- 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar not needed if using Balsamic Roasted Tomatoes
- 13.5 ounce can coconut milk full fat or low fat
- 14.5 ounce can cooked chickpeas or 1 ½ cups
- ¼ cup sliced sun-dried tomatoes
- ½ teaspoon Better Than Bouillon Vegetable Bouillon Paste, (up to 1 teaspoon, depending on your preferences) or 1 bouillon cube, (see notes)
- 4 ounces Halloumi cheese cut into ½" slices
- coarsely chopped cilantro, for garnish
- thinly sliced mint leaves, for garnish
- lime wedges for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425˚F, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Roast the sweet potatoes. Peel and dice the sweet potatoes. Toss in 1 teaspoon olive oil, and lightly season with salt and pepper. Arrange in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet and roast until tender, about 10-15 minutes.The amount of roasting time is dependent on the size of the diced pieces.
- Make the curry broth. Warm the remaining olive oil in a heavy bottomed pot over medium heat. Sauté the Serrano chile and and red curry paste for 1 minute, until aromatic.Add the tomatoes, coconut milk, chickpeas, sun-dried tomatoes, and bouillon paste. Bring to a simmer, and add the roasted sweet potatoes when roasting is complete. Simmer on low for 10 minutes.
- Sear the halloumi. Heat up a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the Halloumi cheese cubes to lightly brown, about 2 minutes per side. Stir the cheese into the curry.
- Serve. Serve topped with cilantro, thinly sliced fresh mint and a squeeze of lime to sharpen the flavors.
Yasuko Margolis
I recently made this while adding this and that. It came out great and it’s becoming our favorite meal!! Sweet potatoes add natural sweetness, flavor, and help making thicken the sauce served over a bed of brown rice or farro. Than-you!
The Wimpy Vegetarian
I so happy you and your family like this so much!! It's a regular dish here too 🙂
Katy
This is the best curry recipe I've ever made! I've made it at least 5 times and never get tired of it. The roasted tomatoes are not to be skipped.
The Wimpy Vegetarian
Thank you so very much! I'm so excited that you like it so much. It's a favorite at our house too <3
Sheila
I have made a triple batch of a close version of this delicious recipe (minus the cheese, subbing out the balsamic tomatoes for the suggested fire roasted diced tomatoes and using low fat coconut milk) for my family at least once a month since I found it last fall. It goes fast around here! This recipe is rich and indulgent, yet still meets our low fat, plant strong diet. It’s our absolute favorite meal right now. I rarely leave reviews, but you deserve our thanks! So, thank you for sharing! We’re (including our 2 year old!) big fans! ♥️🍛😋
The Wimpy Vegetarian
This makes me sooooo happy!! It's truly one of my favorite recipes here on the blog. Thank you so much for letting me know!