Description
A flavorful and hearty Chicken Sweet Potato Curry featuring tender chicken thighs simmered with aromatic spices, sweet potatoes, coconut milk, and fresh spinach, perfect for a comforting weeknight meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil or avocado oil
- 1 red or yellow onion, diced
- 1 serrano pepper or jalapeño pepper, finely diced
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1.5 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite-size pieces
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated or minced
- 2 – 3 tablespoons curry powder
- 1/2 teaspoon Indian red chili powder or regular chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon garam masala (optional)
- 1 (14.5 oz) can crushed tomatoes or half of 1 (28-ounce) can
- 1 1/2 pounds (about 2 medium) sweet potatoes, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 can (13.5 oz / 400 ml) full-fat unsweetened coconut milk
- 3 cups (45g) baby spinach, roughly chopped
- 1 – 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1/4 cup chopped cilantro, plus more for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Heat Oil and Sauté Aromatics: Heat the coconut or avocado oil in a large sauté pan with a lid over medium-high heat. Add the diced onion, finely diced serrano or jalapeño pepper, and salt. Sauté until the onion begins to soften, about 2 minutes.
- Cook Chicken: Add the bite-sized chicken thigh pieces to the pan in an even layer. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the chicken browns slightly in spots.
- Add Spices and Garlic: Stir in minced garlic, grated ginger, curry powder, chili powder, cumin, turmeric, black pepper, and garam masala if using. Cook while stirring constantly until the chicken is evenly coated with the spices, about 1 minute.
- Add Tomatoes: Pour in the crushed tomatoes and stir to combine everything evenly.
- Incorporate Sweet Potatoes and Coconut Milk: Add sweet potato pieces and the full can of coconut milk, scraping up any brown bits stuck to the pan. Bring the mixture to a gentle boil.
- Simmer the Curry: Reduce the heat to low to create a gentle simmer. Cover the pan with a lid and cook for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Season and Add Spinach: Taste the curry and adjust salt and pepper as needed. Add the chopped spinach, cover the pan again, and cook until the spinach wilts and sweet potatoes are fork-tender, about 5 minutes more.
- Finish and Serve: Turn off the heat. Drizzle lemon juice over the curry and stir in chopped cilantro. Serve hot over rice or with flatbread, garnished with additional cilantro if desired.
Notes
- Serrano Pepper Heat Level: Keep seeds and membranes for moderate heat or remove them for milder curry. Add a second pepper for extra heat.
- Curry Powder Strength: If using older or mild curry powder, increase to 3 tablespoons for stronger flavor.
- Coconut Milk Quantity: You may add up to one additional cup of coconut milk if you prefer more sauce.
- Slow Cooker Variation: Omit coconut oil and leave chicken thighs whole. Combine all ingredients except spinach, cilantro, and lemon juice in the slow cooker. Cook on Low for 7-8 hours or High for 4 hours. Chop chicken before serving. Stir in spinach, cilantro, and lemon juice 5 minutes before serving.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving (approximately 1/5 of recipe)
- Calories: 390 kcal
- Sugar: 7 g
- Sodium: 550 mg
- Fat: 22 g
- Saturated Fat: 15 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 24 g
- Fiber: 5 g
- Protein: 28 g
- Cholesterol: 95 mg
