Slow Cooker Chickpea & Sweet Potato Curry
Founders
This is the kind of meal that makes a good case for keeping a few simple ingredients in the pantry.
Chickpeas and sweet potatoes slowly cook with tomatoes, coconut milk, garlic, ginger and warm spices until the sauce becomes rich and fragrant. The result is hearty enough for dinner but still feels fresh, especially when finished with lime and fresh cilantro.
It’s naturally meat-free and makes an inexpensive, satisfying meal that works particularly well on a busy weeknight.
Ingredients
For the Curry
- 2 tbsp (30 mL) olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp freshly grated ginger
- 2 tbsp (30 mL) tomato paste
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 2 tsp ground coriander
- 1½ tsp curry powder
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- ½ tsp smoked paprika
- ¼ tsp cayenne pepper, optional
- 2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch (2.5 cm) cubes
- 2 cans (19 oz / 540 mL each) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1 can (28 oz / 796 mL) diced tomatoes, with their juices
- 1 can (14 oz / 400 mL) full-fat coconut milk
- 1 cup (250 mL) vegetable broth
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
To Finish
- 1 tbsp (15 mL) fresh lime juice, plus more to taste
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley, optional
Directions
Build the Flavour Base
Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 4–5 minutes, until softened. Add the garlic and ginger and cook for another minute.
Stir in the tomato paste, cumin, coriander, curry powder, turmeric, smoked paprika and cayenne, if using. Cook for about 1 minute, stirring constantly and taking care not to scorch the spices. This brief cooking step helps wake up the spices and develops the flavour of the tomato paste.
Transfer to the Slow Cooker
Place the sweet potatoes and chickpeas in the slow cooker. Add the spiced onion mixture. Pour in the diced tomatoes and their juices, coconut milk and vegetable broth. Add the salt and black pepper and stir gently to combine.
Slow Cook
Cover and cook on Low for 4–5 hours, or until the sweet potatoes are tender but still holding their shape. Begin checking around the 4-hour mark. Slow cookers vary considerably, and sweet potatoes can go from tender to falling apart surprisingly quickly. Allow more time if they are still firm.
Finish the Curry
Stir in the lime juice. Taste and adjust the seasoning; you may want additional salt, lime juice or a little more cayenne. Stir in the cilantro and optional parsley just before serving.
For a thicker, creamier sauce, gently mash a few pieces of sweet potato and chickpeas against the side of the slow cooker and stir them back into the sauce. If more reduction is needed, transfer a portion of the sauce to a saucepan, simmer gently until concentrated and return it to the curry. This avoids overcooking the sweet potato while waiting for the slow cooker to reduce uncovered.