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If you’re looking for a Sweet Potato Chickpea Curry that is hearty, rich, and bursting with flavor, you have found the one! Plus it’s easy to make and perfect for meal prep. Serve it with fluffy Instant Pot Brown Rice or Vegan Naan for the perfect meal.
If you’re looking for more plant-based curry recipes, you will also love my Sweet Potato Red Lentil Curry, Vegan Tikka Masala, Vegan Butter Chicken (made with oyster mushrooms!).
Quick Look: Sweet Potato Chickpea Curry
- 🔪 Prep Time: 10 minutes
- 🔥 Cook Time: 35 minutes
- 🍽 Total Time: 45 minutes
- 👨👩👧👧 Serving: 4
- 🌱 Calories: 345 calories per serving
- 🫘 Protein: 15 grams per serving
- 🍠 Dietary breakdown: Vegan and vegetarian, gluten-free, and soy-free.
- 😋 Flavor Profile: A hearty curry with a creamy broth. Bold flavor from the warm spices. Slightly spicy.
- ✅ Difficulty: Beginner-friendly vegan recipe with guided by step-by-step photos.
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Love for this Sweet Potato Chickpea Curry ⭐️
When asked how to go vegan the easy way, I almost always recommend folks work in more plant-based meals that you enjoyed before making the switch. Often, people note that curries fit in this category. They are very easily made dairy-free and without animal products, are satiating, and are within a familiar dietary repertoire.
This sweet potato curry is such a recipe. It’s incredibly tasty and a favorite with plant and meat eaters alike. It also doesn’t require any expensive or hard to find faux meat products, specialty foods, or half your paycheck; dispelling the myth that veganism is only for the affluent.
Possibly best of all, it’s ready in beginner-friendly steps, making it an accessible recipe for vegan or vegan-curious cooks of all abilities. Let’s dive in, shall we?!
Hungry for more tasty chickpea recipes? Try my Chickpea & Butternut Squash Tagine, Chickpea Tuna Salad, Spiced Chickpea Soup, and Roasted Chickpeas.
Key Ingredients
Chickpeas: Grab two cans of these beans and drain and rinse them well. If desired, you can also cook dried chickpeas.
Sweet Potatoes: For sweetness, heartiness, and nutrition. You need just 1 medium sweet potato. I recommend Jewel or Garnett sweet potatoes with firm skin that are heavy for their size. Peel it and cut into 1/2-inch cubes.
Aromatics: Yellow onion, minced garlic, and minced ginger add warmth and nuttiness, laying a delicious foundation for the spices. If needed, you can use white onion. I recommend fresh minced garlic and ginger but bottled can substitute in a pinch.
Garam Masala: This fragrant, sweet, and full-bodied spice blend adds signature Indian curry flavor. I recommend using a high-quality brand if possible for the best chickpea and sweet potato curry.
Curry Powder: Made with turmeric base, curry powder gives this dish a earthy base.
Canned Tomatoes: One 14 oz can of diced tomatoes adds a natural, jammy sweetness to the vegan curry. If needed, you can also use 3 diced fresh tomatoes.
Coconut Milk: Adds richness and a creamy finish. I always recommend using full fat milk, though light works if needed.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Ingredient Variations
Adapt this sweet potato curry recipe to your own preferences, making any of the following swaps or additions:
- Carrot: Swap all or part of the sweet potato with sliced carrots (orange or rainbow!) for a less sweet, more vegetal curry.
- Spinach: Stir in 2-3 cups of chopped baby spinach in the last 5 minutes of simmering time to make chickpea spinach curry. *Swiss chard, kale, and collard greens work too.
- Butternut Squash: Celebrate fall by using 2 cups diced and peeled butternut squash instead of sweet potato.
- Other Beans: Kidney beans, navy beans, pinto beans, and other beans are great replacements for chickpeas in this recipe. Make your beans at home, or use canned.
How to Make Sweet Potato Chickpea Curry
- Sauté Aromatics. Heat the oil in a large skillet or pot over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add the onion, garlic, and ginger. Sauté, stirring frequently, for about 4 minutes, until the onions are translucent.
- Add Spices. Add the garam masala, curry powder, and cumin to the pot. Do not stir it right away. Allow the spices to toast with the aromatics for 30 seconds before stirring.
- Cook Tomatoes. Add the diced tomatoes and stir. Cook for 5 minutes, until the tomatoes have softened and lost their shape.
- Add Vegetables. Stir in the chickpeas, coconut milk, sweet potato, salt, and pepper.
- Simmer. Stir the sweet potato and chickpea curry well and bring it to a simmer. Cook with the lid ajar for 20-25 minutes or until the sweet potatoes are tender.
- Season and Serve. Add the lime juice (if using) and season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve the curry hot with brown rice or vegan naan and garnish with fresh cilantro.
Jenné’s Recipe Pro-Tips
Preheat the skillet. Let it come to full heat over a medium flame before adding the aromatics to allow them to express their fragrant flavor.
Don’t stir the spices. It will be tempting to do so, but the spices need to toast unbothered for about 30 seconds before stirring. This allows them to bloom and release their flavor as well. Bonus: your kitchen will smell amazing!
Simmer with the lid ajar. This traps in the moisture, tenderizing the sweet potatoes and chickpeas and making the sauce thick but scoopable. Stir the curry every 5-10 minutes as it simmers; if the sauce looks too thin on the final few stirs, remove the lid to let it thicken.
Make it fancy by garnishing the finished curry with Crispy Chickpeas or Roasted Sweet Potatoes. This adds more flavor and a nice crispy texture to the topping.
Serving Suggestions
Ladle the hot curry into large bowls, garnish it with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice and a sprinkle of chopped cilantro. Make it a complete meal by serving it with any of these sides:
Storage Directions
- Refrigerating: Leftover chickpea sweet potato curry keeps covered in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Freezing: Cool the leftovers to room temperature before transferring them to a freezer-safe container and freezing for up to 3 months. Defrost the curry overnight in the refrigerator, or reheat it on low heat in the microwave or on the stovetop.
- Reheating: Warm the sweet potato coconut curry over low heat on the stovetop or on gentle heat in the microwave, stirring periodically until hot. If needed, add a splash of coconut milk or vegetable broth to reconstitute it.
More Great Curry Recipes
Main Dishes
Thai Pumpkin Curry
Soups & Stews
Curried Parsnip Soup
Main Dishes
Sweet Potato Black-Eyed Pea Curry
Main Dishes
Jamaican Chickpea Curry
I hope you love this Sweet Potato Chickpea Curry recipe as much as I do. If you enjoyed it or any of the other recipes on this blog, please leave a 5 star rating and review!
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Sweet Potato Chickpea Curry
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Ingredients
- 1 tbsp avocado oil, or extra virgin olive oil
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 ½ tbsp minced fresh ginger, about 1-inch piece, minced
- 1 tbsp garam masala
- 2 tsp curry powder
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 14 oz can diced tomatoes, or 14-ounces of fresh tomatoes, diced
- 3 ½ cups cooked chickpeas, from 2, 14 oz drained and rinsed cans
- 1 14 oz can coconut milk
- 1 medium sweet potato, peeled and cubed (½-inch cubes)
- 2 tsp sea salt, plus more to taste
- 1 tsp fresh black pepper, plus more to taste
- 2 tbsp fresh lime juice, optional
- ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro, for serving
- brown rice, for serving. Or vegan naan
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large skillet or pot over medium heat.
- Once the oil is hot, add the onion, garlic, and ginger. Sauté, stirring frequently, for about 4 minutes, until the onions are translucent.
- Add the garam masala, curry powder, and cumin to the pot. Do not stir it right away. Allow the spices to toast with the aromatics for 30 seconds before stirring.
- Add the diced tomatoes and stir. Cook for 5 minutes, until the tomatoes have softened and lost their shape.
- Add the chickpeas, coconut milk, sweet potato, salt, and pepper.
- Stir well and bring the curry to a simmer. Cook with the lid ajar for 20-25 minutes or until the sweet potatoes are tender.
- Add the lime juice (if using) and season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Serve the curry hot with brown rice or vegan naan and garnish with fresh cilantro.
Notes
- Refrigerating: Leftover chickpea sweet potato curry keeps covered in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Freezing: Cool the leftovers to room temperature before transferring them to a freezer-safe container and freezing for up to 3 months. Defrost the curry overnight in the refrigerator, or reheat it on low heat in the microwave or on the stovetop.
- Reheating: Warm the sweet potato coconut curry over low heat on the stovetop or on gentle heat in the microwave, stirring periodically until hot. If needed, add a splash of coconut milk or vegetable broth to reconstitute it.
- Preheat the skillet. Let it come to full heat over a medium flame before adding the aromatics to allow them to express their fragrant flavor.
- Don’t stir the spices. It will be tempting to do so, but the spices must be toasted unbothered for about 30 seconds. This allows them to bloom and release their flavor as well. Bonus: your kitchen will smell amazing!
- Simmer covered. This traps in the moisture, tenderizing the sweet potatoes and chickpeas and making the sauce thick but scoopable. Stir the curry every 5-10 minutes as it simmers; if the sauce looks too thin on the final few stirs, remove the lid to let it thicken.
I already love the Black Eyed Pea Curry recipe so I was excited to try a simpler and potentially faster to make version. I coupled this with
*cut myself off 😅. I already love the Black Eyed Pea Curry recipe so I was excited to try a simpler and potentially faster to make version. I coupled this with the instant pot brown rice recipe and it all came together seamlessly and deliciously. I love something I can whip up even when I am hangry, and I look forward to exploring new customizations.
This flavor-filled chickpea curry is a new favorite and is so easy to make. The added serving suggestions, thank you, will help my meal planning ideas next time!
The sweet potato chick pea curry was easy and delicious. I will definitely keep it in rotation to make again soon.
This chickpea curry was so easy to make and very delicious. So much flavor for so little effort!
I used white sweet potatoes. The spices in the curry came out perfect! This is a comforting type of meal, for sure. I served mine over brown rice
Don’t let the 3-star be a downer, it’s just that while curry is one of my favorite foods to smell but not so much to eat. Darn! My body isn’t a fan of chickpeas, though I like the taste; still, I stuck with them for the recipe rather than substitute another bean. I added 5 oz baby spinach because any opportunity to get greens in is one I take. Another substitution: in place of coconut milk – not good for high cholesterol – I blended a 14 oz block of organic silken tofu (squeeze water out) + 3/4 C plain organic soy milk + 3-4 drops coconut extract. During cooking, because it started to thicken a bit much, I added 1/2-3/4 C additional water. Worked well, added protein, and reduced the saturated fat. Served this with a side of the Braised Jamaican Cabbage which was delicious! And, slices of Sharon Fruit, a nice mild sweetness and crunch, perfect with spicy curry.
I used white sweet potatoes. The spices in the curry came out perfect! This is a comforting type of meal, for sure. I served mine over brown rice.
Great flavors and easy recipe. It’s perfect for those nights when you want to make something yummy and healthy, and you also don’t want to spend a bunch of time in the kitchen. I used frozen, cubed sweet potatoes to make this even simpler. This one is in the rotation. 😊
I used chickpeas and kidney beans and everyone enjoyed it!
So flavorful and delicious! I cooked mine a little too long but I know better for next time. So happy this recipe also led me to a fabulous Indian market in my city and having Garam masala in my cabinet now is a real win win!