Easy Thai Inspired Sweet Potato Curry
This Thai inspired Sweet Potato Curry is an easy weeknight recipe that is ideal for a meatless dinner option. It’s not incredibly spicy so it’s still great for kids but it is packed with lots of flavor that everyone will enjoy.
I got to preview a copy of The Meatless Monday Family Cookbook by Jenn Sebestyen of Veggieinspired.com which was perfect timing since my husband has asked me to do more meatless meals. Considering he is usually my biggest opponent to doing anything meatless I figured I should go for it.
Table of contents
We’ve made 5 or 6 recipes out of the book already and they have all been happily gobbled up by my family. Well, except for the 3 year old who is refusing to eat everything except for yogurt. #lifewithapreschooler
One part of the book I love is Jenn’s Getting The Kids Involved section. She has tips to help family’s successfully incorporate meatless meals into your routine. I know that kids can sometimes be our biggest complainers about the dreaded fruits and veggies but she has some really fun ways to include them without it being boring.
I’ve found when trying new recipes out like this that my kids are much more willing if they see other food on the table that they will eat. Sometimes even having a slice of bread can also make children more agreeable. For kids it’s often just about having options.
My kids adore this Mango and Mandarin Orange salad (you can serve it without the meat) and Honey Lime Fruit Salad which would also pair nicely with this. Having a “fancy” drink like Mango Herbal Iced Tea or Passion Fruit Lemonade can make the whole meal seem more fun without a lot of extra effort.
If you would like more ideas that might help, see my guide to helping kids become world explorers for more tips.
Ingredients you need to make this Thai Sweet Potato Curry:
- coconut oil
- yellow onion
- garlic
- Thai red curry paste
- sweet potatoes
- diced tomatoes
- vegetable broth
- salt
- pepper
- smooth peanut butter
- coconut milk
- cilantro
- lime
- jasmine rice
- peanuts
Substitutions:
I swapped out the coconut oil for extra virgin olive oil because I hadn’t found coconut oil yet at our local store here in Rotterdam.
You also can swap out the jasmine rice for any rice of your choosing. We use Basmati because that is what is available.
How to make it:
- Cook the onion in a large skillet over medium heat.
- Add garlic and red curry paste and stir until fully mixed in with the onions.
- Then, add the sweet potatoes, tomatoes, vegetable broth, half the salt, and pepper. Cook over high until mixture begins to boil, then reduce heat to medium low. Simmer for 30 to 35 minutes or until sweet potatoes are fork tender.
- Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together the peanut butter, coconut milk, and remaining salt. Pour into the skillet with the sweet potatoes and stir to combine.
- Remove from heat and add cilantro and lime juice. Serve with cooked rice and topped with chopped peanuts.
Tips and tricks:
- Have all of your curry ingredients ready to go before cooking, especially the ingredients that come after the garlic and curry paste. Garlic goes bitter if it burns and there isn’t much cooking time involved before you add the other ingredients
- Add just a little bit of the coconut milk to the peanut butter first to make it easier to combine the two. Adding a little bit first helps to loosen up the peanut butter and then you can add the rest of the coconut milk in.
Ways to get the kids involved:
- Have them help you get all of the ingredients prepped and lined up in the order they are needed. This is especially good task for beginning and intermediate readers.
- Kids can also help to:
- peel the potatoes
- dice the onion
- chop the cilantro (kid safe scissors are handy for younger children)
- mince the garlic (a garlic mincer is handy for kids)
- juice the lime
- combine the coconut milk and peanut butter
- Stirring, pouring, and garnishing are always good tasks for kids to do
Get more ideas on how kids can help with cooking and for an age appropriate break down of tasks
Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 Tablespoons coconut oil (23 grams)
- 1 yellow onion diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 3-4 Tablespoons Thai red curry paste 45-60 grams
- 3 cups sweet potatoes peeled and diced (400 grams or approximately 2)
- 1 15 ounce can diced tomatoes (425 grams)
- 1 cup low sodium vegetable broth 235 ml
- 2 teaspoons salt divided
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 cup smooth natural peanut butter 65 grams
- 1/2 cup lite coconut milk 120 ml
- 2 Tablespoons chopped cilantro 2 grams
- Juice of 1 lime
- 3 cups cooked Jasmine rice (474 grams) or rice of your choice
- 1/4 cup chopped peanuts 36 grams, for garnish
Instructions
- Heat the coconut oil in a pot or large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and saute for 5 to 6 minutes until soft and translucent.
- Add the garlic and red curry paste and stir until fully incorporated with the onions. Add the sweet potatoes, tomatoes, vegetable broth, 1 teaspoon of the salt, and pepper.
- Increase the heat to high and bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to medium-low. Simmer for 30 to 35 minutes until the sweet potatoes are fork tender.
- In a small cup or bowl, whisk together the peanut butter, coconut milk, and remaining 1 teaspoon of salt. Pour into the skillet with the sweet potatoes and stir to combine.
- Remove from the heat. Add the cilantro and lime juice. Serve with the cooked rice and garnish with the chopped peanuts.
Notes
- Have all of your curry ingredients ready to go before cooking, especially the ingredients that come after the garlic and curry paste. Garlic goes bitter if it burns and there isn’t much cooking time involved before you add the other ingredients
- Add just a little bit of the coconut milk to the peanut butter first to make it easier to combine the two. Adding a little bit first helps to loosen up the peanut butter and then you can add the rest of the coconut milk in.
