Coconut curries have always been popular with vegans, especially back in the teens when veganism first started catching on. For awhile it seemed like almost every recipe was coconut milk, yellow curry powder, and one or two random veggies.

This hearty curry, full of fall flavors, is a little different.

Instead of the usual vegetable suspects (typically cauliflower and peas) it has hearty winter vegetables. Here, I used chickpeas, sweet potatoes, and spinach. But you could also sub red beans for the chickpeas, butternut squash for the sweet potatoes, and chopped kale for the spinach.

And instead of yellow curry powder (so 2010), I used garam masala, an Indian spice blend full of warming spices such as cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, black peppercorns, nutmeg, and mace.

Served over rice, this is a very comforting and filling meal – perfect for chilly Autumn or Winter nights!

Best of all, it’s easy and you can usually throw it quickly together with items already lurking in your pantry.

Ingredients For Cold Weather Chickpea, Spinach, and Sweet Potato Curry (Vegan)

4-6 Servings / Approximately 35 minutes, mostly hands-off simmering

• Splash Vegetable Oil
• 1 Medium Onion, diced
• 4 Large Cloves Garlic, minced or pressed
• 1 Tablespoon Minced Fresh Ginger (approx.)
• 1 Teaspoon Cumin
• 1/2 Teaspoon Turmeric
• 1 Small Can (14-16 oz.) Chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1 Small Can (14–16 oz.) Diced Tomatoes, lightly drained (preferably with peppers, like Rotel)
• 1 Small Can (14-16 oz.) Light Coconut Milk
• 2 Medium Sweet Potatoes, cubed
• Approx. 8 ounces of thawed, chopped, frozen spinach (half of a 1-lb bag) or 1 6 oz. bag fresh baby spinach
• 1 Tablespoon Garam Masala
• 1/2 Teaspoon Salt, or to taste

Directions for Cold Weather Chickpea, Spinach, and Sweet Potato Curry (Vegan)

Remove the frozen spinach from the freezer to thaw.

Prep the sweet potatoes. Microwave for about 2 minutes or until they’re halfway done. Peel and cut the potatoes into bite sized chunks.

In a large skillet, heat the vegetable oil.

Add the onions and sauté for 5 minutes.

Add the garlic and ginger and sauté another 2-3 minutes, watching closely and stirring with a spatula as needed so the garlic and ginger doesn’t burn.

Add the turmeric and cumin and stir to coat the onion mixture with the spices.

Add chickpeas, tomatoes, coconut milk, sweet potatoes, and spinach. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer. Cook 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add the garam masala and salt. Stir and simmer another 10 minutes.

The curry is done when the potatoes are soft and the coconut sauce has thickened. (If the sauce is too runny, simply cook for another few minutes.)

Serve over rice.

Notes:

I prefer using chopped frozen spinach because (1) I usually have some in the freezer (2) it’s less expensive than fresh, and (3) it doesn’t “shrink,” which means you get a nice thick curry or soup. An easy way to get your greens! Fresh spinach looks pretty with its bright green color, but cooks down to almost nothing in the skillet. If you decide to use fresh spinach, use an entire 5 or 6 oz. bag and add towards the end, when you add your garam masala.

The great thing about curries is that they are very flexible, so you don’t have to worry about being super-precise. A little more or a little less sweet potato, onion, garlic, or ginger won’t make a noticeable difference.

The reason I advise microwaving the sweet potatoes till they are half done is to drastically cut down on cooking time. Sweet potatoes can sometimes take a very long time to cook. If you use raw sweet potatoes, expect another 15 minutes of cooking time.

For a small but significant change, reduce the garlic by half and double the ginger.

Yes, you add Garam Masala towards the end – not at the beginning with the cumin and turmeric. It is a finishing spice blend, and when you add it in the cooking progress really does make a difference.