Sweet Potato Lentil Curry
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 medium brown onion, diced
- 1 tbsp fresh ginger, microplaned
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1-3 tbsp Thai curry paste
- 2 tbsp tahini
- 1 cup lentils, sorted and rinsed
- 4 cups vegetable broth or water
- 2 large sweet potatoes (about 4 cups), peeled and cut into 3/4" cubes
- 15 oz canned coconut milk
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 3 oz baby spinach (may use chard or kale ribbons), about 3 cups
- 2 tbsp lime juice
Preparation
Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat and cook the onion until softened, about 2-3 minutes.
Add the ginger, garlic, curry paste, and tahini, stirring to coat the onions and cooking for a minute.
Stir in the broth and lentils, bring to a gentle simmer uncovered, and stir occasionally until the lentils are tender, about 15 minutes. If using red split lentils, add the sweet potatoes now with the lentils; otherwise, add them later to avoid overcooking.
After 15 minutes, if sweet potatoes were not added earlier, stir them in along with the coconut milk and soy sauce, and simmer for another 20 minutes or until the lentils and sweet potatoes are tender.
Stir in the spinach and lime juice.
Serve over hot rice or rice noodles if desired, and garnish with cilantro, toasted sesame seeds, and lime wedges if desired.
Notes
If sensitive to heat, start with one tablespoon of Thai curry paste. After cooking the sweet potatoes and lentils, taste and add more curry paste as desired, whisking it into a few tablespoons of hot water before adding to the pot.
Any variety of lentil works. Red lentils cook in the same time as sweet potatoes and create a thicker curry. French lentils hold shape better and need 20 minutes more cooking than sweet potatoes. Green or brown lentils also require extra 20 minutes and fall apart more than French lentils.
