Cooking isn’t everyone’s favorite thing to do, and that’s fine. You don’t have to master cooking from scratch. But cooking sometimes, or often, is financially necessary for most people. This sweet potato and spinach coconut curry comes together in 20 minutes and takes almost zero skill. But hey – if you have money to spare and you want to spend it one take-out every night, great. Do that. You can totally throw together a pretty nutritious diet without ever cooking.
But if you’re like most of the population, you do actually need to eat at home sometimes. I explored how to build a healthy relationship with cooking in a newsletter recently. Check it out if you’re confused about why you hate cooking.
I love a pantry meal. Curry is great because it’s easy. I can basically always make it in a pinch with random vegetables that have nowhere to go. Curry paste and coconut milk are canned, so – great.
Rice, potato, and/or noodle, check.
I buy zucchini basically every time I go to the store because it’s so versatile. But almost any vegetable would work, frozen too. Expect maybe…. beets. That would be weird.
Sweet Potato and Spinach Coconut Curry
- small saucepan for rice
- heavy bottomed pot for curry
- ¼ cup curry paste (basically one can)
- 1 can coconut milk
- A couple different vegetables – zucchini, mushrooms, eggplant, green beans, potatoes, sweet potatoes, and onions all work well.
- 1 small package boneless skinless chicken thighs or breasts, chopped into bite sized pieces. If using thighs, you could leave them whole. OR a package of extra firm tofu
- Lime juice
- Cilantro
- Fish sauce
- Use a medium to large heavy-bottomed pot and turn heat to medium-high. Open coconut milk (without shaking!) and use a spoon to scoop off the top 1/3 of the can. You will notice the top of the can is creme and the bottom is broth. You only want the crème for now. If this doesn’t happen, don’t freak out. Just add some neutral oil like grapeseed, canola, or coconut.
- Stir-fry the coconut creme and curry paste for a few minutes until very fragrant.
- Add chicken and onion and stir-fry a few minutes more.
- Then add remaining coconut milk and any potatoes if you’re using them. Cook for about 5 minutes and then add remaining vegetables.
- If it looks like you need more liquid, you can add a cup of water or broth. Simmer until vegetables are soft to your liking (about 20 minutes, taste and decide on doneness. The chicken should be cooked all the way after 20 minutes total).
- Serve with rice or rice noodles. Top with a squeeze of fresh lime juice, chopped cilantro, and fish sauce.
*You can leave those last 2 ingredients out if you don’t have them.
If you’re new to curry and you make this, do comment below and tell me how it went. I am a curry pusher and just get so much satisfaction from people trying it. I hope you enjoy this sweet potato and spinach coconut curry, perfect for a weeknight with leftovers for lunch.
And if you feel like exploring more of what you can do with curry, here are a few of my favorite recipes out there:
- Instant Pot cauliflower curry
- Homemade yellow curry paste (a little labor intensive, but SO YUMMY. You make a big batch and freeze the rest for later)
- Green shrimp curry (this combo of shrimp and green curry paste is great)
And if you’re ready to explore and heal your relationship with food, come join one of my coaching programs. I have a 6-month individual nutrition therapy program, called Heal & Nourish, and a small group program, The Love Food Again Program, where you and a small group of badass women unpack the complication of living in diet culture and learn to be intuitive eaters together. It’s the best.
About Emily
Emily Van Eck, MS, RDN specializes in Intuitive Eating, eating disorders, body image, women’s reproductive health, and healing from years of weight-bias and disordered eating. She helps people find balance, consistency, and peace with their eating habits so they can feel confident to get outta their heads and into their bodies. Emily is a registered dietitian and certified Intuitive Eating counselor with a master’s degree in nutrition science. Read more about her practice, values, and experience here.
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