Creamy Peanut Butter Sweet Potato Curry

Name: Creamy Peanut Butter Sweet Potato Curry
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 45 min
Ingredients: 2 teaspoons ground coriander; 2 teaspoons ground cumin; 1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt; 1 teaspoon ground turmeric; 1 teaspoon paprika; fresh black pepper; 1 onion (chopped); 4 cloves garlic (minced); 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger; 1 red chili (optional, minced); 2 tablespoons tomato paste; 1 large sweet potato (1 1b., about 3 -4 cups chopped); 15 ounces full fat coconut milk; 15 ounces chopped tomatoes; 2 cups chopped vegetables (bell pepper, green beans, carrot, etc.); 1/4 cup natural peanut butter; Garnish: more salt and pepper, fresh lemon juice, cilantro, chili flakes, etc.

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Made with lots of pantry staples including rich coconut milk and flavorful peanut butter, this Creamy Sweet Potato Peanut Butter Curry will please vegetarians and omnivores alike!

A close up of vibrant orange peanut butter sweet potato curry in a black and blue bowl paired with white rice and green cilantro on top.

Since we've been living in Asia for over 5 years now, curry has become a staple in our diet. Even before moving to Asia, I started experimenting with recipes such as Vegan Massaman Curry, because I found curries so easy to make completely vegan. We also love curry noodle dishes like this One Pot Vegan Curry Ramen recipe which only takes 20 minutes! Basically, we eat curry in lots of different ways all throughout the week and when you pair curry with some coconut rice or homemade chapati, you'll have a delicious, well-balanced meal!

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Why You'll Love This Recipe!
Ingredients
Substitutions & Variations
How to Make Peanut Butter Sweet Potato Curry
Expert Tips
Recipe FAQs
More Vegan Curry Recipes
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Why You'll Love This Recipe!

This peanut butter sweet potato curry recipe requires just one-pot meaning you'll be left with very little clean up.
You'll be making your own spice mix using very common spices that I'm sure you already have in your pantry. Who knew common spices could make a super flavorful curry?!
Curry always tastes better the longer it sits in the fridge, meaning your leftovers will taste better as the week goes on.
If you love peanut butter, then you'll love this curry! While there isn't much peanut butter in this recipe, it still adds lots of creaminess and depth of flavor.
Even meat eaters will love this recipe! My non-vegan friends still make this recipe and send me pictures every time they make it.

Ingredients

Spiced, veggies, chopped tomatoes, peanut butter, sweet potatoes and coconut milk measured out into bowls on a table with labels overtop.

Spices - If making curry intimidates you because of the spices you have to use, then this sweet potato peanut butter curry is for you! For this recipe, you'll be making your own spice mix using commonly used spices such as cumin, paprika, coriander and turmeric. Once you make this spice mix, you'll want to add it to everything!
Coconut Milk - I love using full-fat coconut milk for extra creaminess.
Peanut Butter - You'll want to use a natural, runny peanut butter which doesn't have any sweeteners added. I often use my homemade peanut butter and it works great!
Sweet Potatoes - You'll need one large or two medium sweet potatoes. You can peel them if you want, but I usually leave the skin on.
Tomato Paste - I love buying my tomato paste in a tub. It lasts for ages in the fridge and is perfect for recipes like this which only call for 1 or 2 tablespoons worth.
Veggies - You can really use whatever veggies you want. Oftentimes I'll use veggies that are orange, yellow or red, such as bell peppers and carrots, but use whatever you have on hand. You'll need about 2 cups worth.
Ginger & Garlic - If you don't have fresh, use ground!
Lemon/Limes - I always like to add some kind of acid to my curries at the end of cooking. So once this curry is ready to serve, I'll squeeze in some lemon or lime juice to add some freshness and to bring out the flavors better.

See recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.

Substitutions & Variations

Peanut Butter - If you or a friend has a peanut allergy, you can just omit the peanut butter or use almond butter.
Sweet Potatoes - My daughter hates sweet potatoes (I don't get it!) so sometimes I'll just use white potatoes in this recipe. It gets her to try the sauce and experience a new flavor.
Coconut Milk - Feel free to use lite coconut milk in this recipe. However, I find lite coconut milk to taste different than full fat and it's obviously less creamy. Sometimes I'll use a small box of coconut cream and just add water to get about 1 cans worth of coconut milk.

How to Make Peanut Butter Sweet Potato Curry

A blend of orange and brown spices in a small white bowl.

Step 1: In a small bowl, whisk together the spice mix ingredients. Set aside.

Onions, garlic and ginger sautéing in a large white dutch oven.

Step 2: In a large pot over medium heat, sauté the onion, garlic, grated ginger and chili in some water until soft, adding more water as necessary.

Red and brown spices coating onions and garlic in a large white pot with a wooden spoon inside.

Step 3: Add in the spice mix and tomato paste, stir everything together and sauté until fragrant, about 2-3 minutes.

Chopped sweet potatoes coated in a red and brown spice mixture in a large white pot being stirred with a wooden spoon.

Step 4: Add in the chopped sweet potato and stir everything together until the sweet potato is coated in the spice mixture.

Coconut milk and chopped tomatoes coating a sweet potatoes in a large white pot.

Step 5: Pour in the coconut milk and chopped tomatoes and bring everything to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and allow the sweet potatoes to cook for about 10 minutes.

Sliced carrots and red bell pepper being stirred with a wooden spoon into an orange curry sauce in a white pot.

Step 6: After 10 minutes, add in the chopped vegetables and allow everything to simmer for another 10-20 minutes or until the sweet potatoes are fork tender and the curry is nice and thick. Make sure to stir the curry occasionally as it simmers.

A backlit photo of peanut butter drizzled into a pot of peanut butter sweet potato curry.

Step 7: Towards the end of cooking, stir in the natural peanut butter.

A silver ladle spooning some orange curry over white rice in a black and blue bowl.

Step 8: Serve with steamed rice, fresh lemon or lime juice, cilantro and chili flakes!

An overhead shot of peanut butter sweet potato curry with white rice topped with cilantro and red pepper flakes.

Expert Tips

I love adding fresh lemon or lime juice to my curries as they add a lot of flavor and freshness, so you can either add it in yourself to the whole pot or serve each dish with a wedge of lemon or lime.
If you are able to, make this curry a day before you want to serve it. The longer this curry sits in the fridge the more flavorful it becomes.

Recipe FAQs

What defines a curry?

Curry is a dish usually associated with South Asia which consists of a flavorful sauce seasoned with lots of spices. Many countries have their own versions of curry.

What is curry powder made of?

You may be confused at the fact that there is no curry powder used in this curry recipe. Curry powder is actually a blend of a few different spices, including turmeric, coriander, cumin, ginger, etc. So while I didn't use any curry powder in this recipe, I did use all the components of curry powder. The result was the most aromatic curry I've ever made!

Is curry spicy?

Depending on which curry you order, it can be either mild or seriously spicy, depending on the amount or type of pepper used. Oftentimes curries are made with a curry paste containing ground up peppers or chilis, so it's impossible to make it mild.

How do you eat curry?

We love to eat curry with steamed white or brown rice, coconut rice, Homemade Indian Flatbread or vegan naan. Adding fresh cilantro or citrus juice on top also enhances the flavor.

Which color curry is the best?

It really depends on your preference! Green curry is often considered to be the most popular and it never fails to satisfy me! However, green curry is made with green chilis so it's pretty spicy.

How should I store leftover curry?

Curry tastes better the longer it sits in the fridge, so definitely don't throw your leftovers away! Simply place leftover curry in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.

More Vegan Curry Recipes

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