Purple Yam Curry
Serves 4
Ingredients
2 tbsp coconut oil, ghee, or butter
1/2 of a medium onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 inch piece fresh ginger, or 1 tbsp dried ginger*
1 tbsp curry powder
2 tsp turmeric
2 tsp coriander
1 1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp cardamom
1/2 tsp Indian red chilli powder* or cayenne
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
2 cups vegetable stock*
1/2 cup split red lentils
2 1/2 cups purple yam*, diced into bite-size pieces
1 can full-fat coconut milk
1/4 cup cilantro, minced, plus more for garnishing
2 tbsp peanuts*, finely chopped
juice of 1 lime, or about 2 tbsp*
Instructions
If preferred, start by mixing all of the dry spices in a small bowl for quicker use later.
Heat coconut oil in a large skillet or sauce pan. Add the diced onions, and sauté over medium heat until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the minced garlic and fresh grated ginger and sauté 1 minute, stirring often to prevent the garlic from burning. Add the spices and sauté 30 seconds until fragrant. This is called blooming the spices, and will help enrich their flavors.
Pour in the vegetable stock and scrape any bits off the bottom of the pan. Stir in the split red lentils and purple yam. Bring to a boil, and then reduce the heat to maintain a simmer. Cover the pot with a lid and allow to simmer for 15 minutes, until the lentils are creamy and tender, and the yams are fork-tender.
Add the coconut milk, cilantro, and peanuts and allow to heat through, about 1-2 minutes. Turn off the heat and stir in lime juice. Serve with naan, or over rice.
Notes:
*If using dried ginger add later when you add the rest of the dried spices, as opposed to when the fresh garlic is added. Also, if you’re new to using fresh ginger, but are using it in this recipe, grate it on a microplane.
*Indian red chilli powder has a unique taste and is spicy, unlike the chili powders commonly found in grocery stores. You can find it at Indian markets or online. However, if you do not have it or do not like spicy food, you may omit it if you prefer a mild curry, or substitute 1/8-1/4 tsp cayenne pepper for spice.
*You may use chicken stock if not vegan.
*I save time by buying my purple yams chopped and frozen from my local Indian market. Fresh purple yams or sweet potatoes or orange sweet potatoes will work just the same. So if you cannot find purple yams, simply use whatever sweet potatoes or yams you can find.
*Lemon juice is a wonderful substitution for lime if you only have lemons on hand.
*If you cannot use peanuts due to an allergy, then roasted, salted almonds, cashews, or pistachios will also pair nicely with this curry. And if you are nut-free I suggest stirring in 2 tbsp sun butter, or simply omit the peanuts.