Slow Cooker Sri Lankan Inspired Sweet Potato & Chickpea Curry
- 3 garlic cloves fat ones!
- 1 1/2 cups shallots Banana
- 6 1/4 tablespoons green chilli we used a Serrano
- 1 cup fresh ginger root
- 1 1/3 cups red bell pepper
- 1 stalk lemongrass
- 1 lime
- 2 1/4 pounds sweet potato
- 2 1/3 cups chickpeas Cooked
- cooking oil Low-Fat
- 1 gram fenugreek leaves Dried
- 3 tablespoons spice blend Sri Lankan
- ground black pepper
- 2 9/16 cups vegetable stock low-salt/GF if required
- 1 can reduced fat coconut milk
- 1 cup frozen spinach
- brown basmati rice 60-65g/Person. *optional
- Peel and dice the garlic and shallots. Wash the chilli, remove the stem, deseed (if you prefer meals with less heat!) and then finely chop it. Wash, peel and then dice the ginger. Wash, remove the stem and core and then chop the bell pepper into 1/2 cm pieces.
- Wash the lemongrass, trim off the ends, peel away tough/ dried-out outer layer (and discard), bash the woody exterior with a rolling pin to soften and then finely chop it. (Tip: Bashing or firmly pressing the lemongrass will help release some of its aromatic oils). Wash the lime, grate the zest (do not juice it just yet like we have shown here, you'll do this later on!).
- Wash the sweet potatoes, peel and then chop into approx. 1" pieces (we kept ours chunky!)
- Heat a non-stick frying pan over a medium-low heat. Spray it with some low-fat cooking oil. Add the garlic, shallot, chilli, ginger, bell pepper and lemongrass. Stir together. Gently fry for 2-3 mins or until softened. Add the sweet potato. Spray a little more cooking oil. Stir together. Gently fry for 3 mins. Add the lime zest, 1g fenugreek leaves and 6-8g Sri Lankan spice blend. Add a few grinds of black pepper. Stir together. Gently fry for 30 seconds or until fragrant. Remove from the heat.
- In the meantime, prepare your stock according to the packet instructions.
- . Transfer the vegetable mixture into a slow cooker. Add the chickpeas and coconut milk. Stir together. Pour in the boiling hot stock. Stir together. Cover with a lid. Set to cook for 7-8 hrs over a low heat setting or over a high setting for 2-3.
- Slightly defrost the spinach, chop it into smaller 'chunks'. Add it to the slow cooker 30 mins before the end of cooking. (Tip: If you're using fresh leaves, roughly chop and then stir them through the curry once it has finished cooking. Let it stand (covered) for about 5 mins to allow the leaves to slightly wilt.)
- Prepare the rice according to the packet instructions (if applicable).
- Juice the lime. Stir the juice through the curry just before serving.
- Spoon the rice into large serving bowls (If applicable). Ladle over the curry. Garnish with a wedge of lime, a small dollop of sweet & sour lime pickle or some fresh coriander leaves. Enjoy!
garlic, shallots banana, green chilli, fresh ginger root, red bell pepper, stalk lemongrass, lime, sweet potato, chickpeas cooked, cooking oil, ground black pepper, vegetable stock, coconut milk, frozen spinach, brown basmati rice
Taken from www.yummly.com/recipe/Slow-Cooker-Sri-Lankan-Inspired-Sweet-Potato-_-Chickpea-Curry-1518760 (may not work)