Sweet Potato Peanut Curry with Red Lentils

This Sweet Potato Peanut Curry with Red Lentils is packed with vegan nutrition - vitamin A, protein, fibre and healthy fats to name a few!

With the cooler weather rearing it's (quite ugly and damp) head, it's time to start thinking about stick-to-your-ribs comfort food. Around here, that means breaking out the big Dutch oven and making a big pot of flavourful stew. Of course, with my mom around, curry is almost a no-brainer when it comes to the type of stew! This pot was inspired from a dish I saw on TV (can't remember the show, sorry!) using sweet potatoes and tomato juice with regular lentils. However, my mom likes peanut butter with anything spicy, so I added a dose to the pot and used fresh tomatoes, celery and home-grown Egyptian onion to bulk it up some more. The resulting mixture is spicy, but not hot, with a light earthy sweetness from the sweet potatoes and a natural creaminess from the red lentils. A squeeze of lime at the very end livens up all the flavours and makes it a perfect meal to warm you up when it's anything but outside.

Sweet Potato Peanut Curry with Red Lentils
Serves 8

1 tbsp coconut oil
1 tsp toasted sesame oil
5 stalks celery, diced
1/2 cup finely diced spring onion (I used Egyptian onion)
2 Tbsp grated fresh ginger
1 clove crushed garlic
2 tsp cumin
2 tsp turmeric
2 tbsp paprika
1/2 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
5 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and roughly chopped
1 cup red lentils, rinsed
1 ½ litres (6 cups) no salt vegetable stock
2 tomatoes, diced
1/2 cup smooth regular peanut butter
½ cup salted peanuts, roasted
1 lime, optional

1. In a large heavy based pot melt the coconut and sesame oils together.
2. Add the celery and spring onion and cook 5 minutes, until celery has softened.
3. Add the garlic and ginger and cook for one minute.
4. Add the cumin, turmeric, paprika, garam masala and cayenne and cook for another minute, until fragrant.
5. Add the sweet potato and stir well to coat.
6. Add the lentils, stock and tomatoes and bring to the boil. Turn down to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until sweet potatoes are tender.
7. Add the peanut butter and stir well. Simmer for 5 minutes.
8. Mix in the peanuts and serve.

Amount Per Serving
Calories: 372.1
Total Fat: 15.3 g
Cholesterol: 0.0 mg
Sodium: 238.0 mg
Total Carbs: 48.3 g
Dietary Fiber: 10.1 g
Protein: 14.0 g