I hadn’t realised when I wanted to make a curry from scratch it would be so difficult.  Trying to get the spices just right nearly defeated me but I kept on trying and I am so glad I did.  This curry is lovely and creamy with just enough heat but if you prefer more heat then add an extra chilli or more curry powder.

The ingredients list for this recipe may seem long but I promise you it will be worth it.  I normally use a curry paste when I make a curry but I always wanted to make my own from scratch.  My mum used to make great curries from scratch and now I wish I’d paid more attention to what she was doing!

Like most curries, this tastes even better the next day.

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

-1 red chilli, seeds removed

-large thumb size piece of ginger, peeled

-4 cloves of garlic, peeled

-1 Tbsp. coconut oil or olive oil

-1 red onion, peeled & diced finely

-1 tsp. curry powder

-2 tsp. garam masala

-1 tsp. ground coriander

-1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

-1 tsp. turmeric

-2 Tbsp. tomato puree

-1/4 cup desiccated coconut

-2 medium organic sweet potato, peeled and diced (large dice)

-1 x 400ml can of light coconut milk

-1 x 400ml can of cannellini beans, drained & rinsed well

-approx. 180g of baby spinach, rinsed

How To Make

First put the chilli, ginger and garlic in a mini food processor and process until very finely chopped.  If you don’t have a mini food processor you can crush the garlic and finely chop/grate the chilli and ginger.  The processor just saves time!

In a large pan heat the oil over a medium heat and add the onion.  Cook the onion gently for 4-5 minutes until it starts to soften.  Next add the garlic, ginger and chilli and cook until it becomes fragrant, about 2 minutes.

Add the spices and cook for another minute then add the tomato paste.  Cook the tomato paste for about 5 minutes as this helps remove any bitterness.  You may need to reduce the heat to prevent the spices burning.

Next add the sweet potato and give everything a good stir.  Pour over the coconut milk and fill the empty coconut milk can with water and add this to the pan too.  Add the desiccated coconut and cannellini beans, giving everything a good stir.

Put the lid on the pan and bring everything to a boil.  Reduce heat to a high simmer and cook for approximately 20 minutes or until the potatoes are just becoming tender (cooking time will depend on the size of your diced potato).

Add the spinach and cook until wilted and the potatoes are ready.

Serve with brown rice or buckwheat.

This curry can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.

Enjoy 🙂