Sweet Potato Curry Recipe

This Sweet Potato Curry is the ultimate comfort curry, made in Indian style with fresh seasonal sweet potatoes, onions, tomatoes, spices and herbs. For a hearty and delicious meal serve it over steamed rice, quinoa, and millets or with roti, paratha, dosa or any flatbreads of choice. You can also make this ahead and refrigerate for 2 days. In Indian cuisine, we often use sweet potatoes to make stir fry, curries, sambar, stew (pulusu), cutlets and halwa.

About Sweet Potato Curry

Sweet Potato Curry is a simple curried dish made by simmering diced sweet potatoes with curry leaves, onions, tomatoes and spices. Like any other Indian curry, whole and ground spices are the heart of this dish as they impart tons of flavors and taste to the sweet potatoes.

Sweet potato curry is a staple in my home and is made often for our meal. Hot steamed rice served with this curry, a drizzle of Ghee alongside some papads and Yogurt is an absolute comfort food. It is flavorsome, slightly spicy, sweet and delicious.

This Sweet potato curry is made much the same way as we make potato curry. My kids love change, so I keep tweaking the recipe often. Sometimes I add a bit of tamarind to impart sour tones. If we are in mood for a coconutty curry I add some coconut milk at the last stage.

Down in South India, a lot of people love to cook sweet potatoes with eggplants. Young and tender eggplants literally melt down in the curry and produce a thick, buttery and flavorsome gravy.

Sometimes we also add Vegetable Drumsticks and if you have ever eaten them, you can imagine how good this curry tastes with vegetable drumsticks.

More curry recipes
Cauliflower Curry
Eggplant Curry
Potato curry
Cabbage curry
Bhindi masala

Photo Guide

How to Make Sweet Potato Curry (Stepwise Photos)

Preparation: Chop 1 large onion (about 1 cup fine chopped onions) & 2 tomatoes (about 1 cup fine chopped), slit 1 green chilli & grate ½ inch ginger.

1. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a pot. Add ¼ teaspoon mustard seeds & ½ teaspoon cumin seeds. When they splutter add 1 sprig curry leaves & a pinch of hing (optional). When the leaves turn crisp, add 1 teaspoon grated ginger (or paste) and fry till aromatic, for about 40 seconds.

2. Add 1 cup fine chopped onions, 1 slit green chili and ¼ teaspoon salt. Saute the onions on a medium heat. Meanwhile, wash, peel and cube sweet potatoes. I have used 2 heaped cups diced sweet potatoes. Add them to a bowl of salted water (2 cups water with half teaspoon salt) till used else they get discolored.

3. When the onions turn transparent add chopped tomatoes or tomato puree. Sprinkle ¼ teaspoon turmeric. Saute well for 2 mins & simmer until the tomatoes breakdown and become mushy.

4. Add ½ to 1 teaspoon garam masala, 1 to 1 ½ teaspoon coriander powder & ½ to ¾ teaspoon red chili powder. Stir and saute for a minute.

5. Add cubed sweet potatoes to the pot.

6. Stir well.

7. Add the water we used to soak the sweet potatoes just enough to immerse them. Bring the water to a rapid boil.

8. Reduce the heat. Simmer and cook till sweet potatoes turn tender and cooked fully but not mushy. Keep stirring in between so they cook evenly. Taste test and add more salt if required. If you want less watery curry, evaporate the excess moisture on a high flame. If you want you may add 4 tablespoons thick coconut milk. Turn off the heat after adding the coconut milk.

Serve sweet potato curry with rice & ghee or with roti, paratha or dosa.

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