This was an interesting one to make, as I basically combined the type of ingredients I normally put in my sweet potato and ramiro pepper soup, with the ingredients I normally put in my potato and chick pea coconut curry.
I wanted to find a curry dish version of the soup, but it's not quite there yet., I'd go easy on the curry powder and find the right amount for you, the other spices give it plenty of flavour.
Portions: I got 8-9 adult size portions out of this batch. One portion being a full plastic takeaway container. The bulk is the sweet potato and chick peas, once cooked they aren't even noticeable over everything else.
Fresh ingredients:
2 x Fairly large Sweet potatoes chopped into fairly small chunks
2 x Red peppers (preferably Sweet ramiro peppers if you have them)
2 x Handfuls of small cherry tomatoes
2 x Handfuls of button mushrooms
1 x Bag of baby spinach
Tinned ingredients:
2 x Tins of chick peas (drained)
Dried ingredients and spices:
1 x Teacup full of brown rice
2 x Veg stock cubes
2 x Teaspoons of Turmeric
1 x Teaspoon of Paprika
1 x Teaspoon of Cayenne Pepper
1 x Teaspoon of course ground Black pepper
4 to 5 x Teaspoons of Medium strength Curry powder
Also Veg gravy granules to thicken if needed.
Liquids:
1 x 1.5 pints of hot water (to mix with stock cubes and spices)
1 x 1 pint of Coconut milk from a carton (Has water added and is thinner) or 1 tin of the 400g Coconut milk (Thicker and more pure).
Cooking method :
'Crock pot' slow cooker or casserole dish in oven (I use a Crock pot).
3-4 hours on high (add final ingredients) and 2 hours or so on med/low.
If in oven likely 60 mins high and 30+ mins medium.
Preparation and cooking:
This is the way I did it, you could practically throw it all in at the same time if you were really pushed. Chop your sweet potato and put it in with the drained chick peas, whole cherry tomatoes, whole button mushrooms and chopped red peppers and put them in your 'Crock pot' or casserole dish.
Mix your 1.5 pint of hot water with the veg stock cubes and add your spices to it, stir and pour over the ingredients in your dish.
Two thirds of the way through cooking and when it is clearly bubbling add your cup of uncooked brown rice. This will absorb some of the water later. Also add your coconut milk and half the bag of spinach leaves and stir in. (The other half bag of leaves is for your individual servings)
If you are using a slow cooker you can turn it down now if you wish to simmer more, and if a casserole dish in the oven I'd recommend turning it down a little to simmer more and infuse the coconut milk more gently.
Once your sweet potato chunks are soft it is effectively cooked. Take it of the heat and rest for 5 mins then if needed add some veg gravy granules to thicken to a consistency you like, this may not even be required if a lot of water has evaporated.
I usually serve it with rice, lime and coriander rice is nice, and on a bed of uncooked baby spinach leaves with a dollop of Houmous in the middle and a dash of course ground black pepper as seen in the picture.
If you portion it up and freeze it like I do for the week, put your uncooked baby spinach leaves on top, let it cool, lid it and freeze it. I microwave a portion for 4 mins when I want to eat it, adding rice or eating on it's own.
Enjoy :)