Sweet Potato Curry

Sweet potato curry is a spicy, Indian dish made with sweet potatoes as the main ingredient. Apart from the usual spices used to make this curry, the sweet potato based dish also contains caramelized onions which lend a unique flavor to it. Curried sweet potatoes are also prepared in Thailand and the Caribbean islands. The vegetable is extremely popular in USA and is considered to be an important part of Thanksgiving meals. The curried version is also being included in the celebratory meals in America at present.

The curry is both sweet and spicy at the same time and is considered to be appetizing as well as nutritious. It is rich in vitamins, minerals, and dietary fibers and is often included as a part of healthy diet plans.  It is also easy to digest, making the dish an important part of meals that are partaken after a fast or abstinence from food.

The sweet potato is also alternatively used with butternut squash and pumpkins and can be prepared into ravioli, sauces, or risotto with the curried form being the primary ingredient.

 Overview of Sweet Potato Curry Recipes

The simplest way of cooking the curry involves adding mustard seeds and whole cumin to the heated oil in a pan. Curry leaves follow and the diced sweet potatoes are added to it along with onions which are browned before adding the spices. Turmeric, chili powder and salt are the only other ingredients that go into it and the dish is cooked over medium flame after adding water to the sautéed sweet potato and spice powders.

Popular Variations Of Sweet Potato Curry Recipes

There are quite a few variations of the traditional curry that can be prepared with this versatile vegetable. Some of the more popular dishes include:-
 

• Curried Bites- This is a baked dish that includes coating the sweet potato with curry powder and salt along with roasted fenugreek and mustard seeds. It is usually served hot with soups and can be used as a sandwich filling.
   
• Gluten Free Soup- This soup is considered to be healthy for people suffering from celiac disease or gluten intolerance. The soup contains sweet potatoes sautéed in butter being added to chicken stock and simmered along with onions, garlic, ginger and curry powder.
   
• Vegetarian Thai Curry- A traditional dish from Thailand, prepared with sweet potatoes and peas cooked in green curry paste. It is served hot with jasmine rice.
   
• Shakarai Urulikazhangu- This is a popular curry prepared in the Southern States of India which utilizes sambar powder along with a mixture of aromatic spices.
   
• Jamaican Curried Sweet Potato- This is a popular dish of Caribbean cuisine prepared with spices and okra, apart from the sweet potato. It is served on a bed of callaloo, the Jamaican spinach.

Trivia

The recipe for sweet potato curry has been popularized in America, courtesy Betty Crocker’s book, “Vegetarian Cooking.”