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This slow cooker sweet potato curry cooks itself for hours in your slow cooker so you get to come home to a lovely-smelling house!

I love curries with a passion. While one of my first loves will always be Mexican food, Indian food is a very close second. Few foods are as comforting as a really good curry, and they are relatively easy to make at home.

A delicious bowl of this Sweet Potato Curry Recipe shows a wooden bowl filled with curry, ready to eat.

What Is Curry?

Curry can be any number of dishes using particular herbs and spices. These herbs and spices will change depending on which part of India a dish comes from. Curry is also a spice blend made up of several different spices. The powdered curry you find in your spice aisle is a blend of spices such as cumin, coriander, ginger, turmeric, dried chilies, and more. As with curry dishes, the particular blend of spices that make up curry powder can also change from region to region in India.

Curry powder has a very deep, earthy, and somewhat spicy flavor palette. It’s usually prepared in a sauce, but can also be added to just about any dish, such as this one.

What’s The Difference Between Thai Curry And Indian Curry?

Thai curry tends to lean heavily on coconut milk, while Indian curry tends to require ghee or cream. That being said, Thai curry also uses just slightly different herbs and spices such as cilantro. Peanuts are often added as well.

In this case, I only use coconut milk because I avoid dairy. You could certainly use cream or milk here as a substitute, but I promise, the coconut milk is excellent.

What Defines Curry?

If you’re still confused, here’s a simpler breakdown.

Curry powder is a blend of Indian spices that get blended together to make a singular “seasoning”.
Curries (curry dishes) are pretty much any dish made with curry powder.
Curry is typically, first made into a sauce, which gets used over any number of other ingredients such as rice, beans, or meats.

Homemade Curry Powder

If you’re interested in making your own authentic, Indian curry powder, here’s a wonderful YouTube video to show you how to make curry powder at home.

An overhead view of this sweet potato curry looks down into a wooden bowl filled with the curry. Whole carrots sit to the upper right side of the bowl and dry lentils are strewn around the bowl on the table.

Dietary Needs

This curry is naturally vegan, dairy-free, and gluten-free (if you make sure to use gluten-free ingredients).

For meat eaters, shredded chicken would go well in this.

Recipe Variations And Additions

If you want to round this curry out even more, you can add any of the following:

Lime juice – Squeeze some over the curry just prior to eating. Best done for single servings in case others don’t care for it.
Chickpeas
Cauliflower rice – Usually served with the curry ladled over it.
Fresh cilantro – Usually as garnish
Curry paste – Thai Kitchen brand makes a clean version that would be tasty in this. (Not paid to promote them.)
Red bell pepper
Red pepper – The spicy kind, if you want spicy.
Brown rice – Typically cooked separately and served on the side or with the curry labeled over it in a bowl.
Chicken thighs – Chicken breasts work too.

About The Ingredients

Sweet potatoes – Cut these to no larger than ½ inch pieces.

Carrots – Any size or color will do.

Coconut milk – I used 2 cans that were 13.5 oz. each. I also used full fat, but you can use light coconut milk to cut down on fat if you prefer.

Diced tomatoes – Canned, no sugar added.

Ground cumin

Curry powder

Garam masala – If you can’t find this at a regular grocery store (in the spice aisle), check at a local Indian food shop, or purchase from Amazon. It’s similar to curry powder but has its own flavor profile.

Dry red lentils – Rinse before using.

Vegetable broth – or chicken broth, if you prefer.

Garlic powder – Or garlic granules

Onion powder – Or onion granules

Raw spinach leaves – Chopped

Salt – To taste at serving

How To Make Slow Cooker Sweet Potato Curry

Place all ingredients (except the raw spinach) into your slow cooker insert and stir well to combine.

Turn heat to low and cook for 7-8 hours or until the sweet potatoes and lentils are soft and cooked.

Once cooked, stir in the raw spinach until it is wilted.

Season with salt to taste and serve.

How To Store Slow Cooker Sweet Potato Curry

Store this in an airtight container for up to 5 days (if vegan) or 3 days (if you add any animal products).

Freezing

This can be frozen for up to 4 months in the freezer. Package it airtight to avoid freezer burn.

Pressure Cooking

This can also be made in an Instant Pot. You can either use the slow cooker setting, or you can cook this under high pressure for about 30-40 minutes. Time can vary by appliance.

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