Today I’m sharing my newest recipe - a result of playing around with my organic dark leafy greens, attempting to find the best added sweet flavors to neutralize the slight bitterness of the greens, and I came up with this amazingly flavorful, nutritious dish.
KALE and SWEET POTATO are two of my favorite SUPERFOODS, and they pair perfectly together.
Before sharing the recipe, I wanted to share how this recipe came about.
This week I discovered a new organic farm, so I decided to try their kale and mustard leaves, which were amazing.
I immediately washed/chopped and sautéed the leaves, mixing the two, but I realized the mustard leaves were bitter and borderline spicy. I needed to neutralize it a bit, so i added some sweet potato, then made it into a creamy curry, knowing the coconut milk would also help. After the initial try, it was still slightly bitter, so I added a tablespoon of tomato paste that I had on hand, and a tablespoon of coconut sugar, and then it was PERFECT.
This dish has the perfect combination of ALL flavors, creating an extremely flavorful dish. It has salty (sea salt), sweet (sweet potato, coconut, brown rice), pungent (ginger, garlic, pepper), sour (tomato), bitter (leafy greens) and astringent (optional addition of chickpeas or chicken) - which the ancient wisdom of Ayurveda tells us is the key to avoid cravings later in the day.
This recipe is:
Extremely healthy and gut-friendly, packed with fiber (great for gut health) and wide variety of nutrients
Vegan, gluten-free, and refined sugar-free
Ideal to prevent cravings as it contains all the different flavors to satisfy your palate
Comforting, warming, and filling (even without the optional protein addition)
Super easy to make – can be done in 30 minutes and all in one pot
Great for meal prep lunches and dinners; leftovers taste even better (keeps well in fridge for up to 4 days)
Kale and Sweet Potato Curry (vegan, gluten free)
Ingredients (serves 3 - 4):
1 tablespoon coconut oil or ghee
½ - 1 small onion or medium shallot, finely chopped *optional
1 teaspoon ginger, minced (about 1 teaspoon)
2 teaspoons garlic, minced (or roughly 2-3 garlic cloves)
1 heaping tablespoon curry powder (ideally organic)
½ teaspoon turmeric + ½ teaspoon cumin (i always add extra of these 2 spices; optional)
2 medium-small sweet potatoes, peeled and diced in cubes
1 large bunch of kale (approx. 1 pound), stems removed
1 smaller bunch of mustard leaves (approx. ½ pound) *or replace with other dark leafy green
2 cups coconut milk, homemade (or 1 can full fat coconut milk + ½ cups water or broth)
1 tablespoon tomato paste *optional
1 tablespoon coconut sugar (or maple syrup) *optional
Sea salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste (I used approx. ¾ - 1 teaspoon pink salt and 2-3 turns of grinded black pepper)
To serve:
2 – 2 ½ cups brown rice, cooked (I use about ½ to ¾ cup per person)
Fresh cilantro leaves, chopped, to serve/decorate *optional
Avocado slices or chunks *optional
2 cups chickpeas or chopped grilled chicken for added protein (about ½ per person) *optional
Instructions:
in a large pot, first heat the coconut oil, saute your onion (if using) a few minutes, then add minced ginger and garlic. saute another minute or two and add the curry spices (including the additional turmeric and cumin if adding). Add the homemade coconut milk (or combo of water and canned coconut milk), tomato paste and coconut sugar (if using). Season with sea salt (start with 1/2 teaspoon) and a few grinds of black pepper. Stir well.
Bring to a slight boil, and add the cubed sweet potato. Cook until just fork tender, aprox 15 minutes.
Add the leafy greens (already chopped, thick stems removed), and stir gradually until its all immersed in the sauce. You may have to add the leaves a few handfuls at a time until it all fits. Cook another 5 minutes stirring everything in the sauce. Season
Taste and adjust flavors as needed. Add more sea salt to taste, more curry if desired, option to add a touch more sweetener, and some fresh lime juice often works well (especially if you did not add the tomato paste, as the slightest bit of acidity helps bring all the flavors together).
If you’d like to add protein, add your cooked chickpeas (for vegan version) or grilled chicken if that’s your thing. See notes below for other options. Serve with brown rice, and decorate with chopped cilantro and sliced avocado (optional).
IMPORTANT NOTES:
You can do this dish all in one pot (I used my le creuset dutch oven pot) or in the Instant Pot
Option to use cubed butternut squash instead of sweet potato
Option to swap the mustard leaves for any variety of acelga (collard greens, swiss chard, rainbow chard) or beet greens (leaves from beetroots). You can also use spinach for a LESS bitter option
Option to swap brown rice for basmati rice or quinoa or any gluten-free grain of choice. For a grain-free version, use cauliflower rice!
When originally making this dish, I added the tomato paste and coconut sugar at the end, and loved the added touch, but you can omit them if you don’t have any, and it’ll still be delicious
Option to use red thai curry paste instead of powdered Indian-style curry (if use curry paste, start with 1 large tablespoon as some are quite spicy, and then add more to taste)
For added protein, if you don’t want chickpeas (nor chicken), you can use green peas, OR I also love using cashews or pumpkin seeds (but if using cashews/seeds, instead of ½ cup per person, use only 2 tablespoons per person)
Option to add a tablespoon of lime juice at the end, also gives it a nice touch
P.S. I think it’s way yummier than it looks in the picture!!
Give this recipe a shot, and please play around with quantities and ingredients to find the version that best suits your palate.
Lastly, SHARE this recipe with others, and share with me your pictures and comments if / when you try this. Remember, it’s easy, its incredibly nutrient-dense, super yummy and super adaptable/versatile.