Creamy, flavorful, and oh-so-comforting: you’ll love this satay sweet potato curry with hearty lentils! It’s ready in under 30 minutes and perfect for meal prep.
Do you love Asian flavors as much as we do? From creamy curries to cozy lentil soups with lots of ginger and turmeric, we can’t get enough of these dishes.
They often pack a whole bunch of healthy ingredients, can easily be modified, and enjoyed over the course of a couple of days.
This satay sweet potato lentil curry is no different! It’s rich in flavor and texture, really satisfying, and requires only one pot to make.
This curry has serious potential to become a new family favorite. Be sure to try our lentil loaf, vegan chili, Thai veggie stir-fry, and other sweet potato recipes next!
Recipe features
- Ready in under 30 minutes
- Great for using up any veggies
- Super creamy & flavorful
- Not too spicy
- Crowd-pleasing & easily scalable
- Freezer-friendly
- Hearty and frugal
Our satay sweet potato lentil curry is everything you want a good dinner to be! Find lots of customization ideas further down in this article.
Ingredients needed
- Sweet potatoes — hearty, filling, and slightly sweet.
- Red lentils — they add great texture & protein!
- Aromatics — onion, garlic, and fresh ginger are needed.
- Peanut butter — an important component of any satay!
- Coconut milk — for the creamy, rich curry base.
- Red curry paste — adding a whole bunch of authentic flavors!
- Baby spinach — for some healthy leafy greens in our dish.
Only a few cooking basics, like soy sauce, vegetable broth, and tomato paste, are added to these main ingredients.
As for the kitchen equipment, all you need is a cutting board, knife, large saucepan, small bowl, and a spoon.
How to make satay sweet potato curry
- Sauté onion and garlic in vegetable broth or oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Stir frequently, so that they don’t burn.
- Mix in sweet potatoes, lentils, and garlic. Sauté for a few more minutes.
- Whisk together curry paste, tomato sauce, soy sauce, and vegetable broth in a small bowl. Add to the saucepan and stir well.
- Cook your curry for 15 minutes over medium-low heat.
- Add peanut butter, coconut milk, and fresh spinach. Stir to combine.
- Cook until the spinach is wilted and the curry becomes fragrant.
- Serve warm over cooked rice and top with lime, chopped peanuts, and fresh coriander!
Storage & reheating
This satay sweet potato curry works really well for meal prep! Any leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge, once cooled, for up to 5 days.
It can also be frozen for up to 3 months! Let it thaw in the fridge overnight.
Reheat your sweet potato lentil curry in a microwave or on the stove with an additional splash of water or dairy-free milk at your convenience.
Serving suggestions
This satay sweet potato curry is best served warm and fresh over a bed of rice or quinoa — the grains can soak up all that delicious curry flavor.
However, you can also enjoy it on its own, with a green salad or some vegan naan!
Optional toppings include green onions, Thai basil, and chili flakes.
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FAQs & tips
What is satay?
The word satay or sate comes from Thailand and refers to seasoned, skewered food with a sauce.
Satay sauce, as in this recipe, is basically peanut sauce. Originally from Indonesia, it can be served with a plethora of dishes and often features crunchy peanuts!
Can I make it ahead of time?
Sure, this recipe works well for batch cooking or meal prep! Any leftovers can be eaten within 3-5 days.
Make it lower in calories
Use light coconut milk or a mixture of soy milk and coconut milk. Serve over cauliflower rice, and add more veggies like broccoli, eggplant, or cauliflower to bulk it up!
Substitutions for this curry
- Sweet potatoes: use pumpkin, butternut squash, or white potatoes.
- Lentils: omit or use chickpeas.
- Spinach: omit, use kale or other leafy greens.
- Peanut butter: use almond butter or more coconut milk
- Curry paste: ground spices like curry powder, garam masala, cumin, and chili powder.
- Coconut milk: use more peanut butter plus soy milk.
- Soy sauce: tamari or liquid aminos
Did you make our recipe and like it? We’d love to read about it, so leave a review and share it in the comments below. You can also Pin this recipe here!
Ingredients
- 1 large yellow onion finely diced
- 5 garlic cloves minced
- 1 cup vegetable broth 240 ml
- 12 oz sweet potatoes 340 g, peeled, cubed
- 1 cup red lentils 190 g, dry
- 1- inch piece ginger grated
- 2 tbsp red curry paste
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tbsp peanut butter
- 1 tsp tomato paste
- 1 cup coconut milk 8 oz / 250 ml
- 6 cups baby spinach 180 g
- Cooked rice to serve
Toppings
- Lime or lemon
- Chopped peanuts
- Fresh coriander
Instructions
- Add the onion, garlic, and 2-3 tbsp of veggie broth into a large saucepan over medium heat. Sauté for a few minutes.
- Add the cubed sweet potatoes, lentils, and minced garlic. Mix to incorporate.
- In a separate small bowl, combine the curry paste, tomato sauce, soy sauce, and vegetable broth. Stir well, add to the pot and mix everything together.
- Let cook for 15 minutes over medium-low heat, then add peanut butter, coconut milk, and fresh baby spinach. Cook until the spinach is wilted and the mixture is fragrant.
- Serve with cooked rice and top with juiced lime or lemon, chopped peanuts, and fresh coriander!
Notes
- You can omit the spinach or replace it with another green vegetable.
- Feel free to add more peanut butter if wanted!
- Find more tips and swaps in the article above.
Just made this curry for the first time. It has such a nice flavor! Not too strong. I used Jersey sweet potato, because that’s what I had on hand. Will definitely make again!
This curry recipe is so satisfying! It came together very quickly, even on a first-time prep. The only substitution I made was using green rather than red lentils, as I didn’t realize there were no red lentils in my pantry. This will be part of my regular meal rotation. I’ve been trying out recipes for my vegan offspring, and this one fits the bill.
Very good! We all lived it. Served it with turmeric rice and curry roasted cauliflower and flavors all went so good together!
We both loved this recipe, thank you! I added a red pepper and it was a pretty addition color-wise. Just a note that the cooking instructions don’t include anything about the grated ginger, so I just threw in some ginger powder while everything was simmering and it turned out fine.