Slow Cooker Sweet Potato Curry [Red Thai]

slow cooker red Thai curry cooked and ready to serve within the slow cooker pot with ladle, to side is a Balti dish with naan breads and a Balti dish with rice garnished with peanuts, red background with cardboard raffia under slow cooker pot.

This Red Thai sweet potato, chickpea and spinach curry is so easy to prepare with the slow cooker. No fuss, no faff, just good honest, flavourful, sure-fire family favourite home-cooking at its best!

Course Dinner

Cuisine Thai

Prep Time 15 mins

Cook Time 4 hrs

Total Time 4 hrs 15 mins

Servings or 6

Calories 455

Author Jacq

Equipment

3-3.5 Litre [3-4 Quarts] slow cooker or crockpot

Ingredients

1 tablespoon coconut oil optional, or replace with 1 tablespoon of desiccated coconut plus 2 tablespoons of veggie stock/broth
800 grams sweet potatoes about 4 medium sized, sliced into thick chunks, peeled if blemished
4 garlic cloves sliced thin
140 grams onion 1 medium-large, diced
1 can chickpeas 400g can/15oz, drained, or 1 ¾ cups cooked
4 tablespoon red Thai curry paste such as geo Organics brand
1 can chopped tomatoes 400g/15oz can
60 grams peanut butter smooth or crunchy
250 mililitres vegetable stock broth

Add for last 10 minutes of slow cooking

80 grams spinach or a baby leaf mix
160 millilitres coconut milk canned, or use creamed coconut block or coconut milk powder to make up a thick coconut milk
140 grams peas fresh or frozen
2 teaspoon lemon juice or a few squeezes from a fresh lemon
2 tablespoon fresh mint leaves or replace with coriander/cilantro, use more if liked [or ½-1 teaspoon dried mint]

Garnish

5 tablespoons peanuts plain, toasted or lightly salted
fresh herbs your choice such as coriander/cilantro, Thai basil, mint, chives, or if available use a selection

Metric - US Customary

Instructions

Set the slow cooker to the high setting while you add each ingredient.
Add the sweet potato, onion, garlic, coconut oil, red Thai curry paste, chopped tomatoes, peanut butter, and chickpeas to the slow cooker. Season with some salt and pepper.
Cook for 3 hours and 50 minutes.
[If preferred give it a stir about half way through but try not to remove the lid for too long as the heat will escape.]
Pour in the coconut milk along with the peas and spinach. Give everything a good stir and pop the lid back on and leave for 10 minutes.
Season with the fresh lemon juice, mint or coriander leaves, and salt and pepper to taste.
Serve with extra fresh herbs and scatter some peanuts over. A sprinkle of red chilli flakes is also nice.

Notes

Nutritional information is provided for guidance only as ingredients can vary.
Data includes the peanut garnish, removing the peanuts brings the calories down to 410 and the fat to 14g per portion.
Store leftovers within the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Or freeze for 3-4 months.
Reheat by gently bringing to a simmer in a non-stick pan or pot, and simmer for 2-3 minutes until piping hot. Stir frequently.
Leftover curry will look thick before reheating but will thin as the sauce is reheated.
Serve with rice, naan breads, chapatis, parathas, mango chutney, lime or mint pickle, etc.
Leftover red Thai curry can be thinned down with a little veggie stock or more coconut milk and enjoyed as a red Thai curry soup for next days lunch. Any spinach or cooked veggies needing used up can be added to bulk out the soup into extra portions. For extra flavour add a tablespoon of red Thai curry paste if you have some leftover.
For a stove-top method check out the recipe notes for guidance on converting this recipe to stove-top.
For a gluten-free red Thai curry choose a gluten-free vegan stock and gluten-free curry paste. The Geo Organics red Thai curry paste is free from gluten ingredients.
Want to prepare your own authentic red Thai curry paste? Have a look at the recipe notes above for a link to a recipe.
Allergic to peanuts? Try replacing the peanut butter with one of the following: sunflower seed butter, sesame butter, a tablespoon of tahini, 1-2 tablespoons soya sauce, 3 tablespoons creamed coconut block, or 2 teaspoons ginger paste.
Simply dislike peanuts? Use an alternative such as almond or cashew butter.
For a lighter curry use a lite or reduced fat coconut milk.
Want to use the low or medium setting for the slow cooker? For the low setting cook the curry for 6-7 hours before adding the additional ingredients [although do check the sweet potato for doneness before adding green leaves, peas and coconut milk, and either turn the heat to high to finish the curry off, or increase the time the peas, etc, cook from 10 minutes to about 20-30 minutes].
For the medium slow cooker setting check the potatoes after 4 ½-5 hours.
Although do check your own slow cooker guidance on cooking times as they may vary especially for older and more modern slow cookers.

Nutrition