Description
Hearty sweet potato coconut milk stew celebrates Caribbean culinary traditions with rich, warming flavors. Creamy coconut broth and tender root vegetables create a comforting meal you can savor with crusty bread.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 ½ lb (680 g) sweet potatoes, diced
- 4 cups (960 ml) vegetable stock
- 13.5 fl oz (400 ml) coconut milk, full fat
- ½ cup (100 g) brown lentils, picked over
- 1 small bunch kale, chopped
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2-inch piece fresh ginger, minced
- ½ tsp ground coriander
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp ground turmeric
- ½–1 tsp dried chili flakes
- 1 tbsp coconut oil, for sautéing
Instructions
- Aromatic Initiation: Heat coconut oil in a large pot over medium temperature, creating a fragrant base for the stew.
- Flavor Development: Sauté onions with chili flakes, coriander, cumin, and turmeric until onions turn translucent, building a rich flavor foundation while activating the spices’ intense aromatics.
- Essence Amplification: Introduce minced ginger and garlic, rapidly sautéing to release their pungent essence and elevate the flavor complexity.
- Ingredient Integration: Fold sweet potatoes and lentils into the spiced mixture, ensuring comprehensive coating and even distribution of ingredients.
- Liquid Infusion: Pour vegetable stock over the ingredients, bringing the contents to a robust boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer with the pot partially covered for approximately 30 minutes.
- Final Refinement: Incorporate coconut milk and chopped kale, continuing to simmer until the kale wilts and the stew reaches a luxuriously thickened consistency.
- Seasoning Calibration: Taste and adjust salt and pepper to create a perfectly balanced, comforting culinary experience.
Notes
- Bloom Spices Effectively: Toast spices in oil before adding other ingredients to maximize their flavor potential and release deep, complex aromatics.
- Layering Technique Matters: Add ingredients progressively to build a rich, multi-dimensional flavor profile that develops complexity throughout cooking.
- Monitor Liquid Consistency: Watch stew’s thickness during simmering, adding extra stock if needed to prevent burning and maintain desired texture.
- Kale Addition Timing: Add leafy greens toward end of cooking to preserve bright color, nutrients, and prevent overcooking into mushy texture.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Dinner, Snacks
- Method: Simmering
- Cuisine: Caribbean
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 5
- Calories: 320
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 600 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 15 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 37 g
- Fiber: 8 g
- Protein: 7 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg