Sweet Potato & Green Apple Curry

 

This week was the week of the sweet potato. I arrived home from work a few days ago to a marvelous, sweet aroma. Cookies perhaps? Not quite—it turned out to be baked sweet potato fries, coated with cinnamon that sunk into the potatoes and the kitchen air alike. I turn around, and my other housemate is breaking in her new slow cooker with a sweet potato stew, lazily cooking in its corner of the counter-top. Well, I caught the bug, and bought a couple myself. What emerged was this curry, which lasted a delightfully long time. The leftovers stretched out over a snowy week to provide several comforting dinners. Alas, it is all gone now, while the chill obstinately lingers. Then again, I suppose one of the pleasures of winter is sinking one's teeth into a spicy, flavourful spoonful of warmth.

As with many of this blog's recipes, this dish doesn't take much effort. It's a one-pot stew, really, and while you need to keep your eye on the pot's contents, it won't require constant stirring or a deft hand. Haphazard chunks of sweet potato lead the way, beginning with a roast in the oven to soften up. Then they join a handful of chopped, bright green apples to bubble away in the garlicky, spiced broth until everything is steeped in the deep curry. After a good simmer, ladle a generous dollop of curry onto some rice. You can also use bread to mop up the sauce. Elise Bauer of Simply Recipes, where I found the inspiration for this dish, suggests eating the curry with roti bread, pita, or a tortilla.

Adapted from Simply Recipes' Green Apple Curry
Sweet Potato & Green Apple Curry
Ingredients:
1 medium sweet potato
1 TBSP olive oil
2 tsp. curry powder
1/2 tsp. coriander
1 tsp. cumin
1 TBSP water
2 garlic cloves
2 granny smith apples, peel on
1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 cup water
1 TBSP brown sugar

cooked rice to accompany, if desired.

Directions
--Heat oven to 425 degrees F. Peel the sweet potato and cut into large chunks. Roast on a nonstick or lightly greased pan for 20 minutes, or until potatoes have begun to soften, but aren't fully cooked through.
--While potatoes are roasting, mix together the curry powder, coriander, cumin, and 1 TBSP water until a paste forms. Peel and slice garlic and cut apples into chunks.
--Heat oil on medium heat in a medium saucepan. Add garlic to hot oil and cook for two minutes. Stir in curry paste and cook for another 2 minutes. Stir in the rest of the ingredients.
--Add potatoes once they are out of the oven. Bring mixture to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Cook at a simmer for 30 minutes or until sweet potatoes are very soft and curry has thickened. Serve with rice, if desired. Makes approximately 2 1/2 cups curry.