With the cranberries and nuts, I was almost tempted to call this a festive curry. But it’s so utterly delicious that I didn’t want anyone to consider not eating it all year round.
The creamy coconut sauce is rich and full of deep flavours but not too hot and spicy. I think next time I make this I’ll add in a fresh red chilli or two to spice things up a bit; if you’re after a hotter curry then you could definitely pop a couple of chopped chillies in as you make the curry paste. You might be wondering about cranberries being in a curry but after trying this, I think it might be their true calling. I used whole dried cranberries and they became soft and plump in texture and added a hint of sourness, in perfect contrast with the sweet potato and coconut.
It might look like a daunting list of ingredients for the homemade curry paste, but the spice mix here should actually be easy to replicate as it doesn’t use anything too out of the ordinary. However if you don’t have all of them in your cupboard already then you could cheat and pick up a pre-made spice mix/curry powder for much cheaper than the individual spices.
I wish I could take credit myself for coming up with the combination of coconut, cranberry and pistachio but I can’t: this recipe is part of the Vegan Mystery Box Challenge set up by Andrew at One Ingredient Chef and Sam at It Doesn’t Taste Like Chicken. This is the first ever challenge and as soon as I heard about the concept I knew I was in! For the challenge, we were given a list of three ingredients that every one of our recipes must contain – you’ve guessed it, they were coconut milk, cranberries and pistachios.
They are three ingredients I love so the second I saw them ideas were rushing through my mind. My first thoughts were maybe some coconut and cranberry bliss balls rolled in chopped pistachios or maybe a coconut, cranberry and pistachio quinoa porridge. But I really wanted to try to come up with something that (fingers crossed) no one else would and so this sweet potato coconut curry with cranberries and pistachios was born. Both of those dishes I mentioned are still things I’d like to make though – so watch this space.
Without further ado, here’s my recipe for the challenge and be sure to check out everyone else’s amazing recipes that are all linked below!
- 3tbsp rapeseed oil (or your preferred oil)
- For the curry paste:
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1tbsp tomato purée
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1tsp fenugreek
- 1tsp cumin
- ½tsp cinnamon
- ¼tsp ground clove
- ¼tsp ground cardamom
- 2 large onions, thinly sliced
- For the curry:
- 500g white potatoes, peeled and chopped into 1.5cm cubes
- 1kg sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped into 1.5cm cubes
- 100ml cold water
- 250g chestnut mushrooms, cleaned and halved
- 1 tin coconut milk
- 3tbsp dried cranberries
- 2tbsp pistachio nuts
- Heat 1tbsp of oil in a large non-stick pan over a medium-high heat and add all of the spices, garlic and tomato purée. Fry for around a minute, stirring continuously, to create a curry paste. Remove the pan from the heat, transfer the paste into a separate bowl and set aside.
- Return the pan to the heat (without washing), place the remaining oil and the onion in the pan. Stir well and cook for a few minutes until they have begun to soften.
- Add the potato cubes into the pan and sauté for around four minutes, stirring frequently. Add the sweet potato cubes and continue to cook for a further four minutes, still stirring frequently.
- Now add a couple of tablespoons of the water, stirring until it has evaporated, then add the mushrooms. Continue cooking for a few minutes then add the remainder of the water and the curry paste to the pan. Mix well, cover and simmer for around ten minutes until both the potato and the sweet potato have begun to soften. As the curry cooks stir occasionally - if it begins to stick then add a little extra water as necessary.
- Stir in the cranberries, recover and cook for a further three minutes. Now add the coconut milk, mix well and simmer for around five minutes, stirring regularly until all of the vegetables have cooked through and the sauce is thick and creamy.
- Divide into portions, sprinkle over the pistachios and serve!
The Vegan Mystery Box Challenge Recipe Round-up
♥ Magic Fruit Cake Bars with White Chocolate Drizzle by One Ingredient Chef
♥ Vegan Cranberry Pistachio Loaf by It Doesn’t Taste Like Chicken
♥ Cranberry Cheesecake & Pistachio Stuffed Vegan French Toast by Connoisseurus Veg
♥ Pistachio Crusted Cranberry Cashew Coconut Cheese by Lemon and Coconut
♥ Cranberry Pistachio and Mango Salad by Veggies Save the Day
♥ Cranberry Cointreau Coconut Ice Cream with Candied Pistachios by Vegan Yack Attack
♥ Cranberry Pistachio Donuts by Two City Vegans (Casey)
♥ Cranberry Pistachio Gingersnap Truffles by Two City Vegans (Alix)
♥ Warm Barley Bowl with Roasted Brussels, Sweet Potatoes and a Coconut Curry Dressing by Taste Space
♥ Whole Wheat Cranberry Pistachio Vegan Biscotti by Veggie Inspired Journey
♥ Coconut Pistachio Cashew Cheese Panini with Cranberry Jam by Peppers and Peaches
♥ Toasted Pistachio Rice Pudding with Candied Cranberries by The Lazy Vegan Baker
♥ Pistachio and Cranberry Cream Sandwich Cookies by Love Me Feed Me
♥ Vegan Meringue Nests with Cranberry Coconut Whip and Crushed Pistachios by The Viet Vegan
♥ Vegan Coconut Quinoa Salad by Beets Not Meats
♥ Cranberry Orange & Pistachio Muffins With Vanilla Cream by A Virtual Vegan
♥ Gourmet Lazy Cabbage Rolls by Choose to Cook
♥ Lebanese Semolina Pudding (Layali Lubnan) by Lands and Flavors
♥ Vegan Chocolate Cranberry Cake by The Seasonal Diet
♥ Jolly Bollywood Holiday Curry by Sexie Veggies
Thanks to Andrew and Sam for organising the first ever Vegan Mystery Box Challenge – I’ve loved taking part by creating this Sweet Potato Coconut Curry and here’s to the next one!
What would you make with these three ingredients? Let me know in the comments!
