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Purple Sweet Potato Curry

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My creamy purple sweet potato curry combines tender purple sweet potatoes with coconut milk, garlic, ginger, tomato paste, and warming spices for a rich, flavorful meal that’s easy enough for weeknights. Serve it over rice with fresh cilantro, pickled red onion, and lime for a comforting vegetarian dinner.

A plate with white rice, beef stew in red sauce, pickled onions, lime wedges, and a spoon, garnished with chopped herbs—served alongside vibrant purple sweet potato curry for a colorful and flavorful meal.
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A Note From Kristen

Curries have always been one of my favorite meals to cook, so choosing a favorite is almost impossible. Still, this creamy purple sweet potato curry comes awfully close! The creamy coconut sauce, fragrant spices, and tender purple sweet potatoes make every bite incredibly comforting, and it’s one of those recipes I find myself craving throughout the year. My youngest son loves this curry just as much as I do, and we’re usually racing each other to grab the last serving. I hope you love it as much as we do!
~Kristen

You might also like my purple sweet potato fries and mashed purple sweet potatoes.

A bowl of white rice topped with pickled onions and chopped herbs, served with a vibrant purple sweet potato curry and lemon wedges, with a spoon on the side.

Key Ingredient Notes

A few quick notes on the ingredients that matter most. Find the full ingredient list and instructions in the recipe card below.

  • Purple Sweet Potatoes: The star of this recipe! Their dense texture and subtly earthy, nutty flavor make them perfect for curry because they become tender without falling apart. Other sweet potato varieties will work, but they’ll produce a noticeably sweeter curry. I developed this recipe specifically for purple sweet potatoes because they’re a staple in our home and one of my favorite Blue Zone-inspired foods.
  • Full-Fat Coconut Milk: Makes the curry creamy and satisfying. Using this creates a richer, silkier curry with more body, something lighter versions can’t replicate. 
  • Curry Powder: Gives the recipe a warm, savory flavor profile typical of curries. Use your favorite curry blend, as flavors may vary by brand. I love this curry blend from Burlap and Barrel.
A bowl of white rice with stewed meat in red sauce, purple sweet potato curry, garnished with cilantro, pickled onions, and lime wedges, on a red tiled surface. A spoon rests in the bowl.

How to Make Purple Sweet Potato Curry

01

COOK ONION

Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.

Chopped white onions in a gray frying pan, placed on a red surface, ready to be added to a flavorful purple sweet potato curry.

02

SAUTÉ GARLIC AND GINGER

Stir in the garlic and ginger, and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.

Chopped onions are being sautéed in a light-colored pan with a wooden spatula, creating the aromatic base for a flavorful purple sweet potato curry.

03

STIR IN TOMATO PASTE, SPICES, AND SUGAR

Stir in the tomato paste, curry powder, cumin, coriander, garam masala, chili flakes, and coconut sugar. Cook, stirring constantly, for 30 seconds to bloom the spices.

Chopped onions, garlic, and spices sautéing in a gray pan with a wooden spoon as the base for a flavorful purple sweet potato curry.

04

ADD THE SWEET POTATO

Add the purple sweet potatoes and toss to coat.

Cubed purple sweet potatoes with spices and onions are being sautéed in a pan with a wooden spoon, starting the base for a flavorful purple sweet potato curry.

05

SIMMER

Pour in the coconut milk and water (or broth). Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat and simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the sweet potatoes are very tender and the curry has thickened, 20 to 25 minutes.

A saucepan filled with milk and chunks of purple sweet potato, stirred with a wooden spatula, creates the perfect base for a vibrant purple sweet potato curry.

06

MASH

Lightly mash a few sweet potato cubes to naturally thicken the curry. Stir in the salt and lime juice.

Close-up of a wooden spoon stirring a thick, chunky reddish-brown stew or sauce with visible pieces of meat and beans, reminiscent of a hearty purple sweet potato curry.

07

SERVE

Serve over rice with fresh cilantro, pickled red onion, and lime wedges, or alongside warm naan. Enjoy!

A plate of white rice garnished with herbs and pickled onions, served with beef stew in red sauce, purple sweet potato curry, and lemon wedges, with a spoon on the side.

Perfect Curry Companions

  • Spoon over basmati rice, jasmine rice, or quinoa.
  • Serve with warm naan for scooping up the creamy sauce.
  • Finish with fresh cilantro, pickled red onion, and lime wedges.
  • Add a spoonful of plain yogurt (or dairy-free yogurt) for extra creaminess.
  • Add a dollop of mango chutney or peach chutney on the side for a sweet, tangy contrast.
A plate with white rice garnished with cilantro and pickled onions, served alongside a beef stew in red sauce, purple sweet potato curry, and lime wedges.

Level Up Your Curry

  • Use full-fat coconut milk for the creamiest curry.
  • Purple sweet potatoes are denser than orange varieties, so simmer until fork-tender.
  • Add a splash of broth or water if the curry thickens too much.
  • Taste before serving and adjust the salt or lime juice as needed.
A bowl of white rice garnished with chopped herbs and pickled onions, served with a portion of beef stew in dark red sauce and lime wedges, alongside vibrant purple sweet potato curry.

More Delicious Curry Recipes To Love

A plate with white rice, beef stew in red sauce, pickled onions, lime wedges, and a spoon, garnished with chopped herbs—served alongside vibrant purple sweet potato curry for a colorful and flavorful meal.

Creamy Purple Sweet Potato Curry

Author: Kristen Wood
281kcal
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Prep 5 minutes
Cook 27 minutes
Total 32 minutes
My creamy purple sweet potato curry is an easy vegetarian dinner made with coconut milk, garlic, ginger, tomato paste, and warming spices. Serve over rice with fresh cilantro, pickled red onion, and lime for a comforting meal.
Servings 6 servings
Course Main Course
Cuisine Indian-Fusion
Diet Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian
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Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons coconut oil or avocado oil
  • 1 medium yellow onion diced
  • 5 garlic cloves minced
  • 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger root
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1 tablespoon curry powder
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon ground coriander
  • 1 teaspoon garam masala
  • ¼ teaspoon red chili flakes
  • 1 teaspoon coconut sugar or brown sugar
  • 2 medium purple sweet potatoes peeled and cut into small cubes; I like to use Stokes
  • 1 13.5-ounce can full-fat coconut milk
  • 1½ cups vegetable broth or water
  • 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
  • juice of ½ lime about 1 tablespoon
  • chopped cilantro for serving
  • pickled red onion for serving
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Method

  1. Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes until softened.
    Chopped white onions in a gray frying pan, placed on a red surface, ready to be added to a flavorful purple sweet potato curry.
  2. Stir in the garlic and ginger. Cook for 1 minute, or until fragrant.
    Chopped onions are being sautéed in a light-colored pan with a wooden spatula, creating the aromatic base for a flavorful purple sweet potato curry.
  3. Add the tomato paste, curry powder, cumin, coriander, garam masala, chili flakes, and coconut sugar. Stir continuously for 30 seconds to toast the spices.
    Chopped onions, garlic, and spices sautéing in a gray pan with a wooden spoon as the base for a flavorful purple sweet potato curry.
  4. Add the purple sweet potatoes and stir well to coat.
    Cubed purple sweet potatoes with spices and onions are being sautéed in a pan with a wooden spoon, starting the base for a flavorful purple sweet potato curry.
  5. Pour in the coconut milk and water (or broth). Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 20 to 25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sweet potatoes are very tender and the curry has thickened.
    A saucepan filled with milk and chunks of purple sweet potato, stirred with a wooden spatula, creates the perfect base for a vibrant purple sweet potato curry.
  6. Lightly mash a few of the sweet potato cubes with the back of a spoon to naturally thicken the curry. Stir in the salt and lime juice.
    Close-up of a wooden spoon stirring a thick, chunky reddish-brown stew or sauce with visible pieces of meat and beans, reminiscent of a hearty purple sweet potato curry.
  7. Serve warm with rice, naan, or topped with herbs and pickled onion. Enjoy!
    A bowl of white rice topped with pickled onions and chopped herbs, served with a vibrant purple sweet potato curry and lemon wedges, with a spoon on the side.

Notes

Storage and Reheating
Keep any leftovers in an airtight container, then store them in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. For longer storage, keep in the freezer for up to 3 months. A little separation (due to the coconut milk) and texture changes (like the sweet potatoes softening) are normal after thawing it.
You can reheat the purple sweet potato curry in the microwave or in a pot. If the dish has become too thick, loosen it with water, coconut milk, or broth. Serve with lime wedges and cilantro.  
 
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Nutrition

Serving1servingCalories281kcalCarbohydrates23gProtein4gFat21gSaturated Fat18gPolyunsaturated Fat0.3gMonounsaturated Fat1gSodium818mgPotassium543mgFiber3gSugar6gVitamin A10933IUVitamin C6mgCalcium58mgIron4mg

Nutritional information is automatically calculated using a third-party calculator and is an estimate only.

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Kristen is a writer, photographer, recipe developer, and certified functional nutrition expert. She is also the author of Fermented Hot Sauce Cookbook, Vegetarian Family Cookbook, and Hot Sauce Cookbook for Beginners. Her work has been featured in various print and online publications including Elle, NBC, Chicago Sun-Times, Martha Stewart, MSN, New York Daily News, Healthline, and many more. Kristen is also a syndicated writer for The Associated Press.

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