This is a two part recipe. The first part is making the curry paste (you can also buy curry paste). This curry paste recipe, adapted slightly from Pinch of Yum, is easy to do and will make double (or more) the amount you need for the curry, so freeze the other half for use later.
Yellow Curry Paste
- 4 large shallots
- 4 large heads of garlic
- 1 6-inch piece of fresh ginger, sliced
- 1½ tablespoons salt
- 2-3 tablespoons turmeric
- 2-3 tablespoons mild curry powder
- 2 teaspoons roasted ground coriander
- 3 tablespoons lemongrass paste (I use Gourmet Garden which they sell at my regular grocery store)
- ¼ cup packed cilantro leaves and stems
- Red pepper flakes to taste
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Peel the shallots – then drizzle with oil and wrap in foil.
- Peel the ginger and cut into thin slices. Arrange in a single layer, drizzle with oil, and wrap in foil.
- Pull the outer paper off the garlic. Cut the pointy tops off the heads of garlic so the cloves are partially exposed. Drizzle with oil, and wrap in foil.
- Place all the foil packets on a baking sheet. Bake for 25 minutes.
- Remove the ginger (it should be soft).
- Increase the temperature to 400, and roast the shallots and garlic for another 20 minutes until golden brown and very fragrant.
- Put the softened ginger, the shallots, the garlic (after you get it all over you trying to get it out of the bulb), and the remaining ingredients in a food processor or very strong blender. Pulse until the paste reaches desired consistency.
Sweet Potato and Chickpea Curry
- 4 large sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
- 6 cups of cooked chickpeas (drain and rinse if canned)
- ½ onion, diced
- 1 large handful of kale, chopped
- 3 TBS olive oil
- ⅔ cup yellow curry paste
- 1 can coconut milk
- In a large skillet, heat the olive oil, sweet potato, and onions over a medium-low heat until the sweet potatoes are tender and the onions soften and begin to caramelize.
- Add the chickpeas and the curry paste, stir (the potatoes will break apart mostly, which is ok). Allow to simmer until heated through.
- Add the kale and coconut milk and again simmer to hot, checking for spice level here. Add more red pepper flakes if needed.
I found this to be very very delicious. The paste was also a success for the omnivores in a chicken curry.
Serve over rice, noodles, or alone. Enjoy!