Zach • Recipe
This curry moves quickly once heat hits the pan, so getting everything chopped, measured, and lined up before you touch the hob is not optional, it is the whole thing. Prep everything now and the cook itself will feel easy. Keep the coriander stems and leaves separate, they go in at different gates.
2 tablespoons coconut oil · 1 large onion, finely diced · 4 cloves garlic, finely grated or minced · 1 thumb-sized piece fresh ginger, finely grated (about 2 teaspoons) · 1 scotch bonnet chilli, finely chopped, deseeded for less heat · 1 small bunch fresh coriander, stems finely chopped, leaves roughly chopped and kept separate · 2 teaspoons Jamaican curry powder · 1 teaspoon ground allspice · 1 teaspoon smoked paprika · half a teaspoon ground cumin · half a teaspoon ground coriander · quarter teaspoon ground turmeric · 2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 2cm chunks · 2 x 400g tins chickpeas, drained and rinsed · 1 x 400ml tin full-fat coconut milk · 1 x 400g tin chopped tomatoes · 250ml good vegetable stock · 2 tablespoons soy sauce · juice of 1 lime · white rice or soft flatbreads to serve
You'll need: 2 tablespoons coconut oil · 1 large onion, finely diced · 4 cloves garlic, finely grated or minced · 1 thumb-sized piece fresh ginger, finely grated · 1 scotch bonnet chilli, finely chopped · coriander stems from 1 small bunch, finely chopped
Set your dutch pot or large heavy-based pan over a medium heat and add the coconut oil. Once it has melted and the pot is properly warm, go in with the diced onion. You are not rushing this. Keep the heat at medium and let the onion soften slowly, stirring every couple of minutes. After about 8 minutes, add the grated garlic, grated ginger, and the scotch bonnet. Stir everything together and let it all cook for another 2 to 3 minutes. The coriander stems go in here too. This base needs to be genuinely soft, fragrant, and sweet before anything else happens. If it is catching, turn the heat down slightly and keep going. Gate 01 is done when the onion is completely soft with no raw crunch left, the garlic and ginger are fragrant, and the whole pot smells warm and deeply aromatic.
You'll need: 2 teaspoons Jamaican curry powder · 1 teaspoon ground allspice · 1 teaspoon smoked paprika · half a teaspoon ground cumin · half a teaspoon ground coriander · quarter teaspoon ground turmeric
This is the gate that separates a good curry from a great one, and you need to be present here. Tip your spice blend directly into the pot onto the softened base. Stir immediately and keep stirring. The spices are going to hit the oil and the heat and start releasing their compounds within about 60 to 90 seconds. Do not walk away. Keep moving everything around the pot so nothing catches or burns. You will see the colour in the pan shift, getting deeper and more vivid, and the smell will go from raw spice to something toasted, complex, and genuinely aromatic. If it looks like it is threatening to stick, add the tiniest splash of water to bring it back. That toasted, crackling, fragrant moment is what you are cooking for. Move immediately to Gate 03.
You'll need: 2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 2cm chunks · 2 x 400g tins chickpeas, drained and rinsed
Go in with the sweet potato chunks first. Stir them through the spiced base so every piece gets coated. Give them a minute in the pot before adding the chickpeas. Both of these are going to carry this curry. The sweet potato will become tender and yielding as it cooks, and that soft, melting texture is exactly what you want here. The chickpeas will hold their shape and give body. Stir everything together well, making sure nothing is sitting dry at the bottom of the pot.
You'll need: 1 x 400ml tin full-fat coconut milk · 1 x 400g tin chopped tomatoes · 250ml good vegetable stock · 2 tablespoons soy sauce
Pour in the coconut milk, chopped tomatoes, and vegetable stock. Stir in the soy sauce. Give everything a good stir from the bottom up, making sure nothing is stuck underneath. Bring the pot up to a gentle bubble over medium-high heat, then drop it down to a low simmer. Put the lid on slightly ajar to let some steam escape and leave it to cook for 25 to 30 minutes, stirring every 8 to 10 minutes. Check the sweet potato is getting properly tender throughout. Taste and adjust salt at this point. If it needs more depth, add a small splash more soy sauce. If the heat is too much, a tiny squeeze of lime juice now will take the edge off. Gate 04 is done when the sweet potato is completely tender, the chickpeas have absorbed some of the sauce, and the curry has thickened into something rich and deeply coloured.
You'll need: juice of 1 lime · fresh coriander leaves from 1 small bunch, roughly chopped · white rice or soft flatbreads to serve
Take the pot off the heat. Squeeze in the juice of half a lime and stir it through. Scatter over the fresh coriander leaves. Taste one more time and decide if it needs the other lime half. It probably does. Serve over white rice or with soft flatbreads. This is not a compromise, this is what plant-based cooking looks like when it is done properly. Bare flavour right there. Not gonna lie, that's peak.
Keeps in the fridge for up to 3 days and improves overnight. Reheat gently on the hob with a small splash of water or stock to loosen. Cook fresh rice each time. General guidance only, always check food carefully before eating, if in doubt throw it out.