Veganuary Recipe

Sweet Potato & BBQ Pineapple Curry Recipe

Date

15 / 01/ 2025

Category

Food & drink

If you're looking for a vibrant and hearty vegan dish that’s packed with flavour, look no further than this Sweet Potato & Pineapple Curry served with Pilaf Rice. This recipe serves 4 and combines the sweetness of roasted sweet potatoes and charred pineapple with a creamy, spiced coconut curry sauce. The pilaf rice adds a fragrant touch that perfectly complements the curry. It’s a satisfying, full-bodied meal that everyone will love, whether they follow a vegan diet or not.

Curry Sauce

 

To begin, the curry sauce is the heart of this dish. Start by blending the following ingredients into a smooth paste:

Ingredients

400ml coconut milk
0.5g black peppercorn
2g ground nutmeg
30g cashew nuts
2g sesame seeds
60g shallot
50g ginger
20g garlic
30g red chilli
10g muscovado sugar
Zest and juice of 1 lime
125ml rapeseed oil
2g salt

Once blended, cook the paste in a pan for 7-10 minutes, allowing it to simmer and develop rich flavours. Stir regularly to avoid burning and ensure the paste is smooth and aromatic. The result will be a creamy, lightly spiced curry base with a hint of sweetness from the muscovado sugar and a tangy kick from the lime.

Roasted Sweet Potato and Grilled Pineapple

While your curry sauce simmers, prepare the sweet potatoes and pineapple. Peel and dice two large sweet potatoes, then roast them in the oven at 180°C for 10-15 minutes with a drizzle of oil and a sprinkle of salt. The goal is to soften them without overcooking, as they’ll continue cooking in the curry sauce.

For the pineapple, take a tin of pineapple rings and griddle them in a hot pan until they develop beautiful BBQ-style char marks. This adds depth of flavour and a smoky sweetness to the dish.

Pilaf Rice

For the rice, heat some vegan butter in a pan and sweat down a diced onion until softened. Add 250ml of water and 10g of thyme, then bring it to a boil. Pour this mixture over 125g of long-grain rice and season well with salt. Cover the rice with parchment paper and tin foil, and bake it in the oven at 180°C for 45 minutes. This method ensures that the rice absorbs all the flavours and becomes light and fluffy.

 

To serve, reheat your curry sauce and add a bag of spinach, the roasted sweet potatoes, and the charred pineapple. Stir gently until the spinach wilts, and everything is well-coated in the sauce.

Serve the curry in bowls and garnish with freshly chopped spring onions, red chilli, and coriander for an extra burst of freshness. Pair it with the pilaf rice on the side, topped with crispy fried onions and fresh chilli slices.

This dish is a celebration of textures and flavours – the rich, creamy curry, the sweet and smoky pineapple, and the fragrant rice all come together in one perfect bite. Enjoy!