Sweet Potato Lentil Curry with Crispy Sesame Chickpeas

This was a pantry recipe since I normally have everything in this recipe on hand, except sweet potatoes but those were needed to be eaten. This recipe is from Half Baked Harvest who I am finding I really enjoy her recipes, they have multiple components, textures, and tastes. This was a pretty simple recipe, and I think Jacob liked it. The only annoying thing was waiting for the lentils to cook, that was it. The pomegranate seeds gave a great sweet bite every now and then while the crispy chickpeas offered a crunch.

YUM!

Some things I changed were:

• I didn't have shallots so I used one medium yellow onion. 
• It definitely didn't taste that much like a curry since it only called for 3-4 tablespoons or curry paste and the peanut butter seemed to be lost in flavor. 
• I used chicken broth instead of vegetable broth and subbed in around 1/2 cup of water to make 3 cups. 
• I eyeballed the spinach and didn't use baby spinach, just one bunch of fresh spinach. I should have cut it up finer because some of the pieces were a little large. 
• I didn't use fresh cilantro to top but mixed in chopped cilantro that I had frozen a while ago. 
• I also got tuxedo sesame seeds and tried them out for the first time on this recipe which was fun. 

Sweet Potato Lentil Curry with Crispy Sesame Chickpeas
Serves: 6

Time: 35 minutes

Ingredients:

     2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
     2 shallots, finely chopped
     1 inch fresh ginger, grated
     2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
     3-4 tablespoons Thai red curry paste adding more or less to taste
     3-4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth or water
     3/4 cup dried red lentils (can also use green lentils)
     2 tablespoons fish sauce (or additional soy sauce)
     1 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce
     1 rounded tablespoon creamy peanut butter (or other nut butter)
     1 (14 ounce) can full fat coconut milk
     2 cups baby spinach
     Juice from 1 lime
     1/3 cup fresh cilantro, chopped plus more for serving
     cooked basmati rice for serving
     pomegranate arils for serving (optional)

Chickpeas
    2 tablespoons sesame or extra virgin olive oil
    1 can chickpeas drained and patted dry
    2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
    1 tablespoon raw sesame seeds

Steps:

1. Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. When the oil shimmers, add the shallots and cook 3 minutes until soft. Add the ginger and sweet potatoes and cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Stir in the curry paste and cook another minute. 
2. Add the 3 cups broth, lentils, fish sauce, soy sauce, and peanut butter. Bring the mix to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to low. Cover and simmer 15-20 minutes, until the lentils are soft and the sweet potatoes tender. 
3. Meanwhile, make the chickpeas. Heat a large, high sided skillet over medium heat. Add the 2 tablespoons oil and the chickpeas. Cook, stirring occasionally until the chickpeas are crisped all over, about 5 minutes. Add the soy sauce and sesame seeds, tossing to combine. Cook 1 minute, remove from the heat.
4. When the lentils are cooked, stir in the coconut milk, spinach, and lime juice, cook 5 minutes. If your curry feels thick, add additional broth to thin. Remove from the heat and add the cilantro. 
5. To serve, divide the rice among bowls and ladle the curry overtop. Top with chickpeas, cilantro, and pomegranates. 

EAT