Golden Coconut Vegetable Curry

This curry is one of those dishes that tastes like it took much longer than it did. The trick is the paste. Blending the onion, garlic and jalapeño with a splash of water before it hits the pan means the aromatics break down completely, so there are no chunky bits of raw onion hiding in the sauce. When the paste hits hot oil and the curry powder goes in, the whole kitchen smells toasted and warm. Take your time at that stage. Stirring steadily for those few minutes is what wakes up the spices and keeps them from scorching.

Curry powder is a blend, not a single spice, and "sweet" curry powder is milder and a little more rounded than the hot kind. If you have a hotter blend in the cupboard, use less and taste as you go. The jalapeño adds a gentle background heat rather than a punch, and you can leave the seeds in if you want more of it.

Sweet potatoes are the star of the vegetables here. They hold their shape well in a simmered sauce, and their natural starch thickens the broth a little, which is why the cornstarch is needed only as a light finish. A fun food fact: sweet potatoes are not related to regular potatoes at all. They belong to the morning glory family, and the orange-fleshed kind is rich in beta-carotene, which is part of why the curry looks so golden.

For leftovers, this keeps well in the fridge for three or four days. The sauce will thicken as it cools, so loosen it with a splash of broth or water when you reheat it on the stove. I find it tastes even better the next day, once the spices have had time to settle into the coconut.

Serve it over a scoop of brown rice or a small pile of quinoa, and spoon a little extra cilantro over the top. A crisp cucumber salad with lime and a pinch of salt makes a cool contrast to the warm spices. If you want something to dip, try a handful of crunchy raw vegetables alongside.

If you are planning a larger spread, this curry sits nicely beside a Silky Red Lentil Dal with Jicama Dippers, which gives you a second pot of comfort food with a different texture. For a meal that leans even more on chickpeas and greens, the Golden Sweet Potato and Spinach Curry is an easy companion on the same night.