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Gingery Coconut Sweet Potato and Rice Stew with Chili Oil…when you’re in need of warming comfort food, but also want healthy…make this. All made in just ONE pot (or in your instant pot), in less than an hour, and using good for us ingredients like sweet potatoes, warming spices, and creamy coconut milk. It’s cozy, a little spicy, and filled with vegetables. Serve this creamy stew over rice. Then, finish each bowl off with spiced sesame chili oil. It’s hearty, full of greens, and so delicious. Great for just about any night of the week. Plus the leftovers the next day make for the best lunch!
Hard to believe I have yet to mention this, but we had our second snowfall of the (very early) fall season this past Sunday. It wasn’t nearly as much snow as we got back in September…(September 8th to be exact…way too early), but a nice 5″ coating. Along with the snow came a shift in our weather, with bitterly cold temperatures in the morning and at night.
Sunday was, well, cold. All I wanted to do was cozy up by the fire with a steaming cup of hot chocolate. Or just something warm. There’s something about the first early snowfalls of the season that always feel the coldest. I think it’s that we’re not used to the chillier weather. Either way, the drop in temperatures of course has me craving all the coziest of foods.
Yes, I know, to be expected. But here’s the thing, I love my fall plates of pasta and my cozy, cheesy soups. But I was really feeling the need to switch things up. To break away from the classic autumn comfort foods, and instead create something just as warming and cozy.
At first, I wasn’t sure what I wanted to make. I had to do some thinking, but then it finally hit me while hiking, stew! I should make a stew!
But not the usual kind. Beef stew is much more my brother’s thing. But for me? I prefer a stew with sweet potatoes, coconut milk, and a mix of warming spices all served over steamed rice. And then? Topped with a spicy, zesty, chili oil, because we all know I love a good sauce (and trust me, this oil is key).
I went back and forth on whether to call this soup, curry, or stew, but in the end, I decided this is creamier than soup, but not quite a curry, so stew it was! Sounds a little odd, but don’t worry about the name, it’s delicious, and that’s all that really matters.
Yup, yet another one pot recipe that can also be made in the instant pot. Any way you make it, this recipe is easy. Here are the key steps.
First things first, your rice. I like to use basmati rice, but you could easily cook up brown rice or even use quinoa. If you ask me, stick with the steamed basmati, I like it best with this dish.
While the rice is cooking, make the stew. I usually just make this on the stove. Start with an onion and oil, add lots of fresh ginger and garlic, then toss in some cubed sweet potatoes. Once that’s all cooked together for a minute, add in all the flavor…the spices. I’m using a mix of warming garam masala, turmeric, and a pinch of cayenne pepper. Garam masala is an Indian spice blend usually made of cumin, coriander, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, plus a few others. It’s all my favorite autumn spices in one. I keep this on hand at all times to create quick and healthy meals.
Once you’ve added the spices, add enough water to cover the sweet potatoes. You can also use vegetable broth if preferred, but the stew has so many flavors, that it’s not really needed. Bring the mix to a boil and simmer until the sweet potatoes are tender.
Add the coconut milk and kale and that’s that. It’s a pretty simple but yet so delicious.
And yes, you NEED this oil. It’s really the reason I made the recipe. It’s inspired a bit by the Middle Eastern sauce, Chermoula, which is made with oil, seeds, spices, and lots of fresh herbs.
I decided to opt-out of the herbs and instead create a spiced oil. And you guys? This oil/sauce is everything. It’s the perfect finishing touch to this stew. Think a little spicy, garlicky, and flavored with cumin and sesame. So delicious.
Serve the stew over the rice, then add lots of the chili oil. Finish with cilantro and done. Oh, and add fresh naan for scooping up all the creamy, coconutty sauce.
I can’t tell you how much I love this recipe. This stew is SO flavorful, SO full of color, and filled with good for us ingredients. It’s the creamiest, most flavorful bowl. The best part, well aside from all the deliciousness, is that this requires no more than two pots and less than an hour.
And lastly, I swear the leftovers taste even better the following day. The flavors then have time to mend, and the sauce is just more intense…just a little added bonus!
Looking for other healthy fall dinners? Here are a few ideas:
Persian Herb and Chickpea Stew with Rice
Sweet Potato Lentil Curry with Crispy Sesame Chickpeas
Crockpot Moroccan Lentil and Chickpea Soup
Lastly, if you make this Gingery Coconut Sweet Potato and Rice Stew with Chili Oil be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Question for the insta pot version. Do you put the rice in the insta pot or cook it separately? Thanks!
Hi Jenn,
You are going to cook the rice separately. Please let me know if you give the recipe a try, I hope you love it! xTieghan
I added cubed chicken breasts to the recipe so it had a bit more protein and substance. It was straight ???! You da real MVP, Tieghan!
Hey Taylor,
LOL Awesome! Love to hear that you liked the recipe, thanks a bunch for trying it out! Happy Holidays! xx
Hi…Can we replace sweet potato with butternut squash? if yes, how would the cooking change?
Hey there,
You could do that and just follow the recipe as is:) Please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Sadly, this one wasn’t our favourite. After the Ginger and Chicken ramen recipe we were excited to try another dish. Unfortunately we found this one didn’t have much flavour. Seems like it’s missing something.
Hey Candace,
So sorry you did not enjoy the recipe, please let me know if I can help in anyway, thanks for giving it a try! xTieghan
This was fantastic!
The combination of the spices in the stew and the richness of the coconut milk with that drizzle of the spiced oil was soo good!
I don’t typically make dishes with sweet potatoes but after I made your bourbon sweet potato casserole (one word: incredible BTW) I thought I would give this a try & I am so glad I did!
Thank you for getting me to try new things, I love your recipes !
Hi Lori,
Wonderful!! I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it! Have a great weekend! xTieghan
My family, mostly my kids won’t eat soup or anything too liquidy. I simply put the rice into the mixture after adding the coconut milk and it cooked up so nicely and tasted amazing. Everyone ate it no complaints.
Hey Danielle,
Thanks a lot for giving this recipe a try, I am so glad to hear it was enjoyed! Have the best day! xTieghan
Sooooo good! Just the right amount of spicy with the sweet coconut milk. Easy to put together. I forgot to get spinach, but it was yummy without! Will make again for sure.
Hey! Thank you so much for trying out this recipe, I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Happy Monday ? xTieghan
Truly one of my faves! I always add cubed chicken tenders in when the onions are cooking. I also use the spiced chili oil from Trader Joe’s as a garnish with lime, Pom seeds and cilantro. Served atop basmati. The best!!! Thank you!
Hi Erica,
Wonderful! I am thrilled to hear this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for giving it a go! Happy New Year!? xTieghan
Thoughts on substituting white basmati rice with riced cauliflower?
That should work just fine! Enjoy 🙂 xTieghan
Just made this today cooler weather here in NY. Such an easy delicious recipe to follow made exactly to the instructions. I have never really used garam marsala but it won’t be my last. I have made many of your recipes and look forward to Sunday morning emails.
Thanks again!
Hey Ann! I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed this recipe! Thanks for trying it out and Happy Halloween! xTieghan
I love this stew! It was perfect for our #meatlessmonday meal this week — so healthy and delicious! The only change I made was to use spinach since that’s what I had on hand. And you’re right — you NEED the chili oil. It is a delightful finishing touch.
Hey! I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed this recipe! Thanks for trying it out and Happy Halloween! xTieghan
Loved it. Added a little agave…
Happy Thursday! So glad this recipe was enjoyed and thanks for making it! xTieghan
This is so good!!! Super healthy and delicious.
Hey Grace! So glad you enjoyed this recipe, thanks for giving it a try! xTieghan
Made this for dinner tonight and we enjoyed it so much! It’s literally so perfect for the season. The sweet potato goes perfectly with coconut milk and the spices give it such warmth. I already can’t wait to have some of the leftovers tomorrow. Thank you for the recipe!
Hey there! So glad you enjoyed this recipe, thanks for giving it a try! xTieghan
Made this for me for dinner this evening (and for lunches for the rest of the week). This was a delightful depart from our norm. Usually I am not a fan of rice but rice truly fit this dish.
Hey there! So glad you enjoyed this recipe, thanks for giving it a try! xTieghan
I grew Japanese Sweet Potatoes in my garden this year and had SO MANY! This popped up in your recipes for the week Stories on Insta and I was psyched to have every ingredient on hand! LOVE this! It was so fragrant while cooking that I knew it was going to taste great and it DOES!! A quick suggestion, I love your weekly meal plan, maybe it could be a multi-photo post on Instagram so that they do not go away after a day. Thanks so much for your hard work. I’m a long-time follower and your recipes are simply my favorites!!!
Hey! This is awesome, I’m so happy to hear this recipe turned out the way you’d hoped! 🙂 xTieghan