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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.
This one is simple, here are the steps.
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.
While the stew is simmering, make the spiced oil.
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!
Ginger Coconut Sweet Potato and Rice Stew with Spiced Chili Oil
Servings: 6
Calories Per Serving: 727 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 2 inches fresh ginger, grated
- 4 cloves garlic, minced or grated
- 2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
- 2 teaspoons garam masala
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 1/4- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper more or less to taste
- 1/3 cup fresh cilantro, chopped, plus more for serving
- kosher salt and black pepper
- 1 (14 ounce) can coconut milk
- 3 cups chopped kale
- 2 cups cooked basmati rice
Spiced Chili Oil
- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic lightly smashed
- 1 tablespoon raw sesame seeds
- 2-3 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin seed
- 1 teaspoon paprika
Instructions
Stove-Top
- 1. Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. When the oil shimmers, add the onion and cook 5 minutes until soft. Add the ginger, garlic, and sweet potatoes and cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Stir in the garam masala, turmeric, and cayenne and cook another minute. 2. Add 3 cups water. Season generously with salt. Bring the mix to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to low. Cover and simmer 15-20 minutes, until the sweet potatoes are tender. 3. Stir in the coconut milk and kale, cook 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and add the cilantro. 4. Meanwhile, make the chili oil. Heat the olive oil and garlic in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Cook, stirring occasionally until the garlic is fragrant, 5 minutes. Stir in the sesame seeds, chili flakes, and cumin seeds, cook 30 seconds. Remove from the heat and stir in the paprika. Season the oil with salt. Let cool.4. To serve, divide the rice among bowls and ladle the stew overtop. Spoon over the chili oil and top with cilantro. Serve with Naan on the side. Enjoy!
Instant Pot
- 1. Set Instant pot to sauté. Add the olive oil and onion and cook 5 minutes until soft. Add the ginger, garlic, and sweet potatoes and cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Stir in the garam masala, turmeric, and cayenne and cook another minute. 2. Add 3 cups water. Season generously with salt. Cover, select the manual setting, and cook on high pressure for 10 minutes.3. Once done cooking, use the quick release function and release the steam. Set the Instant pot to sauté. Stir in the coconut milk and kale, and cook 5 minutes. Turn the instant pot off. Stir in the cilantro.4. Finish as directed above through step 4.
Wonderful to make ahead of time, freeze and even reheat. Paired with your katsu chicken recipe. ❤️
Thank you SO much for trying out this recipe! Loveee to hear that you enjoyed it! 🙂 xT
Easy and delicious!
Hey Kaitlin,
Amazing!! Thanks so much for making this recipe and your comment, so glad it was a hit! xT
This is amazing! Made it for meatless Monday! Along with your naan bread recipe! Wow! I was impressed! I love all of your recipes! You never disappoint! Can you freeze the leftover stew?
Hey Samm,
Happy Wednesday!! Thanks so much for making this recipe and sharing your feedback, so glad to hear it was tasty! Sure, you could freeze this! xx
I make this recipe with my boyfriend once a week now! We add chickpeas for protein and it comes out amazing! Love the chili oil on top too!!
Hey Hannah,
Happy Monday!! I appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your feedback, so glad it turned out well for you:)
I made this recipe for the first time tonight and WOW was it good. The ginger really comes through, and the chili oil adds a lot. I decided to add ginger chicken meatballs, which tasted great with the stew. My husband loved it too! Will be making this regularly. Thanks for another great recipe, Tieghan!
Hey Jessica,
Happy Friday!! I appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your feedback, so glad to hear this was enjoyed! xT
I don’t understand, all these salads in the winter 😕. 🙂
This is going to be a regular feature of Meatless Mondays in my house! I’ve made it twice now and even my country, meat-loving husband thought it was great. Easy to sub in brown rice, and next time may try butternut squash along with the sweet potatoes. Meatless definitely doesn’t have to mean boring or insubstantial! This stew is bold in flavor and definitely filling.
Hey Bonnie,
Perfect!! ⛄️ I love to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks so much for trying it out! xx
I say this every time I try a HBH recipe, but this time I REALLY mean it. THIS IS MY FAVORITE RECIPE.
The flavors in this recipe are spot on. The onion, garlic, and ginger play so well off each other. They blend super nicely with the sweet potatoes which come out perfectly soft and warm. Served over rice, this creamy, coconut, curry is a total winner. YUM.
Even more special than the flavors…this recipe was EXCEPTIONALLY good to cook with my littles. Their small hands could dump in the bowls of onion, sweet potatoes, and spices. And with supervision, they were totally able to stir and scoop. Some fun and cherished memories were made in our kitchen today.
This was such a fabulous recipe. Thanks so much for sharing with us!
🙂
Hey Katherine,
Wonderful!!🎅 I love to hear that this recipe turned out well for you, thanks so much for making it and your comment! xT
I’ve now made this a number of times, each time with slight variations, and it’s still my favorite! Great both with and without rice, and with spinach instead of kale. Chili oil is a must, or a extra cayenne directly to the soup.
Hey Kyra,
Fantastic!! Thanks a lot for trying this recipe and your comment, I love to hear that it was tasty! Have a great weekend:)
Loved this! To half the batch, I added spicy Italian sausage and spinach to make it a bit heartier for my meat loving husband. Both were delish!
Hey Deb,
Happy Sunday!!⛄️ I truly appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your feedback, so glad to hear it was enjoyed! xxT
This was so good the chili oil is very necessary! I had to add more salt and spices but so warming and healthy!! Love these soup recipes this season
Hey there,
Wonderful!! I love to hear that this recipe was a hit, thanks for giving it a try! Have a great weekend:)
This was delicious thank you Tieghan! So full of flavour and the oil really gives it depth. I used baby spinach instead of kale. I have all of your cook books and trust your recipes to always be amazing!
Hey Lauren,
Awesome!! Love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for making it and sharing your review:) Happy Thanksgiving! 🍽
Didn’t have a lot of flavor, had to add more salt. Chili oil is a must.
Hi Michelle,
Thanks for giving this recipe a try and sharing your feedback, sorry to hear it wasn’t enjoyed! xT
I was surprised at how sweet it was –but pleasantly surprised! I loved the chili oil, it really completed it <3 Thanks!
Hey Alexa,
I truly appreciate you giving this recipe a try and sharing your feedback, love to hear that it was enjoyed!❄️ xx
Delicious. I might use bok choy instead of kale next time. I used only 1 tsp of red pepper flakes and it was plenty for our taste. Thank you!!
Hey Ren,
Happy Tuesday!! Thanks a lot for making this recipe and sharing your feedback, I love to hear that it turned out tasty for you! xT