Sweet potato stew with kale and lentils
This sweet potato stew with kale and lentils is a perfect winter weeknight meal. It's a great balance of textures - soft cubed sweet potato, 'chew' from kale and lentils and a toasted seed topping. The stew is warm and fragrant, zingy with ginger and lime juice with a good hit of chilli spice. It's a sensory delight, greater than the sum of its parts.
Servings: 6
Equipment
- Large lidded pot (big enough to take all the ingredients including unwilted kale leaves)
Ingredients
- 1 kg sweet potatoes
- big piece fresh ginger about 15g (note)
- ⅓ jalapeno pepper (note)
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1 ½ teaspoons garam masala
- 1 litre vegetable stock (note)
- 100 g sunflower seeds
- 100 g pumpkin seeds
- 1 bay leaf
- 250 g Kale/Swiss chard/silverbeet leaves
- 850 g canned lentils (no salt added) (2 cans. The drained weight will be about 400g)
- 2 teaspoons salt
- lots of freshly ground black pepper
- 1-2 limes
Instructions
- Preheat Oven - to 200°C. Or, skip this step if you already have toasted seeds or want to toast the seeds on the stove-top instead (note). Continue with the recipe while you're waiting for the oven to preheat.
- Prep Sweet Potatoes - peel and chop into small cubes, about 1cm.1 kg sweet potatoes
- Ginger & Jalapeno - finely grate or chop.big piece fresh ginger⅓ jalapeno pepper
- Heat Aromatics - in a very large saucepan, heat the oil. Add the ginger, jalapeno and garam masala. Heat for about a minute, stirring often, until fragrant.2 Tablespoons olive oil1 ½ teaspoons garam masala
- Cook Sweet Potatoes - stir in the sweet potatoes and stir well to coat in the spice mix. Add the stock and bay leaf. Bring to a simmer, partially cover, and simmer for about 20 minutes, until the sweet potato is tender.1 litre vegetable stock1 bay leaf
- Toast Seeds - place the seeds in a thin layer on a baking sheet or two (no oil needed). Place in the oven for 6-8 minutes unitl browned and starting to blister. Move them around half way through and keep a close eye on them so that they don't burn. OR, place the seeds in a large pre-heated dry frying pan on the stovetop and toast until browned and starting to pop. Stir often. Either method, transfer the seeds in a thin layer to a plate to cool before transferring to a glass jar.100 g sunflower seeds100 g pumpkin seeds
- Prep Kale & Lentils -very finely shred the kale leaves and transfer to a large bowl. Tip the lentils into a sieve set over the sink and rinse until the water runs clear. Add to the lentils.250 g Kale/Swiss chard/silverbeet leaves850 g canned lentils (no salt added)
- Add Kale, Lentils & Seasoning - to the stew. Cover and simmer for another 5-10 minutes, until the kale wilts.2 teaspoons saltlots of freshly ground black pepper
- Serve - spritz a little freshly squeezed lime juice over the top of each bowlful. Garnish with a generous sprinkle of seeds.1-2 limes
Notes
Ginger & Chilli - handy to keep in the freezer and finely grate straight from frozen using a rasp grater (like Microplane) to use.
Stock - If using my Vegetable Stock Paste, use 1 litre of water mixed with 1 Tablespoon of paste. You can add these separately to the pot; no need to mix together first. The water can even be cold.
Toasting Seeds - toasting the seeds enhances their crunch and flavour; it's worth doing this step. It's easier to get consistent browning by doing this in the oven, but you can absolutely so this in a dry pan over medium heat on the stovetop. Keep the seeds on the move so that they don't burn and toast until they smell fragrant and have taken on some colour.
Make Ahead & Leftovers
This stew will keep in the fridge for up to 5 days and will freeze well too. It will thicken slightly over time. You may want to add a touch of stock or water to loosen it to the consistency you want when reheating.