Plento Pasto CookbookEast African Coconut Chickpea & Sweet Potato Stew
⏱ 20 min
🍽 Serves 4
≈ $6.90 ($1.73/serving)
novice
Why this fits a family on a budget
Chickpeas, sweet potatoes, and canned goods are among the most affordable grocery items available, keeping cost comfortably under $3 per serving for a family of four. Everything cooks in one pan in under 20 minutes with no advanced techniques required.
Ingredients
• 15 oz canned chickpeas
• 2 medium sweet potato
• 14.5 oz canned diced tomatoes
• 13.5 oz canned coconut milk
• 1 medium yellow onion
• 3 clove garlic cloves
• 2 tsp curry powder
• 0.5 tsp ground turmeric
• 0.25 tsp ground cinnamon
• 0.25 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 cup frozen green peas
• 0.25 cup fresh cilantro
• 1.5 cup long-grain white rice
• 3 cup water
Instructions
1. Peel the sweet potatoes and cut them into 1-inch cubes. Dice the onion and mince the garlic cloves.
2. In a medium saucepan, combine the rice with 3 cups of water and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to low, cover, and cook for 15 minutes until water is absorbed and rice is fluffy. Remove from heat and keep covered.
3. While the rice cooks, heat 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a large skillet or wide pot over medium-high heat. Add the diced onion and cook for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened and slightly golden.
4. Add the minced garlic and stir for 30 seconds until fragrant.
5. Add the curry powder, turmeric, cinnamon, and red pepper flakes. Stir constantly for 30 seconds to toast the spices — the mixture will look deep golden and smell very aromatic.
6. Add the sweet potato cubes and stir to coat them in the spiced onion mixture.
7. Pour in the canned diced tomatoes and coconut milk. Stir well and increase heat to bring to a gentle boil.
8. Drain and rinse the canned chickpeas, then add them to the pot. Reduce heat to medium and cook for 10–12 minutes, stirring every 2–3 minutes, until the sweet potato cubes are fork-tender — a fork should slide in easily with no resistance.
9. Stir in the frozen green peas and cook for 2 minutes until heated through. Season with salt to taste.
10. Serve the stew over the cooked rice and garnish with fresh cilantro.
Cost is a national-average estimate and varies by store and region.
Plan a whole week like this — free
Plento Pasto plans a week of family dinners around the grocery budget you set and what's already in your kitchen. Free to plan, no ads.
This recipe was generated by Plento Pasto's AI from a library of family-friendly dishes and reviewed for a real photo before publishing. Cooking times, costs, and nutrition are estimates — use your judgment in the kitchen.
← Browse more budget-friendly dinners