Quick & Easy, One Pot: Sweet Potato Curry

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How To Cook Sweet Potatoes For Baby Led Weaning?

Can my baby eat a curry? Baby led weaning is a wonderful approach to introducing solid foods to babies, encouraging them to explore and develop their self-feeding skills. When it comes to introducing curry to your baby, it is important to consider their age, individual taste preferences, and any potential allergies. Offering mild and well-cooked curry dishes can be a great way to introduce new flavours and spices, as long as the curry does not contain ingredients that are too spicy or heavy on seasoning. Healthy homemade curries, made with nutritious ingredients and catered to suit your baby's needs, can provide a delicious and diverse addition to their diet. Always consult with your health visitor to ensure that the curry chosen aligns with your baby's age and dietary requirements.

Sweet potatoes are a fantastic choice for baby-led weaning due to their numerous benefits. Packed with essential vitamins and minerals, sweet potatoes offer a wealth of nutrients for growing babies. They are an excellent source of dietary fibre, which aids in digestion and promotes a healthy gut. The vibrant orange colour of sweet potatoes indicates their high beta-carotene content, which supports healthy vision and boosts the immune system. Additionally, sweet potatoes provide valuable antioxidants that help protect against cell damage. Their natural sweetness makes them appealing to little ones' taste buds, making it easier to introduce new flavours and encourage healthy eating habits from an early age. Whether roasted, steamed, crisped, or in the form of finger foods, sweet potatoes are a nutritious and versatile addition to any baby's diet.

Does curry powder contain salt? Curry powder is a versatile spice blend commonly used in various cuisines around the world, adding flavour and depth to a wide range of dishes. When it comes to the presence of salt in curry powder, it depends on the specific brand or recipe. While some commercially prepared curry powders may contain salt as an ingredient, others may not. It's important to carefully read the label or check the recipe to determine if salt is included. It is best to buy a salt-free curry powder or make their own blend at home, adjusting the levels of salt to their liking.

Slow cooking a sweet potato curry in the slow cooker offers numerous benefits for both baby-led weaning and busy mums. Firstly, the slow cooking method allows the flavours of the curry to beautifully meld together, resulting in a rich and delicious meal for the whole family. For baby-led weaning, slow cooking ensures that the sweet potatoes become incredibly tender and easy for little ones to handle and chew. The slow cooker also provides a convenient solution for busy mums, as it allows the preparation of a wholesome and nourishing meal with minimal effort. By simply tossing the ingredients into the slow cooker in the morning, busy mums can focus on their daily activities while the curry simmers away, filling the home with tantalising aromas. Ultimately, slow cooking a sweet potato curry not only caters to the needs of baby-led weaning but also provides a time-saving and convenient option for busy mums.

Investing in a slow cooker can be a game-changer for busy mums, providing them with a range of benefits. First and foremost, this versatile kitchen appliance offers convenience and saves precious time. With a slow cooker, busy mums can simply prep their ingredients in the morning, set the cooking time, and let it work its magic throughout the day. This means less time spent in the kitchen and more time for other important tasks. Besides time-saving, slow cookers also offer health benefits.

By gently simmering food at low temperatures, they help to retain valuable nutrients and flavours. Additionally, slow cooking allows for convenient meal planning, enabling busy mums to prepare larger batches of delicious and nutritious meals that can be enjoyed throughout the week. Furthermore, the slow cooking process tenderises meat and breaks down tough fibres, resulting in mouthwatering, succulent dishes. All in all, investing in a slow cooker is a wise choice, as it brings convenience, health benefits, and the ability to prepare wholesome meals with minimal effort.

Ingredient information

Sweet potato - The star of the show, But if sweet potato is not your thing, you could use aubergine, courgette or even okra.

Onion - A red or white onion would work for this recipe.

Garlic - I have used fresh garlic, but you could use a 2 teaspoons or garlic powder or garlic granules. Alternatively you could use 2 teaspoons of garlic paste.

Curry powder - I have used a curry powder with no added salt, great to use when cooking for your baby.

Cumin - A distinct spice great used in curries and other recipes such as a quesadilla.

Coriander - I have chosen to use ground coriander, Brings a sweetness that the curry needs against the sweet potato.

Ginger - You can use fresh ginger or ground ginger. I have chosen to use ground ginger, but you can use 1 thumbnail of fresh ginger, grated.

Garam masala - A great spice for curries, you only need a small amount for a great flavour.

Spinach - Frozen spinach is great and good for adding into curries and stews. Handy to have in the freezer.

Red lentils - Make sure that the red lentils are rinsed with cold water using a sieve so that the water runs clear. This is just to remove any dirt.

Coconut milk - I have used a full fat coconut milk as this is best to use for baby. Full fat milk, plain Greek yogurt until they are 2 years old.

Tinned tomatoes - I have used whole plum tomatoes as I feel these have more flavour than tinned chopped tomatoes. I use scissors to chop up the plum tomatoes.

Serving suggestion

The sweet potato curry is great served with either white or brown rice or naan bread. You could serve with baked cauliflower or some delicious roasted carrots!

Storage instructions

The sweet potato curry can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days, stored in an airtight container.

If you wanted to freeze the sweet potato curry, you will need to make sure that the sweet potato curry has cooled down before transferring to either a freezer bag (carefully) or to an airtight container. Ensure that the bag and/or airtight container is labelled with the item and the date. I use masking tape to label the airtight container.

To defrost the sweet potato curry, leave in the fridge overnight to defrost and make sure that it is fully defrosted, before re heating.

To reheat, place the defrosted sweet potato curry in an oven proof dish, in a preheated oven on 180C/350F and reheat on a for 20-25 minutes. Cool slightly before eating and serving to your baby.

Once the sweet potato curry has been defrosted you will not be able to reheat or re freeze

Equipment used to help with this recipe

Slow cooker - A slow cooker is well worth the investment. I use one that has a non-stick removable pan for ease of cleaning, and an in-built timer. 

Airtight container - I much prefer the click-shut lids on these containers compared to others. They are also dishwasher and freezer safe and BPA free, so very suitable for food use. 

Oven proof dish - The design of this ovenproof dish allows for self-basting and will keep the food moist. It also has a non-stick coating, so is easy to clean!

Curry powder - I found and liked this curry powder that is mildly spiced and, more importantly, salt free.

Recipe | Sweet Potato Curry

Ingredients

Makes 4-5 portions large portions and up to 8 little portions

• 4 sweet potatoes 530 g, peeled and cubed

• 1 large onion 225g

• 2 garlic cloves, grated or crushed

• 3 tablespoons curry powder

• 1 teaspoon ground cumin

• 1 teaspoon ground coriander

• 1 teaspoon ground ginger

• 1/4 teaspoon garam masala

• 220g (6) frozen blocks of spinach

• 100g red lentils, rinsed with cold water

• 1 tin 400ml coconut milk

• 1 tin 400g plum tomatoes, chopped

• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

• Pop all of the ingredients into a slow cooker, (lined if possible but this is optional).

• Stir all of the ingredients together. Pop the lid on the slow cooker.

• Turn the slow cooker on for 6-8 hours on low, or 3-4 hours on high.

Hope you and your family enjoy!

Recipe notes

If you do not have a slow cooker, Pre heat your oven to 180C/350F and prepare the sweet potato curry ingredients in the same way, place the ingredients into an oven proof dish, cover and cook for 2-3 hours, stirring regularly. If you need to add in a splash of water during cooking you can!

Feel free to add in more veggies, you could add in aubergine, white potato or carrot.

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