Sweet Potato & Spinach Curry with Saffron & Lemon Rice
Prepare carefully. Work safely. Evaluate honestly.
- Serves / makes
- 6 servings
- Preparation
- 20 minutes
- Cooking
- 30 minutes
- Total time
- 50 minutes
Heat / oven settingHob: medium heat, then simmer
Ingredients
| Ingredient | Quantity |
|---|---|
| 900g | |
| 300g | |
| 600g (1½ × 400g tins; then drain if directed) | |
| 1.5 | |
| 3 cloves | |
| 1.5 tbsp | |
| 3 tsp | |
| 600g (1½ × 400g tins; then drain if directed) | |
| 600ml | |
| 375g | |
| A small pinch | |
| 1.5 |
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Equipment
- Digital scales, measuring jug and spoons
- Clean chopping boards and sharp knife
- Mixing bowl
- Clean serving utensils
- Oven gloves and heatproof mat
- Large saucepan for curry
- Saucepan for rice
- Small bowl for saffron
- Can opener
- Grater
- Wooden spoon
- Extra baking tray or larger pan/dish if needed for six servings
Method
Prepare
Wash hands and the workstation. Cut sweet potato into even 2cm cubes. Rinse spinach thoroughly and drain chickpeas. Use pans and trays large enough for six servings. Cook in batches if needed; keep pieces the same size and allow extra time for batches. For baked dishes, use a wider dish to keep the original depth.
Start curry
Soften onion in oil for 5 minutes. Add garlic and curry powder for 1 minute. Stir in sweet potatoes, chickpeas, tomatoes and coconut milk.
Simmer
Simmer gently for 20–25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until sweet potato is tender. Add a splash of water if too thick.
Make rice
Soak saffron in 3 tbsp hot water for 5 minutes. Cook rice following packet instructions, adding saffron and its liquid to the cooking water. Drain if needed.
Finish
Stir spinach into the curry for 2–3 minutes until wilted and hot throughout. Add finely grated lemon zest and a little juice to the cooked rice.
Present
Serve curry beside the golden rice. Evaluate whether the sweet potato cubes remain intact.
Portion for six
Divide the finished dish evenly between six people.
Food safety
- Wash hands, clean surfaces, tie back hair and use clean equipment. Check use-by dates and ingredient labels before starting.
- Take care with boiling water, steam and hot pans. Use oven gloves for hot dishes and keep pan handles away from the worktop edge. Heat the finished dish until steaming throughout.
- Serve rice promptly. To save freshly cooked rice, cool quickly, ideally within 1 hour; refrigerate and use within 24 hours. Reheat only once, until steaming hot throughout. Do not keep rice warm at room temperature.
- Cool perishable leftovers and refrigerate within 1–2 hours. Keep the fridge at 5°C or below, use refrigerated leftovers within 48 hours and reheat only once until steaming hot throughout. Rice has a shorter storage limit.
Guidance: Food Standards Agency cooking advice ↗ · Rice storage advice ↗
Nutritional considerations
Chickpeas, sweet potatoes and spinach contribute fibre. Chickpeas add plant protein; coconut milk supplies saturated fat. Rice contributes carbohydrate.
Practical skills
Even dicing, simmering vegetables, infusing saffron and wilting spinach.
Presentation
Use clean serving equipment, divide evenly and wipe the plate or dish edges. Check the finished food against your planned colour, texture and appearance.
Evaluate your practical
Describe the appearance, flavour, texture and a skill you used successfully.
Explain one improvement to the recipe, your timings or your technique.
Classroom adaptation written from the recipe title in your collection. Review portions, ingredients and timings with your teacher before a practical.
Times are approximate. Quantities are for the stated yield; accompanying foods are included only when listed. This learning sheet does not itself award a qualification.