Curried Lentil & Sweet Potato Boats
Roasted sweet potato boats filled with a quick Indian-spiced red lentil curry, finished with yogurt and cilantro. A nourishing weeknight dinner with plant protein and meal-prep leftovers.
Equipment
- Baking sheet
- Medium saucepan or kadai with lid
- Fork and spoon for opening the boats
Ingredients
For the sweet potato boats
- 4 medium sweet potatoes about 8 to 10 oz / 225 to 280 g each, scrubbed
- 1 teaspoon oil
- pinch salt
For the curried lentils
- 1 tablespoon oil or ghee
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1/4 teaspoon hing (asafoetida)
- 1 small onion finely chopped; skip for Jain / no-onion
- 2 cloves garlic minced; skip for Jain / no-garlic
- 1/2 inch ginger finely grated
- 1 green chili finely chopped, optional
- 1 medium tomato finely chopped, or 1/2 cup crushed tomato
- 3/4 cup red lentils (masoor dal) rinsed
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 3/4-1 teaspoon garam masala
- 1/2 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder or to taste
- 2 1/4-2 1/2 cups water plus more as needed
- 3/4-1 teaspoon salt or to taste
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice to finish
To serve
- 1/4 cup plain yogurt or coconut yogurt
- 2-3 tablespoons chopped cilantro
- lemon wedges
- chili flakes or chaat masala optional
Instructions
Roast the sweet potatoes
- Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment if you like easier cleanup.
- Pierce each sweet potato a few times with a fork. Rub lightly with oil and a pinch of salt. Place on the sheet.
- Roast 40 to 45 minutes, until a knife slides through the center with almost no resistance and the skins look slightly wrinkled. Keep them in the warm oven if the lentils need another few minutes.
Cook the curried lentils
- While the potatoes roast, heat oil or ghee in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add cumin seeds. When they sizzle, add hing. If using onion and garlic, add them now with the ginger and green chili. Saute until the onion turns soft and translucent, 4 to 5 minutes. For Jain / no-onion-no-garlic, skip onion and garlic; bloom the hing, then add ginger and green chili for 30 seconds.
- Add the tomato and cook 2 to 3 minutes until it softens and looks jammy. Stir in turmeric, coriander, garam masala, and Kashmiri chili. Toast the spices for 20 to 30 seconds.
- Add the rinsed red lentils and salt. Pour in 2 1/4 cups water. Bring to a boil, then lower to a gentle simmer. Cover partly and cook 15 to 20 minutes, stirring once or twice, until the lentils are soft and spoonable. Add a splash more water if the pot looks dry before the lentils are tender. Finish with lemon juice. Taste for salt and spice.
Assemble the boats
- Split each sweet potato lengthwise down the center, leaving the bottom connected so it opens like a boat. Gently fluff the flesh with a fork. Scoop about 1 tablespoon of flesh from each potato into the lentil curry and stir. This thickens the filling and ties the sweet and savory together.
- Mound the curried lentils into each boat. Add a spoon of yogurt or coconut yogurt, cilantro, and chili flakes or chaat masala if using. Serve hot with lemon wedges.
Notes
Lentil type: Red lentils are the weeknight choice here because they soften into a saucy filling. Brown or green lentils work if already cooked (about 1 1/2 cups), but they stay firmer and need less simmer time once added to the masala.
Canned shortcut: Use about 1 1/2 cups drained cooked lentils. Shorten the simmer to 8 to 10 minutes so the spices bloom and the tomato cooks down. Add water only as needed for a spoonable consistency.
Jain / no-onion-no-garlic: Skip onion and garlic. Keep hing, ginger, tomato, and garam masala. The boats still taste complete.
Make-ahead: Cook the lentil curry up to 3 days ahead and refrigerate. Roast potatoes the day you serve, or roast ahead and reheat at 350°F (175°C) for 10 to 12 minutes before filling.
Storage: Store leftover filling and potatoes separately in airtight containers in the fridge up to 3 days. Reheat the curry on the stove with a splash of water. Reheat potatoes in the oven or microwave, then assemble. Assembled boats soften if they sit filled in the fridge.
Extra filling: Spoon leftovers over instant pot jeera rice, or keep them for a lunch bowl next to a bright vegetable side.
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