We’ve had the most satisfying few weeks of travel! As soon as we’re back home, I usually spend the next few weeks cooking everything weird that my brain came up with each day away from home, which are all pent up and often scribbled in anything I find lying around.
Today was that day. A delicious result of all my pent up cooking craving unleashed!
As a cook and blogger, you go through these moments; moments when everything about the food is amazing, and then you realize that the food pictures that you took are hideous. My “ugly beautiful food moment” today is a spicy poblano and sweet potato curry sauce with cavatappi.
Absolutely beautiful flavors; with my impatient photography and bad lighting in all its glory! Don’t let the skin deep beauty deter you from trying this winning recipe!
Ingredients:
serves 4-6
1lb cavatappi (use any curly pasta; holds the sauce better in between the crevices)
2 cans light coconut milk
5 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
2″ piece ginger, roughly chopped
3 serrano peppers, roughly chopped
1 large handful of fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
1/4 handful fresh thai basil, roughly chopped (optional)
1 stick cinnamon
1 dried bay leaf
1 tsp cumin seeds
2 tbsp olive oil
2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
2 poblano peppers, deseeded and diced
1 1/2 tsp coarse kosher salt
Method:
In a blender, add garlic, ginger, serranos, cilantro, thai basil, and coconut milk. Blend together into a smooth puree like consistency. Set this mixture aside.
Bring a pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Add the pasta to it and cook per package instructions. I used cavatappi and needed 8 minutes to cook to al dente. Once cooked, drain the pasta and set aside.
In another separate saute pan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add cumin seeds and let splutter for 10 seconds.
Add the stick of cinnamon and bay leaf. Saute for 5-10 seconds, and toss in the chopped poblano and sweet potatoes. Sprinkle the measured salt and mix together thoroughly.
Cover and cook for 8-10 minutes until the sweet potatoes are fork tender.
Pour the pureed coconut milk sauce over the sweet potato/poblano mixture and mix well. Let this come to a simmering boil over medium heat. As soon it comes to a simmer, turn off the heat.
Mix both the cooked pasta and this veggie/sauce mixture in a large wide pan ensuring they are mixed thoroughly.
Serve hot with more chopped herbs on top if you’d like.
The creamy coconut milk with the herbs and spices packs a powerful flavor punch that makes a beautiful pairing with pasta, spicy peppers, and creamy sweet potatoes.
2 comments
Great post 🙂
Thank you!