Sweet Potato Chickpea Curry Recipe For A Warm Hiking Lunch

Bitting on a soggy sandwich on a cold day hike is the last thing you want. Spice up your hiking lunch with this warm sweet potato chickpea curry recipe! Warm, did you say? Of course warm! Use an insulated food flask to carry your lunch and enjoy a warm (and hot) full of flavoured curry on the trail. Who said hiking lunches have to be dull?

In my searches and trials for a hot meal to carry on a day hike, this is my new finding: a curry. As a vegetarian, I have cooked and carried on a day hike a sweet potato chickpea curry. It was delicious and made a lot of envious in the group. So if you too want to enjoy a warm meal on a cold day hike, follow my recipe.

But before we move on to the actual recipe, let’s take a closer look at the sweet potato chickpea curry recipe.

What’s Inside the Sweet Potato Chickpea Curry Recipe

We don’t know what’s in our food anymore. So, it is time to learn about what we are cooking and gain some nutrition knowledge about the recipe. Let’s dive in!

What is curry?

We all know it but we might sometimes use it to describe the wrong dish. So let’s make it clear. Curry is a traditional dish from South Asian cuisine consisting of meat, fish or vegetable cooked in a spicy sauce or gravy. The word Curry is an anglicism from the Tamil word Kari which means “sauce”.

Originally, the curry contained three main ingredients: garlic, turmeric and ginger. Major archaeologic searches and scientific experiments have shown that the dish is dated back to 2600 BCE. But you will need to wait until the Portuguese settlement in Goa in 1510 to see changes in the original curry recipe. Through the settlement, chilli peppers, tomatoes and potatoes from Columbia were introduced and quickly adopted by the Indians in their cuisine.

The dish was exported to Britain where it was served in Curry Houses from the beginning of the nineteenth century. However, the first reference to the anglicised word for the dish spelt at the time “currey” is in Hannah Glasse‘s cookbook in 1747. The dish is now internationally famous and has been adapted in many different styles in Western Countries to match the local tastes and culinary traditions.

The Ingredients

So what’s inside the sweet potato chickpea curry recipe and what’s in it for you as hikers?

Sweet Potato: Much better option than their cousin the potatoes, the sweet potatoes are full of vitamins, fibre and minerals. They contain vitamin C and B6 which help support brain health and the nervous system as well as vitamin A to reduce inflammation and strengthen the immune system. Moreover, fibres are good for gut health and the antioxidant contained in sweet potatoes protect against the damages of the free radicals.

Chickpea: They are a source of fibre and proteins. The two combined together help increase the feeling of fullness. This is why chickpeas are used in weight management programs. For us hikers, it is a good thing as you don’t want to stop every 10 minutes to eat something. Chickpeas also contain slow-release carbs which prevent sugar spikes in your blood. In the long term chickpeas are good for blood sugar regulation and short term for hikers, it gives you long-lasting energy to keep walking. This is because the body breaks carbs into glucose which are stored in the liver and muscles and used as a source of energy. Eating chickpeas for lunch is a good way to refuel your carbs reserve to have enough energy for the afternoon.

Spinach: There is no need to introduce spinach anymore! The superstar vegetable is packed with calcium and vitamin K essential to maintain good bone health and prevent osteoporosis. Spinach is also an excellent source of iron, which helps red blood cells bring oxygen to your body. Finally, spinach contains antioxidants that help fight against the damages caused by the free radicals.

My tips

Spicy or not spicy?

Well, a curry without spice is not a curry but of course, you can adapt the level of spice based on your taste and tolerance.

My favourite mix of spices on curry is paprika, cumin and cayenne. In this recipe, we add ground coriander to the mix. You can also swap the paprika for turmeric or the cayenne for chilli powder. Or if you really like it spicy you can add chilli flakes to the mix.

Fresh or ground coriander?

In regards to the coriander, you could also swap the powder for fresh leaves. When it comes to carrying food on the trails, I prefer to use powder and limit the number of fresh ingredients which I find don’t look very well by the time we reach lunch break. Whilst fresh coriander adds flavour, after a couple of hours in an insulated food flask it just tends to become squishy and has lost its flavour.

To make a curry you can use vegetable broth or coconut milk/cream. However, when it comes to hiking lunch recipes, avoid anything with milk or cream. However, if you are making this dish to eat at home straight off the hob, then fine you can swap the vegetable broth for coconut milk to thicken your curry.

I don’t like spinach!

Finally, if you really don’t like spinach, a good alternative will be broccoli. Packed with vitamins and minerals, broccoli also contains antioxidants which helps fight against the damages caused by the free radicals as well as maintain blood sugar levels.

Transport and conservation

You can keep a homemade curry for up to 5 days in the fridge but the rule of thumb is to consume it within 48 hours to be on the safe side. Alternatively, you could also freeze the leftovers and eat them another time or during another hiker.

To keep your curry warm until you reach the lunch break spot, use an insulated food flask. My recommendation is to use the Thermos Stainless Kingfood Flask, to keep your food warm for up to 9 hours. You can use it in the summertime as well to keep your liquids cool for up to 14 hours. To know more about the Thermos Kingfood Flask, read my review here.

The Sweet Potato Chickpea Curry Recipe

Now we have talked about what curry is and what’s inside our today’s recipe, let’s dive into the how.

Final Thoughts On the Sweet Potato Chickpea Curry Recipe

A nice and flavoured meal on a day hike is like heaven on earth, but also mean that you have to cook. Finding ideas for your hiking lunches don’t have to be a brainteaser. Check my other recipes for easy and quick meals you can cook at home ahead of your hikes. With a selection of refreshing salads to warm meals, you will never run out of ideas again!

Check my other hiking lunch recipes

Vegetable Mac and Cheese Recipe: The Best Comfort Food With A Twist

Winter Vegetable Soup Recipe For A Warm Hiking Lunch

Butternut Squash Rice Recipe: A Carbs-Packed Meal

Warm Lentil Salad Recipe With Roasted Vegetables Perfect For Hiking Lunch

5 Lunch Ideas For A Hike Easy and Healthy (Yet Tasty)

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