Sweet Potato Curry Rice

While visiting R.'s mom last winter, she made a sweet potato curry couscous that was really fantastic. I wanted to semi-replicate her dish with similar ingredients but using rice instead. Add in some ideas borrowed from other online sources, and this recipe was born! Two caveats to bear in mind: 1. I have a rice cooker so my directions for the rice are specific to rice cookers; 2. I get lazy and cook the sweet potatoes in the microwave. I'm sure any other method works too.

SWEET POTATO CURRY RICE

Ingredients:

• Sweet potatoes (3)
• Kale leaves, chopped or ripped into bite size pieces (2 cups)
• Jasmine or any long grain rice (1½ cups)
• Powdered chicken bouillon (1 tbsp) - can skip or substitute with vegetable bouillon for a vegan dish
  
• Raisins (1½ tbsp)
• Curry powder (1 tsp) – I prefer Madras curry powder
• Salt (to taste)
• Bay leaf (1 leaf)
• Oil (1 tsp)
• Onion, finely chopped (½ cup)
• Garlic, peeled and finely minced (3 cloves, divided)
• Ginger, minced (1 tsp)
• Red wine or vegetable broth (just a splash)
• Tamari or soy sauce (2 tbsp)
• Pine nuts (¼ cup)

Directions:

1. In a large skillet, sauté onion and one clove of minced garlic in oil on moderate heat until onions are translucent.
2. Wash rice well and drain. Place rice in rice cooker pan and fill with equal parts water.
3. Add precooked onion and garlic, chicken bouillon, raisins, curry powder, salt (to taste), bay leaf, and pine nuts. Cook rice in rice cooker.
4. Wash sweet potatoes. Puncture a few times with a fork. Place on paper towel on a microwave-safe dish and cook in microwave on high for 4-5 minutes for the first potato, plus about 2-3 minutes for each additional potato (about 8-11 mins for 3 potatoes, depending on the size of the potatoes). Turn over potatoes halfway through cooking. When done, let cool for a few minutes and then scoop out the sweet potatoes and mash coarsely.
5. In a frying pan, sauté two cloves of minced garlic and 1 tsp of minced ginger in a little red wine or vegetable broth. Add kale that has been chopped or ripped into bite size pieces. Add 2 tbsp of tamari or soy sauce and continue cooking for a few minutes, until done.
6. When rice is done, remove the bay leaf and mix all ingredients in the rice well. Mix rice, kale, and sweet potatoes in large skillet over medium-high heat for a few minutes. Add salt to taste (though this may not be necessary if you are using Madras curry because Madras curry already has a fairly strong taste).

Yield: 4-5 servings

Links:
How to cook kale
Cooking sweet potatoes in the microwave