Aunt Jeannie's Curry Stew

My husband's aunt made this for our last family Christmas gathering.  If I had brought this stew, I would've been the sole consumptor at the party and would've had to bring the rest of the pot home (which, would've been just fine with me cuz it's so rich, spicy, and yummy).  But Jeannie has a spark about her that draws people in to whatever she does.   I love and admire her.  She's a spunky, crafty, cool lady....a vegetarian, a runner, a custodian of her family and community....and we have a lot of goofy laughs together too, although not nearly often enough. 

This recipe came from a magazine or cookbook from the looks of the copy she gave me.  If and when I find out which one, I'll certainly give credit (and maybe subscribe/buy it).  It has so many of my favorite things in it...it's like Amber in a bowl.  I doubled it and changed a few things, not because the original was not absolutely perfect but just because I had some ingredients on hand I figured would make an equally good substitution, and they did.  We also both add more curry than was called for.

3 Tbsp grape seed oil
2 small yellow onions, chopped
2 tsp garlic powder (or 4 cloves finely chopped)
2 Tbsp fresh chopped ginger
4-oz can mild chopped green chiles (or 2 finely chopped jalapenos)
3 Tbsp  curry powder
Salt & pepper (I used about 1 tsp of salt, and pepper to taste)
2 large sweet potatoes (mine were organic, so I just trimmed and left the skin on), in 1/2-inch dices
29-oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
14-oz can coconut milk, well shaken
14 oz almond-coconut milk from a carton (or another can of coconut milk)
2 cups water
1 cup frozen shelled edamame (or frozen peas)
1 cup diced tomatoes, drained

In a soup pot, saute the onion, garlic powder, ginger, and chiles until onion is translucent, stirring occasionally.  Stir in the curry powder and salt and pepper.

Add the sweet potato, chickpeas, milks, and water.  Bring to a boil and then reduce heat.  Simmer uncovered for about 10 minutes, until sweet potatoes are tender. 

Add the edamame and tomatoes, stirring to heat through.

You can serve this over rice, but I love eating it as a stew on its own.  It's hearty and just so delicious - I always go back for seconds...ok, thirds.