This sweet potato and chickpea stew combines sweet potatoes, yukon gold potatoes and chickpeas in a classic chile colorado sauce. The combination of chile ancho, chile guajillo, oregano, a pinch of cumin, and garlic add a smoky and savory flavor to the stew. This dish is inspired by a very northern dish called guisado de puerco in chile colorado. I have of course left out the pork and used a combination of potatoes and chickpeas. It is best served with rice, beans, and warm tortillas.
I know working with dried chiles can be intimidating at first, but it is quite easy. All you have to do is remove the stems and take out the seeds. They can be slightly toasted to bring out the smoky flavor of the chiles, but it is not necessary to do so. To use them you have to first reconstitute them in hot water. Simple drop the deseeded chiles in nearly boiling water and let them sit for about 10 minutes or until they are soft and pliable. They can be found in your local hispanic market or now most grocery stores carry them in their hispanic sections.
We have been in Hawaii 7 months now!! Can you believe it? I can’t. I think it has taken me this long to really appreciate the beauty of Hawaii, its people, and culture. We recently travelled to the Big Island for a small 3 day vacation.The Big Island is so different from Oahu, less crowded, but there are not as many restaurants and shops as Oahu. We had the opportunity to stay at the Four Seasons Hualalai and it was amazing! We had been so stressed out with homeschooling, the blog, my husband working a ridiculous amount of hours, that this is just what we needed. The ambience at the hotel was completely peaceful and relaxing, the hotel itself is beautiful, and the restaurants quite good. The only thing that was disappointing is that they did not have many vegan options. Sometimes it can be such a drag to have to request special meals all the time, it would be nice if there was at least a couple of vegan options on the menu. We also celebrated our 8 year anniversary there, and got a babysitter so we could go out to dinner. It’s amazing how a couple of hours away from the kids, and the stress can put things into perspective. Hopefully one day we can visit another one the Hawaiian islands.
The Recipe: Sweet Potato and Chickpea Stew in Chile Colorado
Instead of sweet potatoes you could use russet, yukon gold or any other type of potato. The chickpeas could be substituted with any other bean. Cauliflower would also be a great addition to this dish.
Sweet Potato and Chickpea Stew in Chile Colorado
Ingredients
- 4 Ancho chiles, dried, deseeded
- 4 Guajillo chiles, dried, deseeded
- 1 Tomato, medium
- 5 cloves Garlic
- 1 tsp. Oregano, dried
- 1 Bay leaf, dried
- 1/2 tsp. Cumin, ground
- 1 cup Onion, white, minced
- 1 ½ cups (1 large) Diced Sweet Potato
- 1 cup (1 medium) Diced Yukon gold potato
- 1 can (14.5 oz) Chickpeas, drained
- 2 Thyme sprigs
- 1 cup Vegetable stock
Preparation
- Bring a small pot of water to a boil. Add chiles, tomato and bay leaf and turn heat down to a slow simmer. Let simmer for 10 minutes.
- While the chiles are simmering, heat a large pot to medium heat and add ¼ cup of water. Add onion and sweat until tender and translucent, about 4 minutes.
- Add potatoes and 1 cup of vegetable stock. Cover and let simmer for about 6 min or until potatoes are tender.
- Strain the chiles, but reserve one cup of the chile soaking liquid. Place the drained chiles, garlic, tomato, oregano, cumin, and 1 cup of the chile soaking liquid in the blender and blend until smooth. Strain the sauce.
- Add sauce, chickpeas, and sprigs of thyme to the pot with the potatoes. Let simmer slowly for 8-10 minutes. If the sauce is too thick, add more vegetable stock accordingly.
- Season with salt and pepper. Remove thyme sprigs before serving.
- Serve with rice, beans, and warm corn tortillas.
Chef's Notes
Instead of sweet potatoes you could use russet, yukon gold or any other type of potato. The chickpeas could be substituted with any other bean. Cauliflower would also be a great addition to this dish.
