This Smashed Potato Stew recipe is over-the-top! In a warm coconut sauce filled with aromatic curry spices, the rich and creamy, buttery textured Dutch Yellow Potatoes have never been better! Coconut curry stews are always fabulous, whether they’re made with meat or are vegetarian, like this one.
Inspiration for Coconut Curry Smashed Potato Stew Recipe
As I’ve told you before, my recipe inspiration comes from all over — anything from the produce thatβs in season and the temperature outside, to the mood Iβm in and flavors Iβm craving.
My inspiration can also be artwork I see in books, aromas in the air, whatβs in my pantry, and a million things in between.
A few months ago, my aunt gave me the most beautiful red, ceramic serving pot. She’d never had the perfect occasion to use it and said she could imagine it filled with a hearty soup or stew in one of my photographs.
So I just had to do it.
A couple of weeks ago when I received a bundle of Baby Dutch Yellow Potatoes from Melissa’s Produce with a new kitchen tool called a Smood, from Dreamfarm.
It was then that I knew I’d fill the gorgeous red pot with a smashed potato stew.
And I’ve always loved coconut curry stews, I knew that that’s exactly how it would be flavored. It would be beautiful, hearty, and of course, super tasty!
Dutch Yellow Potatoes
And just look at these fantastic Dutch Yellow Potatoes! The skin is thick a gold-yellow color and the inside is creamy and rich!
I knew the golden colors of the stew would be so pretty against the deep red pot.
And “smashing” the potatoes with the Smood, would make them ideal for soaking up the curry flavors in the stew.
So there you have it, red ceramic inspiration! π
The Smood for Making Smashed Potato Stew
I’m not usually interested in specialized kitchen tools. I’m more of a DIY chef — I typically smash potatoes with the bottom of my smallest sautΓ© pan. However, the Smood intrigued me and I’m so glad I tried it because it’s super cool!
It smashed my potatoes with ease and no mess. More importantly, it kept the ever-so-delicious buttery texture of the potatoes without ruining the nicely crisped skin.
You can use as much pressure as you’d like — the more pressure used, the more you mash. For the smash, it’s just one gently push. π (I’m definitely adding this to my gift guide: Gifts For Cooking Lovers Who Have Everything.)
Enjoy! I’m hoping this becomes one of your favorite coconut curry stews!
This is not a sponsored post. Melissa’s Produce gave me the potatoes for recipe testing and Dreamfarm gave me the Smood for review. As always, I only write about things I love.

In a warm coconut sauce filled with aromatic curry spices, the rich and creamy, buttery textured Dutch Yellow Potatoes have never been better!
- 3- pounds Baby Dutch Yellow Potatoes, washed and dried
- 2 tablespoons olive oil (plus a bit more for the pan)
- 3 cups yellow onion, thickly sliced (approximately 1 large onion -- see image in instructions)
- 3 tablespoons garlic, minced
- 1 1/2 tablespoons ginger pulp (from approximately 2 X 1 1/2-inch ginger root -- see image in instructions)
- 1 to 2 teaspoons Thai chile pepper, minced (or other hot pepper -- see notes)
- 2 teaspoons brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cardamom
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground turmeric
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
- 3 cups coconut milk
- 1 cup vegetable stock
- 1 1/2 cups fresh tomatoes, diced
- approximately 2 dozen fresh basil leaves, washed and dried
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- a few thin red or green jalapeΓ±o slices for garnish
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Preheat the oven to 400Β° F, adjust a rack to the center, and add the potatoes in an even layer to a sheet pan. Drizzle them with the 2 tablespoons of olive oil and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Move the pan around to be sure all of the potatoes are evenly coated.
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Once it's preheated, place the sheet pan in the oven and roast the potatoes until theyβre tender when pierced with a fork, about 40 minutes. Jiggle the pan to move the potatoes around about halfway through the cooking time. The skins should be wrinkled and slightly golden when they're done.
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While the potatoes are still hot on the sheet pan, gently press them down to "smash" them. You can use a smooth-bottomed meat mallet, the bottom of a small sautΓ© pan -- or, my new favorite kitchen gadget, the Smood.
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While the potatoes are in the oven, coat the bottom of a large sautΓ© pan with olive oil and place it over medium heat. Add the onions to the pan and cook, stirring often, until they're soft and a bit golden, about 8 minutes. This is size I like to slice the onions for this recipe:
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Add the garlic, ginger and chile pepper to the onions. Grate the ginger with a microplane zester if possible. It should be a juicy pulp, like this:
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Cook for about 3 minutes, and then add the brown sugar, cumin, cardamom, turmeric, cinnamon and cloves and stir. Cook until this is very aromatic, about 1 minute.
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Add the coconut milk, stock and tomatoes. Stir to blend, bring to a boil, and then turn the heat to low and simmer gently until it thickens slightly, about 15 minutes.
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Stir in the basil leaves and then season to taste with salt and pepper. (Here's How to Season to Taste.)
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Add the smashed potatoes and gently coat them well with the sauce.
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You can serve immediately, but the longer the potatoes sit in the sauce, the more it will seep inside of them and the flavor will be more intense.
The amount of chile pepper you add depends on the level of heat you like. 1 teaspoon of a very hot pepper will give you a medium-mild result.
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Nancy Rose Eisman says
This looks simply amazing! Even without smell check I know the aromas are heavenly.
valentina says
Cute, Nancy. And thank you! π
David says
Well, your aunt deserves some major snaps for inspiring this dish! Love it!
valentina says
A woman with fabulous taste. Pun intended π Thank you, David!
Deb|EastofEdenCooking says
Potatoes never looked better! A fabulous fall recipe, full of the warming spices and flavors of the season.
valentina says
Thanks so much, Deb! I just love this time of year in the kitchen. π
jacquee | i sugar coat it! says
So flavourful and perfectly comforting for the season.
valentina says
Thanks, Jacquee. π
Amy Katz from Veggies Save The Day says
Those potatoes are the best!
valentina says
Why thank you!
David @ Cooking Chat says
love the sound of these flavors! I really enjoy a stew or soup with a little bit of spice, this would hit the spot.
valentina says
Thank you, David! It totally hits the spot. IMHO π
Sarah says
Love that you find inspiration to cook from all over…isn’t it just the best? this stew looks divine. Absolutely perfect for today’s drizzly and cold weather here in New England!
valentina says
Sounds lovely — wising we’d get a little drizzle (& then some!) here in Los Angeles! π
Derek | Dad With A Pan says
I LOVE Dreamfarm! I’m pretty sure I own every single one of their products!!
valentina says
Awesome, Derek. I’m looking forward to checking out more of them. π
Shelley says
This looks beautiful, I love all the spices!
valentina says
Thanks, Shelly! π
Lisa @garlicandzest.com says
The smood looks like a handy gadget and I love that spiral-y look it gave your spuds! This sounds like a really unique recipe too – pinning for later!
valentina says
Yay. Thanks, Lisa!
Tara says
Such a neat tool! Love those swirls. Sounds perfect wth the curry flavor.
valentina says
Thanks, Tara. The swirls are fun. π
Tina says
What a lovely present from your aunt! The red looks gorgeous in the photos.
valentina says
Thank you, Tina! π
sippitysup says
A strange blip just happened. The message I intended to leave here about this being quite a bit like the coconut stew we ate in Nicaragua called Rondon (or Roundup) was posted on an entry from last June. This has potatoes instead of yucca, but the ideas are similar. XOGREG
valentina says
Cool, Greg. Love it! XOXO V