Keto ‘Potato’ And Spinach Curry
⏲ ~22 min total · prep 16 · cook 6 · 4 servings
Dinner⏱ 30 min total🔥 5.2g net carbs⚡ ≈504 kcal/serving~22% of calories from carbs
By the KFI Test Kitchen · Tested & approved by Jason Lieu, KFI recipe editor
Published Sep 15, 2026 · Updated Sep 15, 2026
Ingredients
- 1 lb peeled jicama, cut into 3/4-inch cubes
- 3 tbsp coconut oil
- 1 tsp black mustard seeds
- 1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
- 1 tbsp grated fresh ginger
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 1/2 tbsp curry powder
- 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
- 1 (13.5 oz) can full-fat coconut milk
- 5 oz baby spinach
- 1 tsp fine sea salt
Instructions
- Par-cook the jicama: place the cubes in a microwave-safe bowl with 2 tbsp water, cover, and microwave on high 8 minutes, stirring halfway, until a fork slides in with slight resistance. Drain well — jicama goes mushy if fully cooked before simmering.
- Heat the coconut oil in a 3-quart saucepan over medium-high until it shimmers. Add the mustard seeds, cover partially (they pop), and wait 30 seconds until the popping slows.
- Add the onion and cook 5-6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until deeply golden at the edges. Stir in the ginger and garlic and cook 1 minute more.
- Add the curry powder and turmeric and stir constantly for 45 seconds to bloom the spices — they should smell fragrant and look glossy, not dusty.
- Pour in the coconut milk, add the salt and drained jicama, and bring to a bare simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered 8 minutes, stirring gently twice, until the sauce thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon.
- Add the spinach in handfuls, folding each addition down into the sauce until wilted, about 2 minutes total. Taste for salt and serve hot.
Why this recipe works
- Jicama holds the line Par-cooked in the microwave for 8 minutes, jicama cubes go fork-tender with a little resistance left, then hold their shape through the simmer. Potato would slump into the sauce; jicama keeps the curry at 5.2 net carbs with edges intact.
- Blooming in hot oil Forty-five seconds of constant stirring in shimmering coconut oil wakes the curry powder and turmeric. Spices added straight to liquid taste dusty and raw.
- Coconut milk thickens itself An 8-minute uncovered simmer reduces the full-fat can into a sauce that coats the back of a spoon. No flour, no cornstarch, nothing extra to count.
Tips for making this recipe well
Stop the jicama early
Microwave the cubes only until a fork slides in with slight resistance, then drain them well. Jicama that cooks all the way through at this stage goes mushy in the sauce.
Partially cover the mustard seeds
They pop hard for about 30 seconds when they hit the hot oil. A half-covered pan keeps them in the pot and off your stovetop while they finish.
Onions to deep gold
Give the onion the full 5 to 6 minutes until the edges turn deeply golden. That color is the flavor base of the whole curry, and rushing it leaves the sauce flat.
Fold the spinach in shifts
Add it in handfuls, pressing each one down into the sauce before the next. Two minutes of gentle folding wilts it without flooding the pan with water.
The spoon-coat test
Simmer uncovered until the sauce coats the back of a spoon, about 8 minutes. If it coats early, pull it; coconut milk breaks if it boils hard for long.
Serving suggestions
Thirty minutes, one saucepan, and a curry that eats like a slow-cooked one. Serve it hot in wide bowls, either on its own or over riced cauliflower to catch the sauce. A handful of the spinach always ends up more done than the rest, which is normal, not a flaw. This is a weeknight dish that also works on a buffet, since it holds warm without falling apart. Leftovers make a strong lunch with almost no effort.
Storage and meal prep
Curry is a better dish on day two, and this one holds up because jicama stays firmer than potato ever would. Cool the pot, then refrigerate in an airtight container for 3 to 4 days. The sauce tightens in the cold, so reheat gently on the stove with a splash of water or coconut milk to loosen it. Freezing is fine for 2 to 3 months; thaw overnight in the fridge and expect the spinach to be softer after thawing, which changes texture more than flavor.
Variations worth trying
- Add heat Stir in 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne alongside the curry powder, or slice a fresh chile in with the garlic. The base recipe is mild by design.
- Kale instead of spinach Swap in chopped kale and give it 4 to 5 minutes in the sauce instead of 2. It holds more chew than spinach.
- Saucier version Stir in a half cup more coconut milk at the simmer and add 2 minutes to the clock. Good over cauliflower rice.
- Roasted cauliflower add-in Fold in 2 cups of roasted cauliflower florets with the jicama. They pick up the sauce and add weight to the bowl.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use real potatoes instead of jicama?
You can cook it, but the carb count will no longer be 5.2 net carbs, and potato cubes tend to break down into the sauce during the simmer. Jicama is what keeps this both keto and structural.
Why microwave the jicama first?
Jicama is dense, and 8 minutes in the covered bowl with water starts the tenderizing while the sauce gets built. Straight into the simmer, it stays crunchy; fully pre-cooked, it turns mushy. Slight resistance after par-cooking is the target.
What if I can't find black mustard seeds?
Skip them or use 1/4 teaspoon of ground mustard stirred in with the curry powder. The seeds add a nutty pop at the start, but the curry survives without them.
Can I make this ahead?
Yes, and it improves overnight as the jicama picks up flavor. Refrigerate for 3 to 4 days and loosen the sauce when reheating.
How spicy is it?
Mild. The heat lives entirely in your curry powder blend, so taste it and add cayenne from there.
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