Little Step No. 47
What to do:
Make this simple curry.
Why this step works:
Last week’s little step was a simple salad-salsa recipe to upgrade the nutritional profile of any curry. And as promised, this week’s little step is my favourite curry recipe to go with it. You can make this in a slow cooker or on the hob.
Easy coconut-chicken curry
(Serves 4)
You will need:
750g skinless chicken thigh fillets (halved)
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2cm piece fresh ginger, finely chopped
2 green chillies, finely chopped
400 ml tin coconut milk (I use Biona Organic coconut milk)
1 tbsp tomato puree
2 tsp cumin seeds
2 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp mild chilli powder
Half a tsp smoked paprika
1 tbsp ground turmeric
Handful of fresh coriander leaves, roughly chopped
1 red chilli, finely sliced
1 fresh lime sliced into quarters
Method:
If using a slow cooker:
Heat the slow cooker to high. Put all ingredients, except fresh coriander and red chilli, in the slow cooker. Stir well, then put on the lid and cook for 4 hours.
When it is cooked and ready to serve, season, scatter with fresh coriander and red chilli. Serve with tomato & onion cachumber, basmati rice OR cauliflower rice (or half and half) and a wedge of lime. I usually serve mine with cauliflower rice - see picture above.
If you don't have a slow cooker or not making in advance:
Add all ingredients (except fresh coriander and red chilli) into a large flameproof casserole pan that you can use on the hob. Bring to a boil, add the lid and simmer gently until the chicken is cooked through. You might need to add a splash of vegetable stock whilst the sauce is simmering if it looks like it's becoming too thick.
Variations:
Leave out the chicken, just make the sauce, then add leftover cooked chicken from a roast (this is what I usually do).
For a vegetarian or vegan option, add tinned cooked chickpeas (drained and rinsed) or stir fried tofu instead of the chicken.
You can add any type of veg into the sauce; tenderstem broccoli or chopped fresh spinach work well; simply stir in a good handful 10 mins or so before the end of the cooking time, simmer until tender.
Time-saving tip:
Mix the spices in advance and store in a jar ready for when you next want a curry in a hurry!
What's so great about this curry?
I first made this curry a couple of years ago and have made it every few weeks since then! I even made a large batch of the spice mix and packed it, along with a couple of tins of coconut milk for a big family self-catering holiday last summer! I love it because it's tasty, quick and easy to make (mainly because you just throw all ingredients in together and leave to simmer until cooked) and uses readily available ingredients, some of which you will already have in (onions, garlic) and others that you can keep stocked in your store cupboard (spices, tomato puree, coconut milk). Oh and it's super nutritious too - not least because of the wide array of herbs and spices it contains. Put very simply, herbs and spices deliver incredible plant compounds that do wonders for your health and my advice is to add a variety of them into your diet wherever you can.
So there you have it, Little step no 47 - the perfect partner to Little step no 46 and perfectly timed too, for a warming and nourishing meal indoors when the weather is so blustery outside. Enjoy x