CHICKEN & PEA CURRY

A warm curry for a chilly winter’s night. I have recently been trying to make more of an effort to cook with legumes, such as beans, peas and lentils, as they are incredibly good for us (they are super rich in protein, calcium, prevent food cravings and protect the body against some of the nastier diseases). Yesterday’s dinner consisted of 1 cup of yellow split peas (as they were very cheap at the supermarket and I was interested to know what they tasted like). If you have ever eaten Indian Dhal, a lentil rich vegetable dish, this is what yellow split peas taste like – delicious and bursting with flavour when combined with exotic spices. Whilst this curry takes a while to cook (45 minutes), it is definitely worth it. Perhaps better to make on a rainy weekend, rather than a busy weeknight.

INGREDIENTS


Homemade curry paste

• 2 tablespoons ground coriander
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground fennel
• 1 teaspoon ground madras curry
• 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1/4 teaspoon chilli powder
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic 
• 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste 
• 2 teaspoons water 

Chicken Curry

• 500g chicken breast fillets, cut into even sized pieces
• 1 cup yellow split peas 
• 400ml light coconut milk
• 1 1/2 cups doongara rice 
• a pinch of ground turmeric
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil 

COOKING 

1. Make curry paste by combining all ingredients in a mortal & pestle or small bowl and mixing well to combine. Set aside for later. 

2. Cook yellow split peas by placing in a medium saucepan with 3 cups of water and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, for around 15-20 minutes or until peas are tender (you will need to taste test a few peas to judge this!). Remove from heat and keep warm. 

3. Meanwhile, cook doongara rice by bringing rice and 3 cups of water to the boil in a medium saucepan. Add a pinch of turmeric to colour the rice yellow. Reduce heat and simmer for 10-12 minutes or until rice is tender and all water is absorbed. Remove from heat. 

4. Cook chicken pieces in a large saucepan with sesame oil over medium-low heat. When chicken is white in colour and cooked through, add curry paste and stir well to coat all the chicken. Add the cooked split peas and coconut milk to the pan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes or until the liquid has thickened somewhat. Serve warm on a bed of cooked yellow rice. 

Serves / 4 

Total Preparation time / 15 minutes 

Total Cooking time / 45 minutes 

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INDIAN SPICED CHICKEN

I am positive that I have talked about my love of Indian food several times on this blog. Well here is another recipe to testify my love for this cuisine. A very healthy and satisfying recipe to make, the madras curry powder is really what makes this dish, as it adds spice and zing to the chicken. Madras curry powder usually consists of chilli powder, all spice, turmeric, coriander, black pepper and cinnamon, as well as several other spices and herbs. It is a powerful taste; therefore a few teaspoons can go a long way. If you are a fan of using generic curry powder in cooking give Madras curry powder a try.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 teaspoons ground turmeric 
• 1 1/2 cups doongara rice
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 1 cup water
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon grape seed oil
• 400g chicken breast, cut into even strips
• 2 teaspoons madras curry powder 
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• Optional- fresh coriander leaves, to serve 

COOKING 

1. Combine chicken strips, madras curry powder, garlic, cumin and oil in a medium bowl and toss to coat. Place in the fridge for 30 minutes to marinade. 

2. Meanwhile, bring rice, turmeric, stock and water to the boil in a medium saucepan. When boiled, cover and reduce to a simmer for 10-12 minutes or until the rice has been absorbed and is tender. Remove from heat. When you start to simmer the rice, preheat a fan-forced oven to 200 degrees celsius and prepare a baking tray with baking paper. 

3. Place chicken on the prepared baking tray in a single layer and bake for around 10 minutes, or until no pink flesh remains (you will need to test the chicken by removing the biggest piece from the oven and cutting it in half to make sure that the meat is white and tender). Remove from the oven and serve chicken on top of cooked rice, with coriander on top if you desire. 

Serves / 4 

Total Preparation time / 10 minutes (+ 30 minutes refrigeration time)

Total Cooking time / 30 minutes 

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PRAWN CURRY STIR-FRY

I’ve recently discovered a new-found love for prawns and have received so much joy and satisfaction in cooking them. It seems that when you change your diet considerably by omitting certain things, your palate craves food that you have previously disliked. Seafood was on the top of my no-go list last year but this year I found myself more adventurous and wanting to try new things. This prawn curry was a bit of a thrown together dinner and I was not sure how it would taste throughout the cooking process. Making your own homemade curry paste really makes a substantial difference in taste, however if you are pressed for time buying a prepackaged paste is fine (just remember to read the label carefully in case any gluten or other ingredients you may be intolerance to have been thrown in there).

INGREDIENTS

• 200g prawns, cooked & deveined 
• 1 1/2 cups doongara rice
• 400ml light coconut milk
• 200g green beans, washed & trimmed
• 1 small red capsicum, seeds removed & chopped 
• 1 large carrot, peeled & cut into long sticks
• 2 tablespoons homemade curry paste (see Chickpea & Chicken Curry, Potato Curry for ingredients) or prepackaged curry paste 
• 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
•  1 teaspoon sesame oil

COOKING 

1. Cook rice by adding 3 cups water to 1 1/2 cups rice in a medium saucepan and bring to the boil. When boiled, simmer for around 10-12 minutes or until rice is tender and all water is absorbed. Remove from heat and sit. 

2. Meanwhile, heat sesame oil in a wok and swirl to coat. Add garlic and stir for 2 minutes or until fragrant. Then add curry paste and stir constantly so paste does not stick to work. When fragrant (this should only take 1 minute at most) pour in coconut milk and stir, bringing to the boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and add green beans, capsicum and carrot. Cook for 3-4 minutes or until beans are almost tender. Add prawns and cook for another 3 or so minutes or until the prawns are heated through. 

3. Remove curry from heat. Place rice in a large serving bowl and pour curry over the top of the rice. Serve warm with fresh coriander on top if you wish. 

Serves / 4 

Total Preparation time / 10 minutes (15 if making curry paste from scratch). 

Total Cooking time / 25 minutes 

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POTATO CURRY

Another curry for your reading pleasure! This one was made from the curry paste left over from a dinner a few nights ago, Chicken & Chickpea curry. As I did not use coconut milk for this potato curry, the consistently is quite different using stock instead. One of the best things about this curry is how low maintenance it is; you just throw everything in a large pot and let the vegetables and stock do the rest. The result is beautifully tender potatoes and a light stock sauce. 

INGREDIENTS


Homemade curry paste 

• 2 tablespoons ground coriander
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground fennel
• 1 teaspoon ground garala masala
• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
• a pinch of sea salt & pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon chilli powder
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon all spice
• 1 brown onion, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste 
• 1 teaspoon peanut oil 

Potato Curry

• 300 sebago potatoes, peeled & cut into even 3cm pieces 
• 300g sweet potato, peeled & cut into even 3cm pieces
• 1 eschallot, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 2 tablespoons homemade curry paste (above) or store bought paste
• 1 teaspoon coconut oil
• 1 1/2 cups (375ml) vegetable stock (preferably Massel brand)

COOKING 

1. Place all the curry paste ingredients in a blender or food processor and mix well to combine. (Store in a container in the fridge until ready to use). 

2. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. When melted add both types of potato, eschallot and garlic and stir well for a few minutes, until coated with the oil. Add curry paste and stir well for 1-2 minutes, or until vegetables are coated with curry paste. Add stock and bring to the boil, then simmer for 15 minutes or until stock is almost all absorbed. 

3. Serve on a bed of brown or doongara (low GI) rice if you desire. 

Serves / 4 

Total Preparation time / 12 minutes (including making the curry paste)

Total Cooking time / 20 minutes 

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CHICKEN & CHICKPEA CURRY

You may be as surprised as I was the other day to learn that most Indian dishes are gluten, dairy and preservative free. I certainly had no idea until my boss told me last week. I was ecstatic! After a tough week last week with adapting to my new allergies, I will admit that I had difficulty cooking dinner every night and may have even resorted to takeaway often…(which I rarely do!). My spirits were low until I was given this amazing news and decided to have fun experimenting with Indian dishes! First on the list, a chicken and chickpea curry with homemade curry paste. Don’t stress if you don’t have all the spices I have listed, these have come from an almost obsessive addiction. If you can purchase or have accumulated a few, you can work with those. Stay tuned for a Lentil & Potato Curry coming soon!

INGREDIENTS


Homemade curry paste 

• 2 tablespoons ground coriander
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground fennel
• 1 teaspoon ground garala masala
• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
• a pinch of sea salt & pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon chilli powder
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon all spice
• 1 brown onion, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste 
• 1 teaspoon peanut oil 

Chicken curry 

• 250g chicken breast, chopped into even cubes
• 1 red onion, finely chopped
• 1 x 400g tin of chickpeas, rinsed & drained
• 1 x 400ml light coconut milk
• 2 1/2 generous tablespoons of homemade curry paste
• 1 teaspoon peanut oil 

COOKING 

1. Place all the curry paste ingredients in a blender or food processor and mix well to combine. (Store in a container in the fridge until ready to use). 

2. Heat the teaspoon of peanut oil in a large frying pan under medium heat. Cook, stirring, for 2 minutes or until the onion has softened slightly. Add the chicken pieces and cook, stirring constantly, until chicken is browned. Add the curry paste and mix well for 2 minutes, making sure all the chicken and onion is coated with the paste. 

3. Add the coconut milk to the pan and simmer for 25 minutes, or until the sauce has reduced considerably. Add the chickpeas to the pan and cook for another 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. 

4. Serve with brown or white rice, if desired.

NB:  

• If you prefer your curry spicy, triple the chilli powder quantity and make some raita to go alongside the curry. 
• If you do not have all the spices listed to make the homemade curry paste, mix a few together and see how it tastes! Or you can buy a pre made curry sauce/paste, but they will often contain gluten and/or msg and lactose. 

Serves / 4 

Total Preparation time / 5 minutes, 10 if you make the homemade curry paste 

Total Cooking time / 40 minutes 

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CHICKEN TIKKA MASALA WRAPS

 A mid-week Indian inspired dish. Surprisingly, this simple meal was the tastiest thing I had made all week (until Friday appeared and I cooked Pistachio Risotto!) All it took was a premade Indian paste, some fresh snowpea sprouts (which I highly recommend you seek out) and some natural yoghurt. I am usually not a fan of premade sauces, however by the middle of the week I allow myself one easy and convenient meal. You can choose you fixings and use lettuce, red onion, fresh mint, coriander, the list is endless. I have a bit of an obsession with snowpea sprouts (I adore them!), hence why they are on the ingredient list.


INGREDIENTS

• 500g chicken breast, cut into even strips
• 2 1/2 tablespoons tikka masala paste
• 3 tablespoons fat-free natural yoghurt 
• 4 pita bread/ Lebanese bread (I used Lebanese bread 83g each in size)
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 50g snowpea sprouts or washed shredded lettuce
• baking paper

Yoghurt Spread

• 1/2 cup fat-free natural yoghurt
• 1 tablespoon fresh chives, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander 
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1/2 large Lebanese cucumber, diced 

COOKING 

1. Combine chicken strips with tikka masala paste, 3 tablespoons yoghurt and smoked paprika and marinate in the fridge for around 30 minutes. 

2. Preheat oven to 180 degrees celsius fan-forced and line a large baking tray with baking paper. Spread out chicken strips in a single layer and cook for 9-10 minutes or until chicken is cooked and tender. 

3. Meanwhile, combine all the yoghurt spread ingredients in a small bowl and mix well. Spread the yoghurt spread over the pita bread and top with chicken and snow pea sprouts/ lettuce or whatever fixings you desire. 

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Serves / 4 

Preparation time / 20 minutes 

Cooking time / 12 minutes 

Adapted from The AWW Low-Fat Food for Life