Coconut chicken and lentil curry

 

Ingredients

For the curry paste

• 1 large onion, finely diced
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 tbs of freshly grated ginger
• 2 green chillies, deseeded and chopped​
• 1 teaspoon of chili powder
• 2 teaspoons of ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons of ground coriander
• 1.5 teaspoons of turmeric
• 2 tablespoons of tomato paste
• 1/2 cup of water

For the curry

• 1 cup (190g) of dried green lentils, rinsed
• 3 cups (720ml)of water
• 1 tsp of salt
• 2 cups (250g) of diced cooked chicken (breast)
• 1 cup (240ml) of coconut milk
• cooking oil spray (I use avocado)
• fresh coriander​

Instructions

1. Spray a deep frying pan or saucepan over a medium high heat with cooking oil spray.
2. Add the onion and fry for a couple of minutes to soften, add in a little splash of water to prevent from burning (if needed)
3. Add in the garlic, ginger, chillies, chili powder, cumin, coriander and turmeric and continue to fry for about a minute
4. Add the paste to a mini food processor with the tomato paste (puree) and half a cup of water and blend to a paste.
5. Add the paste back to the pan with the lentils and 3 cups of water, salt and bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes until lentils are tender, stir a few times through cooking to prevent any sticking to the bottom (if you prefer a softer lentil you can cook for a little longer (note: you may need some more water, if it is all absorbed).
6. Once lentils are cooked, add in the two cups of cooked chicken and cup of coconut milk and continue to simmer until chicken is heated through and curry is creamy.
7. Taste and season with salt and black pepper as needed.