CURRIED CHICKEN WITH SPINACH AND LENTILS
Recipe by Chef Jonathan Phang
Ingredients:
2 Tbsp groundnut oil
1 medium onion finely sliced
4 cloves garlic minced
½ tsp cumin seeds
1 red chilli seeded and finely chopped
1 Tbsp Caribbean curry powder hot
2 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder
½ tsp dried chilli flakes
125g red lentils
600ml chicken stock
1 large tomato (preferably heirloom) roughly chopped
8 chicken thighs, skinless and boneless cut into bite size pieces along the grain
200g baby spinach
1 Tbsp coriander finely chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
Coriander and thinly sliced chilli for garnish
Method:
Pour the oil in to deep saucepan, and heat over a medium heat until nearly smoking.
Add the cumin seeds, onions, chili, and garlic and stir fry, until the onion is translucent
Combine all of the dry spices together in a small bowl and sprinkle over onions etc. Fry the spices out for a couple of minutes, stirring continuously, until their aroma is released. Then add the lentils and stir well, making sure that the lentils are well coated with the spices.
Pour over the chicken stock, stir, and bring to the boil. Turn down the heat, add the chopped tomato, and simmer for five minutes.
Add the chicken, stir, cover the saucepan and cook for twenty-five minutes until the chicken is cooked through. Remove the lid, add the spinach and cook gently for further twenty minutes until the chicken is tender and the sauce thickened.
Add the fresh finely chopped coriander before serving, and check for seasoning.
Garnish with coriander leaves and slices of red chilli and serve over steamed rice.
