Serves: 6
Prep time: 10 mins chopping
Cooking time: 1hr+ but worth every second
Genius gluten free stonebaked pitta breads
4 free range chicken breasts, skin off
4tbs vegetable oil
2tsp medium Indian curry powder
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 small butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 2cm dice – keep hold of the seeds and roast them to make a fibre filled snack!
2 medium aubergines, cut into 2cm dice
For the curry paste
6 garlic cloves, peeled
2 medium onions, peeled, and quartered
1 large red chilli
2.5cm ginger, peeled and thickly sliced
1handful fresh coriander stems
2tsp each of turmeric powder, ground cumin, ground coriander, medium Indian curry powder – spices not only taste great but do great things to your gut health
200ml water
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the curry sauce
2x400g chopped tomatoes
1x400g coconut milk
200g dried red lentils
200g dried chana dal (split yellow gram)
juice of 2 limes
200g fresh baby spinach leaves
For the all important sides
Live culture Greek yoghurt
½ Cucumber, grated
Fresh mint, chopped
3 tomatoes, diced
1 medium onion, chopped
Juice of 2 limes
Coriander
1. Whack the oven up to preheat to 200’C.
2. Spread the diced butternut squash and aubergine in a roasting pan and delicately drizzle with 2 tbsp. oil. Flavour with salt and pepper and bake for 30 minutes until lightly browned and deliciously tender.
3. Pop the chicken breasts in a separate roasting dish and splash over a little oil, sprinkle with curry powder and season with salt and pepper. Let the chicken bake in the oven for 20 mins, until cooked through and juicy.
4. For the all-important fragrant curry paste, stick the tangy ginger, chilli, onion, garlic, coriander stems, spices, salt, pepper and water in a blender and whizz until nice and smooth.
5. Warm the paste through in a large pan with 1tbs oil until bubbling, stirring all the time. Now to get this looking like a real authentic curry, throw in the chopped tomatoes and coconut milk. Fill 2 of the empty cans with water and add to the pan. Bring the sauce to a simmer. The smells in your kitchen will be insane by this point!
6. Stir in the red split lentils and chana dal and cook low and slow for 30-40 minutes or until the chana dal are tender and the sauce has thickened. Give this a mix from time to time to prevent the sauce catching on the base of the pan. If you feel it becomes too thick for your liking, simply add a splash more water to the pan. Simple.
7. Once the sauce is ready, cut the cooked chicken into thick slices and add to the pan, along with the butternut squash and aubergine. Simmer once more for 15 minutes and add some salt and pepper to taste. Stir through some baby spinach, not only will this leafy green veggie add glorious colour, it’s full of vitamins A, C and K.
8. Plate up and enjoy. Don’t forget to serve with a perfectly pocketable fibre packed Genius stonebaked pitta.
9. For the Cool as a Cucumber Rhaita - Mix together 3 heaped tablespoons of live culture Greek yoghurt with half a coarsely grated cucumber, 1 table spoon of fresh, finely chopped mint and season lightly with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Live yoghurt contains good bacteria which keep your gut happy!
10. Last bit certainly not least – tomato, mint, coriander and onion salad: Stir together 3 finely diced ripe tomatoes, 1 medium finely sliced onion, 1tbs each of finely chopped fresh mint and coriander and the juice of 2 limes. Extra veg added to any meal is a great thing as the gut loves variety and veg is full of fibre.
