Curry Chicken with Red Lentils & Veggies
A hot and hearty stew, with a rich Indian curry favor.
I love Indian food. ♥️
And I love curry. ♥️
My Dad has always been the Master Chef of the house.
He is a 79-year old eccentric artist, now (in full retirement glory). He dresses funny (mostly in clothing that Mom makes for him) and has a full beard and mustache. He’s a bit of an awkward introvert who doesn’t say much, but when he does it’s profound. He reads books with titles that you wouldn’t even notice on the library shelves. He experiments with everything - including food.
When I was a kid, we got to try all different kinds of international recipes. From paella to pizza, grilled skate to smoked turkey, home-made yeast breads to apple strudel, and everything in between.
And he made everything from scratch. Pizza dough, seed breads, curry sauces, soup broth… all of it. My Dad’s collection of international spices would have made the Silk Road Merchants jealous.
Many of his unwritten recipes came with me, when I moved out for college, in the form of front-row seat VIP private cooking classes. He would knead bread, chop apples, prep meats, or roll out pizza crust on that counter as I watched, learning many of his eccentric methods along the way just by being there.
Imagine an 8 year old girl, wide-eyed, sitting at the kitchen counter (a long peninsula where he did all of the prep work), watching, tasting samples, and asking questions. I got to help as a sous chef, too.
Dad has always been great at making easy “throw-together” recipes that are complex in flavor but uncomplicated to make (his signature style). Raising two rambunctious kids and running two businesses with Mom, as he did in his younger years, did not leave a lot of time for fancy complicated recipes.
This 1-pot meal of curry chicken with red lentils and veggies is one of those recipes that is easy to make, and will taunt your tastebuds with that amazing curry aroma as it simmers.
I made it for dinner a couple nights ago, and thought you might want to have a little taste.
Time to make it
Prep time: 10-15 minutes.
Cook (simmer) Time: 30-45 minutes
(depends on your heat setting and how soft you want your vegetables)Total Time: 40-60 minutes
Let’s start with the equipment you will need so that you can be ready to go.
In the kitchen
5 quart enameled cast iron pot with lid (a.k.a.: dutch oven)
cutting board
chopping knife
silicone spoonula
soup ladle
splatter screen (to avoid making a total mess of your stove top)
Ingredients
This recipe serves a party of 6-8 people, or can be frozen for later. Cut ingredient portions in half if you want to have a nice dinner for two with a little extra for lunch tomorrow.
(1) 16-oz can of diced tomatoes
or 2-4 fresh Roma tomatoes if you have them
(6-7) cups water (you may need to add more if you simmer longer)
(1) medium onion
(1) cup uncooked red lentils
(3) tbsp curry powder
(1) tbsp basil
(4) large carrots
(3-4) cups cauliflower
(1) cup cooked black beans
(1) cup cooked mung beans
(2) cups chopped broccoli (stems or flowers)
(4) chicken breasts
salt to taste
Optional Ingredients
These optional ingredients could be added to spice up your meal.
(extra) curry powder
garbanzo beans (a.k.a.: chick peas) instead of black beans or mung beans
cayenne pepper (to make it a little hotter)
Directions
Into the unheated pot, add the diced tomatoes, red lentils, and 2 cups of water.
Start heat to medium/low setting. Be sure to add more water to keep ingredients submerged while simmering and to avoid burning.
Chop and add the onion, carrots, and cauliflower to the pot. Stir periodically to keep the lentils from sticking to the bottom.
Add curry powder, basil, salt, and optional cayenne or harissa paste.
Allow pot to simmer 15 minutes (stir and add water, as needed)
Add black beans, mung beans, broccoli.
Chop chicken into bite-sized pieces and add to pot after vegetables have cooked to preferred tenderness.
Simmer until chicken is cooked.
Additional Tips
Leftovers freeze well and can be quickly reheated in the microwave for another meal.
Freeze or eat within 2 days after preparation to ensure freshness.
Did you try this recipe?
I’d love to hear your opinion and if you make any changes!
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