This curry isn’t big in the looks department (thanks for sticking with it, much obliged), but trust me – it’s big taste more than makes up for it. It’s become a favourite in my house, as it’s pretty damn tasty and quick to make. The main reason? A majority of the ingredients are frozen. That’s right, I said the f-word – FROZEN. I’ve found there’s still a bit of snobbery around using frozen vegetables in healthy cooking. Whilst using the fresh variety is preferable for ensuring you get the most nutritional goodness, buying them on the reg can get pricey and the (fridge) shelf-life isn’t long. Having a good stock of frozen vegetables means you can just whack them into your dishes quickly with minimal fuss (I hate chopping), and some veg is better than none, right? Plus, it’s much more affordable. This recipe makes for a whole lot of curry, so be prepared for leftovers – ideal for taking to work the next day…and possibly the day after.
Also, sweet potato is AMAZING in curry. It goes so well with coconut milk, and it makes the texture much creamier and more luxurious. It definitely plays a bigger part than the chicken does, so you can always leave that part out if you want to make it a veggie meal. I keep it in for the extra protein.
Chicken and Sweet Potato Coconut Curry with Peas and Spinach
Ingredients
2 chicken breasts (optional for all you veggies out there)
1 large sweet potato (or 2 medium ones)
1 can of coconut milk
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp chilli powder (as hot as you like, or not)
1 cup of frozen onions
1 cup of frozen peas
1 cup of frozen spinach
1 pinch of sea salt and pepper (to taste)
1 tbsp coconut oil
Method
Let’s get preppin’! Cut the chicken breasts into cubes. Peel the sweet potato and cut that into cubes also – the smaller they are, they faster they cook.
Heat a large wok or saucepan (I prefer a wok, as it gives you more room for activities) on a medium-high heat and melt the coconut oil. Once it’s clear and the pan is nice and hot, add in the frozen onions. It’ll take longer than the fresh kind to cook, as the water will need to cook off. Once the onions appear dry and start to brown, add the chicken. Make sure the chicken is cooked all over (no pink, please), and then add the spices: cumin, ginger, turmeric, garlic and chilli powder. Make sure the chicken is well coated with the spices, and then add the sweet potato and mix well. Once everything is nice and coated, add the coconut milk. Stir it all together, reduce the heat to medium and pop a lid on it for five minutes. This makes the chicken and sweet potato so soft and really infuses them with flavour – trust me, you’ll love it. At this point, I normally start cooking my brown rice to go with it. The timing normally works out perfectly.
After 5 minutes, add in the frozen peas and frozen spinach. Make sure the spinach in particular is submerged in the coconut milk so that it can melt. Put the lid back on for another 5 minutes, and then stir to break up the spinach. Leave it to simmer away for another 10/15 minutes. Serve with the brown rice and enjoy!
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