Chicken and Lentil Curry

Chicken and lentil curry is a quick, easy, healthy and flavour packed meal to serve to the whole family. This healthy chicken curry is also freezer-friendy so you can make a big batch and save some for later.

THIS POST HAS BEEN SPONSORED BY TILDA. ALL THOUGHTS AND OPINIONS ARE MY OWN.

I've been making this chicken and lentil curry for my family for a great many years. It started off as a mild curry, when my kids were younger, but has progressed to a fuller flavoured dish now.

This curry does not have a particular title, such as jalfrezi or rogan josh. That's because the curry paste that forms the base flavour can be varied, depending what result you are after.

What my family particularly love about this meal is that it's neither totally vegetarian but nor is it too meat-heavy. Because it contains plenty of lentils, less poultry is needed in this healthy chicken curry recipe compared to many typical chicken dishes,. So it's a great dish to make if you're trying to cut back a little on meat consumption.

If you are looking for an Indian appetiser to serve before this curry why not give my Paneer Tikka a go. It's full of flavour.

Why This Chicken and Lentil Curry is Worth Making

There are so many reasons to make this chicken and lentil curry:

• it's a healthy source of lean proteins
• it's full of vegetables
• since this recipe uses a curry paste there's no need to stock and measure out lots of different spices. It's a hassle-free recipe
• the spice level can be notched up or down to suit your needs
• it uses just one pan and can be ready to serve in 45 minutes
• leftovers freeze well, so a large batch can be made up
• it can easily be turned completely vegetarian and vegan (details below)

But above all else, this healthy chicken curry serves up bags of flavour that the whole family will enjoy.

Ingredients

I've used red lentils in this healthy chicken curry recipe since they cook quickly and break down superbly, ensuring a thick and tasty sauce is produced.

Curry paste forms the base flavour, but there are no hard and fast rules on which paste to use. My top picks of pastes are madras, balti and rogan josh, though I've also made this chicken and lentil curry using a mild korma paste too.

My preference is always to use a homemade paste but store-bought works fine too.

When it comes to serving, I'm quite a fan of Tilda Pure Basmati Rice. This great-tasting pre-cooked rice works a treat alongside this healthy chicken curry with lentils because the delicate fluffy grains separate easily. As it can be heated up in the microwave or in a frying pan, this perfectly cooked rice can be ready in a flash too.

Tilda has a growing range of pre-cooked rice and grains available. All varieties use top quality grains and, with their great flavour, they are guaranteed to elevate your plate. All come in handy 250g pouches and for a limited time, this rice is available to try with 50p OFF via the Shopmium app.

Step By Step Instructions

Full printable details for this healthy chicken and lentil curry follow in the recipe card at the end of this post.

Step 1: Dice the onion and fry in oil until soft. Add the minced garlic and fry for a further minute, then add the chicken cubes to seal

Step 2: Add chopped red pepper, turmeric and curry paste, stir and cook for 1 minute until fragrant

Step 3: Reserve 125ml stock, then pour the rest into the pan along with the lentils and tinned tomatoes. Bring to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes, stirring often, until the lentils have broken down. Add more stock if the curry gets too dry

Step 4: Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary. Add the wedges of fresh tomato, cook for 5 minutes, then stir the yoghurt and spinach through to wilt it

Serving Suggestions and Variations

Serve this healthy chicken curry with a portion of fluffy rice, a sprinkle of fresh coriander, and perhaps some plain yoghurt or raita alongside. Or try the following ideas for variation.

• Swap the white rice for wholegrain rice to boost the fibre content of the meal. (If you don't cook wholegrain rice often enough because it can take an age to cook, you'll be pleased to know that alongside their pre-cooked Basmati Rice and Pilau Basmati, Tilda also includes Wholegrain Basmati and Wholegrain Pilau Basmati in the same range.
• Make this curry vegetarian by replacing the chicken stock with vegetable stock and swapping the chicken with more vegetables or some paneer cheese (fry it until golden before adding to the curry at the point of serving)
• Make it vegan by using vegetable stock, switching the chicken for chickpeas or tofu and replacing the dairy yoghurt with vegan yoghurt

Tips and FAQs

EXPERT TIPS

This is a no-fuss, easy to follow recipe, but here are a few pointers to help you get the best possible chicken curry with lentils:

• Get the onion chopped and cooking first - everything else can be chopped while the onion softens in the pan
• Do not swap the red lentils for a different kind of lentil - not all break down in the same way that red lentils do
• Let the lentils cook until they fully break down. They will transform from being hard, to mushy and pappy looking, to fully broken down. When they are fully cooked, they form the sauce of this splendid curry
• Swap fresh spinach for frozen spinach. Just add 2 cubes of frozen spinach in at the same time as the tomato wedges. They will defrost as the curry finishes cooking (stir occasionally to help them break up)
• The exact spice level will depend on the curry paste you use. If you are concerned about making the curry too hot, then ½ the amount of paste specified in the recipe. You can always add a little more later on if it is too mild
• If you are looking for a mild curry, pick a mild curry spice paste such as a korma
• For medium heat opt for balti, jalfrezi, or rogan josh
• To max out on fiery spices try a balti or a vindaloo paste

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

More Comforting Curries and Stews to Tuck In To

• Vegetarian Rogan Josh Curry
• Lentil & Olive Stew
• Hearty Beef Stew and Dumplings
• Cauliflower & Chickpea Curry

Have you made this chicken and lentil curry? If so please let me know how you got along with the recipe by leaving a comment and/ or rating below. I always love to hear from my valued readers – that’s you!