Healthy Coriander And Coconut Chicken Curry

It’s almost the start of the weekend and many of us dial up that Friday night take away as a treat but then find ourselves spending the next few days feeling guilty and working it off in the gym! Sound like you? Try this chicken curry recipe as a healthy alternative….you won’t be disappointed!

SERVES 4
preparation time: 15 minutes
cooking time: 1 hour

4 garlic cloves
2 green bird’s eye chillies
5cm/2in piece of root ginger, peeled
1 very large bunch (about 100g/3½oz/2½ cups) of coriander/cilantro, leaves and stalks
400ml/14fl oz/1²⁄³ cups low fat coconut milk
2 tbsp coconut oil
800g/1lb 12oz skinless, boneless chicken thighs, diced
1 large onion, finely sliced
6 cardamom pods, lightly crushed
1 cinnamon stick
1 tbsp garam masala
10 curry leaves, fresh or dried
2 tsp tamarind paste
150g/5½oz/3 cups baby spinach leaves
basmati rice or wholemeal/whole-wheat chapattis, to serve
sea salt

This is a vibrant green curry that will knock your socks off. Not in heat, but from the wonderful combination of coriander/cilantro, aromatic spices, creamy coconut milk and the fresh spinach stirred through at the end. Just by the colour alone you know this is going to be good for you. I like to serve the curry with basmati rice or some wholemeal/whole-wheat chapattis to soak up the lovely fragrant sauce.

Put the garlic, chillies and ginger in a food processor or blender and whizz to make a chunky paste. Transfer to a bowl and leave to one side.

Put the coriander/cilantro and coconut milk in the processor or blender (it’s not necessary to clean it out first). Whizz together to form a vibrant green liquid.

Heat a large pan over a high heat and add the coconut oil. When hot, add the chicken pieces and fry until browned all over. Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon to a plate. Add the onion to the pan and cook for about 5 minutes until softened. Add the garlic, chilli and ginger paste, cardamom pods and cinnamon stick. Fry for 1 minute before stirring in the chicken (including any resting juices), garam masala, curry leaves and coriander/cilantro coconut milk.

Bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat to low, cover with a lid and cook for 45 minutes, stirring a couple of times during cooking, until the chicken is cooked through.

Stir in the tamarind paste, then stir in the spinach leaves a few handfuls at a time until they are wilted. Season with salt and serve with basmati rice or chapattis.

And enjoy…..

Looking for a healthy lunch recipe? Click here for Jo Pratt’s Green soup with pumpkin seed croutons

Jo Pratt is an acclaimed food stylist, writer and presenter. She has written for Elle, Weekend, Sainsbury’s Magazine, Olive, BBC Good Food and Glamour , for which she was Food Editor,
as well as the BBC Food, Good Food Channel and Good To Know websites. She regularly appears on UK TV, including Saturday Kitchen and Daily Cooks Challenge , and works with
many food brands.

In the Mood for Healthy Food by Jo Pratt © Nourish Books 2015, commissioned photography by Tamin Jones