Global
Chicken & Red Lentil Curry Batch
A gently spiced, protein-rich curry that batch-cooks into five portions. Lentils thicken it and it reheats like a dream.
Estimated. Worked out from the ingredients using the UK food composition tables, so treat it as a guide rather than a measurement. A typical recipe lands within about a quarter of the true figure. Makes about 6.
Ingredients
- 600g chicken thigh, diced
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 onions, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves
- 1 tbsp grated ginger
- 2 tbsp mild curry paste
- 1 cup red lentils
- 400ml light coconut milk
- 400g chopped tomatoes
- 2 cups spinach
- Salt
Cooking Steps
Brown the chicken in oil; add onion, garlic and ginger and soften.
Stir in the curry paste, then lentils, coconut milk and tomatoes.
Simmer 25 minutes until the lentils are soft.
Stir through the spinach off the heat.
Portion into 5 containers, cool fast, refrigerate within 2 hours.
Optional Enhancements
- Chickpeas for a veggie version
- Serve with quick-cooled brown rice
- Extra chilli if you like heat
Plant & Growing Tips
Onions
- Plant onion sets in early spring or sow seeds indoors 8-10 weeks before the last frost.
- Choose a sunny spot with well-drained soil and space plants 4-6 inches apart for good bulb development.
Garlic
- Plant individual cloves pointed-end up in well-drained, fertile soil in autumn or early spring.
- Ensure a sunny location and water consistently, especially during bulb development, but reduce as harvest approaches.
Ginger
- Plant a piece of ginger rhizome with an 'eye' in a wide, shallow pot indoors, ensuring good drainage.
- Provide consistent warmth and humidity, keeping the soil moist but not waterlogged.
- Grow in partial shade to full sun, protecting from temperatures below 10°C (50°F).
Tomatoes
- Start seeds indoors 6-8 weeks before the last expected frost, then transplant outdoors after all danger of frost has passed.
- Provide a sturdy stake or cage for support as the plants grow, especially for indeterminate varieties.
- Water deeply and consistently at the base of the plant to prevent blossom end rot and encourage even growth.
Spinach
- Sow seeds directly into the garden in early spring and again in late summer for a fall crop.
- Choose a location with partial shade, especially in warmer climates, to prevent bolting.
- Keep the soil consistently moist to encourage tender leaf growth and prevent bitterness.
Natural Pest Control
- Use row covers for young spinach and tomato plants to deter leaf miners and early insect pests.
- Plant marigolds near tomatoes to repel nematodes and whiteflies, and onions to deter onion flies.
- Hand-pick larger pests like tomato hornworms and slugs from spinach leaves in the early morning or evening.
- Apply neem oil spray to affected plants to control aphids and other soft-bodied insects.
Harvest
Onions
- Harvest when the tops turn yellow and fall over naturally, then cure them in a warm, dry, well-ventilated area for several weeks.
Garlic
- Dig up bulbs when the bottom two or three leaves have turned yellow, then cure in a shaded, airy spot for 2-4 weeks.
Ginger
- Dig up a portion of the rhizome once the plant has grown for 8-10 months, or harvest the entire plant when leaves begin to yellow.
Tomatoes
- Pick fruits when they are fully coloured, firm, and easily detach from the vine with a gentle twist.
Spinach
- Harvest outer leaves as needed, allowing inner leaves to continue growing, or cut the entire plant a couple of inches above the soil for regrowth.
Storing & Freezing
Fridge 3–4 days; freezes 3 months. Reheat piping hot. Cook rice fresh or cool it fast and reheat once only.
