Lentil Curry with Chicken and Quinoa
If you love Indian food, like me, then this dish is for you! It is light and healthy, with wonderful spices and flavors that I enjoy in Indian dishes. I love these flavors so much that I will often sneak them into anything I am making at home.
I love the creamy texture of the curry sauce! But I love it better when it is healthy! So, to keep this recipe healthy and low in calories, I used lentils for the creamy texture. Lentils add more fiber, nutrients, antioxidants, and anti-inflammatory properties. You can not get any of these by using heavy cream or butter!
But health doesn’t stop there. We use a lean protein and nutrient-packed vegetables in the recipe. You will be surprised by how many health benefits and nutrition you get by combining these few healthy ingredients.
Usually, similar recipes are served with naan or white rice. To keep the dish as healthy as possible without sacrificing taste, I like to serve it with quinoa. I’m sure you have heard of this grain; it became very popular for its dense nutrition. You can use any quinoa of your choice: white, brown, black, or a mixture.
Ingredients:
Half pound of chicken thighs or breast whichever you prefer
One large red onion
Two tablespoons of plain yogurt
One cup of dry quinoa
Three cloves of garlic
One cup of red lentils
Four cups of water
One tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
Curry spices:
Mix all the following spices in a bowl and set aside:
One teaspoon of ginger powder
One teaspoon of turmeric
One tablespoon of ground cumin
One and one-half teaspoon of coriander powder
One and one-half teaspoon of cardamom powder
One teaspoon of black pepper
One teaspoon of ground cinnamon
Half a teaspoon of ground cloves
Half a teaspoon of ground nutmeg
Half a teaspoon of salt
Directions:
To prepare the chicken:
Cut the chicken into small cubes. In a plastic bag or container, mix the chicken with the yogurt. Leave in the fridge for a few hours or preferably overnight.
Cut the onions in half and then slice. Chop the garlic.
In a pot over medium heat, add 4 cups of water, a ½ teaspoon of salt, lentils, and the chopped garlic. Bring the water to boil, lower the heat to low and let simmer for about 10 to 15 minutes or until the lentils melt and dissolve. Turn off the heat and set aside.
While the lentils are cooking, go ahead and start cooking the curry sauce.
In a pan over medium heat, add one tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil and the sliced red onion. Let cook for about 5-8 minutes or until soft and almost caramelized.
Then add the sliced chicken with its yogurt. Cover and cook for about 8 to 10 minutes until tender. At this point, add all the spices and stir. Make sure all the spices are mixed with the chicken. Let the spices and the chicken cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Then add all the lentil mixture. Let the lentils and the chicken with curry spices simmer for about 5 minutes.
Once the lentils sauce becomes a thick turn off the heat and set aside until serving.
To cook the quinoa:
You will need 1 ½ cup of water, 1 cup of dry quinoa, and a pinch of salt.
First, rinse the quinoa under the running water and let drain. In a small pot over medium heat, add the 1 ½ cup of broth (if chicken broth from the pan is not enough, you can add water to make 1 ½ cup) and 1 cup of rinsed quinoa. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low. Let simmer until tender and all the liquid is absorbed. (You may need to add 1 or 2 tablespoons of water to the pot until the quinoa is tender).
To serve:
Place the quinoa on the plate and add the curry lentil mixture on the top. Garnish with cilantro and serve.
If you like it a little spicy like me, you can add the red chili or any hot pepper. Enjoy!