Chicken & Sweet Potato Curry Bowl

• 4garlic cloves, minced
• 1large onion, diced
• 1thumb-sized piece ginger, grated
• 2 tbspvegetable oil
• 2 tbsptikka masala or medium curry paste
• 600 gchicken thigh fillets, cut into large chunks
• 2large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 3cm chunks
• 1 x 400gtin chopped tomatoes
• salt and black pepper
• 1 x 400mltin coconut milk
• 1lime, juiced
• 100 gdried green or brown lentils, rinsed
• 600 gcooked rice, 15 g coriander and 4 tbsp mango chutney (optional)

Method

1. 1Press kitchen paper over the chicken until dry.
2. 2Heat the oil in a wide, lidded heavy pan over a high heat until it shimmers. Brown the chicken in two batches, 4–5 minutes a batch, until the edges catch deep gold. Crowd the pan and the meat boils in its own juices instead of building colour. Lift out and set aside.
3. 3Drop the heat to medium. Add the onion and cook for 6–8 minutes until soft, translucent and just starting to catch at the edges; those sticky bits on the base are flavour, leave them be.
4. 4Stir in the garlic, ginger and curry paste. Cook for 60–90 seconds, just until fragrant and the paste darkens a shade. This is also the moment the spices in the paste toast in the hot oil.
5. 5Tip in the sweet potato and rinsed lentils, stirring to coat every chunk in the rust-coloured paste. Cook for 2–3 minutes so the spice clings.
6. 6Pour in the coconut milk, chopped tomatoes and 200 ml Bring to a gentle simmer.
7. 7Return the chicken with any resting juices. Cover and cook over a medium-low heat for 20–25 minutes, stirring once or twice, until the sweet potato yields to the tip of a knife and the sauce has thickened to a glossy coat that clings to the back of a spoon. The thickest part needs to hold 75°C for 30 seconds.
8. 8Off the heat, stir in the lime juice; the acid lifts the coconut richness and pulls the spices forward.
9. 9Spoon the curry over steamed rice in warm bowls, scatter the fresh coriander generously over the top, and add a glossy spoonful of mango chutney alongside.

Per serving

kcal

660

protein

41.8g

fibre

5.8g

carbs

48.8g

fat

34.4g