Summary

Prep: 5 mins
Cooking: 50 mins
Ages: Toddlers to Teens
Difficulty: Easy peasy
Makes: 4 servings

Where is curry from?

Curry refers to a variety of dishes that combine spices or herbs, usually including turmeric, cumin, coriander, ginger and spicy chillies, to create a hot sauce that’s packed with flavour. This is then combined with chicken, lamb, fish, lentils or root vegetables to create the final dish. Many curries contain no meat at all and use only lentils and vegetables such as sweet potatoes, aubergines and potatoes.

Curry dishes originate from the Indian subcontinent but have become popular worldwide.

The rise of the British curry

Curry has become such a popular dish in the UK that we even celebrate ‘National Curry Week‘ every October. One MP even described Chicken Tikka Massala as a “true British national dish” such is the popularity.

Filling, warming and bursting with flavour it’s easy to see how curries have become so big in Britain and around the world.

Our recipe for kids chicken curry

We decided to make a curry that’s ideal for families with young children and is even mild enough for toddlers. We wanted to use only fresh, natural ingredients, combined to make a delicious curry sauce.

We use coconut milk, red lentils, cumin, turmeric and cinnamon to make a homemade curry sauce which is creamy while also staying mild. This is then combined with carrots and chicken cubes to make a great curry dish.

Our kids chicken curry is good for…

Our curry contains lentils, carrots and chicken.

Chicken is a great protein source.. It’s also rich in Vitamin B, which is known to known to boost immunity and help the digestive system.

Lentils are rich in many minerals including protein, fiber, folate, vitamin B6 and thiamin.

Carrots are a great source of beta carotene which has been proven to have an effect on bone health. Even a small amount of beta carotene every day is known to help prevent bone related diseases.

Turmeric is a powerful spice which gives curry its yellow colour. It has compounds that offer a range of health benefits, the most significant of which is curcumin. Curcumin has powerful anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects.

Cumin also helps with indigestion. It’s a rich source of iron and can have antimicrobial, antibacterial and antioxidant properties.

So as well as being a tasty and warming dish, our kids chicken curry has ingredients that pack a powerful punch healthwise.

Ingredients

• 100 grams uncooked red lentils (1/2 cup)
• 250 grams carrots (approx 2 medium carrots)
• 500 mls chicken stock (2 cups)
• 240 mls coconut milk (1 cup)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large onion finely diced
• 2 cloves garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• ½ teaspoon turmeric
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 400 grams chicken breast cut into cubes
• Coriander leaves – to garnish

Serve with basmati rice and steamed vegetables

Instructions

1. Rinse the red lentils and place in a saucepan.
2. Peel and chop the carrots and add them to the lentils.
3. Pour in the chicken stock.
4. Cover the saucepan with a lid and simmer on a low heat for twenty minutes or until the lentils are soft and cooked through.
5. Once the lentils and carrots are finished cooking, add the coconut milk and puree the mixture with a stick blender.
6. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a pan and saute the diced onion until it starts to colour slightly.
7. Add garlic and sauté for about a minute.
8. Add in the turmeric, cumin and cinnamon and cook for a further minute, stirring to combine.
9. Now put the onion mixture into the saucepan with the blended red lentils, carrots and coconut milk.
10. Add the chicken pieces to the pot. Cover and simmer over low heat for 30 minutes. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking.
11. Serve your chicken curry with some basmati rice, natural yoghurt and steamed vegetables.

Kids chicken curry – our step by step guide:

Rinse your lentils and place them in a saucepan with your peeled and chopped carrot pieces.

Add the chicken stock to the saucepan.

Cover with a lid and simmer for about 20 minutes.

The carrots should be soft and the lentils cooked through.

Take the lid off occasionally to check there is enough liquid and to give everything a good stir.

While the lentils are cooking, heat your olive oil in a saute pan and cook your onions until they are soft and starting to colour around the edges.

Now add your minced garlic and saute for about a minute, being careful to not let the garlic burn.

Now add the cumin, turmeric and cinnamon to the pan.

Cook for about a minute more, or until all the spices are incorporated into the mix and everything is nice and soft.

When the 20 minutes is up, and the lentils and carrots are soft, add the coconut milk to the carrots and lentils.

Puree with a stick blender (or in a blender).

Add the onion, garlic, spice mix to the pot and stir everything together.

Now add all the chicken to the pot and simmer for 30 minutes with the lid on.

Take the lid off every 10 minutes or so to give it all a good stir to prevent sticking.

Put the lid back on.

Make sure the heat is low.

Serve with basmati rice and garnish with coriander.

Enjoy this delicious kids chicken curry with rice, steamed vegetables and natural yoghurt.

Even toddlers with love the great taste!