If you’ve never tried tandoori chicken, now is your chance. These chicken tenders are much like my Barbecue Tandoori Chicken, just a whole lot quicker. Why not try something a little different this week and give these Indian spiced chicken tenders a try. They are easy to make, take an hour to marinade and only 20 minutes to cook!

What are These Chicken Tenders Like

• Difficulty – This is an extremely easy recipe and the hands on time is very quick. There is a marinade time of one hour and a few of the spices may be ones you might not have on hand like Garam Masala, fresh ginger and turmeric.
• Taste – If you love Indian Inspired cuisine, you’ll love these easy tenders.
• Serving – This recipes uses one pound of chicken tenders which will serve approximately four people. In the recipe card at the end of the post you can scale the recipe up or down.

Ingredients

• Chicken – I used chicken tenders for this recipe.
• Yogurt – I made the base of the marinade from Greek yogurt.
• Oil – Olive oil.
• Lime juice – Lime juice is used in the marinade as well and squeezing over the tenders when they are baked.
• Garlic – Fresh minced garlic.
• Ginger – Fresh grated ginger.
• Spices and seasonings – I used a combination of coriander, turmeric, garam masala, chili flakes and slat for the marinade.1 teaspoon dried coriander
• Fresh herbs – I added a small amount of fresh coriander/cilantro to the chicken tenders when they were baked.

NOTE, The full recipe and instructions can be found at the end of the post in the recipe card.

Instructions

1. Make marinade – In a small bowl combine the yogurt, olive oil, 1/2 of the lime juice, garlic, ginger, coriander, garam masala, turmeric, dried chilli flakes and salt. Stir to combine.
2. Marinade chicken – In a large bowl, combine the chicken tenders with the marinade. Stir well, cover and refrigerate for one hour.
3. Preheat oven – Preheat oven to 375 degrees F/190 degrees C. Have ready a large baking tray.
4. Place chicken on baking tray – Remove chicken tenders from the marinade and place them on the baking tray.
5. Bake – Bake between 20 – 25 minutes or until cooked through.
6. Garnish and serve – Remove from oven and drizzle over extra lime juice and add fresh chopped coriander. Serve with your favourite dips.

Recipe Tips

• Marinade time – Make sure to marinade the chicken for an hour. This helps bring out the flavours of the seasonings. You can even marinade this chicken up to 24 hours before cooking.
• Watch cooking time – These baked perfectly in my oven in 20 minutes. Yours may cook a little quicker or take a little longer. All ovens are a little different.

Substitutions

• Greek yogurt – You can easily use natural unsweetened yogurt for the marinade.
• Lime juice – I use fresh lime juice, you can use bottled. Alternatively, you can use lemon juice.

Alternative Cooking Methods

• Stove top – Preheat a heavy bottomed skillet on the stove top for about 3 – 4 minutes. Add one tablespoon of olive oil and then add the marinaded chicken tenders. Cook each side for about 4 minutes. Remove from stove and add lime juice and fresh cilantro/coriander.
• Barbecue – Preheat barbecue to medium to high heat until it comes up to temperature. Add the chicken tenders and cook each side for about 4 minutes. Remove from barbecue and add lime juice and fresh cilantro/coriander.
• Slow cooker – Add these chicken tenders along with the marinade to your slow cooker. Cook on low for about four hours or until tender and cooked through. Remember all slow cookers are different so yours may cook quicker or take a little longer.

Serving

• Side dishes – Why not try the Spiced Zucchini & Eggplant and the Toasted Almond Basmati Rice for a few sides!
• Breads – Try the Stove Top Nann Bread to serve alongside the chicken.
• Dips – The cool Cucumber Raita or the sweet Mango Chutney would both be amazing with these tenders.

Frequently Asked Questions

Chicken Tenders in a Creamy Sun Dried Tomato Sauce

These Chicken Tenders in a Creamy Sun Dried Tomato Sauce are a must make dinner. Lightly seasoned chicken tenders cooked until golden and added to a decadent sun dried tomato sauce. Great served with pasta.

Check out this recipe

Grilled Teriyaki Chicken Tenders

Break out the barbecue for these easy and tasty Grilled Teriyaki Chicken Tenders. Chicken tenders lightly marinaded in a homemade teriyaki sauce and grilled to perfection. On the table in under 30 minutes!

Check out this recipe

Stove Top Tex-Mex Chicken Tenders

These Stove Top Tex-Mex Chicken Tenders use a Homemade Taco Seasoning and lime juice. They cook in 10 minutes on the stove top and can be added to salads, wraps and more!

Check out this recipe

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Tandoori Chicken Tenders

Make these easy Tandoori Chicken Tenders at home in no time at all! Using a few Indian inspired seasonings, Greek yogurt and lime juice, you just won't be disappointed with the flavours!

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Cook Time20 minutes mins

Marinade Time1 hour hr

Total Time1 hour hr 30 minutes mins

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Indian

Keyword: baked chicken, chicken tenders, easy recipes

Servings: 4 servings

Calories: 147kcal

Ingredients

• 1 lb chicken tenders
• 1 cup Greek yogurt
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Juice of one lime divided
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 1 inch ginger grated
• 1 teaspoon dried coriander
• 1 teaspoon garam masala
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 1/2 teaspoon dried chili flakes
• 1 teaspoon salt
• Small bunch of fresh coriander finely chopped

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

• In a small bowl combine the yogurt, olive oil, 1/2 of the lime juice, garlic, ginger, coriander, garam masala, turmeric, dried chilli flakes and salt. Stir to combine.
• In a large bowl, combine the chicken tenders with the marinade. Stir well, cover and refrigerate for one hour.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F/190 degrees C. Have ready a large baking tray.
• Remove chicken tenders from the marinade and place them on the baking tray.
• Bake between 20 – 25 minutes or until cooked through.
• Remove from oven and drizzle over extra lime juice and add fresh chopped coriander. Serve with your favourite dips.

*A note on times provided: appliances vary, any prep and/or cook times provided are estimates only.

Notes

1. 1. Marinade time – Make sure to marinade the chicken for an hour. This helps bring out the flavours of the seasonings. You can even marinade this chicken up to 24 hours before cooking.

1. 1. Watch cooking time – These baked perfectly in my oven in 20 minutes. Yours may cook a little quicker or take a little longer. All ovens are a little different.

Nutrition Facts

Tandoori Chicken Tenders

Amount Per Serving (1 serving)

Calories 147 Calories from Fat 27

% Daily Value*

Fat 3g5%

Saturated Fat 1g6%

Trans Fat 0.01g

Polyunsaturated Fat 0.5g

Monounsaturated Fat 1g

Cholesterol 73mg24%

Sodium 132mg6%

Potassium 420mg12%

Protein 24g48%

Vitamin A 34IU1%

Vitamin C 1mg1%

Calcium 6mg1%

Iron 0.4mg2%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Thanks For Stopping by & Hope To See You Soon!

The post Tandoori Chicken Tenders appeared first on Julia's Cuisine.

Originally published on may 22nd, 2015. Updated on April 26th, 2023 to include new photos, recipe tips, frequently asked questions and more relevant information.

What is Chicken Masala

Chicken Masala is an Indian dish made from fragrant spices and cooked in a creamy sauce. It doesn’t require much marinading time and comes together in about 45 minutes. It is great served with fluffy basmati rice, Stove Top Nann Bread and even Onion Bhajis with Spiced Mango Chutney.

What is This Dish Like

• Difficulty – This is a relatively easy dish to put together. It has two components, the marinade and the rest of the ingredients for the dish. All in all it takes well under and hour to put together and can be completely prepared in advance.
• Taste – This is a lightly spiced creamy curry. It does had spice but is medium to mild in flavour and not too spicy. The chicken is tender and the sauce very flavoursome.
• Serving – I feel this dish easily makes 6 servings if serving with rice and bread. If you are planning to serve it along or with just vegetable side dishes, I would say 4 servings.

Ingredients

• The chicken marinade – This marinade is made from ginger root, garlic, chili powder, turmeric, coriander, salt, olive oil, lime juice and lemon juice.
• Chicken – I used boneless skinless chicken breast cut into bite sized pieces.
• Onion – I used a large white onion.
• Other seasonings – Ground turmeric and chili flakes are added to the sauce.
• Olive oil – Olive oil was used to cook the chicken and the onions.
• Heavy cream – This adds a creamy texture to the sauce.
• Greek yogurt – I added yogurt to add a little lightness to the sauce.

NOTE, The full recipe and instructions can be found at the end of the post in the recipe card.

Instructions

1. Make the chicken marinade – Made the chicken marinade by combining the ginger, garlic, chili powder, ground coriander, ground turmeric, salt, lemon juice, lime juice and olive oil. Stir to combine. In a large bowl combine the chicken pieces with the marinade and stir well to coat. Set aside.
2. Cook the onions – In a large skillet set over medium to high heat, add the olive oil. Add the dried chili flakes and turmeric and stir well for about a minute. Add the onions and stir well to completely coat in the flavours from the spices. Reduce heat to medium low and allow the onions to cook for about 5 – 8 minutes or until softened.
3. Cook chicken and make sauce – Turn the heat up to high and add the marinaded chicken. Stir really well and allow the chicken to brown for about 5 minutes. Pour in the cream and add the Greek yogurt. Stir really well and reduce heat to low. Cover and leave to cook for a further 15 minutes or until chicken is cooked and tender.
4. Garnish and serve – Remove from heat and garnish with fresh coriander if desired. Serve with fluffy Basmati rice.

Recipe Tips

• Prep ahead – You can marinade this chicken up to 24 hours before cooking.
• Cook ahead – This chicken dish can be made up to 24 hours before serving. Just allow it to cool to room temperature, store it in an airtight container and keep it in the fridge. For reheating, I recommend in a large saucepan over medium to low heat until hot.

What to Serve With Chicken Masala

• Stove Top Nann Bread
• Toasted Almond Basmati Rice
• Spiced Zucchini & Eggplant
• Curried Peas
• Cucumber Raita

frequently Asked Questions

Chicken Jalfrezi

Chicken Jalfrezi is a dinner you need to make! Tender pieces of chicken wrapped up in a spiced tomato sauce with bell peppers. Serve over Basmati rice for your perfect Indian inspired dinner.

Check out this recipe

Chicken Tikka Masala

The ultimate comfort food to dive into this weekend! Chicken Tikka Masala brings all the flavour that you would expect from any great curry. It's not a dish that can be rushed, so grab a drink and take a look! The proof is in the eating.

Check out this recipe

Slow Cooker Curry Chicken with Coconut Milk

Why not try this Slow Cooker Curry Chicken with Coconut Milk to make cooking curry easier. An easy mid week curry that can be popped in the slow cooker before work and all ready when you get home. Just steam some rice and you're all set for a delicious comfort dinner any night of the week.

Check out this recipe

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Creamy Chicken Masala

This chicken curry is very creamy and just enough hint of spices to give it Indian flavour.

Prep Time15 minutes mins

Cook Time30 minutes mins

Total Time45 minutes mins

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Indian

Keyword: chicken, curry, dinner

Servings: 6 servings

Calories: 368kcal

Author: Julia Pinney

Ingredients

• 3 chicken breasts boneless and skinless, cut into bite size piece
• 1 small piece of fresh root ginger peeled and finely chopped
• 3-4 cloves garlic minced
• 1 tsp chili powder
• Small bunch of fresh coriander chopped
• Juice of one lime
• Juice of one lemon
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion coarsely chopped
• 1 red chill
• 2 tsp ground turmeric divided
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 cup Greek yogurt

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

• Make the marinade by adding ginger, garlic, chili powder, ground coriander, 1 teaspoon of ground turmeric, lime juice, lemon juice, and 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a bowl and stir to combine. Add the chicken to the marinade and stir to make sure all the chicken is coated in the marinade. Cover and refrigerate. This can be done a few hours before or even the day before you want to cook it.
• Chop the onion and seed the chili.
• Heat a large shallow pan over high heat and add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil and toss in the onions. Give a good stir and let cook for about 5 minutes or until browned. Now, reduce the heat to medium-low and add 1 teaspoon of the turmeric along with the chili and stir to make sure all the onion gets coated in the spice. Cook for a further few minutes until the onion is quite soft and light brown. Next, turn the heat back up to high and add the the chicken. Stir for a few minutes while browning the chicken. Let cook for about 5 minutes or until all the chicken is browned. Reduce heat to medium-low again and add the cream and the yogurt. Stir well to combine and it is really creamy. Reduce heat to low, cover and let it continue to cook for a further 10 minutes or until chicken is cooked through and tender. Remove from heat.
• This can be served right away, but I think it is best if it is let to sit for a while and then serve it. When ready to serve, top it with the fresh chopped coriander. We love to serve this with basmati rice and naan bread.

*A note on times provided: appliances vary, any prep and/or cook times provided are estimates only.

Nutrition Facts

Creamy Chicken Masala

Amount Per Serving (1 serving)

Calories 368 Calories from Fat 234

% Daily Value*

Fat 26g40%

Saturated Fat 13g81%

Cholesterol 141mg47%

Sodium 165mg7%

Potassium 563mg16%

Carbohydrates 6g2%

Fiber 1g4%

Sugar 2g2%

Protein 27g54%

Vitamin A 968IU19%

Vitamin C 14mg17%

Calcium 65mg7%

Iron 1mg6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Thanks For Stopping By & Hope To See You Soon!

The post Creamy Chicken Masala appeared first on Julia's Cuisine.

Here’s a recipe that’s been going on our dinner table for a long time. Yes, it appeared on the Blog back in 2015 but was removed in 2020 due to lack of proper photos. I finally took the time to get this recipe back on the Blog.

My version of Chicken Jalfrezi is less spicy than traditional Jalfrei recipes. I used dried chilies in this recipe. Traditionally Jalfrezi uses fresh green chilies, which are quite hot. So, although this recipe doesn’t follow the exact traditional method of a Chicken Jalfrezi, it still bring a little heat to the table and is a great dinner.

What makes This a Great Dinner Recipe

• Flavour – By marinading the chicken and making a sauce from scratch, this chicken dinner is full of deep and rich flavours.
• Can make ahead– Although this is a time consuming dish to make, it can be made in advance. In fact, it’s even better the next day.
• Cooked on the stovetop – All of the cooking is done on the stovetop and no special equipment is required.

Ingredients

FOR THE SAUCE

• Onion – I used a large white onion
• Water – water is used in this recipe to cook down the onion
• Can tomatoes – I used a large can of whole tomatoes
• Spices – Ground coriander, cumin and turmeric
• Chilies – I used dried chilies for this recipe
• Garlic – I used fresh minced garlic4 crushed garlic cloves
• Oil – my choice was olive oil
• Seasonings – salt and pepper

FOR THE CHICKEN AND REST OF THE DISH

• Chicken – I used bonesless, skinless chicken breast
• Peppers – In this recipe, I used both a green and red pepper
• Onion – I used a white onion
• Garlic – Fresh minced garlic works best
• Lemon juice – Fresh squeezed lemon juice for marinading the chicken
• Oil – olive oil
• Spices – Ground turmeric, ground coriander, ground cumin and ground garam masala
• Seasonings – Salt and pepper
• Herbs – Fresh cilantro/corinader for topping the dish

REMEMBER, The full recipe and instructions is always found at the end of the post in the recipe card.

Instructions – for The Sauce

1. Cook and blend the onions – Heat a large skillet over high heat. Add the olive oil, garlic, chilies and then the onion. Cook over high heat to brown the onions for about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low and add the water. Continue to cook uncovered until about half of the water has evaporated and the onions are soft. Approximately 5 – 8 minutes. Remove from heat and blend until smooth. Set aside.
2. Finish the sauce – Next, heat the spices and olive oil in a saucepan. Blend the can tomatoes until smooth and then add to the spices. Cook for a few minutes until flavours are blended. Remove from heat.

instructions – For The Chicken

1. Marinade chicken – Combine the chicken to a large glass bowl with the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, coriander, turmeric, cumin, garlic, salt and pepper. Give it a good stir to coat the chicken completely. Cover and refrigerate for one hour up to overnight
2. Brown the chicken – Add the chicken to a large skillet set over high heat. Toss around for just a few minutes and remove chicken and add it to the sauce.
3. Cook the peppers – In the same skillet you seared the chicken, add the peppers and onions. Toss well and let cook for about 8 minutes until soft. Add the peppers to the sauce and stir well.
4. Reduce heat and simmer – Leave the dish to simmer and allow the chicken to cook fully. Cover and leave for about 15 minutes.
5. Garnish and serve – Add the garam masala and fresh cilantro and stir well. Remove from heat and serve with rice or couscous.

Recipe Tips

• Read entire recipe before starting – I think this is stating the obvious, but please read the entire recipe before starting to make this dish. There are many ingredients and steps and it will help the dish come together quicker.
• Marinade time – Don’t skip the marinade time! It’s important to get full flavour for this dish. The recommended marinade time is one hour. But you could even do it the night before for extra flavour.
• Prep ahead – This is a time consuming dish, they are many different steps requiring cooking in different pans, marinating, etc.

Substitutions

• Chicken breast – I used white chicken meat for this recipe, but you could use boneless skinless chicken thighs if you prefer dark meat.
• Can tomatoes – This recipe used whole can tomatoes, you can use can chopped tomatoes as well.
• Peppers – I used a mix of red and green bell peppers. Any colour will work. You can just use one kind or even yellow or orange.
• Cilantro – You can leave out the cilantro or opt to use fresh parsley instead.
• Chilies – I used dried chilies for this dish. However, you can use red pepper flakes, fresh green chilies or any type of chili that you like. Just keep in mind that the heat of the dish will depend on what kind of chili pepper you add to the dish.

What To Serve With This dish

• Flatbread Pizza Dough
• Stovetop Nann Bread
• Homemade Chapatis
• Curried Peas
• Onion Bhajis with Spicy Mangy Chutney
• Toasted Almond Basmati Rice

Frequently Asked Questions

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Chicken Jalfrezi

Chicken Jalfrezi is a dinner you need to make! Tender pieces of chicken wrapped up in a spiced tomato sauce with bell peppers. Serve over Basmati rice for your perfect Indian inspired dinner.

Prep Time20 minutes mins

Cook Time55 minutes mins

Marinade Time1 hour hr

Total Time2 hours hrs 15 minutes mins

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Indian

Keyword: chicken, dinner, indian food

Servings: 6 servings

Calories: 287kcal

Author: Julia Pinney

Ingredients

For the Sauce

• 1 large onion roughly chopped
• 1 large can tomatoes
• 2/3 cup water
• 2 teaspoons ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 4 crushed garlic cloves
• 4 chilies finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• salt and pepper

Other

• 1 1/2 lbs chicken breast cut into slices
• 1 large red pepper thinly sliced
• 1 onion thinly sliced
• cloves garlic crushed
• juice of one lemon
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 teaspoons ground turmeric
• 1 teaspoon coriander
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 2 tablespoons garam masala
• salt and pepper
• Large bunch of fresh coriander chopped

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

For the sauce

• Heat a large skillet over high heat. Add the olive oil, garlic, chilies and then the onion. Cook over high heat to brown the onions for about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low and add the water. Continue to cook uncovered until about half of the water has evaporated and the onions are soft. Approximately 5 – 8 minutes. Remove from heat and blend until smooth. Set aside.
• Next, heat the spices and olive oil in a saucepan. Blend the can tomatoes until smooth and then add to the spices. Cook for a few minutes until flavours are blended. Remove from heat.

For the chicken and remaining dish

• Combine the chicken to a large glass bowl with the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, coriander, turmeric, cumin, garlic, salt and pepper. Give it a good stir to coat the chicken completely. Cover and refrigerate for one hour up to overnight.
• Add the chicken to a large skillet set over high heat. Toss around for just a few minutes and remove chicken and add it to the sauce.
• In the same skillet you seared the chicken, add the peppers and onions. Toss well and let cook for about 8 minutes until soft. Add the peppers to the sauce and stir well.
• Leave the dish to simmer and allow the chicken to cook fully. Cover and leave for about 15 minutes.
• Add the garam masala and fresh cilantro and stir well. Remove from heat and serve with rice or couscous.

*A note on times provided: appliances vary, any prep and/or cook times provided are estimates only.

Notes

The chicken can be marinaded overnight if you have the time.

Nutrition Facts

Chicken Jalfrezi

Amount Per Serving (1 serving)

Calories 287 Calories from Fat 108

% Daily Value*

Fat 12g18%

Saturated Fat 2g13%

Trans Fat 1g

Cholesterol 96mg32%

Sodium 184mg8%

Potassium 821mg23%

Carbohydrates 10g3%

Fiber 3g13%

Sugar 5g6%

Protein 34g68%

Vitamin A 1198IU24%

Vitamin C 84mg102%

Calcium 37mg4%

Iron 2mg11%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Thanks For Stopping by and Hope To See You Soon!

The post Chicken Jalfrezi Recipe appeared first on Julia's Cuisine.

Friends, we’re heading into that time of year where comforting dishes will be welcomed by us all. If you’re an avid reader of the blog, you’ll remember that the “ber” months are my favourite!

We’re looking forward to all the comfort food. Dishes like our family favourite Chicken & Leek Pie and so many warming soups like the Slow Cooker Tomato Soup made with Fresh Tomatoes are more than welcomed this time of year.

Ingredients

• Squash – I used butternut squash for this recipe. These are easy to cook and add a nice sweetness.
• Lentils – To make things easy, I used precooked brown lentils.
• Onion – White, brown or yellow onions work well. In this recipe I used a yellow onion.
• Spices – I used a mix of dried chili flakes, ground coriander, turmeric and garam masala.
• Garlic – I prefer to use fresh garlic and this recipe used minced garlic cloves.
• Oil – Olive oil works great for this recipe.
• Vinegar – Balsamic vinegar adds a little sharpness to the dish
• Sugar – I added a small amount to brown sugar to balance out the flavours of the spices and vinegar.
• Salt – Just a pinch of salt is all this recipe needs to help bring out the flavours.
• Broth/stock – This recipe used a 1/2 of a vegetable stock cube mixed with boiling water.
• Garnish- Fresh coriander works really well to add a touch of freshness.

REMEMBER, The full recipe and instructions is always found at the end of the post in the recipe card.

Instructions

1. Roast squash – Preheat your oven to 375 degrees f/190 degrees c. Place the diced squash in a baking dish and drizzle over 1 tablespoon of olive oil, turmeric and 1 teaspoon of the ground coriander. Stir to coat completely. Roast for approximately 30 minutes, turning half way through cooking. Remove from oven and set aside.
2. Sautee onion – In a large skillet, heat the other tablespoon of olive oil and add the garlic. Cook over a high heat for about a minute. Add the onions and stir well. Continue cooking over a high heat for about 2 minutes until the onions start to brown. Reduce heat to medium and continue to cook the onions until they are soft, about 5 minutes.
3. Add seasonings and lentils – Add the chili flakes, ground coriander and Garam masala. Stir well to infuse the flavours. Add the lentils, balsamic vinegar and brown sugar. Stir really well to combine the flavours.
4. Add stock and squash – Pour in the vegetable stock and the roasted squash. Stir, reduce heat to low and allow to cook for a further 15 minutes, until most of the stock has evaporated and the squash is cooked through.
5. Garnish and serve – Remove from heat, garnish with fresh coriander and serve.

Recipe Notes

• Time saving – This recipe has a roasting part and a stove top part. It’s important to cook your squash first as it takes the longest. I like to get the stove part of the cooking done while the squash is roasting.
• Measure spices correctly – The spices used in this dish have strong flavours. Please, make sure to measure correctly so your dish isn’t over powering.
• Don’t over cook the squash – squash falls apart when it’s roasted for too long. So although we want the squash to be soft we won’t want it to be mushy. Mine cooked to a little firm at 30 minutes. Remember, it finishes cooking in the broth on the stove top.

Substitutions

• Butternut squash – I love butternut squash but you can always use other types of squash for this recipe. You can use spaghetti squash, acorn squash or Delicata squash interchangeably for this dish.
• Lentils – There are many varieties of lentils. I used a jar of cooked brown lentils for this dish, but you can use uncooked brown lentils for this recipe. Keep in mind cooking brown lentils will take about 30 minutes.

What to Serve with This Dish

This is a warming and comforting dish and would go great with any kind of bread. I’d recommend the Stove Top Nann Bread or the Flatbread Pizza Dough Recipe. And on the side Tzatziki would be great for dipping the bread.

Frequently Asked Questions

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Roasted Squash and Lentil Curry

Full of flavour, filling and healthy.  This Roasted Squash & Lentil Curry is a warming and delicious dish that will just make you feel great about comfort food without the guilt.

Prep Time20 minutes mins

Cook Time45 minutes mins

Total Time1 hour hr

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Indian

Keyword: lentils, vegeterian

Servings: 4 servings

Calories: 583kcal

Author: Julia Pinney

Ingredients

• 1/2 Butternut Squash cut into 1 inch pieces
• 3 cup lentils cooked
• 1 onion diced
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 1/2 teaspoon dried chili flakes
• 2 teaspoons ground coriander divided
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
• 1 teaspoon garam masala
• Pinch salt
• 1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 1 Tablespoon brown sugar
• 2 Tablespoons olive oil divided
• 2 cups vegetable stock
• Small bunch of fresh coriander roughly chopped

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

• Preheat your oven to 375 degrees f/190 degrees c. Place the diced squash in a baking dish and drizzle over 1 tablespoon of olive oil, turmeric and 1 teaspoon of the ground coriander. Stir to coat completely. Roast for approximately 30 minutes, turning half way through cooking. Remove from oven and set aside.
• In a large skillet, heat the other tablespoon of olive oil and add the garlic. Cook over a high heat for about a minute. Add the onions and stir well. Continue cooking over a high heat for about 2 minutes until the onions start to brown. Reduce heat to medium and continue to cook the onions until they are soft, about 5 minutes.
• Add the chili flakes, ground coriander and Garam masala. Stir well to infuse the flavours. Add the lentils, balsamic vinegar and brown sugar. Stir really well to combine the flavours.
• Pour in the vegetable stock and the roasted squash. Stir, reduce heat to low and allow to cook for a further 15 minutes, until most of the stock has evaporated and the squash is cooked through.
• Remove from heat, garnish with fresh coriander and serve.

*A note on times provided: appliances vary, any prep and/or cook times provided are estimates only.

Notes

As roasting times vary from oven to oven, check your squash as it is cooking so it doesn’t go too soft.  Otherwise, when you stir it into the lentils it will most likely become mashed squash.  You want it cooked but still holding its form.

Nutrition Facts

Roasted Squash and Lentil Curry

Amount Per Serving (1 serving)

Calories 583 Calories from Fat 81

% Daily Value*

Fat 9g14%

Saturated Fat 1g6%

Polyunsaturated Fat 2g

Monounsaturated Fat 6g

Sodium 490mg21%

Potassium 1784mg51%

Carbohydrates 98g33%

Fiber 47g196%

Sugar 11g12%

Protein 34g68%

Vitamin A 10347IU207%

Vitamin C 29mg35%

Calcium 147mg15%

Iron 12mg67%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Thanks For Stopping By & Hope To See You soon!

The post Roasted Squash and Lentil Curry appeared first on Julia's Cuisine.

Making Curry Dishes

This week we celebrated my 49th birthday. What? I don’t really understand that number, but it’s here to stay and it’s only gonna’ get bigger…hahaha. And with every celebration, you know there has be food. I’ve said this many times, we don’t eat or have take out often. Generally, most of our meals are always cooked at home. But with it being my birthday, a dinner out was in order.

We tired out a new Indian restaurant that’s super close to our place and it was so delicious. If you ever look around the Blog you will notice how many Indian inspired dishes there are. Things like Spiced Onion Bhajis, Red Lentil Curry, Chicken Tikka Masala, Caramelized Onion and Almond Rice Pilaf, Coconut Curried Butternut Squash Soup and so much more. Take a look around and see what you love!

And keeping with my love for curry and Indian inspired dishes, I’m bringing you this Slow Cooker Curry Chicken with Coconut Milk. Curry made easy! Making a great curry can be very labour intensive and time consuming. But in the slow cooker, it’s super easy. Maybe not quick, but there’s so little hands on time. You literally just toss everything in the slow cooker and push start.

Does it give the same rich flavour as a labour intensive curry Honestly, no it doesn’t. But it was really tasty and the chicken was super tender. My family loved it and I’ve made it several times now. This is a dish for when you don’t have the time for hands on cooking and you can prep it early and get on with your day. More labour intensive curries like my Chicken Tikka Masala and Indian Butter Chicken are huge hits but require much more prep and hands on time.

So, let’s take a look how to make this super easy Slow Cooker Curry!

Here’s Everything We Need To Make the Slow Cooker Curry Chicken With Coconut Milk

• Chicken breasts
• Onion
• Tomato paste
• Coconut milk
• Garlic
• Fresh ginger
• Garam masala
• Sweet paprika
• Turmeric
• Cumin
• Coriander
• Chili flakes
• Salt
• Black pepper
• Fresh parsley or cilantro
• Spring onion

REMEMBER, The full recipe and instructions is found at the end of the post in the recipe card.

Let’s Cook The Slow Cooker Curry

With all my recipes, I like to start out getting everything prepped and ready. It always makes life easier and less stressful!

• Cut the Chicken into small pieces – I used boneless skinless chicken breasts for this recipe. If you prefer, you can use chicken thighs. I cut them into about 2 inch pieces.
• Prepare fresh ingredients – I cut the onions into about 1 inch pieces, crushed the garlic and grated the ginger. Fresh ginger gives so much flavour, so I don’t recommend using ground ginger for this recipe.

Assemble Slow Cooker Dish

• Make your spice blend – In a small bowl combine all the dried spices with the salt and pepper. Stir to combine. This is not a spicy dish, it aromatic and smooth. If you prefer a spicier dish, add more dried chilies and double up on the fresh ginger.
• Add ingredients to the slow cooker– put the cubed chicken in the slow cooker. Sprinkle over the dried spices and stir to combine. Toss in the onions, garlic, ginger and tomato paste

Cook The Slow Cooker Chicken Curry

• Add Coconut Milk – Pour over the coconut milk and stir well. I used full fat coconut milk, but you can use reduced fat coconut milk. If you use reduced fat coconut milk, the sauce will be a little thinner.
• Cover and cook – put the lid on your slow cooker and turn setting to low and leave to cook for about 6 hours.

REMEMBER, All slow cookers vary a little in temperature. Yours may cook faster or take a little longer. I always recommend when trying a recipe for the first time, to adjust cooking times if you need to according to how your appliance cooks.

Finishing off The Dish

• Check for doneness – At the six hour mark (or before), this will be done and ready. check to make sure it’s fork tender and ready.
• Thicken sauce (if needed) – I’ve made this several times and did not need to thicken the sauce after cooking. However, if you do, here’s what you need to do. Add 1 tbsp of corn starch and 2 tbsp of water to a glass and stir well. Slowly pour it into the slow cooker, stirring as your pour. It will thicken quickly, so only pour as much as you need.
• Garnish the dish – I like to add a bit of freshness to curries. I’ve added freshly chopped cilantro and spring onions to dish to give it a complete finish. Delicious.

Tips For Slow Cooker Curry Chicken

• Make sure spices are fresh – did you know that spices actually lose their strong flavours after a while? So, if the ones you have are really old, I do recommend replacing them to get the best flavours.
• Use fresh garlic and ginger – Both of these are essential to adding to the end result. So don’t use dried garlic or ginger in this case.
• Additions you can make – you can add chopped bell peppers to the slow cooker if you’d like. It would make a great addition.

Knowing Your spices

Have your ever been overwhelmed when cooking dishes you are familiar with and not really knowing what the spices do? Take a look to help understand the spices used in this dish.

• Sweet Paprika – This is generally the most common type of paprika used and it’s not spicy or even sweet. It adds a brighter colour to the dish and a mild peppery flavour. It’s made from bright red peppers that are dried and ground. Check out these Paprika Spiced Potato Wedges for a great use of paprika.
• Turmeric – A very common placed spice these days and you can find it anywhere. It has a warm and bitter taste. It adds flavour and colour to all dishes. Don’t overuse this spice or you will taste it in the dish. These Moroccan Spiced Pork Kebabs make great use of Turmeric.
• Cumin – The flavour is earthy and aromatic. It has a hint of citrus and adds a lot of flavour to any dish. See the Cumin & Fennel Roasted Vegetables.
• Coriander – This has a warm and nutty flavour with a bit of spice. And, much like cumin, it adds a touch of citrus. This Carrot & Coriander Soup is full of flavours!
• Garam Masala– This is actually a purchased spice blend. Commonly using cinnamon, peppercorns, cardamom, mustard seeds, coriander seeds. cloves, and nutmeg. It enhances the overall flavour in the dish. Used here in the Spicy Chickpea Curry.

What’s Great To serve With This Coconut Milk Based Curry

You can’t beat basic Basmati Rice to serve on the side. It always goes really well. Or you could try serving it with the Caramelized Onion and Almond Rice Pilaf. A nice vegetable side dish could be the Spiced Zucchini & Eggplant or the Onion Bhajis. And don’t forget the Stove Top Nann Bread to finish off the meal perfectly!

Friends, it’s a really easy dish and I hope you get a chance to try it out sometime this autumn. And did I even mention it’s just 300 calories a serving!! So you can add all the bread and rice you want! Just remember to turn on your slow cooker….hahaha. Happy Saturday and bring on all the comfort food.

Here’s Some More Great Chicken Curry Recipes You Might Like

Like what you see today? Don’t forget you can follow on Facebook for daily inspiration or over on Instagram where I sometimes do daily cooking videos for fun! I’m also on Pinterest which is a great place that you can save and share your favourite recipes. As well, if you haven’t yet, Subscribe to the newsletter. You’ll be notified whenever there’s a new recipe! You can do that at the top of the page.

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Slow Cooker Curry Chicken with Coconut Milk

Why not try this Slow Cooker Curry Chicken with Coconut Milk to make cooking curry easier. An easy mid week curry that can be popped in the slow cooker before work and all ready when you get home. Just steam some rice and you're all set for a delicious comfort dinner any night of the week.

Prep Time15 minutes mins

Cook Time6 hours hrs

Total Time6 hours hrs 15 minutes mins

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Indian

Keyword: coconut curry, coconut milk, slow cooker chicken

Servings: 6 servings

Calories: 300kcal

Author: Julia Pinney

Ingredients

• 2 lbs chicken breasts boneless & skinless, cut into bite sized pieces
• 1 large onion roughly chopped
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 1/3 cups coconut milk
• 3 cloves garlic crushed
• 1 inch piece ginger peeled and grated
• 1 tablespoon garam masala
• 1 tablespoon sweet paprika
• 1 1/2 teaspoons turmeric
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cumin
• 1 1/2 teaspoons coriander
• 1/2 teaspoon dried chili flakes
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• small bunch fresh parsley or cilantro finely chopped for garnish
• 1 spring onion finely diced for garnish

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

• In a small bowl combine the garam masala, sweet paprika, turmeric, cumin, coriander, dried chili flakes, salt and pepper. Stir to combine and set aside.
• Place the chicken in the slow cooker and sprinkle over the seasoning. Stir really well to coat. Add the chopped onion, tomato paste, garlic, ginger and coconut milk. Stir well.
• Cook on low for about 6 hours or until completely cooked and tender.
• Best served with Basmati Rice and Nann Bread.

*A note on times provided: appliances vary, any prep and/or cook times provided are estimates only.

Notes

• Flavours – This is a sweeter curry and not too spicy.  If you prefer, you can add a little more heat with dried chilies or even fresh.
• Sauce thickening – When this finishes cooking, give it a really good stir.  If the sauce is on the thin side, you can thicken it up.  Add one tablespoon of corn starch with two tablespoons of water to a small glass.  Stir to combine.  Pour a little into the curry and stir and add accordingly how thick you would like your sauce.
• Serving suggestions – I feel any sauce based curries go great with Basmati rice and Nann bread.

Nutrition Facts

Slow Cooker Curry Chicken with Coconut Milk

Amount Per Serving (1 serving)

Calories 300 Calories from Fat 135

% Daily Value*

Fat 15g23%

Saturated Fat 10g63%

Trans Fat 1g

Polyunsaturated Fat 1g

Monounsaturated Fat 2g

Cholesterol 97mg32%

Sodium 424mg18%

Potassium 828mg24%

Carbohydrates 7g2%

Fiber 2g8%

Sugar 2g2%

Protein 34g68%

Vitamin A 780IU16%

Vitamin C 6mg7%

Calcium 38mg4%

Iron 3mg17%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Thanks For Stopping By & Hope To See You Soon!

The post Slow cooker Curry Chicken With Coconut Milk appeared first on Julia's Cuisine.

Look no further for your perfect no fail Nann Bread recipe. We’ve been making and enjoying this bread for many years now and it’s a hit every single time. It goes great with so many dishes like my Chicken Tikka Masala, the Chickpea Curry and even the Spiced Moroccan Soup. And if you haven’t yet, check out my Homemade Chapati Recipe, another great Indian bread.

Let’s get straight to the bread and go over everything so you can get it just right as well.

Types of Yeast

For this recipe I used Instant Yeast, but you can use whatever kind you have at home. If you’re unsure of what kind you have or how to use it, here’s a little guide to three of the most popular types of yeast.

• Fresh Yeast – This comes in block form and needs to be kept in your fridge. Because it’s fresh yeast it will only last a few weeks after purchase. To use it, you dissolve it in warm water.
• Active Dry Yeast – This yeast is in dry form and you have to dissolve it in warm water before using.
• Instant Yeast – This is the easiest yeast to use. It comes in dry form and you simply add it to the the dry ingredients. Easy.

Hope this helps you decided what kind of yeast you have and how to use it.

What’s The Perfect Water Temperature

The experts all say that yeast will be activated between 105 degrees F (40 degrees C) and 115 degrees F (46 degrees C). Yes, those are the magic numbers. 

The easiest way to see if you have the correct temperature is to put a thermometer into the water.  But I am aware that not everyone has one of those in their kitchen.  So the best test to do it run the water until it just becomes a little bit on the hot side.  Kind of like almost too hot to touch.  Some people say luke warm water, but I never get that to work. 

Knowing if the Yeast Has Worked

If your yeast works, you will know pretty quickly.  It usually takes about 10 minutes and it should look a little like the pic below to the right.  If after 10 minutes, the yeast still looks flat, chances are it isn’t going to work.  You can cover it and check it again in about 5 minutes.  But most likely the yeast isn’t working.  At this point, I would recommend throwing it away and starting over.  Yes, sadly it most likely just isn’t going to work. 

Add the Yeast To The Flour

• Next, add the yeast to the flour mixture and use a spoon to stir it all together.  If the dough is to sticky and not coming away from the sides of the bowl, add a bit more flour. I find I most always need to add a little bit more flour at this stage.  Just add enough so the dough becomes more smooth and not sticky.  Once the dough has come together, it should be soft.

• Transfer it to a lightly floured surface and knead it for just a couple of minutes. 
• Form the dough into a ball and place it back into the bowl.  Cover it and leave it it a warm place to rise.  Depending on the temperature this will take anywhere between one and two hours.  My kitchen was about 25 degrees C when I made this bread and it took exactly one hour to rise.

• The dough should pretty much double to triple in volume.  See the photo below to the left and this is what you are aiming for. 
• Then, of course, you punch it down and deflate it.  All that hard work!

• Once you have punched down the dough, turn it out on a lightly floured surface and cut it into 10 equal parts.  I just divided it in half and then cut each piece into 5 sections. 
• Then you roll each one into a ball.  Now cover all the balls of dough as you prepare them to cook.

Rolling Out The Nann Bread

• Preheat the cast iron skillet
• Roll out and shape your nanns in circles or ovals. However you like them.
• Roll as many as you can fit in the pan at a time. I usually can get two to three at a time depending on the size.

Cooking on Cast Iron (You Can Use Any Kind of Skillet)

• Next, brush one side of the Nann bread with water.  Place the Nann bread in the pan, water side down.  Bubbles will start to appear in the bread quite quickly, probably about 10 to 20 seconds.  You can see what that should look like in the photo below.  So just leave it on that side for a minute then turn it over. 

Perfect Stove Top Nann Bread

Then just like that you have perfect Stove Top Nann Bread ready to serve and enjoy with your next Red Thai Chicken Curry or Red Lentil Curry!  Okay, it is a bit more than “just like that”, but I assure you they are worth it. 

Repeat the process for all Nanns and keep them warm while making more.

Yes, They are Worth The Effort

I started making Nann Bread probably about 15 years ago.  I have had hit and miss success with it and different recipes over the years, but this is by far the best one I have come across.  Much like the Onion Bhajis, practice made perfect! The bread, as you can see, isn’t really puffy at all.  In fact, it really is a flat bread.  You do get that layer of air between the bread that Nann is so famously known for. 

Can I make These In Advance

These are best the day they are made.  In fact, they don’t really keep that well at all. But you can make the dough the day before and cook them the day you are serving them.

You Can Freeze The Stove Top Nann Bread

• They will freeze well for up to a month in the freezer.
• Store in a freezer proof zip lock bag that is completely airtight. Remove as much as possible before sealing the bag.
• To defrost and reheat. Allow to defrost naturally. Tightly wrap in foil an reheat in a preheated 350 degree F/180 C oven for about 10 minutes.

Enjoy the Nann Bread and happy cooking friends!

Here’s a Few Other Recipes That you’ll be Sure To Love

• Onion Bhajis with Mango Chutney
• Falafel
• Spicy Chickpea Curry

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Stove Top Nann Bread

This is the best Stove Top Nann Bread you will ever make. Made using very few ingredients and they come out perfect every single time. Make them for you next Indian night in.

Prep Time30 minutes mins

Cook Time20 minutes mins

Rise Time1 hour hr 30 minutes mins

Total Time2 hours hrs 20 minutes mins

Course: Appetizer, Bread, Side Dish

Cuisine: Indian

Keyword: flat bread, nann bread, vegeterian

Servings: 10 Nanns

Calories: 149kcal

Author: Julia Pinney

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 Cups strong wheat flour more if needed
• 1 Teaspoon salt
• 1/8 Teaspoon baking powder
• 2 Teaspoons sugar
• 1 Teaspoon Active dry yeast
• 2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
• 3 Tablespoons natural yogurt
• 3/4 Cup warm water

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

• In a small bowl, add the dry yeast and sugar to the warm water. Stir until it dissolves. Cover and leave to become frothy. About 10 minutes.
• In a separate large mixing bowl, combine the flour, salt and baking powder. Stir to combine.
• Add the oil and yoghurt to the flour mixture. Using your fingers, incorporate it until you have a shaggy dough.
• Pour in the active yeast mixture and stir until you have a soft dough. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead it for about 2-3 minutes. It should be soft and a little elastic.
• Form the dough into a ball and put it back into the bowl. Cover with a dampened tea towel and leave in a warm place to rise between one and two hours.
• After the dough has risen, punch it down. Remove from bowl and transfer to a lightly floured surface. Cut the dough into 10 equal parts. Then roll each piece of dough into a small ball.
• Place a cast iron skillet over high heat on the stove top and leave for about 5 minutes to get hot.
• Roll out the dough balls, two at a time, or as many as you can fit in the pan at once. Leave the rest of the dough balls covered until they are ready to roll out.
• Lightly brush one side of the Nann with water. Place the Nanns in the hot pan, water side down. As soon as bubbles appear over the entire bread, turn them over. Cover pan and leave to cook for a further 2 minutes or until completely cooked.
• Remove from pan and place in a clean tea towel to keep warm.
• Repeat for all Nanns.
• Best the day they are made but will keep in the freezer for about a month.
• Great served with any curries or Indian dipping sauces.

*A note on times provided: appliances vary, any prep and/or cook times provided are estimates only.

Nutrition Facts

Stove Top Nann Bread

Amount Per Serving (1 Nann)

Calories 149 Calories from Fat 27

% Daily Value*

Fat 3g5%

Saturated Fat 2g13%

Cholesterol 1mg0%

Sodium 242mg11%

Potassium 54mg2%

Carbohydrates 25g8%

Fiber 1g4%

Sugar 1g1%

Protein 4g8%

Vitamin A 6IU0%

Calcium 15mg2%

Iron 1mg6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Thanks For Stopping By And Hope To See You Soon!

The post Stove Top Nann Bread appeared first on Julia's Cuisine.

January and Clean Eating…For Today

Clean eating in January!  Well, at least for this recipe. 

Who’s jumped on the Veganuary bandwagon?  Shock, I haven’t.  But that doesn’t mean I don’t enjoy plant based meals as well.  As I’ve said many time, I don’t cook for any specific dietary requirements.  I do, however, try my best to keep a balance.  So, if you eat a clean dish like this, you can have that cake…ha!  That’s logical to me.

In all seriousness, we are living in a time where more and more people are choosing vegan lifestyles for all kinds of reasons.  Whether it be dietary, medicinal, humanitarian, or  whatever, Veganism is apparently here to stay.

As for me, I’m still full on omnivore. 

Still, I do cook meals that are vegan friendly but never really pay much attention.  I’ve made this Spicy Chickpea Curry several times recently without taking notice that it’s actually vegan. And if you love dishes like this one, you need to check out my Spiced Zucchini & Eggplant dish.

See HOW TO MAKE Stove Top Nann Bread!

What we’re using to make Spicy Chickpea Curry

You’ll see everything you need to get going on your Spicy Chickpea Curry right here.

I just want to take a second to talk about chickpeas.  You can use canned, jar or cook your own.  I usually cook chickpeas in batches and freeze them.  I’m also lazy sometimes and use the ones from a jar.  If you’re into keeping the cost down, it’s far better to cook your own.  But sometimes convenience wins and you just pop that lid.  And that’s cool!

For this recipe I’m using precooked chickpeas.  So, if you are considering cooking your chickpeas from scratch, keep that in mind.  You’ll have to soak them for about eight hours…eeek!  I know, long.  Then the cooking time which can be up to two hours.  So, I would recommend starting out with cooked chickpeas for this recipe.  If you don’t have a tidy stash in your freezer or fridge, use a jar or can.  They are just as good.

How to cook the Spicy Chickpea Curry

The start the recipe, get chopping.  I sliced the onions, but you can dice or roughly chop them if you prefer.  I used fresh garlic, ginger and turmeric in this recipe.  Fresh garlic is a must!  But if you don’t have ginger root or turmeric root, you can just used the powered spice.  In fact, in the recipe below, I’ve written for dried turmeric because turmeric root isn’t something most people keep on hand.  If you are using fresh, use about a 1 inch piece.

Once you got everything chopped, crushed and grated.  Time to get cooking. 

Heat the olive oil over high heat in a medium sized deep sided pot.  Add the onions and cook them on high heat for about 5 minutes.  Reduce the heat to medium and continue to cook for about 10 more minutes until they are really soft.

REMEMBER, Full recipe and instructions are always found at the end of the post in the recipe card.

Add the garlic, ginger, turmeric, chilies, ground cumin and ground coriander.  Stir well to coat the onion and to infuse the spices.  Cook this for 2 – 3 minutes.

Add the cooked chickpeas and can tomatoes. 

What Kind of Tomatoes To Use

The tomatoes can either be whole or diced.  Do not use tomato puree.  If using whole can tomatoes, break them up a little with the wooden spoon.  Give the mixture a really good stir.  Bring to a simmer and then reduce heat and cover it.  Leave to cook for a further 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Take the lid off after the cooking time is up and give another good stir.  If it looks quite dry, as it too thick, you can add a little vegetable stock.  Start with 1/4 cup (60ml) and add more if needed.  Stir really well.

Add the Garam Masala, salt and the lime juice.  Stir well and simmer for just a few more minutes.

The spicy Chickpea Curry is Ready

Top with fresh cilantro and hey presto dinner is ready!

I’ve made this three times in the past couple of weeks.  Yes, three times!  It was a surprise dish because I didn’t have high expectations for it.  It’s so easy and there is zero marinading time which is quite often the case with curry dishes.  Curry dishes can be quite labour intensive and time consuming to develop flavours, but this one is easy and it still delivers on the taste buds. 

And it’s a super healthy option that fills you up.  It’s great served with Nann Bread and Basmati rice.  Aren’t those essentials with Indian food anyway? I’ve always got to have rice with any Indian inspired dishes I made.  It’s just one of those things that goes together like pancakes and maple syrup.  You can’t have one without the other. 

Quick, delicious and budget friendly.  What’s not to like!

That’s a Wrap For Today

Hope you like the recipe or find some other inspiration on the site for your dinner table this weekend.  If you’re looking for more Indian inspired dishes, take a look around the blog and you’ll be sure to find something you like for sure.  And if you looking for more curry ideas, there’s tons on the blog like my Coconut Curry Chicken & Broccoli and the Slow Cooker Curry Chicken with Coconut Milk. Just search around until you find what you love.

Thanks so much, as always, for stopping by the blog today and check back on Monday for another new recipe.  I’ve got so many new dished planned that I’m finding it hard to keep up…ha!  Tomorrow, I’ll be recipe testing all day with hopes of some delicious dishes to share in the near future.

Have a great Friday and see you all on Monday!

Like what you see today? Don’t forget you can follow on Facebook for daily inspiration or over on Instagram where I sometimes do daily cooking videos for fun! I’m also on Pinterest which is a great place that you can save and share your favourite recipes. As well, if you haven’t yet, Subscribe to the newsletter. You’ll be notified whenever there’s a new recipe! You can do that at the top of the page.

Get the recipe!

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Spicy Chickpea Curry

Where comfort food meets healthy eating and makes a delicious dish.  Spicy Chickpea Curry!  A super easy stove top dish that cooks relatively quickly, delivers on flavour and is even Vegan friendly.  Take a look and see what’s it all about.

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Cook Time40 minutes mins

Total Time50 minutes mins

Course: Main Course, Side Dish

Cuisine: Indian

Keyword: chickpeas, vegan

Servings: 4 servings

Calories: 255kcal

Author: Julia Pinney

Ingredients

• 2 Cups chickpeas cooked
• 1 14 oz Can tomatoes diced or whole
• 1 white onion Large, peeled, halved and thinly sliced
• 2 Tablespoon olive oil
• 1 inch piece ginger root peeled and grated
• 4 Garlic cloves crushed
• 1 Hot chili finely chopped (can use chili flakes)
• 1/2 Teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1 Teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 Teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 Tablespoon Garam Masala
• 1/2 Teaspoon salt
• Small bunch fresh coriander chopped
• Juice of one lime
• Vegetable stock if needed (explained in recipe below)

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

• In a deep sided pot over high heat, add the olive oil and onions. Cook for 2 – 3 minutes to brown the onions. Reduce heat to medium and continue to cook for a further 10 – 12 minutes until onions are very soft.
• Add the ginger, garlic, chili, turmeric, coriander and cumin. Give a really good stir and let the flavours infuse for about 2 -3 minutes.
• Add chickpeas and tomatoes. Stir well to coat completely. If using whole tomatoes, break them up with a wooden spoon. Stir, cover and reduce heat to medium low. Cook for a further 20 minutes.
• Remove lid and stir. If the mixture is very dry you can add 1/4(60ml) to 1/2(120 ml) of vegetable stock. Add the Garam Masala, lime juice and fresh coriander. Stir and let simmer for 2 – 3 minutes.
• Serve with Basmati rice and Nann bread.

*A note on times provided: appliances vary, any prep and/or cook times provided are estimates only.

Nutrition Facts

Spicy Chickpea Curry

Amount Per Serving (1 serving)

Calories 255 Calories from Fat 90

% Daily Value*

Fat 10g15%

Saturated Fat 1g6%

Sodium 440mg19%

Potassium 611mg17%

Carbohydrates 35g12%

Fiber 10g42%

Sugar 10g11%

Protein 10g20%

Vitamin A 251IU5%

Vitamin C 14mg17%

Calcium 96mg10%

Iron 4mg22%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Thanks For Stopping By And Hope To See You Soon!

The post Spicy Chickpea Curry appeared first on Julia's Cuisine.

First up thought, I can’t take full credit for this recipe, it’s from Pinch of Yum and it really is great.  If you check out their version, it looks ten thousand times more appealing than mine does. That’s just a fact.  Right, I didn’t follow that recipe to a tee, but it’s a pretty close copy.  You can take a look at her lentil recipe here and see how much more beautiful it is than mine. 

Mushy lentils aside, we are cruising through January quicker than I can blink.  If you read my last post, I was talking a little about being productive and positive in the year’s gloomiest of months.  Yes, January, the month we all love to hate.  But I got to say, we are three weeks in and I am still feeling pretty darn good about this month so far.

The month is winding down and there’s a list as long as my arm of other things I want to accomplish, but I’m not fretting over it.  There’s always February.

And for the moment, we’re going to take a closer look at the lentils.

Notes about the lentils

• Lentils don’t need to be soaked, so they are a great legume to cook quickly.  You just have to rinse them in cold water and then put them straight on the stove to cook.  These cooked in about 15 minutes, so quick.

• This wasn’t too spicy as the chili I used wasn’t the real hot kind.  If you prefer your dish more spicy, add a few dried chopped chilies at the beginning with the garlic and ginger.  This will do the trick.

• I added a few cashew nuts for contrast in texture and I thought they worked really well.  If you are not a nut lover or have allergies, just leave them out.

• Pictured you will see this served with rice.  Personally, I think it needs the rice.  Again, if you are looking for a lower calorie meal, or just don’t want the grains you can eat the lentils on their own.  Still tasty!

And that’s pretty much it.  A super simple and straightforward dish.  Thanks Pinch of Yum!

Happy cooking friends!

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Red Lentil Curry

This Red Lentil Curry is high on flavour, it's healthy and it cooks in about half an hour. A great winter warmer. Serve with some rice and bread and you got yourself a full dinner!

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Cook Time40 minutes mins

Total Time50 minutes mins

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Indian

Keyword: curry, lentils, vegan, vegeterian

Servings: 4 servings

Calories: 481kcal

Author: Julia Pinney

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 Cups red lentils
• 1 small onion diced
• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• 2 Tablespoons red curry paste
• 1 Teaspoon garam masala
• 1 Teaspoon hot curry powder
• 1 Teaspoon turmeric
• Pinch sugar optional
• 4 cloves Garlic crushed
• 1 Inch piece ginger grated
• 1 Red chili de seeded and finely chopped
• 2 Tablespoons tomato paste
• 1/2 Cup coconut milk
• 1/2 Cup cashew nuts roughly chopped
• Small bunch fresh cilantro. roughly chopped

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

• Rinse lentils in cold water. Place in a saucepan and cover with water. Cook for about 15 – 20 minutes or until completely cooked. Remove from heat and drain. Set aside.
• In a large skillet set over medium heat, add the olive oil, ginger and garlic. Stir for a minute and add the onion. Stir and cook for 8 – 10 minutes. Until the onion is soft and golden. Add all the spices, red curry paste, garam masala, curry powder, turmeric and the chili. Stir really well and let cook for about 2-3 minutes.
• Add the lentils and stir really well. Pour in the coconut milk, stir and bring to a simmer. Add sugar if desired. Cover, reduce heat to low and leave for about 20 to 25 minutes.
• Toss in the cashew nuts (reserving a few for garnish) and stir. Remove from heat and garnish with extra cashew nuts and the cilantro. Serve over rice.

*A note on times provided: appliances vary, any prep and/or cook times provided are estimates only.

Nutrition Facts

Red Lentil Curry

Amount Per Serving (1 serving)

Calories 481 Calories from Fat 198

% Daily Value*

Fat 22g34%

Saturated Fat 8g50%

Sodium 76mg3%

Potassium 981mg28%

Carbohydrates 53g18%

Fiber 23g96%

Sugar 5g6%

Protein 22g44%

Vitamin A 1437IU29%

Vitamin C 24mg29%

Calcium 72mg7%

Iron 8mg44%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Thanks For Stopping By & Hope to See You Soon!

The post Red Lentil Curry appeared first on Julia's Cuisine.

This was my very first attempt ever at making a Thai style curry.  I usually always stick to Indian style curries because I’ve been making them for years and they are delicious.  Well, at least we think they. My absolute favourite curry is Chicken Tikka Masala.  It’s on the blog and it’s worth making.  Now that dish does require a bit more time but the end result shows, I promise.  And if you’re looking for something with a bit of heat, check out the Spicy Chicken Curry. And there’s so much more like my Coconut Curry Chicken & Broccoli.

Anyway, I couldn’t believe how easy, fast and delicious it was.  This was done in half an hour with no marinading time for the chicken.  I am so used to marinading meats and chicken, so this was a quick surprise!

I ended up with a jar of red Thai curry paste recently and I was trying to think of how I would use it. Of course, the options are endless.  I’ve been looking for a few days and have seen so many recipes on line and just couldn’t seem to settle on one in particular.  So, in the end, I just came up with this super simple dish.

Off the topic completely, who’s ready for Christmas?  Not me, that’s who isn’t ready.  I do have to keep reminding myself that I don’t have small kids any more so it really isn’t such a panic, right?  We always have a low key Christmas anyway and I love it that way.  Sure I miss my family an ocean away, but there really is something special and comforting about our Christmas for four that we celebrate each year. 

And while we’re on the topic of Christmas, tomorrow I’ve got something a little festive coming to the blog.  Check back.

Now on to the chicken.

Notes about the curry

• The brand and amount of curry paste you use will result in a different level of heat for this dish.  If you like it really hot, I would say add more paste than I suggest.  If you like it a bit on the milder, maybe use a tablespoon less.  I also used fresh chilies.  But they really weren’t too hot at all but they just added a bit of freshness to the dish.
• Also, I added a little brown sugar to my dish because I found it a little salty.  And just to point out,I didn’t add any additional salt to this dish.  It was just what was in the paste.  So, I tweaked it a bit with sugar and found it perfect.  So, you can choose to omit the sugar if you don’t feel the dish needs it.
• You’ll see it here served with Basmati rice because I prefer that rice to Jasmine rice.  Jasmine is more traditional and you could use that if you prefer.  We also served it with Nann bread because it’s great for dipping.

Over all a super easy and flavourful dish.

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Red Thai Chicken Curry

Why not spice things up a bit with this Thai Red Chicken Curry. It's a super easy dinner that's done in 30 minutes flat! Great for busy week night dinners. Take a look!

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Cook Time20 minutes mins

Total Time30 minutes mins

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Thai

Keyword: chicken, curry

Servings: 4 servings

Calories: 472kcal

Author: Julia Pinney

Ingredients

• 4 Chicken breasts cut into bite sized pieces
• 2 Tablespoons vegetable oil divided
• 1 Inch piece fresh ginger root peeled and grated
• 3 cloves Garlic crushed
• 2 Chilies de seeded and finely chopped (reserve about 1 tablespoon for garnish)
• 4 Tablespoons Thai red curry paste
• 1 cup coconut milk
• 1 Tablespoon brown sugar
• 2 Torpedo onions ends trimmed and roughly chopped
• 2 Spring onions finely chopped
• Small bunch fresh coriander roughly chopped
• Lime wedges to serve

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

• In a large skillet set over medium to high heat, add one tablespoon of the vegetable oil with the garlic and ginger. Stir for a minute.
• Add the torpedo onions and chilies. Cook stirring occasionally for about 2-3 minutes. Stir in the curry paste until fragrant, about one minute. Pour in the coconut milk and add the sugar and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a medium heat and leave to simmer for about 5 minutes.
• In a separate pan set over high heat, add the remaining vegetable oil. Toss in the chicken and just brown for about 2-3 minutes.
• Add the chicken to the sauce. Stir well. Cover, reduce heat to low and leave for about 10 minutes or until chicken is fully cooked.
• Remove from heat and top with spring onion, fresh coriander and the reserved chilli.
• Serve over basmati rice with lime wedges on the side.

*A note on times provided: appliances vary, any prep and/or cook times provided are estimates only.

Nutrition Facts

Red Thai Chicken Curry

Amount Per Serving (1 serving)

Calories 472 Calories from Fat 234

% Daily Value*

Fat 26g40%

Saturated Fat 18g113%

Cholesterol 145mg48%

Sodium 274mg12%

Potassium 1059mg30%

Carbohydrates 9g3%

Fiber 1g4%

Sugar 5g6%

Protein 50g100%

Vitamin A 2704IU54%

Vitamin C 39mg47%

Calcium 54mg5%

Iron 3mg17%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Thanks For Stopping By & Hope To See You Soon!

The post Red Thai Chicken Curry appeared first on Julia's Cuisine.

Have you ever tried Onion Bhajis?  They are an Indian appetizer or small snack and they are delicious.  Made from just onions, flour and spices and then fried until crispy.  They are a great!  Well, I really love them.  And yes, we all have our personal tastes, I know.  But if you are into any kind of ethnic cuisine and love new things to try, why not make these for a change from chips and salsa.

And if you’re really loving what you see here today you need to check out Spicy Chicken Curry and the Spiced Zucchini & Eggplant.

There was no question for me, it was love at first bite.  And one of the first things I tired was the Onion Bhajis.  I loved them.

You can serve them with any kind of dip, but I love Mango Chutney on the side.  A bit of sweet and  bit of spicy.  The perfect little appetizer.  

Let’s take a look.

Notes about the onion bhajis with Spicy Mango Chutney

• If you are new to any kind of ethnic cooking, let me just say, follow the instructions when it comes to the spices.  It is easy to think, “Oh, I will just add teaspoon more of this or that”.  And I know I talk quite often about winging it and making it your own, but sometimes you just got to follow the recipe.  

• Dry spices generally go a long way in a dish and if you use too much, it just overpowers whatever it is you are making.  The end result will just takes like a bunch of dried spices and that’s not a great taste.  So, if you are new to this kind of cooking, follow recipes at first until you get your own grove playing with flavours and spices.

• ​And these Onion Bhajis are so easy to make.  If you follow the recipe below, you will be on your way to the perfect little bite.

• Okay, I have used a spice called fenugreek in this recipe.  I know, what in the world is that?  I kind of pride my blog on using easy to find ingredients that we can find in our supermarket and pronounce on our tongue.  But sometimes, just sometimes, I do venture outside the box.  The easy to find box that is.  Where I live, I have never found it. But I have some here because a friend gave me a jar a while back.  However, you would find it in ethnic markets, stalls that sell spices and may in an international section of your local supermarket.  And if all else fails, you don’t have to use it.  I made them for years without this spice, but it does add an extra flavour that I really enjoy..  You can read all about it here if it peaks your interest.

Notes about the mango chutney

Chutneys, like jams, generally are made in advance, jarred and then served later. As they do get better with age.  Like all of us, right?  Ha!  However, this is a no nonsense and fuss free quick chutney that you can make the day of your party and have guest chowing down in no time at all.  

• I did use pretty ripe mangos for this recipe which helps with the cooking time and the consistency of the chutney.  If you are desperate and are using mangos that are under ripe, you can still do it.  Just keep in mind, the cooking time will be longer to get them soft.  Also, a good tip would be to pulse the mangos in a food processor before cooking if they are under ripe.

• And for those of you wondering, yes you can use tinned mangos.  It’s not the best, but it will be okay.  Just something to keep in mind if you want to make them but can’t get your hands on fresh mangos.  

I’m pretty sure that just about sums it all up for this appetizer.

Yes, it’s more work than chips and salsa, but it’s worth it!

Happy cooking and happy Friday!

Like what you see today? Don’t forget you can follow on Facebook for daily inspiration or over on Instagram where I sometimes do daily cooking videos for fun! I’m also on Pinterest which is a great place that you can save and share your favourite recipes. As well, if you haven’t yet, Subscribe to the newsletter. You’ll be notified whenever there’s a new recipe! You can do that at the top of the page.

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Onion Bhajis with Spiced Mango Chutney

Why not spice up your appetizers for your next party. Crispy fried Onion Bhajis with Spicy Mango Chutney make a great alternative to your normal party snacks. Take a look and see what this dish is all about!

Prep Time30 minutes mins

Cook Time1 hour hr

Total Time1 hour hr 30 minutes mins

Course: Appetizer, Side Dish, Starter

Cuisine: Indian

Keyword: mangoes, onions

Servings: 24 Bhajis

Calories: 83kcal

Author: Julia Pinney

Ingredients

For the onion bhajis:

• 3 medium onions quartered and then thinly sliced
• 2 eggs lightly beaten
• 1 Cup flour
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1 1/2 Teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 Teaspoon fenugreek
• 1 Teaspoon garam masala
• Vegetable oil for frying

​For the mango chutney:

• 2 Mangos ripe, peeled and cut into small pieces
• 1/2 Red onion finely diced
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 5 cloves Garlic crushed
• 2 inch piece of fresh ginger root grated
• 3 Tablespoons white wine vinegar
• 2 Dried chilies finely chopped
• 1/2 Teaspoon coriander
• Pinch salt

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

• First make the mango chutney.
• In a medium saucepan set over medium to low heat, combine all of the ingredients in a medium saucepan. Stir well. Bring it to a gentle simmer and stir again. Use a fork or a potato masher to break up the mango. Cover and leave it to simmer for about 30 minutes. Check it at this stage to see if it’s soft and fragrant. Remove from heat and set aside.
• Make the onion bhajis.
• In a medium bowl add the cumin seeds, ground coriander, fenugreek, garam masala, salt and pepper to the flour. Whisk to combine and set aside.
• In another bowl, whisk the eggs and add the onions. Coat well and then add in the flour and stir to combine. You will have quite a sticky consistency.
• In a large skillet add enough vegetable oil to about 3 inches deep. Make sure the oil is hot before frying. To test it, add a small amount of batter to the pan, if it sizzles then the oil is ready. To fry the bhajis, drop small spoonfuls of the batter into the hot oil. Fry for about a minute and then turn them over. Continue to fry to for about another minute. They will be golden and crispy when done. Remove from pan and drain on paper towels. Repeat for the rest of the bhajis. Keep warm in a low oven.
• Note: These can be made in advance and then reheated on a baking try in a moderate oven for about 10 minutes.
• Serve onion bhajis with mango chutney on the side.

*A note on times provided: appliances vary, any prep and/or cook times provided are estimates only.

Notes

Cooking time stated is total cooking time, for the chutney and the bhajis.

Nutrition Facts

Onion Bhajis with Spiced Mango Chutney

Amount Per Serving (1 Onion Bhaji)

Calories 83 Calories from Fat 9

% Daily Value*

Fat 1g2%

Saturated Fat 1g6%

Cholesterol 14mg5%

Sodium 7mg0%

Potassium 72mg2%

Carbohydrates 11g4%

Fiber 1g4%

Sugar 5g6%

Protein 1g2%

Vitamin A 217IU4%

Vitamin C 8mg10%

Calcium 13mg1%

Iron 1mg6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

The post Onion Bhajis with Spicy Mango Chutney appeared first on Julia's Cuisine.