Delicious, fragrant, savoury and, above all, quick. Feeds 2-4 depending how you’re serving it.
- 3 tbsp coconut oil
- ½ tsp mustard seeds
- 6 curry leaves
- 1 carrot, grated
- 1 onion, thinly sliced
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1″ ginger, peeled and minced
- 1 tsp chilli flakes
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 500g minced chicken
- 2 tbsp Sri Lankan roasted curry powder
- ½ tsp turmeric
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp tamarind paste
- 50g red lentils
- 1 tin coconut milk
- Juice of ½ lime
- Heat coconut oil in a deep pan over medium-high, add curry leaves and mustard seeds and cook until they pop
- Add the carrot, onion, garlic, ginger, chilli flakes, salt and pepper. Stir well to combine
- Reduce heat to medium-low and cook, stirring often, until carrots and onion are soft
- Add the chicken, curry powder, turmeric, tamarind paste and soy sauce. Mix well, breaking the meat up into chunky bits
- Add the lentils, coconut milk, lime and half a tin of water
- Stir well, bring to the bubble then turn the heat down, put the lid on and cook for 15 mins. Stir once halfway through cooking
- Take the lid off and cook, stirring occasionally for another 5-10 mins until lentils are soft and the sauce is thick and rich
- Check the seasoning and eat up!
You can serve this over rice right away or transfer it into a bowl and leave to cool, then use it as stuffing for flatbreads – dough balls filled with the mince, rolled out thin and cooked in a dry pan.
