Chicken & Spinach Curry

This has what looks like quite a lengthy list of spices but I assure you, you will have most of them lurking in somewhere in that cupboard of yours, they’re just the sort of things you buy once and then never use again … so don’t look at the sell by date just get them in the pan and keep using them up this way.  This recipe is another crowd pleaser as it’s full of fragrant flavour rather than hot, hot heat.  The image show it’s with rice but as I add in lentils (they provide a bigger nutritional hit) there’s no need to serve the curry with rice.  I almost never have the curry leaves or the clove in the house so I’ve said that they’re optional as it’s always tastes just fine without them. Protein, folate, Vitamins A, C, K, Iron and fibre … all dressed up in one extremely delicious, family friendly dish, what’s not to love?

Ingredients

20g butter or oil

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 tsp cumin powder

1 tsp tumeric

Seeds from 4 Cardamom Pods

A pinch of Saffron Strands

1cm piece of Cinnamon Sticks

4-5 Curry Leaves (optional)

1/2 tsp Fenugreek Seeds

1/2 tsp Mustard Seeds

1/2 tsp Paprika

1 Clove (optional)

1 large Onion finely chopped

3 Cloves of Garlic, crushed

20g Root Ginger, grated

1 Small Chilli finely, chopped

2-4 Chicken Legs, jointed)

1 tsp Tomato Puree

1L Chicken Stock

200g-400g Bag Spinach Leaves, chopped

Method

1. Heat the butter or oil in a pan and fry all the spices with the onions, garlic, ginger and chilli for a ciuple of minutes to release the flavour. Add the chicken and the tomato puree and cook for a further 5 minues, stirring all the time.

2. Pour in the chicken stock and simmer gently for 25 minutes. then add in the lentils (if using) and simmer for a further 20 minutes.  Add the spinach in right at the end and stir through until wilted down.