Chicken and sweet potato curry

Credit: Recipe from The Colourful Kitchen Collection: Recipes for Health and Wellbeing from the Institute for Optimum Nutrition. Recipe contributor: Catherine Pohl, DipION, nutritional therapist | www.catherinepohl.com | @catherinepohlnutrition. Photography copyright @ Joy Skipper. Available to order now.   

Catherine says: “This is a family favourite with my own kids and grown-up friends. It’s perfect for a Friday night ‘fakeaway’ with all the flavours but none of the nasties, and is just jam-packed with goodness. It’s a slow cooked recipe that can be left alone to cook itself and the timings are very flexible. The longer you leave it, the more the sweet potato melts in to make the sauce. It also freezes well, hence the six portions – perfect for a gathering or to pop some in the freezer for a fast reheat meal in the week.”

Serves 6 

Vegan option | Nut-free option | Dairy-free | Gluten-free  

Time: 1 hour 20 minutes – 3 hours 20 minutes  

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp coconut oil
• 1 large onion, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 heaped tbsp fresh ginger, grated
• 1-2 tsp turmeric powder or fresh grated turmeric
• 2 tbsp korma powder
• 600g chicken, diced into large chunks
• 2 medium sweet potatoes, diced into 2cm chunks
• 2 red peppers, deseeded and diced
• 300-500ml gluten-free chicken stock
• 1 x 400ml tin coconut milk
• 50g ground almonds (optional)
• Handful of chopped fresh coriander, to serve 

Method 

1. Preheat the oven to 170°C/150°C fan/gas mark 3.
2. Heat the coconut oil in a large ovenproof casserole dish and fry the onion on a low heat for 2 minutes, stirring so it doesn’t burn. Add the garlic, ginger, turmeric and korma powder and cook for a further 1-2 minutes, stirring to ensure it doesn’t stick.
3. Increase the heat to medium and add the chicken. Cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring and turning the pieces until they are white.
4. Add the sweet potato, peppers, chicken stock and coconut milk. Cover the dish with a lid and bring to the boil.
5. Stir well, then transfer the whole dish to the oven to cook slowly for 1-3 hours, checking and stirring occasionally and topping up with a little water if the sauce is getting too thick. This will happen if you leave it cooking for more than an hour, but the flavours are even more delicious if you do cook it a little longer.
6. Remove from the oven when the sauce is fairly thick and the chicken is well cooked and falling apart. Stir in the ground almonds, if using.
7. Sprinkle over the fresh coriander and serve with rice or naan and a veggie side dish. 

Swaps

Vegan: swap the chicken for chickpeas or fried tofu, added 30 minutes before serving, and swap the chicken stock for vegetable stock.

Nut-free: omit the ground almonds.

ION tip: this recipe also works well in a slow cooker!

About Catherine 

Catherine is a nutritional therapist and health coach based in the icy north of Sweden where she also runs nature-based and wild food retreats. She is passionate about helping her clients with food, lifestyle and mindset strategies to live their very best lives.

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