Recipe: Capsicum Chicken Curry

This recipe for Capsicum Chicken Curry is a great new addition to your healthy dinner menu for the family. Chicken curry is on the menu in most South Asian restaurants and is a staple in households that eat meat. The curry or the sauce is made in different ways with butter, cream, coconut milk, coconut puree, cashew nut paste and/or yogurt, based on which the name of the dish changes. Here’s how you can make the quickest and healthiest chicken curry which is low in sodium, fat and carbs, yet preserves the authentic flavors. Adding vegetables to the chicken curry helps one meet the vegetable recommendations for that meal as well as adds flavor to the curry. For the lowest fat option, make sure you remove the skin and pick chicken breast over the thigh or leg. Also avoid thickening the curry with cream, cashew nut paste or coconut puree, instead use a tablespoon of roasted channa dal powder or paste and mash the tomatoes and onions with a hand blender to thicken the curry. Enjoy this with 3 small rotis or 1 cup of cooked rice.

Just one and ½ cups of Capsicum Chicken has 3 oz. of protein and a ½ cup of vegetable.  It’s also the equivalent of a serving of proteins and vegetables on the USDA’s MyPlate, which provides guidance on the appropriate amounts of fruits, vegetables, grains, dairy and protein each person should consume to live a healthier, more balanced life.

Capsicum Chicken Curry

Serving size: 1 ½ cups of Capsicum Chicken Curry

Total Servings: 4

Cooking Time: 1 Hour

Ingredients:

1. 2 large bell peppers, seeded and cut into 1” squares
2. 1lb chicken breast, washed and cut into 1” squares
3. 1 cup onion, diced
4. 10 curry leaves
5. 6 garlic cloves
6. 1” piece of ginger, peeled
7. 1 cup tomato, diced
8. 1 tsp garam masala powder [note: look for <30mg sodium per serving]
9. 2 tsp chili powder
10.  ½ tsp salt
11.  1 Tbsp Channa Dalia or roasted split Bengal Gram Dal
12.  4 tsp olive oil
13.  4 cups of water

Cooking method:

1. Heat a non-stick kadai with 4 tsp olive oil. Add garlic, ginger, onions and curry leaves.
2. When onions are browned, add ingredients #7 – #11, sauté for 5-8 mins until tomatoes are soft.
3. Add 4 cups of water then blend the ingredients with a hand blender while the pot is still on the stove. This is the curry base.
4. Add in chicken and cook on medium heat for 20 minutes.
5. Add the bell peppers and cook for 3-4 more minutes.
6. Serve with basmati rice or roti.

Nutritional Information

Other Resources:

MyPlate icons – https://www.choosemyplate.gov/myplate-graphic-resources

Nutrient info – USDA database – https://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/search/list

Nutrient info – www.calorieking.com

Nutrient info – Patel Brothers – http://store.patelbros.com/

This South Asian series is brought to you by Advocate Health Care, created in collaboration with Boehringer Ingelheim. 

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