Quick and Nutritious - Chicken Vegetable Curry

Chicken Vegetable Curry is the easiest meal to cook ever! Thanks to my bestie aka mummy! Of course, that is if you have all the veg pre-washed, chopped and stored in the freezer. Suuper easy and get all the veggies nutrients in at the same time. Kids will have so much fun trying to scrape of the hecta hing (drum sticks). It’s something new for them.
Put everything into one pot, add the spices and you’re good to go! Sometimes, I add 2 tsp butter too. The taste of the butter melting into the veggies is something else.
Growing up, I always heard my uncles say that Nanima made the best Chicken Vegetable Curry. They could smell the fragrance of this dish all the way near school. They would run up the hill eagerly where nanima would be making fresh roti for her kids in the kitchen. They talk with a huge smile on their face, reminiscing in their mums memories.
It’s been over 15 years since they’ve tasted Nanimas food because she’s been living with arthritis. She hasn’t seen the upstairs of her own house in soooo long. And as the stories tell: Nanimas food was unbeatable.
I’ve never been able to taste her food myself so that’s something I wouldn’t know. I live it through my uncles lovely stories. Something they will always talk about and cherish close to their hearts.
Ingredients
NOTE: To save time and effort when cooking Chicken Vegetable Curry – pre-wash, clean, and cut all of the vegetables (except for the big Onion and Tomatoes – add them fresh). Store them in individual bags and freeze them for later use. When you are ready to cook, simply remove the vegetables from the bags and add them to the pot. This will save you a significant amount of time and energy. Cooking will be so much easier!
I have included pictures of the vegetables below to give you an idea of how I cut and stored them into freezer.
- 6 Boneless Chicken pieces from a full cut chicken, chopped into cubes.
- 10 Hecta Hing (Drumsticks) cut into 6cm sticks.
- 1 Big Onion diced
- 12 chopped Aubergine pieces
- 1/2 tsp Ginger Garlic paste
- 1 tsp Oil
- A handful of Papdi Lilva
- 2 Spring Onions finely chopped into small circles or a handful
- Handful of chopped Fenugreek or Methi Leaves
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp Turmeric (Arad)
- 1 heaped tsp Coriander powder
- 1/2 tsp Chilli powder (Marcha)
- 1 diced Vine Tomato or 2 small salad Tomatoes
- 1/2 cup water
How to cook it
Let the Magic Happen :
- Add the small boneless, skinless chicken thighs to a pot. The Chicken pieces had a thin bone in them, which I removed. My mum says that this part of the chicken is more flavorful, otherwise I would have just used chicken breasts.
- Add the Chopped Aubergine pieces – big size.
- Add the Drumsticks into the pot.
- Add the Fenugreek leaves into the pot.
- Add the grated Onion.
- Add the Papdi Lilva.
- Add the Vine Tomato.
- Add the Spring Onions.
- Add the spices and the Ginger Garlic paste.
- Mix everything until thoroughly combined.
- Add 1/2 cup water to the pot.
- Fast heat until boiling and thereafter – turn down to low heat.
- Allow to cook approx an hour.
- Cover with lid. Check and mix every 15 minutes.
- If the chicken and vegetables are not yet cooked through, add a small amount of water to the pan.
- Once the chicken and vegetables are cooked through, cook over high heat until the water has evaporated and the dish is no longer watery.
- Serve the vegetable curry with fresh Roti or Chapattis. And YES to some mango pickles on the side 🙂
AN INSIGHT INTO THESE VEGETABLES
Papdi Lilva
boosts immune system, improves eyesight and controls blood sugar level.
Aubergine
High fibre, low-calorie and a source of antioxidants. From reducing the risk of heart disease to helping with blood sugar control and weight loss…
Onion
Rich in Antioxidant compounds and a good source of vitamin C, vitamin B6, potassium and folate, while having anti-bacterial properties.
Drum Sticks
High on vitamin C and antioxidants, drumstick helps to combat against common cold, flu and common infections. Anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties of drumstick helps with asthma, cough, wheezing and other respiratory problems.
Fenugreek Leaves
Excellent source of vitamin K. Helps control cholesterol and beneficial for Diabetes. Aid for Nursing mothers. Helps to prevent Osteoporosis, anemia, while having anti-cancer properties.
Tomatoes
Ease inflammation, boost your immune system, lower your cholesterol levels, and keep your blood from clotting. Its nutritional content supports healthful skin, weight loss, and heart health.
Eat Your Veggies.
It would make me so so happy if you share your makings or your version of this recipe. It probably looks difficult, but its just a few basic ingredients that delivers a big bowl of unique flavours. And honestly, there are no rules for food. You can always tweak it to your preference.