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Chicken Lentil Spinach Curry Rice with Cucumber Yoghurt

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Meat-led chicken curry with red lentils, spinach, tomatoes, rice, cucumber yoghurt, ginger, and mild spices.

Start planningStart cookingIngredients
95 min755 kcal4 base servingsDinnerChickenCurryFamily Friendly
ContainsGluten, Milk
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Recipe and nutrition estimates

Recipe times, servings, calories and nutrition notes are estimates for planning. They are not medical or dietary advice. Check food is cooked safely and adjust recipes for your household's needs.

Focus ingredients: chicken thigh fillets, red lentils, baby spinach, basmati rice

Dietary fit: No diet tags added for this recipe yet

Serving tip: Cool rice and curry promptly in shallow portions, ideally within 1 hour, and refrigerate at 0–5°C. Keep the cucumber accompaniment separately chilled. Use within 24 hours; reheat rice and curry once only until steaming hot throughout.

Chicken Lentil Spinach Curry Rice with Cucumber Yoghurt plated and ready to serve.

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Ingredients

What you need

  • 650g chicken thigh fillets
  • 180g red lentils
  • 160g baby spinach
  • 300g basmati rice
  • 2 × 400 g tins chopped tomatoes
  • 200g Greek yoghurt
  • 300g cucumber
  • 150g onion
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • 30g fresh ginger
  • 1 lime
  • 15ml vegetable oil
  • 2 tsp mild curry powder
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 1700ml water
  • 2g salt

You'll also need

30cm 5l deep saute pan, 3l lentil saucepan and fine sieve, 2l rice saucepan with lid, three hob rings, scales, measuring jug, mixing bowl, knife, board, grater and clean probe thermometer

Method

Step by step

Up to 8 clear steps
  1. Chicken Lentil Spinach Curry Rice with Cucumber Yoghurt cooking step 1: Prepare the curry.
    Step 1

    Prepare ingredients

    For more than four servings, repeat batches of no more than four. Divide displayed ingredients and measured method totals between batches; keep meat thickness, batch limits, pan capacities and per-batch times fixed. Allow extra elapsed time for further batches. Finely dice onion, crush garlic and grate ginger. Rinse dry lentils. Cut cucumber into 5mm dice. Measure 2g lime zest and 30ml juice. Chop spinach. Cut raw boneless chicken into strips no thicker than 1cm, then wash hands and utensils. Keep chicken and yoghurt chilled until needed. Keep prepared cucumber covered in the fridge.

  2. Chicken Lentil Spinach Curry Rice with Cucumber Yoghurt cooking step 2: Cook the rice.
    Step 2

    Cook lentils and rice separately

    Put all dry lentils in a 3l saucepan with 900ml water. Bring to the boil, boil 10 minutes then simmer 15 minutes until tender, or follow the packet if longer. Drain through a fine sieve; do not put dry lentils into the tomato sauce. When the sauce starts its 20-minute simmer in step 4, rinse all rice and put in a separate 2l saucepan with 600ml water. Bring to the boil, cover and simmer gently 10–12 minutes or according to the packet. Keep 100ml extra boiling water measured separately; add only if the pan dries before rice is tender. Drain any excess and discard unused contingency water.

    25 min
  3. Chicken Lentil Spinach Curry Rice with Cucumber Yoghurt cooking step 3: Brown the chicken.
    Step 3

    Cook meat in batches

    Measure 7.5ml oil for the meat. Divide it between three equal batches. Heat each share in a 30cm 5l pan over medium-high heat. Cook chicken, no more than 250g per batch, for 8–10 minutes, turning the strips. Check the thickest pieces reach 75°C for 30 seconds with a clean probe; continue and recheck if needed. Transfer each cooked batch to a clean bowl.

    30 min
  4. Chicken Lentil Spinach Curry Rice with Cucumber Yoghurt cooking step 4: Build the spice base.
    Step 4

    Simmer sauce

    Reduce heat to medium. Add remaining 7.5ml oil and all onion and cook 10 minutes, stirring, until softened. Add all garlic, ginger, curry powder, cumin and half the black pepper for 1 minute. Add all chopped tomatoes with their juices, all 2g salt and 100ml water. Simmer 20 minutes, stirring, until the sauce thickens.

    31 min
  5. Chicken Lentil Spinach Curry Rice with Cucumber Yoghurt cooking step 5: Simmer the lentils.
    Step 5

    Make cucumber yoghurt

    Mix all chilled cucumber and Greek yoghurt with all 2g measured lime zest, all 30ml lime juice and remaining black pepper. Keep covered in the fridge until serving.

  6. Chicken Lentil Spinach Curry Rice with Cucumber Yoghurt cooking step 6: Mix the cucumber yoghurt.
    Step 6

    Combine

    Return all cooked chicken and its juices to the sauce with all drained lentils. Heat gently 5 minutes, stirring, until steaming hot throughout. Fold in all spinach and cook 3 minutes until wilted.

    8 min
  7. Chicken Lentil Spinach Curry Rice with Cucumber Yoghurt cooking step 7: Finish and serve.
    Step 7

    Serve

    Divide all rice and curry equally between the intended servings. Serve with all the chilled cucumber yoghurt.