Add some chickpeas for extra protein and fibre - they add a great texture and you can reduce the amount of chicken you need to use

Ingredients

Serves four

• 2 chicken thighs (skin off, bone out) or breast
• ¼ tin of chickpeas. For a vegetarian version, use a whole tin of chickpeas instead of the chicken.
• 1 small sweet potato
• Vegetable or rapeseed oil
• Choose at least two vegetables from this list, depending on what’s cheap and in season:
  • 1/4 cauliflower
  • ¼ head of broccoli or purple sprouting broccoli
  • half a courgette
  • half an aubergine
  • 1 leek
  • 100g frozen peas
  • 80g fresh spinach or chard
• ½ an onion
• 1 clove fresh garlic
• 1cm fresh ginger
• 20g fresh coriander, chopped
• 1 lemon or lime
• ½ tsp – 1 tsp medium curry powder
• 1/4 tsp ground cardamon
• 1/4 tsp ground turmeric
• 1 tin chopped tomatoes
• 1/2 tsp vegetable or chicken bouillon (stock)
• 1 tin coconut milk
• Pinch salt and pepper
• Water if needed

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180ºC / 375ºF / Gas mark 4.
2. Peel and wash the onions and sweet potato. Dice the sweet potato and onions 1cm dice. Chop any vegetables into small pieces, all the same size. Mince the garlic & ginger.
3. Marinade the chicken in a little of the ginger and garlic, adding a little of the spices if you’d like, with some oil and salt and then slowly roast 180 degrees on a baking tray for 20-25 minutes until tender and pulling apart. Remove and shred the meat.
4. Preheat the oven to 180ºC / 375ºF / Gas mark 4 (moderate). Pop the vegetables onto a tray with some oil and seasoning and roast until tender, around 15-20 minutes.
5. Fry the onions in 1 tsp oil in a saucepan until soft. Add the ginger for the last 5 minutes of frying.
6. Add the chickpeas, vegetables, tomatoes, garlic, spices, coconut milk and bouillon. Add a little water if needed and cover with a lid.
7. Bring to the simmer, stirring occasionally, for around 5 minutes. Add the chicken to the pan.
8. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Top with fresh coriander and a squeeze of lemon or lime.
9. Cook rice to serve alongside, and enjoy.

Bonus tip! How to cook perfect, fluffy rice

Ingredients

• 250g Basmati rice
• 500ml water
• Pinch of salt

Method

1. Rinse and clean the rice 
2. Bring a pot of salted water to the boil and add the rice.
3. Reduce the heat to low and cover with lid, simmering for 10-12 minutes. 
4. Turn the heat off and let sit for 5-10 minutes. This helps finish the cooking, and makes for fluffy rice!
5. Sprinkle with some fresh coriander