Image courtesy of Julie Maree Wood
The word curry brings to mind a spicy dish that consists of meat or vegetables, or a combination of both. Truth to be told, curry is not a dish but a method or component of Indian cooking. It is known in Tamil as masala, a mixture of different herbs and spices, such as cumin, cinnamon, coriander, paprika, turmeric, garlic, chilli, nutmeg and many others, which are toasted to form a sauce that is used as the base of a variety of tasty meals.
As with stews and roasts, curry dishes can be made with pork, beef, fish, chicken, seafood or vegetables. Of all curry-based dishes, chicken is undoubtedly the most popular, and for a number of reasons. Firstly, chicken curry is easier and faster to prepare. Secondly, it's as flavourful as beef or pork while having a lower fat intake. Last but not least, thanks to its nutritional value, you can eat as much as you want.
In this article, we'll be focusing on green curry chicken, specifically the Thai version, as it is not only filled with delightful flavours, but provides a number of health benefits that make it more than just a cozy comfort food.
Health Benefits of Green Chicken Curry
The numerous benefits in green curry justify the preparation and eating of recipes with the delectable sauce. Each type of curry has its own look, flavour and health benefits. Yellow curry is common in traditional Indian cuisine and has turmeric as its primary ingredient, hence the colour. This mild curry not only boasts the perfect balance of sweetness and spice but also loads of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory agents. Red curry contains red chillies, garlic, and other spices that contain high levels of vitamin C and antioxidants that prevent obstructions in blood vessels that may lead to heart disease.
These herbs are equally beneficial to the cells, tissues and organs of the body as they are to the taste buds. Among their many benefits are their ability to reduce the risk of heart disease, lower blood pressure, improve digestion, treat infections, clear the respiratory tract of excess mucous and promote skin health. These herbs also help your body burn calories at a faster rate, so you don't have to worry about gaining weight. A single serving of green chicken curry contains vitamins A, B, C, and K, iron, calcium, copper, manganese, potassium, and thiamine, among others.
How to Cook Green Chicken Curry
This scrumptious green curry chicken is from The Complete Food Makeover book, written by naturopath and nutritionist Julie Maree Wood.
Like red curry paste, green curry paste varies considerably between brands so check labels very carefully. Look at the total fat and saturated fat content. A serving of this fab curry is only 5.5 grams of fat. The fat version has 66 grams!
Note for the food nerds: Replace the chicken with a 400g tin of drained and washed chickpeas.
Nutritional facts
| 1 Serving | 5.5g total fat 2.2g saturated fat 1451kJ (345.5 calories) 32g carbohydrates 42g protein 4g fibre |
For more healthy recipes, go here.
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon peanut oil
- 500g skinless chicken breast fillets, fat trimmed and sliced into chunks
- 11/2 tablespoons low-fat green curry paste
- 2 fresh kaffir lime leaves, spines removed and roughly chopped
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce
- 1/4 cup chopped Thai or sweet basil leaves
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh coriander leaves
- 250g green beans, trimmed and sliced into 3cm pieces
- 2 zucchini, finely sliced
- 1/2 cup (125ml) water
- 2 cups (500ml) low-fat coconut-flavoured evaporated milk
- 12 snow peas, trimmed
- 2 tablespoons flat-leaf parsley leaves
- 1 long green chilli, thinly sliced
- 2 spring onions thinly sliced
Instructions
- Heat the peanut oil in a large frying pan to medium-low heat and cook the chicken in batches, until just cooked through.
- Remove from the pan and drain on absorbent paper.
- Fry the curry paste in the pan for 1–2 minutes until fragrant. Add the lime leaves. Cook for a further minute, stirring constantly.
- Add the sugar, fish sauce, Thai basil, coriander, green beans, zucchini and water to the curry mixture and stir to combine. Cook for 5 minutes, or until the vegetables are just tender.
- Add the evaporated milk, chicken and snow peas, and simmer for a further 2 minutes until the milk, chicken and the snow peas are gently warmed through.
- Serve topped with parsley, chilli and spring onions.
- Serving suggestion: Serve with brown rice and lightly steamed broccoli and cauliflower.
