Curried Ginger Chicken Noodles

A super fast and delicious meal. The great thing about brown rice noodles is that they only take a few minutes to cook and are a great source of fibre, offering plenty of carbs and satiety. The combination of curry and ginger powder gives great natural flavour to the chicken and rice noodles - much healthier and just as quick as some of those packets of instant ramen noodles with very salty seasoning and artificial flavours.

I added some celery and frozen peas to the chicken and noodles but mushrooms would taste great too. Prawns would also be a tasty alternative to chicken.

Curried Ginger Chicken Noodles
Makes 2

Ingredients:
- 112g / 4oz rice noodles
- 110g / 4oz onion, chopped
- 110g / 4oz / 2 stalks celery, chopped
- 85g / 3oz peas,
- 1tbsp curry powder
- 1tsp ground ginger
- 240ml / 8floz chicken broth, reduced sodium
- 170g / 6oz chicken, cooked and shredded (I use canned chicken breast)
- 15ml / 1tbsp soy sauce, light
- 8g / 1tbsp corn starch
- 30ml / 2tbsp water

Method:

• Soak the noodles in boiling water for 5 minutes to soften, then rinse and drain. Set aside.
• Meanwhile, in a pan sprayed with cooking spray, cook the onion, celery and peas for a couple of minutes.
• Stir in the curry powder and ginger and cook for another couple of minutes.
• Add the broth, cooked chicken and soy sauce.
• Bring to boil and simmer for 5 minutes.
• Meanwhile, whisk together the cornstarch and water and then pour into the pan.
• Add the cooked noodles and stir to combine all ingredients. ENJOY!

Nutritional Information:

Chickpea Curry

This vegetarian curry contains kale, mushrooms and tomatoes - similar to my Moroccan Mushrooms and Chickpea dish.

Any green vegetables can be added to this curry. The combination of spices gives the curry a kick and plenty of flavour.

Chickpea Curry
Makes 4
Click HERE for a printable recipe card.

Ingredients:
- 160g / 6oz onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 800g / 28.5oz / 2  cans diced tomatoes, no added salt
- 1tsp ground ginger OR 15g / 3tbsp fresh ginger, chopped
- 1tsp cumin
- 2tsp coriander
- 1tsp turmeric
- 1tsp red pepper flakes
- 425g / 15oz / 1 can chickpeas, drained
- 225g / 8oz mushrooms, chopped
- 85g / 3oz peas
- 110g / 4oz / 3 stalks celery, chopped
- 140g / 5oz green pepper, chopped
- 240ml / 8floz water
- 16g / 2tbsp cornstarch
- 80g / 3oz spinach OR kale

Method:
In a pan sprayed with cooking spray, cook the onion, garlic and spices for 2-3 minutes.

Add the tomatoes. Cook for another 2-3 minutes. Add in the chickpeas, mushrooms, peas, celery and pepper, along with one cup (240ml) water. Bring to the boil and then simmer for 20 minutes.

Stir in the cornstarch and the kale. Cook for another 5 minutes.

Serve with cauliflower rice, brown rice or quinoa. Or simply by itself. ENJOY!
Click HERE for a printable recipe card.

Nutritional Information:

Curried Chicken Quinoa with Peas

A simple and quick dinner, this recipe uses a handful of ingredients (chicken, quinoa, peas, spices) but more vegetables can be added if desired (e.g. mushrooms, peppers, courgettes, celery). I also used canned chicken breast as I didn't have any fresh chicken defrosted. Unlike other quinoa dishes, I didn't cook it separately. The uncooked quinoa and water is added to the same saucepan and everything cooked together, allowing the quinoa to absorb the curry and chili spices.

Curried Chicken Quinoa with Peas
Makes 4
Click HERE for a printable recipe card.

Ingredients:
- 110g / 4oz onion, chopped

- 2 cloves garlic, chopped 

- 225g / 8oz chicken, canned or chopped into bite-size pieces

- 420g / 15oz / 1 can diced tomatoes (no added salt)

- 1tbsp curry powder

- 1/2tbsp chili powder 

- 1tsp nutmeg

- 170g / 6oz quinoa

- 480ml / 16floz water 

- 340g / 12oz peas

- ground black pepper

Method:
In a large pan sprayed with cooking spray, cook the onion and garlic for 5 minutes. Add the chicken and cook (if using raw chicken). Add in the diced tomatoes and spices.

Add the quinoa and 2cups water (480ml). Cover with a lid and simmer  for 10 minutes.

Add the peas and cook for another 5 minutes, or until the water has been absorbed.

Add ground black pepper and serve. ENJOY!

Click HERE for a printable recipe card.

Nutritional Information:

Butter Chicken Tofu Curry

Whilst the name of this recipe suggests a buttery chicken curry dish, it's actually made without chicken, butter or red-colouring usually found in traditional Indian recipes. I know Butter Chicken or Murgh Makhani is a popular and classic Indian dish. A search on Google gives 69,700,000 results for 'butter chicken'!

It still contains the classic spices including garam masala, ginger, garlic, coriander, cumin, turmeric and chili) and even some yogurt, but it's a healthy alternative that doesn't include colouring, butter or heavy cream. It's hard to make a curry that's under 300 calories as they tend to contain a lot of dairy (cream, butter) as well as sugar and salt. This recipe is only 224 calories. Other recent curries featured in my blog also have less than 300 calories: Lentil, Tofu, Kale Curry (198 calories); Mushroom Lentil Bhaji (177 calories); Pumpkin, Kale, Ginger, Tofu Curry (270 calories).

I replaced the chicken with tofu as I wanted to try out a method for turning tofu into chicken! I drained firm tofu, froze it for a couple of days, and then sliced the defrosted tofu into cubes. By draining the excess water stored in tofu and then freezing it, the defrosted version has a similar texture to chicken.

   

Of course, regular chicken can be used in this recipe (for non-vegetarians). Also, blended cashews can be added to form a thicker paste. I served the curry with brown rice and some green peas. Delicious!

Butter Chicken Tofu Curry
Makes 4
Click HERE for a printable recipe card.

Ingredients:

- 460g / 16.5oz firm tofu, cubed
- 15ml / 1tbsp oil

- 110g / 4oz onion, chopped

- 2 cloves garlic, chopped

- 5g / 1tbsp ginger, chopped
- 210g / 7.5oz carrots, grated

- 1tsp cumin

- 1tsp turmeric

- 1tsp coriander 

- 1tsp garam masala

- 1/4tsp chili powder

- 800g / 28.5oz / 1 can diced tomatoes (no added salt), blended in a food processor

- 110g / 4oz no-fat Greek yogurt 

Method:

Ahead of time, drain the tofu, freeze it for at least two days. Defrost and chop into cubes.

Heat the oil in a pan and sauté the onion, garlic, ginger and grated carrot for 5 minutes. 

Add the spices and mix well.

Add the blended tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes or until bubbling.

Slowly stir in the tofu and yogurt and cook for another 5 minutes.

Serve with brown rice and a serving of green veg. ENJOY!

Click HERE for a printable recipe card.

Nutritional Information:

Mushroom Lentil Bhaji

This is the first time I've used garam masala. It's an Indian spice meaning 'hot' (garam) and 'a mixture of spices' (masala). Garam refers to the intensity of the spices rather than the capsaicin content - i.e. not the blow your head off kind of hotness!

I had difficulty finding garam masala in the supermarket but I have since learnt it can be made at home by combining other spices such as: cumin, coriander, black pepper, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg. Here's an Easy Garam Masala Recipe.

If I have a pack of mushrooms, I usually make Mushroom and Tofu Stew. This recipe is similar in that it uses mushrooms, chopped tomatoes, onion, garlic honey, flour and some green vegetables. The only different ingredients are the tofu and herbs/spices (thyme and cayenne pepper) featured in the stew compared with the lentils, ginger, garam masala, turmeric and chili featured in this dish. Although I'm sure tofu would be tasty in this bhaji too!

Mushroom Lentil Bhaji
Makes 4
Click HERE for a printable recipe card.

Ingredients:

- 130g / 4.5oz lentils

- 400g / 14oz / 1 can diced tomatoes (no added salt)

- 15ml / 1tbsp olive oil

- 170g / 6oz onion, chopped

- 2 clove garlic, crushed

- 5g / 1tbsp ginger

- 225g / 8oz mushrooms, chopped

- 1tsp garam masala

- 1tsp turmeric

- 85g / 3oz peas

- 10g / 1tbsp flour

- 30ml / 2tbsp cold water

- 20g / 1tbsp honey

- 1/2tsp chili powder

Method:

Cook the lentils in approx. 3 cups (720ml) water in a saucepan with a lid for 30 minutes, until soft.

Meanwhile, blend canned tomatoes using a handheld blender or food processor so you have a smooth texture instead of liquid and tomato chunks.

In a large pan, heat the oil and cook the onion, garlic, ginger and mushrooms for approx. 5 minutes.

Add the garam masala and turmeric and mix well.

Add cooked lentils, blended tomatoes and peas. Bring to boil for 5 minutes.

Mix the flour with water and stir into the pan to thicken the dish.

Stir in the honey and add the chili powder.

ENJOY!

Click HERE for a printable recipe card.

Nutritional Information:

Lentil, Tofu, Kale Curry

This curry dish highly aromatic and flavourful, due to the use of fennel seeds. As they are cooked they release their flavour, similar to anise and liquorice.

As fennel has such a distinct flavour, half the amount of seeds can be used instead of one whole tablespoon.

This dish is only 198 calories, low fat and a great source of fibre (12g) and protein (15g)! I ate two servings in one day as it was so tasty - a bowl for lunch and another for dinner, along with some soup.

I recently posted another curry recipe that uses tofu and kale: Pumpkin, Kale, Ginger, Tofu Curry

Lentil, Tofu, Kale Curry

Makes 4

Click HERE for a printable recipe card.

Ingredients:

- 130g / 4.6oz lentils (pre-cooked)

- 112g / 4oz onion, chopped

- 2 clove garlic, chopped

- 5g / 1tbsp ginger, chopped

- 1tbsp fennel seeds

- 400g / 14.5oz / 1 can diced tomatoes (no added salt)

- 200g / 7oz kale

- 300g / 11oz firm tofu, cubed

Method:

Cook the lentils for 30 minutes, if necessary.

In a saucepan, sprayed with cooking spray, cook the onions, garlic, ginger and fennel seeds for 5 minutes.

Add the tomatoes, kale and lentils. Cook for another 5 minutes until kale has softened and any water has been absorbed.

Blend the mixture with a hand-held blender

Stir in the tofu.
ENJOY!

Click HERE for a printable recipe card.

Nutritional Information:

Pumpkin, Kale, Ginger, Tofu Curry

With the exception of one slice of pumpkin pie at Thanksgiving, I didn't eat any pumpkin last autumn. I didn't even carve one for Halloween. Therefore, I feel it's ok to blog about a pumpkin recipe in March - it's not quite spring yet! Plus canned pumpkin keeps in the store cupboard for months!

This recipe has been adapted from the Revive Cafe Cookbook. However, only a few ingredients and quantities remained the same as I pretty much changed everything else - either to make it healthier or because I didn't have the set ingredients to hand. Nevertheless, it turned out to be super tasty, and under 200 calories per serving! Add brown rice, quinoa or blended cauliflower to create a super filling meal.

Below is my adapted recipe and also the ingredients I changed:

• No oil - 1tbsp olive oil typically has 120 calories and 14g fat. It's easy to get carried away with oil so I rarely use it, instead opting for a little cooking spray and a splash of water
• Fresh ginger instead of ginger puree - no oil needed to make the ginger puree.
• No additional sugar - the original recipe calls for 6tbsp honey - that's approx. 360 calories and 96g carbohydrates, all of which is sugar (24tsp sugar!). There's plenty of sweetness is this dish, from the pumpkin and tomatoes.
• Unsweetened almond milk instead of coconut cream - I'm sure the cream would make this curry more traditional but milk is a healthier alternative, and something I always have in the fridge.
• Canned pumpkin instead of roasted pumpkin - whilst roasted pumpkin would most likely taste better, canned pumpkin can be bought out of season and is quick and easy to add to a dish.
• A 450g/16oz pack of tofu is plenty for this dish and certainly contributes towards the protein allowance in each serving.
• Kale or spinach can be used in this curry. Add spinach just before turning off the heat as it doesn't require any cooking and will wilt once stirred into the pan.

Pumpkin, Kale, Ginger, Tofu Curry
Makes 4

Ingredients:
- 110g / 4oz onions, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- 110g / 4oz / 2 stalks celery, chopped
- 15g / 3tbsp ginger, chopped
- 1tbsp cumin powder
- 1/2tbsp turmeric powder
- 1tbsp ground coriander
- 800g / 28oz / 2 cans diced tomatoes (no salt added)
- 180ml / 6floz  almond milk, unsweetened
- 425g / 15oz / 1 can pumpkin, canned
- 450g / 16oz tofu firm, cubed
- 80g / 3oz kale OR spinach

Method:

• If desired, blend the diced tomatoes in a food processor.
• In a pan, sprayed with cooking spray, cook the onion, garlic, celery and ginger for approx. 5 minutes.
• Add cumin, turmeric and coriander, mix well.
• Add the tomatoes and boil for 5 minutes.
• Stir in the almond milk, pumpkin, tofu and kale and simmer for 5-7 minutes. 
• Add a little water or simmer for longer depending on desired consistency of curry.
• Serve with brown rice, quinoa, cauliflower rice or courgette noodles. ENJOY!

Nutritional Information:

Curried Cabbage Stir Fry

Another vegetable stir fry recipe using cabbage, spices and ginger, and almonds! I chose to add in celery, sweet corn and green pepper. I did plan to use peas until I discovered we had none! Red peppers can be used to give the dish some extra colour and natural sweetness.

The chopped almonds are a great source of fat. Tofu can be added for additional protein if desired. The more ingredients added to this dish, the more spices you'll need. The next time I make this dish, I'm tempted to add 1/2 tablespoon instead of a teaspoon of curry powder, cumin and mustard. I love garlic and ginger so may throw a bit more into the wok. The recipe below makes approx. three servings (relative to the nutritional information). However, add more vegetables, chicken or tofu to serve four, or serve between two for hungry appetites!

The cabbage reduces down when cooking so a large wok is required.

Try these other stir fry recipes:
Sweet and Sour Tofu Stir Fry
Vegetable and Quinoa Stir Fry

Curried Cabbage Stir Fry
Makes 3
Click HERE for a printable recipe card.

Ingredients:

- 15ml / 1tbsp olive oil

- 110g /4oz onion, chopped

- 2 cloves garlic, chopped

- 10g / 1tbsp ginger, chopped

- 1tsp curry powder

- 1tsp cumin

- 5g / 1 tsp mustard

- 330g / 12oz green cabbage, chopped

- 110g / 4oz sweet corn

- 120g / 4oz / 2 stalks celery, chopped

- 170g / 6oz pepper, chopped

- 56g / 2oz almonds, roughly chopped

Method:

Heat the oil in a wok and stir fry the chopped onion, garlic and ginger for 3-5 minutes. Stir in the spices and mustard.

Add the chopped cabbage and cook for 5 minutes.

Add the remaining vegetables and cook for another couple of minutes.

Roughly chop the almonds and add to the wok.

Cook until the vegetables have softened slightly but still retain their crunch! ENJOY!

Click HERE for a printable recipe card.

Nutritional Information: