Curried Chicken with Barley and Lentils

Judy prepared this colorful dish the other evening and it was a real treat.  The depth of flavor, from the curry to the freshly grated ginger root, came together in a subtle way at first and finished with a little ‘bite’ from the red pepper flakes.  This Indian inspired, high-fiber and vitamin rich dish was really quite enjoyable.

From our kitchen to yours. Enjoy the adventure.

Ingredients

Curried Chicken with Barley and Lentils

2 tsp Olive Oil

1 ¼ cups sweet Red Peppers, chopped

1/8 tsp Red Pepper flakes, or to taste. Be brave and go for it with another 1/8 tsp.

1 cup Onion, chopped

2 tsp Garlic, minced

2 tsp Ginger root, freshly grated

2 tsp Curry powder

2 cups Water

2 cups canned Chicken Broth, low sodium, fat-free

1 cup Carrots, sliced

½ cup Barley, uncooked

3  1/3 oz Lentils, dry, rinsed and picked over

½ pound Chicken breast, uncooked, skinless and boneless, cut into bite sized pieces

4 ½ oz frozen spinach, about 1 cup

½ cup fat-free Yogurt, plain

Instructions

Heat Oil in a large saucepan. Add Peppers, Red Pepper flakes and Onion.  Sauté over medium-high heat until lightly browned, about 5 minutes.  Stir in Garlic, Ginger, and Curry powder.

Cook over low heat until fragrant, about 1 minute.

Stir in the Water, Broth, Carrots, and Barley; bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer 10 minutes.

Stir in Lentils. Cover and simmer, stirring once or twice, until Barley and Lentils are tender, about 30 – 35 minutes.

Stir in Chicken and Spinach; cover and cook until Chicken is cooked through and Spinach is hot, about 5 minutes. Serve yogurt on the side to be drizzled over the top.

Yields 4 servings of about 1 ½ cups per serving, plus 2 Tablespoons of Yogurt. PointsPlus value per serving is 7. Level of difficulty is Easy, and it’s all done in just one pot for minimal cleanup. Yay! Prep time is about 25 minutes. Cooking time is about 70 minutes.

Weight Watchers and PointsPlus are registered trademarks of Weight Watchers intl. Inc.

Recipes shown may not be exactly the same as those found on any website. Judy and I "tweak" each recipe we feature, to some degree, incorporating our own unique tastes. PointsPlus values, however, are accurate. 

Photo by Barry Baruh