Hidden Veggie Chicken & Chickpea Curry

I want my daughters to have adventurous palates and introducing stronger flavors into their diets is really important to me. I talk a lot about this in my children’s cookbook “Let Them Eat Dirt.” The long and short is, they don’t have to eat or enjoy everything that we put on their plates, but exposure is key and continuing to encourage trying new things is something that I am really passionate about.

I was a little nervous about this chicken curry meal but hot damn! My girls really surprised me with this one. Not a single complaint and they didn’t even pick anything out of their bowls (even though the sauce was loaded with “hidden” cauliflower, carrots and red peppers. The curry is mild but with a depth of flavor that I really enjoyed and so did my family.

Please don’t let serving a curry dish to your babies or toddlers make you nervous. This was absolutely delicious and I’m so happy my family loved this so much.

Meals like this make me so happy because not only are they delicious, but they are chock full of nourishing ingredients and plenty of fiber and protien to keep everyones bellies and bodies happy.

Hidden Veggie Chicken & Chickpea Curry

PREP TIME: 20 MINUTES    COOK TIME: 25 MINUTES    SERVES: 8

• 1 Tablespoon ghee

• 1 yellow onion, chopped

• 2 cloves of garlic, chopped

• 1 tablespoon minced ginger

• 1 Tablespoon mild curry powder

• 2 teaspoons garam masala

• 1 teaspoon unrefined salt + more to taste

• 2 Tablespoons tomato paste

• 1 large carrot, diced

• 1 heaping cup of diced cauliflower

• 1 small red bell pepper, finely chopped

• 1 cup diced tomatoes from the jar (with their juices)

• 1 can full fat coconut milk

• 1/2 cup chicken stock

• 2 tablespoons peanut butter

• 1 1/2 pounds chicken breast, cut into 1/2 inch cubes

• 1 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas

• 1 1/2 cups frozen peas

Preparation

1. Heat the ghee in a large saucepan and add the onion, garlic and ginger. Fry gently for 2 minutes.

2. Add the curry powder, garam masala and salt, mix well and cook for another 1 minute. Stir in the tomato paste and coat everything in the mixture.

3. Add the carrot, cauliflower and red pepper. Stir to coat.

4. Add the tomatoes, coconut milk and chicken stock and peanut butter. Bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes.

5. With a hand blender (or you can transfer the sauce to a stand blender) puree until smooth. Add the cubed chicken and and chickpeas and keep on medium-low heat until the chicken is cooked through, about 15-20 minutes. Add the frozen peas and once they’re bright green and tender remove from the heat.

6. Serve with rice, millet, or quinoa and cilantro.

Notes
This recipe freezes really well!