Curried chicken and beans couscous

The best quick meal for a busy family, a homemade one-pot meal is the best way to get dinner done in a hurry. Use your favourite blend of fresh or frozen veggies and serve with toasted pita bread for smiles all around.

Course Dinner, Lunch, Main Course, Main Dish

Cuisine Asian, Ramona's Cuisine

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 25

Total Time 35

Servings servings

Calories 411kcal

Author Ramona Sebastian

Equipment

pan
wooden spoon
pot

Ingredients

500 g chicken breast
200 g couscous (wholemeal)
300 g green beans
½ head cauliflower (sliced into tiny florets)
1 onion
½ small leek
150 g cherry tomatoes
10 sprigs parsley (fresh, finely chopped) or coriander
1 teaspoon curry powder
1 pinch mixed seeds (cumin, fennel, mustard, fenugreek)
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon coconut oil
2 cloves garlic (finely chopped)

Metric - US Imperial

Instructions

You could start by preparing the couscous first according to pack instructions but this is how I normally prepare it. I normally place it in a bowl and mix the dry couscous with a pinch of salt and pepper, sometimes 1 teaspoon of Italian herbs and pour boiling water over about 2 cm above the couscous level and cover immediately with a lid or a plate. I allow it to rest for 20-25 minutes or so without touching or uncovering it. This way will soak and get ready beautifully.
Choose a deeper frying pan and add the coconut oil along with the chicken. Add some salt and cook for 2 minutes until the meat gets a cooked coat on the outside. Add the roughly chopped onion, the seeds and half of the garlic along with the green beans which should be broken into chunky pieces (approx 1 in or 2 cm long). Cook covered for 5-7 min.
Add the curry powder and mix well followed by the cauliflower florets, leek and the cherry tomatoes. Allow it to cook either covered or uncovered for an extra 5-7 min.
In the last minute of cooking stir in the remaining of the garlic. Take off the heat and add the chopped parsley or coriander.
Add the fluffy couscous and mix well.
Serve hot and if you have any left over, the next day lunch could also be sorted as it's still delicious!

Notes

If you would like your onion less cooked, add it a little later.

Replace the curry powder by any flavour powder you wish such as cajun, paprika and so on. Check your cupboards and see what you can set your hands on.

A close-up of a white plate with curried chicken couscous

Try any exotic combination and try adding some coconut milk if you fancy but that should be added at the beginning of the cooking as the meat and the vegetables should hardly have any running juices otherwise the meal will become soggy and I personally do not like it that way.

When it comes to the vegetables you will be using, just go for what you like, you can have mushrooms, peas, carrot, peppers, asparagus, pumpkin, butternut squash or any other veggies that you may like or you may feel you want to try and get a little adventurous with.

Nutrition