Gentle Green Coconut Chicken
A soft, fragrant green coconut curry with no chilli and only a little garlic: lemongrass, ginger and herbs do the work.
makes 24 blocks, about 37p each
- Time
- 45 min20 min prep · 25 min cook
- Makes
- 24 blocks
- Cost per blockPer block
- 37p
- Calories per blockCalories
- 58 kcal
- Fibre per blockFibre
- 1g
You’ll need
- 450gchicken thigh fillets, 2cm pieces
- 1 × 400ml tinlight coconut milk
- 300gcourgette, 1cm dice
- 250ggreen beans, 2cm lengths
- 100gbaby spinach
- 150gfrozen edamame
- 20gfresh coriander, stalks and leaves
- 10mlrapeseed oil
- 15mltamari or soy sauce
- 4dried lime leaves
- 1 cubestock cube
- 150mlwater
For the paste
- 30g (2 stems)lemongrass, outer layers removed
- 20gfresh ginger
- 40gspring onions, sliced
- 2 clovesgarlic, crushed
- 3gground coriander + turmeric
or 50g ready-made Thai green curry paste, but most contain chilli, so pick a mild one
Allergens: Soya. Check the labels on stock cubes, sauces and pastes, as brands vary.
Serve it
Jasmine or brown rice · Rice noodles with beansprouts · Quinoa and steamed pak choi
Method
- Step 1: Blitz the lemongrass, garlic, ginger, coriander stalks and spring onions with 3 tbsp of the coconut milk to a smooth green paste.
- Step 2: Fry the paste in the oil over a low–medium heat for 3 minutes, then stir in the ground spices for 30 seconds.
- Step 3: Add the chicken and turn it in the paste. Pour in the rest of the coconut milk, the stock, tamari and lime leaves. Simmer gently for 15 minutes.
- Step 4: Add the courgette and green beans for 6 minutes, the edamame for 3, then wilt in the spinach.
- Step 5: Off the heat, stir in the chopped coriander leaves and remove the lime leaves. Cool and freeze in 70g blocks.
| kcal | protein | carbs | fat | fibre | salt | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Per block | 58 | 5.2g | 3.1g | 3g | 1g | 0.34g |
| Per 3 blocks | 174 | 15.6g | 9.3g | 9g | 3g | 1.02g |
Cook’s notes
- Two cloves of garlic flavour the whole batch; use garlic-infused oil instead if you're very sensitive.
- Thighs stay juicy after freezing; breast works but cook it 3 minutes less.
- No lime juice here, so it stays kind to reflux. Add fresh coriander when reheating instead.
Serve it
Jasmine or brown rice · Rice noodles with beansprouts · Quinoa and steamed pak choi.
This is general guidance, not medical advice. IBS triggers vary from person to person, so talk to your GP or a registered dietitian before changing your diet.
Freeze, reheat and serve
- Freeze
- Cool it within two hours, portion it into 70g blocks in a silicone tray, then bag and label them. It keeps for 3 months.
- Reheat
- Microwave 3 blocks, covered, for 1 minute, stir, then heat for another 1 to 2 minutes until piping hot all the way through. Or warm them in a pan with a splash of water. Never refreeze thawed blocks.
- A portion
- 3 blocks (210g) make a dinner for one adult: about 174 kcal and 15.6g protein before rice, bread or potatoes.
Gentle Green Coconut Chicken questions
Why blend the paste with some of the coconut milk?
A little liquid helps the blades catch the fibrous lemongrass and ginger, so the paste comes out smooth rather than stringy. A stick blender in a tall jug works if you don't have a small food processor.
Can I use lemongrass paste instead of fresh stems?
Jarred lemongrass paste works when you can't get fresh stems. Stir it into the pan with the blitzed paste and taste as you go, as brands vary in strength.
Can I leave out the edamame?
Leave them out and add a little more courgette or green beans to keep the volume. The curry will be just as fragrant.
Sauces that go with it
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Updated . Nutrition, costs and yields are estimates. Gluten-free assumes tamari in place of soy sauce and gluten-free stock cubes.