Cheat's Chicken Dhal

This is another of those “happy accident” recipes. A traditional dhal is strictly vegetarian, but I had some chicken wings and other bits of jointed chicken to use up and this has now become a staple at Millbrooker Towers, served whenever Mrs The Millbrooker comes home with a soon-to-be-out-of-date and therefore very inexpensive chicken for me to chop into quarters and freeze.

In this way we get six large meals from the one bird (yes, I know that better and even more parsimonious cooks than me can get more).

For anyone who doesn’t know what dhal is – it’s just another word for a lentil dish.


This recipe was broadcast on Insight Radio in conversation with Simon Pauley on his Morning Mix show. Click the podcast icon below to hear the recipe and the chat.

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Ingredients to serve four:

2 tablespoons olive oil

25-50g butter

2 medium onions, finely chopped

3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

2 teaspoons of curry paste (I use Madras strength, choose your own level of heat)

Approx 500ml water

1 or 2 small chillies, finely chopped (remove the seeds if you don’t want this to be too hot)

1 teaspoon ground ginger (2 if you really like ginger)

2 or more chicken wings plus any other bits left over from jointing a chicken.

(feel free to use any bits of chicken you like – it’s just that I’m a cheapskate).

A 400g tin tomatoes, whizzed until liquefied.

1 chicken stock cube

200-250g red lentils

What to do:

Heat the oil and butter together on the hob in a large casserole.

Once the butter has melted add the onion, stir over the heat for a few minutes until the onion is transparent (don’t allow it to brown). Add the garlic and stir for another minute or so.

Dollop the curry paste onto the onion/garlic mixture and stir over the heat until well mixed.

Add the water and the chicken pieces.

Bring to the boil and simmer for 20 minutes.

Allow to cool (perhaps overnight)

Remove the chicken pieces and de-bone (I just pull the meat off the bone with my fingers). Return de-boned chicken to pot.

Add the liquefied tomatoes, stock cube, chilli and bring to boil again.

Lower heat, add the lentils and stir continuously – lentils soak up the liquid very quickly, keep a careful eye and top up with water as necessary.

Cover casserole and pop into the oven at 200˚C/ Gas 6 for 30-35 minutes.

Check that the lentils are mushy – if necessary return to the oven for a few minutes and/or add more liquid.

Serve with plain brown rice.

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To drink? I like this with a simple fruit juice, but a cold lager works pretty well too (and when doesn’t a cold lager work well?)