Lentil and Chicken Curry

This is a recipe from my Auzzie friend Di Lister here in Cambridge, infinitely modifiable, easy, cheap, and able to feed a crowd! I'd post a picture, but it kind of looks like brown sludge. Don't let looks fool you - it's nice and heart-warming food, and freezes very well. I'm calling it a curry, but that's because it's not a stew or a soup and I couldn't think of a better name; it is not in any way authentic. We have it a lot at the Listers because it's one of their 'Bible study recipes' - a pretty great use of the recipe!

Lentil and Chicken Curry
serves 10

Ingredients:
700 g. lentils
chicken or vegetable stock or water

500 g. chicken, poached, de-boned (if necessary) and cut into bite-size pieces
2 zucchini, chopped (opt.)
1 fennel bulb, chopped or ½-1tsp. fennel seeds
1 can of mushrooms, drained
2 onions, chopped
1 can chopped tomatoes and their juices
1 can chickpeas (opt.)
4 cloves garlic, minced
½ - 1 inch of ginger root, chopped or grated
1 heaping Tb. cumin
1 heaping Tb. coriander
½ tsp. turmeric
any other veggies on hand that you fancy (carrots, celery, eggplant, spinach, etc.)
salt and pepper, to taste

Before serving stir in:
1 heaping Tb. garam masala
1-2 red chillies, finely diced (opt.)
handful of roughly chopped cilantro (opt.)

Serve over rice with:
mango chutney, or a dash of apricot jam and a splash of white vinegar (or the vinegar from a jar of jalapeno chiles, if you’ve got it on hand)

1. Wash and drain lentils twice. Put in large pot with some stock and boil as you normally would. Prepare the rest as the lentils are simmering away, adding more liquid as necessary
2. Chuck everything else into the pan and simmer until lentils are cooked; add chicken in the last 10 minutes or so.
3. When the lentils are cooked, smash a few or use a hand blender to blend the curry to the desired consistency. I don’t mind if bits of anything else get blended, so I just stick the hand blender in and go for it.
4. Check seasoning, stir in garam masala and cilantro and serve with mango chutney. Grating over some fresh ginger at the end is also a good idea. Also, don’t skip the chutney; it really sets off nicely what would otherwise be a little dull and chili-tasting.