Frugal Feasts 5

Spiced Puy Lentils with Cumin and Coriander Chicken

One of the best things about winter is the excuse to eat steaming bowls of carb-laden treats as they both warm and comfort the body and soul in a way a salad will always fail to do. However there’s a stew planned for tomorrow so I wanted something filling but light. This chargrilled chicken dish with spiced lentils is just such a dish and with some careful shopping came in at £4.94

I say careful as I am lucky enough to live near several ethnic food stores where I buy many of my spices, fruits, herbs and vegetables for half the prices you can pay at many supermarkets. For example two large bunches of fresh coriander cost 99p and lemons and limes were 4 for a £1. What a bargain! I’m sure I have a startled expression on my face at the checkout whenever I pay, it feels too little for the bagful of groceries I take.

Puy lentils are a regional variety of green lentil, you can use any lentil you wish but they should not break up or become mushy when cooked. The lentils are being served with chicken thigh fillets, a cheaper and more flavourful part of the chicken than the breast. I used skinless thighs as these were on special, but chargrilling with the skin on is fine, less healthy maybe but it does protect the meat from drying out but with such quick cooking this is not a problem with this recipe.
The chicken does not need to be in the marinade for long, I prepare the chicken first before cooking the lentils just to let the flavours develop.

Ingredients

For the chicken

400g chicken thigh fillets
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
2 tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper

For the lentils

250g Puy lentils
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 red onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely grated
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1 fresh chilli
75g leek, finely chopped
75g carrot, finely chopped
1/2 stick celery, finely chopped
600 ml stock, I used chicken stock
1 lemon
Handful fresh chopped coriander

Method

• Put the oil, coriander, cumin, lemon juice and zest and salt and pepper into a dish. Season and add chicken, coat chicken well and set aside.
• Rinse the puy lentils in cold water and drain. Heat oil in a saucepan. When hot add chilli, cumin, ground coriander, red onion and garlic and stir for 2 minutes until onions begin to soften. Add carrots, leek and celery and stir for a further 2 minutes. Add lentils, stir to mix with vegetables and add stock. Simmer for .... minutes until lentils are cooked. Put lid on to keep warm.
• Heat chargrill pan or frying pan until searingly hot. Add chicken and reduce heat to medium. Depending on the thickness of the thighs cooking time should be about 5 minutes per side, less if they are very thin.
• Just before serving add the juice and zest of the lemon to the lentils and stir through the fresh coriander.

Costing
Chicken thighs £2.50
Puy lentils £1.00
2 lemons £0.50
1/2 red onion £0.10
Garlic £0.05
Chilli £0.05
Leek, carrot and celery £0.15
1 chicken stock cube or pot, I used Knorr Chicken Stockpot £0.49
Coriander £0.10