The protein cooking time listed in this recipe has been updated.
As of December 2025, we’ve revised cooking times for all our proteins to reflect improved food safety guidance.
Check out the latest recommended times in our Cooking Guidelines.
Speedy Chicken Chana Dal with Spiced Carrot Salad
Who needs a takeaway when you’ve got our speedy spiced dal? Pair free-range British chicken breast with creamy lentils and fragrant spices. Pair with a crisp carrot salad, studded with coconut, nigella seeds and lime zest. Ready in just 15 minutes.
Ready in 20
High protein
1/3 daily fibre
4 of 5 a day
Low sat fat
Serving size
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp tomato purée (use half)
- 2 carrot
- 1 tbsp desiccated coconut (use half)
- 1 tbsp curry powder (use half) (Turmeric, coriander, onion, garlic, fenugreek, fennel, chilli powder, black pepper, salt)
- 1 tsp nigella seeds (use half)
- 80g almond yoghurt (use half) (Nuts) (Almond Drink (95%) (Filtered Water/Almonds), Thickener: Starch (Tapioca / Carob Gum), Live Vegan Cultures)
- 1 unwaxed lime (use half)
- 1 handful of fresh coriander (use half)
- 1 chicken stock cube (use half) (Celery) (sea salt, potato starch*, sustainable palm oil* , sugar*, chicken fat* 3.5%, yeast extract, natural flavour, chicken meat* 1%, herbs & spices* (turmeric*, black pepper*, parsley*, rosemary*), onion powder*. * Organic ingredient)
- 1 onion (use half)
- 80g baby spinach (use half)
- 200g chana dal lentils (use half) (Chana Dal, Water, Vegetable Stock (Chicory Extract, Carrot Extract, Onion Powder, Tomato Powder, Salt, Yeast Extracts, Sunflower Oil, Natural Flavouring))
- 150g diced British Free Range chicken breast
Nutritional Information
Calories: 681
Protein: 59g
Carbs: 65g
Fat: 21g
Ingredients
- 1 handful of fresh coriander
- 2 carrot
- 80g baby spinach
- 80g almond yoghurt (Nuts) (Almond Drink (95%) (Filtered Water/Almonds), Thickener: Starch (Tapioca / Carob Gum), Live Vegan Cultures)
- 1 tbsp desiccated coconut
- 2 tbsp tomato purée
- 1 unwaxed lime
- 1 tsp nigella seeds
- 1 chicken stock cube (Celery) (sea salt, potato starch*, sustainable palm oil* , sugar*, chicken fat* 3.5%, yeast extract, natural flavour, chicken meat* 1%, herbs & spices* (turmeric*, black pepper*, parsley*, rosemary*), onion powder*. * Organic ingredient)
- 200g chana dal lentils (Chana Dal, Water, Vegetable Stock (Chicory Extract, Carrot Extract, Onion Powder, Tomato Powder, Salt, Yeast Extracts, Sunflower Oil, Natural Flavouring))
- 1 tbsp curry powder (Turmeric, coriander, onion, garlic, fenugreek, fennel, chilli powder, black pepper, salt)
- 1 onion
- 300g diced British Free Range chicken breast
Nutritional Information
Calories: 674
Protein: 58g
Carbs: 53g
Fat: 26g
Speedy Chicken Chana Dal with Spiced Carrot Salad
Who needs a takeaway when you’ve got our speedy spiced dal? Pair free-range British chicken breast with creamy lentils and fragrant spices. Pair with a crisp carrot salad, studded with coconut, nigella seeds and lime zest. Ready in just 15 minutes.
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Cooking Instructions
- Thinly slice the onion. Heat a medium frying pan with 2 tsp oil on medium-high heat. Add the onion and chicken and cook for 2-3 mins, until the onion softens.
- Add the tomato puree, curry powder, chana dal lentils and 250ml boiling water (125ml for 1 person) to the pan. Crumble in the stock cube and stir. Simmer for 8-10 mins, until the chicken is cooked.
- Make the salad. Zest and quarter the lime. Peel the carrots into ribbons and place in a mixing bowl with the desiccated coconut, nigella seeds, zest, one-quarter of the yoghurt and 2 tsp oil. Season with sea salt and black pepper and mix.
- Finely chop the spinach and coriander. Right before serving, stir the spinach, coriander and remaining yoghurt through the dal. Season with the juice from 2 lime wedges.
- Check your chicken is cooked through by cutting a large piece in half; the flesh should be white and the juices running clear. Cook for longer if necessary.
- Serve the dal with the carrot salad. Garnish with the remaining lime wedges.
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