FOOD & SUPPS
RECIPE 1.
THE CHICKEN CURRY
BATCH COOK
When I’m on prep, I typically eat five times
a day with a diet along these lines:
Meal 1: Eggs, Smoked Salmon, Oats
Meal 2: Chicken and Rice
Meal 3: Chicken and Rice
Meal 4: Chicken and Rice
Meal 5: Whey, Peanut Butter, Oats
For meals 2 to 4, what I’ll do is batch cook
a load of chicken and then divide it up into the
necessary portions.
Today’s recipe will be based off a batch cook of
500g chicken for three meals of the day.
Time to prepare: 5 minutes
Time to cook: 30 minutes
Serves: 2 to 4 meals (depending on protein
requirements)
Ingredients:
Method:
> Dry cook the onions, garlic and sea
salt in a pan until onions begin to soften
(if onions begin to stick add a little bit of
water)
> Once softened, add spices (coriander &
cumin mix, turmeric, ginger) and tomato
passata (Puree) (or chopped tomatoes)
> Stir for a few minutes and then add the
chicken
> Add the Tandoori masala, stir it into the
chicken, turn the heat up to high-medium
and close the lid for 3-4 minutes. Check
chicken intermittently.
> After 3-4 minutes, turn the heat down and
let it cook for 15 minutes. Stir as necessary.
The trademark of a great curry is in the
perfect mix of spices blended together to
give you the intense flavours that make it
taste so good.
Taste aside, there are also a ton of health
benefits too. Especially in turmeric and
ginger, which are both nutritional and health
powerhouses!
52
FLEX | FEBRUARY 2018
NUTRITIONAL INFO:
Per portion: 125g
Weight: 500g total
(divided into 4 servings)
l 2-3 sprays of 1 kcal spray
l 1 whole onion – chopped finely
l 2 cloves crushed garlic (optional)
l ½ tsp sea salt
l 1 tsp coriander & cumin mix
l 1 tsp turmeric
l 1 tsp fresh ginger or ginger powder
l ½ tsp red chilli powder
(to taste, optional)
l 100g tomato passata (or can of chopped
tomatoes)
l 500g chicken breast
l 1 tsp tandoori masala powder
l Chopped coriander leaf (optional)
Per Serving:
Calories: 145kcal
Protein: 30g
Carbs: 4g
Fats: 1g
Why turmeric?
Turmeric is the spice which gives curry its
yellow colour and distinctive flavour. The
golden spice has been used for thousands of
years in Asia as a dye and for medicinal
purposes. The medicinal benefits turmeric
boast stem from a family of compounds
called curcuminoids, of which the most
important and heavily researched is
curcumin.
The benefits are vast, with the two most
potent being:
Ø Anti-inflammatory: curcumin attacks
inflammation at a cellular level by acting
against NF-kB, a molecule with the
potential to travel into cells and turn on
pro-inflammatory genes.
Ø Anti-oxidant: curcumin acts as a ‘double
agent’ in the body by not only acting as a
strong antioxidant itself, but by increasing
the activity of the body’s own antioxidants,
such as glutathione.
Why ginger?
In traditional Indian medicine, ginger is known
as the ‘universal cure’. This plant is loaded
with nutrients and compounds that provide a
host of health benefits for your body.
The part of the plant used as the spice is
called the rhizome, which is the underground
part of the stem that sprouts the roots. Within
this, the compound most responsible for its
benefits is called gingerol.
Some of the key benefits
include:
Digestive health: improves gastric
emptying and can help relieve nausea
symptoms
Anti-inflammatory: ginger can help inhibit
many enzymes involved in the formation of
inflammatory compounds, acting in a similar
(but milder) fashion to NSAIDs like aspirin
and ibuprofen.
And there you have it…you’ve now got
a triple benefit effect of eating like this. You
get to eat curry every day. Your taste buds
won’t be dying during prep. And you’ll get
some extra health benefits at the same time.
Enjoy!