A delicious mild chicken curry recipe suitable for kids and packed with hidden vegetables likes carrots, courgette, cauliflower and red pepper.
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If your family loves curries but they're also fussy eaters, then I've got a recipe that's hopefully going to go down a storm with everyone.
It's a simple chicken curry hiding four nutritious vegetables that would fool even the pickiest of eaters!
Kid-Friendly Mild Curry
This curry is quite mild. My kids enjoy a small amount of spice so I use a medium curry powder.
If you are worried that it might be a little too spicy for your children then it's probably best to start with a mild curry powder and see how they like it.
When I cook this for my family I always add a few dashes of chilli sauce to my portion to increase the spice for my taste.
How To Hide Veggies in a Curry!
The veggies I've used in this recipe are Carrot, Courgette, Cauliflower and Red Pepper. You could also use other veggies like aubergine, broccoli, celery etc.
The veggies get cooked down in a sauce which is made from spices, tinned tomatoes and coconut milk.
Once the vegetables are cooked and soft it's time to blitz them to hide them!
You can either blitz them with a hand blender in the saucepan or else transfer to a stand blender and blitz there, and then pour it back into the saucepan.
Hand Blender Recommendation
I've had several hand blenders over the years but my current favourite is this Russell Hobbs Hand Blender.
It's relatively cheap for a hand blender and does a great job of blending up veggies in a sauce.
The final part of the recipe is to add in the diced chicken breast and cook for 15 minutes until the chicken is cooked through.
The cooking time for this recipe is a little longer than most curries, about 40 minutes. But it's well worth the effort trust me!
Leftover Sauce
Because the veggies are all blitzed into the sauce and it's just the chicken that you can see in there, it does mean that this is a very "saucy" curry.
Some kids love that as they like to mix it with the rice and will eat it all. However if you find yourself with leftover sauce don't throw it away!
You can use it another day either on it's own or cook it up again with more chicken or another meat. Prawns or fish would work well in it too.
Storing & Freezing Hidden Veg Chicken Curry
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. Reheat on the hob or in the microwave until piping hot.
The sauce on it's own or the curry can also be frozen in freezer bags or containers. Defrost in the fridge overnight and reheat as above.
If you try my Hidden Veg Chicken Curry recipe please do leave me a comment and a star rating below. You can also share your pictures with me on Instagram. I always love to see your creations!
Hidden Veggie Recipes
If you liked this recipe you may also enjoy my Slow Cooker Spaghetti Meatballs with Hidden Veg
Or my One Pot Cheesy Cauliflower Pasta
You might also enjoy our Healthy Christmas Recipes collection!
Hidden Veg Chicken Curry
- Prep Time: 6 mins
- Cook Time: 40 mins
- Total Time: 46 minutes
- Yield: 4-6 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Cuisine: Hidden Veg
Description
A delicious mild chicken curry recipe suitable for kids and packed with hidden vegetables likes carrots, courgette, cauliflower and red pepper.
Ingredients
- 0.5 tbsp oil
- 1 onion, diced
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 0.5 tsp ginger, chopped
- 1 tbsp medium curry powder
- 2 tsp garam masala
- 1 large carrot, diced
- 1 small courgette, diced
- 200g cauliflower, chopped
- 0.5 red pepper, chopped
- 1 tin chopped tomatoes
- 1 tin coconut milk
- 150ml vegetable stock
- 800g diced chicken breast
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large saucepan and add the onion, garlic and ginger. Fry gently for 2 minutes.
- Add the curry powder and garam masala, mix well and fry for another 1 minute.
- Add the carrot, courgette, cauliflower and red pepper.
- Add the chopped tomatoes, coconut milk and vegetable stock. Bring to the boil and reduce to a simmer for 20 minutes.
- Blitz the sauce until smooth. You can either do this in the saucepan with a hand blender or transfer to a stand blender and blitz, then pour it back into the saucepan.
- Once the sauce is completely smooth add the chicken and cook on a low heat for 15-18 minutes until the chicken is cooked through.
- Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve with boiled rice.
- This curry is very "saucy". Feel free to add some extra veg or potatoes in when cooking the chicken if you prefer it to be more "full". You can also remove some of the sauce and freeze for another day. Instructions are below.
- This curry is very mild and great for kids. For adults I would recommend adding a splash of chilli sauce to your portion for a little extra heat!
Notes
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. Reheat on the hob or in the microwave until piping hot.
The sauce on it's own or the curry can also be frozen in freezer bags or containers. Defrost in the fridge overnight and reheat as above.
Steph says
Both of my kids love this! I love seeing the pan full of vegetables that they never usually eat!
Vicky says
Love this comment, thank you! so happy your kids enjoy this meal.
Stephanie says
Kids ate it with zero fuss which is a first!
Vicky says
This is fantastic Stephanie, thank you for the great feedback, what are you trying them with next ?
Philip says
Just a quick comment. One of our kids is very fuzzy and doesnt eat much veg. Both kids (and the wife) finished everything.
Great recipe for putting tons of veg in your kids
Makes way to much sauce but it'll be used.
Vicky says
Great to hear Philip, thank you for your comment.
Agreed! the curry is very 'saucy' feel free to add extra veg or potatoes in when cooking the chicken if you prefer it to be more 'full' you can also remove some sauce and freeze for another day.
Andrea says
I have 4 kids who are extremely picky eaters and I cannot believe how well this recipe went down, will definitely become a regular in this house! Thank you!
Vicky says
This is amazing! so happy this recipe will now become a regular meal in your home. Thank you for the great feedback.
Sophie says
Hi, sorry can i ask for a clarification on the ingredients please?
1 tin of chopped tomatoes and 1 tin of coconut milk, what size are these tins please, as these are available in different amounts.
Thanks
Vicky says
Hi Sophie, we used 1 tin of 400ml chopped tomatoes and 1 tin of 400ml coconut milk in this recipe.
Helena says
Another great recipe that the whole family enjoyed. We are just settling into a new home and our stuff from our old home hasn't arrived yet. So I don't have a blender or food processor. I mashed up the veg with a potato masher and pushed it through a sieve. I'm going to use the left over veg bits today with some flour and egg to make breakfast veg fritters. So I'm very pleased. I also had leftover sauce which I have frozen so we can enjoy this meal again really easily soon. Thank you so much!
Alice says
My 3 year old son is such a fussy eater, but he loved this and ate it all! Thank you, I had never thought of blitzing veg into curry sauce!
Vicky says
So happy to hear he eat it all, thank you for your great feedback. x
Ashlinn S. says
I hardly ever leave comments on recipies I've tried, but this was worth coming back! My husband is one of the pickiest eaters when it comes to veggies. It is so hard to get healthy meals to our family and my daughter is starting to have similar desires. Pasta, burgers, fries, bread, occasionally meatballs. I've been trying different recipies that hide the veggies so my little picky eaters don't end up with scurvy. This was a hit! I love how many veggies this has and that the veggies to everything else ratio is so high! My husband went back for 2nds, my daughter ate 5 bites (a big dinner for her) and I love it so much I'm thinking about making it weekly. Thank you so much for this!
For note, I used a whole red bell pepper rather than half. I also used 1.5 the amount of curry powder, and made sure the measurements for graham marsala were.... generous 😉 I substituted for light coconut milk as well.
Petra says
Hello, I had been looking for a suitable curry recipe for my two year old for ages that was mild but still full of flavor, this is the perfect recipe.
Vicky says
Great to hear Petra, have you tried our hidden veg Katsu curry sauce https://www.myfussyeater.com/hidden-veg-katsu-curry-sauce/ ?
Erica says
My kids and we all love this and the children now ask to help cook it as well! Just wondering what you could put in instead of the chicken for a vegetarian alternative? My parents are veggie and it would be nice to still have some texture when I make it for them. Would sweet potato or squash or paneer work with the flavours?
Vicky says
This is fantastic to hear! We have never made this recipe vegetarian, but cant see any reason why an alternative like paneer wouldn't work, you could also try and chop the cauliflower into chunkier pieces just to give it some texture. Please let us know how it turns out.
Anonymous says
Awesome recipe, whole family loved it
Nikki says
My fussy eater helped me prepare this meal. She saw exactly what went into it and yet she ate it! I know if I’d left the veg chunky she wouldn’t have so blending it is a definite for us at the moment.
Hailey says
Yet to try my fussy eater with this recipe but it’s delicious.
I didn’t have Cauliflower but added a large spoonful of peanut butter and a few pieces of packet dried apricots to make it sweeter, I also just added the stock cube with out the water so it was a thicker sauce
Thank you for the recipe
Vicky says
Great to hear, thank you so much for your feedback, please let us know if you do try this recipe on your fussy eater.
Nikki says
Oooo great idea about the peanut butter! Also, you’re right, the water isn’t needed. It could do with being slightly thicker. Thanks for sharing
Dee says
I made this last night, was a hit!
Changed the recipe slightly because my husband catn est capsicum. I added in a dome pumpkin. Was very verrrry yummy!
I seared off my thigh first and left them whole. I removed them then added all the veggies, spices and liquids and added the thighs back in whole.
Cooked it for a while and them blended the sauce.
I didn't end up adding the coconut milk because the recipes was so smooth and creamy already.
I'm really happy I came across this recipe. It makes me feel good being able to feed my family food that is yummy and healthy
Vicky says
Thank you! glad you liked this recipe.
Bec says
I hardly ever leave comments but I just wanted to say how much I love this curry recipe for my fussy kids. I’ve made this recipe probably 10 plus times over the last year and my kids lick the bowl every time and ask for seconds with no idea they are getting the benefits of eating all those veggies they would normally turn their nose up at if I placed them whole on their plate. Also made it for friends children and they all love it as well. It’s mild and the creamy texture is delicious for our little ones. If my husband and I eat it as well we will add a little chilli sauce in to our spice level.
Highly recommend.
Vicky says
Love this! thank you Bec for taking the time to come back to us. So good to hear this recipe is being enjoyed by your whole family.Enjoy!
Carla says
This looks wonderful!!!
Do you think it would work in a slow cooker(crock pot)?
How long do you think I should have it in for?
I was thinking high for the first 3 steps then low for 3 hours but that’s completely guessing 🫣
Ciara Attwell says
Hi! Yes it should work in the slow cooker although maybe don't add the stock. Liquids don't evaporate in the slow cooker the same way as they do on the hob. If the sauce seems a bit watery you could always mix some of it with cornflour and then put back in.
Louise says
This is fab. My daughter has become increasingly fussy with veg over the last few years so it was lovely to give her a dinner that didn't involve an argument. She even commented on the sauce saying it was lovely. Both her and her 5 year old brother both loved it. I have loads of sauce left over so I'm going to freeze it and pull it out again in a fortnight for a win win dinner.
Vicky says
This is so great to hear 🙂
Glad you and your kids loving this recipe. Please feel free to share your creations with us on Facebook and Instagram. Happy cooking.
Pwm says
Delicious!!
Vicky says
Glad you enjoyed this, its also great comfort for this time of the year. Happy cooking.
Mona says
Hi, is there a sub for coconut milk please? Thank you
Ciara Attwell says
You could leave it out and instead add some more stock. At the end stir in some single cream
Sophie says
This worked brilliantly thank you. I have two extremely fussy eaters and they inhaled this - I am getting so bored of cooking the sane things day in and day out. I have bought your book today and looking forward to trying out more recipes
Kimberley says
Hi, just wondering if you use garlic/ginger paste instead of fresh? Only ask as that’s what’s in my cupboards 😂
Vicky says
Hi Kimberley, absolutely ! It normally states on the packaging how much paste to use to give you the correct equivalent amount. please let us know how it goes.
Jo says
Love this! Has been my family's favourite so far and my fussy partner even said its been nice to have a meal without veg tonight... Haha
Quick tip, to cut the cooking time in half I cooked the chicken and sauce together and then just picked the chicken out to blend the sauce!
Thanks!
Ling says
That's a great tip! Thanks Jo!
Gina MacCarthy says
My LO really enjoyed this (so did I)!!
Worth telling people that it turned pink when I added the tomatoes and coconut milk but then transformed once it started to bubble - I thought I’d done something wrong but all came together well.
I saved and froze a third of the sauce for another time but this recipe was more than enough to feed a family of 4-6.
Will definitely be making it again!
Lucy says
The sauce is bubbling away in the saucepan and smells delicious. I'm wondering whether to cook the chicken separately and add it once the sauce is done. This would cut down on cooking time and also I've never added raw chicken to sauce before. I normally cook the chicken first then add the sauce so I'm a bit nervous doing it the other way round. Please let me know if I'm missing something here.
Anyway excited to try this. We've made and enjoyed lots of your other recipes so thank you!
Jodie says
I was the same but adding the raw chicken to the sauce came out fine, nice & tender and not dry or over cooked.
Hattie says
Hi, just wondering if I could maybe use creme fraice instead of the coconut milk? Only because I have a tub in the fridge that needs using ha! M two year old will love this but the hidden veg will hopefully please the picky 9 year old we have staying. Thank you x
Bianca Carey Spencer says
Hi Hattie! It should be ok to try it with creme fraiche. We've not tried it ourselves so can't be entirely sure how it will turn out but if you do try it, please do come back and let us know how you got on! Hope everyone enjoys it!
Kiara says
Excellent recipe! My fussy 4 yr old cleared his plate with no encouragement needed!! Will definitely put this on a regular rotation in our house! Great way to get extra veg in for young and old!!
Tom says
Whats 0.5 red pepper mean please
Bianca Carey Spencer says
Hi Tom, that just means use 1/2 a red pepper.
Molly says
Amazing recipe. My kids are so fussy so was looking online and found this and the kids love it! So healthy and quick and easy !
Rose says
Lovely recipe thank you will! Thus will be going into regular rotation! Loved watching my kids eat all those hidden veggies. I did make some small changes by adding some turmeric, garlic and onion powders and a little bit of sugar. We adults had yoghurt, chilli sauce and coriander all served on top of star anise rice.
Louise says
We all LOVE this recipe in my family. I sometimes make it without adding chicken and freeze the sauce in batches. When using, I simply defrost and add boiled skin-on baby potatoes, peas and some pan-fried paneer for a lovely vegetarian alternative. It's so easy to make and so good for us all too - thanks for the recipe! Your whole website is fabulous!
Katie says
An absolute hit in my household! My four year old said it was better than the takeaway one he’s tried before! I actually told him about the vegetables in it and he said “THAT’S AMAZING! You can’t taste it” Thanks, you are a genius ☺️.
Natalie says
Turned out too spicy for my kids. I enjoyed it though.
Katy says
I thought the medium curry powder might be too spicy for mine as well so I went with mild and it works beautifully.
Nikki says
This is a family favourite. The recipe makes loads of sauce so I always have lots left over to freeze.
Anonymous says
These are all the vegetables that my 6 year old will absolutely not touch so I couldn't believe it when he ate a whole portion of this without any complaints! Thanks so much for this recipe! xxx
Siobhan says
This curry is just amazing. I was wondering if you knew what the calories might be for 100g? I'm trying to lose weight and count everything I eat.
Bianca Carey Spencer says
So glad you like the curry Siobhan! Sorry, not sure on the calories for 100g, but My Fitness Pal is a good app that you could use to check on calorie content. x
Carol Anne Cobbe says
You are my absolute hero. My 6 year old is a terror for avoiding veg and she just adored this. "Can I have it again tomorrow" she said. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
Bianca Carey Spencer says
Ahhh that's great to hear Carol, so pleased she enjoyed it! x
Samantha says
Oh my goodness! It is absolutely delicious!!! It went down a storm with the whole family and it is so much nicer than a jar of curry sauce. I'll never look back! Thank you so much!
Tracy says
A definite hit with our 7 year old veg dodger!
CB says
My husband and children (6 and 3) are usually opposed to vegetables and anything too spicy. This recipe was perfect, and we all cleared the plate. The children helped with the food prep and were on veg chopping duty so they knew exactly what the meal contained. 10/10. This will become a weekly meal for us.
Alexandra says
Can you please include the measurements for the coconut milk and tomatoes?
Bianca Carey Spencer says
Hi Alexandra, 400g tins for both the coconut milk and the tinned tomatoes. x
Aimee says
We made this curry tonight mainly for my 4 year old to try curry, we don’t eat curry at home usually as I’m not a fan but my partner loves it so often ends up just having takeaway curry on his own, but this recipe was amazing! My partner absolutely loved it and he’s a big fan of hot curries normally and my little boy ate all of his and is happy to eat more, and I also loved it so much and I don’t really like curry but this just taste sooo good. Thank you. I always come to you when I’m after new recipes for our family.
Bianca Carey Spencer says
That's brilliant Aimee. So pleased you liked the recipe and thanks so much for your comments! x
Rebecca Mellors says
Made this for tea, my children would not eat curry and have not since they were toddlers. They have bath asked to have it again!
Sinead Feeney says
Delicious! A total success with all the family. I am delighted with this recipe. My 8 year old is the fussiest eater and she asked for more. I couldn't believe it! I will definitely be making this again . Thank you so much!