The curry that officially baptized our new bento boxes.
DINNER · 40 MIN · EASY · SERVES 2–3
COMFORT FOOD · FRIEND APPROVED · BENTO BOX TESTED
Today was supposed to be a simple shopping day.
You know the kind.
You walk into a shop saying:
“I’m just looking.”
A dangerous sentence.
Because apparently “just looking” can lead to coming home with two Japanese bento boxes that you absolutely did not plan to buy but immediately decided you needed.
(They were cute. I had no choice. This is science.)
My friend Léa and I brought them home and realised something very important:
A new bento box needs a proper first meal.
You cannot simply put random leftovers inside.
That would be disrespectful.
So we decided to baptize them with something warm, comforting and full of flavour:
a Indian-inspired curry (cause why not?).
This recipe is Léa’s.
I asked her if I could share it with you because it was honestly one of those recipes that makes you think:
“Wait… that was actually easy?”
It’s full of vegetables, creamy coconut, tender chicken and just enough curry to make everything cosy.
Also, it tastes even better packed into a little bento box the next day.
Which is probably the whole point.
What you’ll need
For 2–3 hungry humans
- 2 chicken cutlets
- 1 onion
- 4 carrots
- 1 white leek
- 1 zucchini
- 1 tablespoon curry paste
(yellow, red or green — choose your adventure) - 250 ml coconut milk or coconut cream
- 1 bunch fresh coriander
- 2–3 spring onion stalks for decoration
- White rice, to serve
Let’s cook
1. Start with the flavour
Finely chop the onion.
Heat a little oil in a large saucepan and cook the onion until it becomes soft and fragrant.
Add the chicken cut into pieces and cook until it starts to turn golden.
This is the moment when your kitchen begins smelling much more impressive than the effort required.
My favourite kind of cooking.
2. Add the vegetables
Slice the white leek and carrots.
Add them to the saucepan and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Then add the zucchini, cut into small pieces.
Don’t worry about making everything perfectly identical.
Vegetables are not applying for a job interview.
They just need to become delicious.
3. Curry time
Mix the curry paste with a little water in a cup until it dissolves.
Add it to the saucepan.
Then pour in enough water to reach the same level as the vegetables and chicken.
Cover and let everything cook gently for 25–30 minutes.
Go make some rice.
Or, if you are like me, stand nearby and repeatedly lift the lid because you are curious.
The curry knows.
4. Make it creamy
When the vegetables are tender and the chicken is cooked, add the coconut milk (or coconut cream).
Stir gently.
Add the fresh coriander.
Taste.
Adjust if needed.
More curry?
More coriander?
More patience?
(Probably not the last one.)
5. Serve and pack the bento
Serve with warm white rice.
For a pretty finish, slice the spring onion stalks and sprinkle them on top.
And if you own a bento box:
Congratulations.
You now have a very good excuse to take lunch pictures.
Eva’s little notes ❤️
This recipe is special because it reminds me that good food doesn’t always need complicated techniques.
Sometimes it’s just:
a friend,
a new kitchen object you absolutely didn’t need,
a pot full of comforting food,
and a reason to sit together.
Also, thank you Léa for letting me steal your recipe.
I promise I will return your bento box.
Probably.
The Hungry Redhead verdict
Effort: ★★☆☆☆
Comfort: ★★★★★
Bento box compatibility: ★★★★★
Chance of making it again next week: very high
Chance of buying another bento box because this recipe deserves one: dangerously high
Good food, warm stories, questionable decisions. ❤️