- 3 tablespoons ghee (or half unsalted butter and half olive oil)
- 1 1/2 cups chopped onion
- 1 1/2 cups diced carrot
- 1 to 2 hot chili peppers, minced (such as red Fresno, hot cherry, or jalapeno)
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 1/2 tablespoons minced ginger
- 3 tablespoons curry powder (or to taste)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin*
- 1 teaspoon paprika*
- 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon*
- 3/4 teaspoon ground turmeric*
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt (or to taste—less if chicken stock is salty)
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- Dash cayenne pepper*
- 2 large Granny Smith apples (peeled and diced—about 1 1/2 cups diced)
- 2 (14.2-ounce) cans petite cut diced tomatoes
- 3/4 cup red lentils
- 4 cups chicken stock (unsalted or low sodium)
- 3 cups diced cooked chicken
- 1 (13.5-ounce) can coconut milk (not light)
- Optional garnish: chopped fresh cilantro or green onions
*Don’t worry if your spice cabinet isn’t fully stocked. The curry powder does most of the heavy lifting, so feel free to reduce or omit the starred spices if needed. A bold curry powder, such as Madras, will still deliver great flavor.