This Zero Point Curry is easy to make and is freezer friendly, making it a great choice for a quick Weight Watchers curry any day of the week.
If you follow the WW Personal Points plan you can find out how many Personal Points this recipe will be for you & track it in your WW App by clicking on the blue button in recipe card below!
If you still follow the old WW plans, then it works out at Zero SmartPoints on the Freestyle, myWW Blue and myWW Purple plans and 5 SmartPoints on the myWW Green plan.
At between zero & six Points per generous portion this curry made with chicken & lentils makes a great WW dinner recipe for when you don't have Points to spare!
Please be aware that this post was written prior to Weight Watchers changing to the WW Points Plan. Scroll down the page to check how many Points it works out on the 2023 - 2024 WW Points Plan, as well as some of the older Weight Watchers plans.
If, like me, you sometimes need a zero point or low point meal after a couple of days of overdoing it, then this recipe really won't disappoint.
Easy to make and freezer friendly it's filling, tasty and ZERO POINTS on the Blue & Purple plan!
Of course, since the introduction of Weight Watchers myWW plans, SmartPoints have changed. If you are following the myWW green plan then this curry will be 5 SmartPoints per generous portion.
Now, I can't lie - it's not the creamy, buttery, Point laden curry that you would get from a take-out but those kind of curries can put you back well over 20 Points!
Infact .... my trusty WW Eat Out Guide lists some chicken curry dishes as being over 80 Smart Points per portion!!!
So this is a tomato based curry, cooked with lentils (to fill you up) and curry powder (to keep the Points zero).
A result!
In this recipe, I used curry powder as it is a great shortcut for making curries and is only 1 Smart Point for 2 tablespoons worth.
It can be argued that for taste you can't beat using individual herbs and spices, however for ease of use, using a curry powder is a no brainer!
Why use curry powder rather than curry paste?
I used curry powder in this recipe rather than curry paste as it has fewer Smart Points.
It's as simple as that!
There are some really good curry pastes out there which taste delicious but I wanted to make a curry that was Zero Smart Points so .... I used curry powder 😀
What Curry Powder can I use?
There are many kinds and brands of curry powder on the market and they vary hugely in terms of their taste, what spices they include and their 'hotness'.
I used a medium curry blend powder for this recipe but feel free to use a mild or hot powder according to your taste.
What should I serve with this Zero Point Curry?
This is quite a substantial curry because of the lentils so I will often just eat a bowl of it on its own.
Sometimes I will serve it with a spoonful or two of fat free natural yogurt to keep it as a Zero Point meal. This is also my preference if I made it using a hotter curry powder blend!
You could also serve it with a Garlic Naan Bread for an extra 4 Smart Points.
Serve with a small portion of white or brown rice for an extra 3 Smart Points on the Blue or Freestyle plan.
Serve with a small portion of brown rice for no extra SmartPoints on the myWW purple plan.
Can I freeze this Zero Point Curry?
Yes! This curry is perfect for freezing.
Once cooled you can portion it into individual freezer safe containers and freeze for an easy curry any day of the week.
Just remove from the freezer, defrost thoroughly and heat through in the microwave.
More Zero Smart Point Recipes
Looking for other Zero Point recipes? Then take a look at these!
Zero Point Curry | Weight Watchers
Ingredients
- Calorie controlled spray oil
- 4 medium onions finely sliced
- 4 cloves garlic finely chopped
- 1 red chili deseeded and finely sliced - optional
- 2 tbsp curry powder of your choice
- 3 chicken breasts skinless & boneless - chopped into bite size pieces
- 1 can chopped tomatoes 1 x 400g can
- 2 ¼ cups vegetable stock (500ml)
- 1 cup red lentils (200g)
- Salt to taste
- 3 cup fresh spinach leaves (150g)
Instructions
- Spray the bottom of a large skillet / pan with calorie controlled spray oil. Heat over a medium heat and add the thinly sliced onions. Cook for 3 - 4 minutes, stirring regularly until they begin to soften.
- If the onion starts to stick to the bottom of the pan, add a tablespoon or so of water to loosen.
- Add the garlic and chili pepper (if using) and cook for a further 1 - 2 minutes.
- Add a tablespoon of water to the onion & garlic mix, stir and then sprinkle the curry powder over. Stir till the powder has combined with the onion and then add the chicken pieces.
- Carry on stirring & cooking for 2 - 3 minutes until the chicken pieces have sealed.
- Make up the stock, using 2 bouillon cubes. Pour in the stock and the can of chopped tomatoes and bring to the boil. Mix well, then reduce the heat and gently simmer for 10 minutes stirring regularly.
- Add the lentils and simmer for another 15 - 20 minutes, stirring regularly, until cooked.
- Taste and add salt if desired.
- Just before taking off the heat, stir in the spinach.
- Serve on its own, with a dollop of fat free natural yogurt or with a small portion of white rice.
Kellie says
Hi I’m planning on making this soon but it says add stock.. yet there is no stock in the ingredients list? What stock do I use? And how much. Thank you
Marianne says
Kellie
I am so sorry for missing this out! I do tend check & recheck my recipes but on this occasion I obviously just omitted to add stock to the ingredient list.
I have used both chicken and vegetable stock when making this recipe. I tend to use a stock cube/bouillon cube which I make up with 500ml (2 1/4 cups) boiling water. I have also used pre-made stock from a carton.
I have now added this to the list of ingredients!
Thank you for your message and again my apologies!
Good luck with your WW journey.
Marianne x
Beverly Bradner says
The recipe calls for 2 1/4 cup of vegetable stock,I’m going to make this
Stefanie Campbell says
I made this last night and it was fabulous! My husband and daughter loved it! My husband had rice with it and my daughter had naan bread with hers, I had it alone and that was enough. So happy to find a low point recipe that my family will eat with me ?
Marianne says
Stefanie
I am so pleased that you and your family enjoyed this recipe.
Thank you so much for taking time to leave a review.
Good luck with your WW journey.
Kindest regards
Marianne x
Leah says
Hi I thought stock cubes have points on ww blue plan thanks x
Janet says
This was delicious! Thank you for sharing!
Marianne says
I am so pleased that you enjoyed it Janet.
Kind regards
Marianne x
Dottie says
Made this and used the already cooked lentils from Trader Joe’s to simplify the work I had to put in. Also, substituted air fried tofu dusted with curry and sea salt for the chicken. Delish! Thanks for sharing.
Frank Mahon says
I made this for the family twice in the last week, and it went down a treat. Fab flavour(I went with a little more heat) and lovely consistency. Enjoyed it with 2 ingredient Naans and wholegrain rice.
Rebekah says
Can you substitute green lentils?
Kari says
Wondering the same thing!!
Wendy says
Lovely recipe! Really enjoyed it. Would including some fresh ginger add anything to it do you think?
Marianne says
That sounds good!
Cindy Wooldridge says
I haven't made this yet but it looks wonderful. I have fallen off the wagon so to say over the last month and need to get back on. This looks like something I can make to take to work and even my vegetarian son would like. But to keep it zero points I think I will try to use califlower rice. Will let you know what we think.
Nida says
Hi you have wonderful recipes. I love your site. Quick question, it says that curry powder is 2 smart points. I don’t understand what is in the powder that gives It points? Isn’t it just dried herbs and spices? And are there any other herbs and spices or spice mixes that have smart points? Thank you
Marianne says
Hi Nida
Thank you for your message!
When I put curry powder into the recipe builder on the WW app it comes up as 1 SmartPoint for 2 tablespoons worth. I am unsure what makes it that ... but as that's what the app says then that's what I put down!! Sorry I can't be much help there.
There are definitely other herbs and spices that have smart point values - for example cinnamon also works out at 1 SmartPoint for 2 tablespoons!
Best of luck with your WW journey.
Kindest regards
Marianne
Laura says
Hello
This recipe sounds lovely. I am making it as I am emailing you. Lol. Can you tell me if I use already cooked lentils do I decrease the amount of stock?
Marianne says
Hi Laura
I hope that you enjoyed the curry and that you worked out your lentil query!
I have never made this recipe with ready cooked lentils so I can't help - I'm sorry 🙂
Best of luck with your WW journey.
Kindest regards
Marianne x
Ann says
I used all ingredients as stated; adjusted method as I ran out of time before work; cooked onions & garlic in fry pan, moved to crockpot, browned chicken in fry pan, moved to crockpot; added all remaining ingredients except spinach to crockpot, cooked on high for 4 hours. Came home, house smelled delicious!! Added spinach while rice cooked; served with white rice. Will make again, thank you for recipe!
ken says
I cooked it but 20min isn't enough time to cook lentils so I cooked them separately.
Jacob says
It tastes good, but like 40 minutes in and the lentils are still crunchy. Is that normal?
Marianne says
Hi Jacob
No that isn't my experience - the lentils have always been cooked well.
Which lentils did you use as some may take longer to cook than others.
I'll add a comment to the post to clarify what lentils are best to use.
Thank you for your comment & best of luck with your WW journey.
Kind regards
Marianne
skas51 says
Really like this recipe.It's fast, filling and flavorful. I'm going to make this often. I might add a little grated fresh ginger to the mix but it's to preference.Thanks for all your hard work.You're a big help to all of us trying to live a healthier lifestyle.