A good chicken curry is a favourite UK dish stretching back decades. The good news is you can make a simple homemade version that not only tastes good, but also costs much less than the takeaway equivalent!

Here’s our basic recipe followed by some optional additions you can make.

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon cooking oil
• 500g chicken , cut into large chunks (thigh is cheaper and tastier but breast works very well)
• 1 large onion, diced
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 tbsp curry powder
• 1 tin chopped tomatoes

Method

1. Start by heating the oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat. When warm add your chicken and gently fry until the chicken pieces are browned on all sides – they don’t need to be cooked through at this stage. When the chicken is browned, remove from the pan to a plate or bowl and put to one side.
2. With the pan back on the heat add the onion and garlic (you might need to add a little more oil at this stage). Fry for 5-10 mins until the onion is softened.
3. Add the curry powder and mix thoroughly. Keep stirring to avoid the mixture from sticking.
4. Add the chicken back into the pan along with the tomatoes and stir to combine. Allow the curry to cook gently for 15-20 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce is thickened.
5. Serve immediately on it’s own or with rice or bread.

There are loads of things you can add to this recipe if you fancy it – or have them in the home.

• If you have some fresh ginger to hand, chop a thumb sized piece and add to the pan with the onion and garlic.
• Like it spicy? Either add a chopped fresh chilli to the onion and garlic, or a teaspoon of chilli powder with the curry powder.
• Make it a masala by adding some cream to the sauce after stage 4. When the chicken is cooked and the sauce ready, stir through your cream and warm through for 1-2 mins.