The Best Homemade Curry Ever

« Recipes | Posted on 01/05/2011 07:58 pm by Ness

Curry is something I have only fairly recently developed a love for. I was always more of a Chinese food gal. My curry making skills originated with Jamie Oliver and his Jamie’s Dinners book. Using that recipe as a base I have tweaked it, added ingredients, changed measurements and now I think I have got it to perfection (well, for me anyway). The good thing about this is it’s also not calorie laden, especially if you use low fat coconut milk and is packed full of veggies! You could also swap the chicken for prawns, adding later in the cooking process or leave out any meat or fish and throw in some other veg such as cauliflower to ensure a totally veggie curry.

Serves 5-6

Ingredients:

  • 4 chicken breasts diced
  • 1/2 butternut squash – diced (you don’t need to faff with peeling, the skin goes lovely and soft through cooking)
  • 2  sweet potatoes – peeled and diced
  • small pack of baby sweetcorn – halved
  • small pack of mange tout – halved
  • 1 thumb sized piece ginger – finely chopped/grated
  • 1 red onion – diced
  • 2 good handfuls spinach (optional)
  • 1 red chilli – finely chopped with or without seeds
  • 1 400ml can coconut milk (low fat coconut milk can also be used)
  • 2 400ml cans chopped tomatoes
  • 1 jar Pataks tikka masala paste
  • good glug of olive oil
  • large knob of butter

Method:

  1. Pour the olive oil and put the butter in the base of a very large pan. Add the diced onion and saute for 5 mins over a medium heat. Add the ginger and red chilli, cook for a further few minutes
  2. Add the sweet potato, butternut squash and chicken stir all the ingredients together and add 3/4 jar of the tikka masala paste and coat all the ingredients
  3. Pour in the coconut milk and the chopped tomatoes, stir again
  4. Bring to the boil and then simmer with the lid on for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally to stop sticking and adding more water if deemed necessary
  5. After 20 minutes add the babycorn and mangetout, cook for a further 10 mins. If you wish to add spinach add this just 2 minutes before serving and stir through
  6. Serve with basmati rice and/or naan breads and a dollop of natural yoghurt.
  7. Perfecto!