The 12 Best Curries to Cook at Home

Method:

A curry to cook at home

A bright tomato sauce, green pepper and tender chicken make this a lively midweek balti-style dinner. Allow about 60 minutes. A wide frying pan does the job: give the pepper a little colour and keep the sauce thick enough to scoop up with warm bread.

Ingredients for four

- Chicken thighs (700 g)
- Onions (2)
- Garlic (4 cloves)
- Ginger (20 g)
- Oil (2 tbsp)
- Tinned tomatoes (400 g)
- Cumin (2 tsp)
- Ground coriander (2 tsp)
- Turmeric (1/2 tsp)
- Sweet paprika (1 tsp)
- Cayenne (1/4 tsp)
- Water (150 ml)
- Salt (1/2 tsp)
- Green pepper (1)
- Lemon (1/2)

Before you start

Measure the ingredients before starting. The chicken quantity is the weight after removing skin and bones. Keep the lemon and any finishing ingredients beside the stove rather than mixing them into the dry spices.

Deseed the green pepper and cut it into 2 cm squares.

At the stove

Use skinless, boneless chicken thighs cut into 3 cm pieces. Finely chop the onions, crush the garlic and grate the ginger. Heat the oil in a wide, deep pan and cook the onions for 10–12 minutes until golden. Add garlic and ginger for 1 minute, then the dry spices for 30 seconds, stirring so that they do not burn.

Add the chicken and pepper and stir-fry for 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, water and salt, breaking up the tomatoes. Simmer uncovered for 18–22 minutes, stirring regularly, until the chicken is cooked and the sauce coats it rather than pooling like soup.

Check a thick piece with a food thermometer: the centre should stay at 75°C for 30 seconds. If it has not, continue cooking and check again. Add a little hot water if the sauce becomes too thick.

Finish and serve

Finish with 1 tbsp lemon juice, adding more from the half lemon only after tasting.

Taste for salt and let the curry stand for 5 minutes. Serve with plain rice or warm flatbread, bought ready-made if that makes dinner easier. Put a little plain yogurt on the table for anyone who wants to soften the heat; it is an optional accompaniment.

Everyday substitutions

You do not need a balti bowl or bottled balti sauce: use a deep frying pan or wok. A red pepper replaces green, with a sweeter result. Chicken breast works in the same weight, but start checking after 12 minutes of simmering and stop when its centre has held 75°C for 30 seconds, so it does not dry out.

Use sunflower, rapeseed or mild olive oil; ghee is optional, in the same quantity. Use pure cayenne or ground chilli, not a chilli-con-carne seasoning blend. Start with less if you prefer gentle heat. All spoon measures are level; spices are ground unless stated otherwise.