Nothing beats a warming chicken curry bulked out with rice in the winter months and early spring when the kids come home from school. You can make it as mild or as strong as the family likes it. The best part of this recipe is that it is not fussy over adding huge lists of spices and pricey ingredients. It tastes great when the budget is low.
Ingredients for Family of 6 (Adjust quantity to suit your family circs)
1 pack of 6 chicken thighs (£4 in Tesco but use your own local supermarket or market if you have one) Diced chicken pre-packed can be used but is a lot more expensive. If you choose this option Iceland do a large packet of frozen diced chicken for £5.
2 large onions @ roughly 25p each = 50p
3 tablespoons of Everyday Basics medium supermarket brand curry powder (Tesco and others do a mild and strong version. Use whichever suits your family) =85p
1 large 450gr pot of fat free natural yogurt (Tesco cheapest is Onken currently but check out all brands at your supermarket) = £1.40
6 medium potatoes -Tesco Everyday Value Pack White Potatoes =£1.18
I tin of Tesco Everyday value Chopped Tomatoes = 34p
1 bag Tesco Everyday Value Long grain Rice 1kg = 40p
3tbsps Cooking Oil. (If you cannot afford cooking oil a couple of knobs of margarine/butter will do)
Optional
If you have any spices in your cupboard like cumin, coriander or garam masala you can add a teaspoon of each to the above recipe. If you don't have them no problem and no need to buy! You can use microwave packet rice if you have any, but it is expensive at £1 per packet which serves 2 people only.
Method
Put the oven on 190 degrees celcius or Gas Mark 5 to warm up.
Put the oil or knobs of margarine/butter into a frying pan. Add the chicken thighs 3 at a time to the pan and cook on both sides until the chicken is very lightly browned and the chicken is cooked through. This may take 15-20 minutes per each set of 3. When the chicken thighs are cooked place them in an ovenproof casserole dish or similar. If using the diced frozen chicken, again cook through until the chicken is lightly browned on all sides.
Tip: casserole dishes and cooking utensils can be expensive. Many people donate excess casserole dishes, plates and cutlery to charity shops and sometimes to Foodbanks. Go to these places and ask!
Back to the frying pan, add a tablespoon of oil or margarine knob to the frying pan and peel and chop your onions into small pieces and place in the pan, stirring until softened for about 5 minutes. Peel and chop the potatoes into small chunks or as closely diced as possible and add them to the pan.Then add the 3 tablespoons of curry powder, throw in the pot of natural yogurt and the tin of chopped tomatoes and stir constantly for a further 5 minutes. Allow the mixture to cook through, especially the potatoes for 20 mins.Then tip the entire contents of the frying pan over the chicken thighs you previously placed in the casserole dish. Mix in well.
Put the casserole dish in the oven for 30 minutes on 190 degree Celsius (electric) or Gas Mark 5 with the lid on.
While the curry is cooking through in the oven, prepare the rice as per the instructions on the packet and as per the quantity you need for your family size in a pan of boiling water. This normally takes 20-25 minutes until the rice is fluffy and the water has reduced right down. Be careful not to over cook or to undercook as tough or soggy rice is not a great accompaniment!
Dish the rice up onto the plates and remove the curry from the oven. Serve up by making sure each person has a portion of chicken each as well as the onion, potato and tomato curry sauce.
Tip: Ensure each person has a good portion of the rice as this is a cheap and nutritious bulker food. If
you have other vegetables you wish to use instead of the chicken, then please substitute. Your family won't go hungry with this recipe!
