It’s National Curry Week but we Brits don’t need a whole holiday to indulge in some delicious Asian cuisines.
And the only thing better than a mouth-watering, fresh meal is a super cheap one.
So chef Miguel Barclay, author of One Pound Meals has come up with some easy recipes to help you commemorate the special week, and you know, save some money.
While it might be tempting to saunter down to your local Indian, Miguel’s recipes are more economical and ethical as they make use of leftovers in the kitchen.
But if you don’t like making your own dish then you can always pop down to Shoreditch in London where the chef will be serving the stuff, for just £1.
Miguel is working in partnership with brand Elmlea – an alternative to traditional cream – to raise money for Fareshare, a charity against hunger and food waste.
So if you’re around the capital on 9 October, you could be treated to a £1 chicken tikka masala, a korma or Thai green curry.
Cheap as chips (no chips available though).
We caught up with Miguel who told Metro.co.uk how he came up with the concept of meals for a quid.
He explained: ‘Initially it was a game I used to play, I used to pretend I was working, but really I had a spreadsheet open and I was planning what I could make that evening for one pound. I used to pick up the ingredients on the way home and cook it that night.’
With the earth creating catastrophic amounts of waste, Miguel also noted that it’s imperative we’re more mindful of how much we throw away, starting with food.
‘If you throw away half a packet of something then it technically cost you double. That’s how I think about it. For example, it’s all very nice to pick up a huge pack of peppers for a cheaper price but the price per pepper is actually really expensive if you end up throwing half of them away.’
But of course, it’s not always possible to eat everything that’s slightly gone off.
Miguel explained that it’s about using your initiative.
‘I’m confident in the kitchen so primarily I use my senses: What does it look like? What does it smell like? There are more dangerous items like chicken that you shouldn’t take any risks with, but with other items such as vegetables it’s pretty easy to tell.’
We’ve got recipes below if you fancy trying your own hand at making the stuff.
Chicken korma recipe
Serves 4
Ingredients
- 20g butter
- 1tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 onion, finely sliced
- 3cm thumb sized piece ginger, finely grated
- 3 large garlic cloves, finely crushed
- 8 cardamom pods, seeds crushed
- 1tbsp mild curry powder
- 1tsp ground turmeric
- 4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into 3cm chunks
- 1 chicken stock cube, dissolved in 300ml boiling water
- 3tbsp ground almond
- 300g Jasmine rice, to serve
- 100ml Elmlea double
- Pinch caster sugar
- Handful fresh coriander, roughly chopped
Method
- Heat the butter and oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat, add the onion and fry for 10mins until starting to soften. Add ginger, garlic, cardamom, curry powder, turmeric and chicken to the pan and fry for 5mins until the chicken is sealed.
- Add the stock and ground almond, bring to the boil and simmer for 15mins until the chicken is cooked throughout.
- Meanwhile, cook the rice according to packet instructions.
- Remove the lid and stir the Elmlea double through the chicken and simmer for 5mins until thickened.
- Season to taste with a pinch of sugar and salt and serve with rice and a sprinkle of coriander.
Miguel Barclay’s Elmlea chicken tikka masala recipe
Serves one (multiply for more)
Ingredients
- 1 chicken thigh (de-boned and de-skinned)
- 3 tsp tandoori Curry Powder
- 1 medium White Onion
- 1 garlic Clove
- handful Fresh coriander
- 1 pot Elmlea Double
- 1 tsp Flaked Almonds
- 200g tomato Passata
- Pinch turmeric
- sunflower Oil
- ½ mug Basmati rice
Method
- Rub the chicken thigh (deboned and de-skinned) with 1tsp of tandoori curry powder (red in colour), sunflower oil, salt & pepper and leave to marinade for between 30 minutes & 3 hours.
- Pan fry the chicken over a medium heat for about 5 minutes on each side until cooked in the middle and slightly charred. Remove from pan and rest for a few minutes then chop into 1 inch cubes.
- Make the sauce by pan frying and seasoning very thinly sliced white onion in a splash of sunflower oil. Handy tip: use a mandolin on the thinnest setting for a fine slice.
- After a couple of minutes sweating in the pan, add thinly sliced garlic and continue to fry for a minute or two until it starts to brown.
- Add the curry powder and fry for 30 seconds before adding 200g tomato passata and a splash of water. Leave to simmer for a few minutes.
- Add the ground almonds and check seasoning. Simmer for five more minutes before stirring in a splash of Elmlea Double.
- To combine all ingredients, add the chicken and transfer to a bowl, before finishing with a splash more Elmlea Double and a sprinkle of sliced almonds.
- While the curry sauce is cooking, prepare the basmati rice by adding 1/2 mug of rice to 1mug of water, a pinch of salt and a pinch of turmeric to a saucepan and boiling with the lid on for about 10 minutes until all the water has been absorbed. Fluff with a fork and stir in chopped coriander.
Thai green curry
Serves 4
Ingredients
- 1tbsp vegetable oil
- 3 shallots, thinly sliced
- 3 large garlic cloves, finely sliced
- 4cm thumb-sized piece ginger, finely chopped
- 4-5tbsp Thai green curry paste
- 2 kaffir lime leaves
- 1 lemongrass, cut in half lengthways
- 400ml can coconut milk
- 1tbsp fish sauce
- 1 aubergine, cut into 3cm chunks
- 2 courgettes, cut into 3cm chunks
- 300g Basmati rice, to serve
- 100g sugar snap peas
- 100ml Elmlea single
- 1 lime, cut into wedges
- Handful Thai basil leaves
Method
- Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat.
- Add the shallots, garlic and ginger and fry for 10mins until starting to soften.
- Add the Thai green curry paste, kaffir lime leaves and lemongrass to the pan and cook for 2mins until they release their aroma.
- Add the coconut milk and fish sauce and season to taste with salt. Mix through the aubergine and courgette, cover with a lid and simmer for 15mins until the vegetables have softened.
- Meanwhile, cook basmati according to packet instructions.
- Once the vegetables have cooked remove the kaffir lime and lemongrass and stir through the sugar snap peas and Elmlea single.
- Serve the Thai green curry over rice with a wedge of lime and a sprinkle of Thai basil.
MORE: Pasta lovers assemble as London finally gets its very own Italian food hall
MORE: I’ve created a label to stop you from chucking good food away
MORE: Artificially intelligent bin aims to cut down on food waste
