Cheap and Easy Chicken Curry for Students (or drunks)

Xelene · 8 Jul 2011 at 19:13

Not a student anymore but it's Friday night so thought i'd share this super simple, very cheap, very tasty recipe.

Ingredients:

1 Jar curry paste (£1.50)
1 pack chicken breasts (£1.50)
1 Onion (30p)
1 Pack of 6 Tomatoes (£1)
1 Pack Spinach (£1)

Serves (2-4)

Dice up the Onion, gently fry it in Vege oil until it is soft.

Add half the jar of curry paste, turn on extractor fan and keep frying it a bit

Slice up the chicken into little finger width slices and add to the curry + onion

Keep turning it over until it's all brown.

Transfer to a big pan, and add the Toms, I quartered mine

Then I added some liquid, basically a mug of vegetable stock.

And a teaspoon of flour.

Simmer for 30 minutes (low temperature). Add the Spinach a handful at a time.

Slowly simmer for 30 minutes. Serve with rice and/or bread. Total cost should be around £6-7 for a good meal for 4. It will also taste better than a take away

Haircut · 9 Jul 2011 at 01:55

Sounds reasonable other than the use of chicken breasts.
If you're going to cook something for that length of time then thighs are the way to go. Breasts will just end up tough and dry if you simmer them on the hob for that long.

Jegethy · 9 Jul 2011 at 15:25

Haircut said:
Sounds reasonable other than the use of chicken breasts.
If you're going to cook something for that length of time then thighs are the way to go. Breasts will just end up tough and dry if you simmer them on the hob for that long.

Thighs will be cheaper too.

joey1211 · 9 Jul 2011 at 16:06

No pic of the final dish?

Xelene · 12 Jul 2011 at 23:02

Haircut said:
Sounds reasonable other than the use of chicken breasts.
If you're going to cook something for that length of time then thighs are the way to go. Breasts will just end up tough and dry if you simmer them on the hob for that long.

Breasts were on special that day, they stayed soft as they were covered in liquid through the whole process. Thighs would also work, or Turkey (I guess)

joey1211 said:
No pic of the final dish?

Sorry got hungry and ate it

It looked like Chicken curry!

bsoltan · 13 Jul 2011 at 09:26

Why don't you turn your extractor fan on when you start?

J-FRO · 13 Jul 2011 at 11:19

Yeah I'm sorry but I don't see how the chicken breast would be dry either, especially seen as there is all that moisture in the pan.

Whenever I make a curry I almost always use chicken breast (unless its Thai then prawns ***) and it's never dry.

Xelene · 13 Jul 2011 at 19:45

bsoltan said:
Why don't you turn your extractor fan on when you start?

Just because, try following the recipe and let me know when you turn on the extractor

It's probably about the same time that the fried curry paste starts vaporizing.

DirtyJester · 13 Jul 2011 at 22:29

M&S Chicken curry in can .... open heat, boil some rice bob is still your uncle and your bum hole will still love you in the morning... job done.

Pinkribbonscars · 13 Jul 2011 at 23:31

To people using thighs - do you not find them an utter pain to cut up? Even the boneless ones are pretty annoying as they're covered in all the fatty sinewy stuff?

I don't think it makes much, if any difference to the texture either, but they are cheaper...

hood1971 · 14 Jul 2011 at 09:29

Pinkribbonscars said:
To people using thighs - do you not find them an utter pain to cut up? Even the boneless ones are pretty annoying as they're covered in all the fatty sinewy stuff?

I don't think it makes much, if any difference to the texture either, but they are cheaper...

And taste better

LeeUK · 14 Jul 2011 at 09:41

I don't have an extractor fan.

Xelene · 14 Jul 2011 at 13:51

LeeUK said:
I don't have an extractor fan.

Bandana over your mouth / nose then & windows open