Any good basic BUDGET curry recipes?

MadamUnique

Hey,

Thank's in advance. I was wondering if there's any tasty, BUDGET curry recipes. I live alone and have a really tight budget, I use to live in a women s shelter and another person who lived there with me. Used to make a curry, that'd last us three days! But she never showed me how to cook it. So now I want to be able to make one myself?

♥

Laura_beau

It depends what type of curry you are after? Indian? Thai? Japanese? Carribbean?

My main tip would be to buy your ingredients from international/ ethnic supermarkets. Your speciality spices & ingredient will cost a fraction of what they do from the big supermarkets.

Buy your meat & veggies from the market or special offers from supermarkets. Frozen spinach and canned chickpeas are great curry staples.

Dried pulses are also cheap and keep for a long time (lentils etc)

Rice is also cheap so make biriyani's too.

Here are a few cheap and cheerful curry recipes:

http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/7732/pumpkin-curry-with-chickpeas (Use butternut squash or sweet potatoes if you like instead of pumpkin).

http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/2027/onepot-mushroom-and-potato-curry

http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/1233/fragrant-chicken-curry-with-chick-peas

Use chicken thighs as they are cheaper and more flavoursome than breasts, or turkey. Make meatballs using cheap mince and add those to your curry.

MadamUnique

It depends what type of curry you are after? Indian? Thai? Japanese? Carribbean?

My main tip would be to buy your ingredients from international/ ethnic supermarkets. Your speciality spices & ingredient will cost a fraction of what they do from the big supermarkets.

Buy your meat & veggies from the market or special offers from supermarkets. Frozen spinach and canned chickpeas are great curry staples.

Dried pulses are also cheap and keep for a long time (lentils etc)

Rice is also cheap so make biriyani's too.

Here are a few cheap and cheerful curry recipes:

http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/7732/pumpkin-curry-with-chickpeas (Use butternut squash or sweet potatoes if you like instead of pumpkin).

http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/2027/onepot-mushroom-and-potato-curry

http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/1233/fragrant-chicken-curry-with-chick-peas

Use chicken thighs as they are cheaper and more flavoursome than breasts, or turkey. Make meatballs using cheap mince and add those to your curry.

Any curries, as long as its food! I'm on a budget and struggle to eat.

Ah, I have a few local ethnic supermarkets and have some sprices and powders already as I like to make my food more flavored.

Ugh, one thing i dislike is chickpeas. Tried eating them and they taste weird to me. No offence.

Thank you though! ♥

petstorekitty

I curries as well!
I buy my spices in bulk so a whole 'jar' only costs me under $1 but even still spices last forevah and I use a lot of them.

you can put whatever cheap meat and veg you want in a curry. I use potatoes, peas, onions, pepper, corn..
I buy frozen veggies b/c they are cheaper

to make basic Indian or thai curry you use coconut milk. I reccommend light coconut milk b/c not only is it less fat/cals BUT it's thinner and you don't have to stir it to use it.

to make the sauce you simmer the coconut milk with curry powder, turmeric, salt, pepper. if you can get it also add some cumin and ginger. adding butter makes it more flavorful but you can just put in more salt.

then you toss in your cooked meat/veg/whatever.

usually I'll cook the onions and meats in the pan, remove them then make the sauce in the same pan - not cleaned - so the flavors all mix.

You can buy pre-made curry sauces and powders but using the spices on your own would prob be most cost effective.

I put those spices in rice while it's cooking too to make more tasty rice.

sesko1961

I get my curry from an Amish market in southern IL. I make a curried tuna salad ... 1 can (3.5 oz) tuna, 1 Tbsp or so of plain Greek yogurt (can sub in low-fat mayo), 1 Tbsp chopped onion, 1/2 chopped apple (or 1/4 c. raisins or craisins), curry to taste. I eat this on crackers or make a sandwich.

UrbanLotus

to make basic Indian or thai curry you use coconut milk. I reccommend light coconut milk b/c not only is it less fat/cals BUT it's thinner and you don't have to stir it to use it.

Sorry but not for Indian food, no coconut milk! For basic North Indian food (I'm guessing ths is what you mean by curry recipe) - you need to make a masala (thats the base, like mirepoix or roux would be). You have to cook diced onions in oil for a while till they brown (not burn), maybe for like 10 minutes. Then puree them in a blender (I do this in huge batches and freeze it) then add that back to the pan, add diced or minced ginger and garlic and brown all that together. This is the masala. Then add chicken or whatever, cook it, add spices (coriander powder, ground cumin, turmeric, salt, garam masala. Please NO curry powder!), then add some tomato paste and water and let it simmer for a while. Done! You can substitute anything for the chicken - meat, paneer, etc, this is just a basic recipe for Indian home cooking.

dlegros

Sorry but not for Indian food, no coconut milk! For basic North Indian food (I'm guessing ths is what you mean by curry recipe) - you need to make a masala (thats the base, like mirepoix or roux would be). You have to cook diced onions in oil for a while till they brown (not burn), maybe for like 10 minutes. Then puree them in a blender (I do this in huge batches and freeze it) then add that back to the pan, add diced or minced ginger and garlic and brown all that together. This is the masala. Then add chicken or whatever, cook it, add spices (coriander powder, ground cumin, turmeric, salt, garam masala. Please NO curry powder!), then add some tomato paste and water and let it simmer for a while. Done! You can substitute anything for the chicken - meat, paneer, etc, this is just a basic recipe for Indian home cooking.

That's great UL thanks for that. I recall making a recipe once that started with browning onions and peppers then pureeing - never realised it is the foundation for most recipes

UrbanLotus

Sorry but not for Indian food, no coconut milk! For basic North Indian food (I'm guessing ths is what you mean by curry recipe) - you need to make a masala (thats the base, like mirepoix or roux would be). You have to cook diced onions in oil for a while till they brown (not burn), maybe for like 10 minutes. Then puree them in a blender (I do this in huge batches and freeze it) then add that back to the pan, add diced or minced ginger and garlic and brown all that together. This is the masala. Then add chicken or whatever, cook it, add spices (coriander powder, ground cumin, turmeric, salt, garam masala. Please NO curry powder!), then add some tomato paste and water and let it simmer for a while. Done! You can substitute anything for the chicken - meat, paneer, etc, this is just a basic recipe for Indian home cooking.

That's great UL thanks for that. I recall making a recipe once that started with browning onions and peppers then pureeing - never realised it is the foundation for most recipes

No problem! Sorry I don't have exact measurements or anything, I learned to cook just by watching my parents - but for Indian food, always err on the side of MORE spices ,onions, etc, our food is very flavorful . OH and I forgot to mention the red chili powder, this is key!

justlistening

I make my North Indian curry the same way except I also add garlic or ginger with the spices. BTW. South Indians do use coconut milk in there curries so it is not incorrect, just different. Like one of the earlier posters mentioned many different curries around the world.

hookilau

Chief curry powder makes an excellent carribean curry. I am indo-trini, lots of influences making wonderful fusion style dishes. Check out carribeanpot.com for good basic recipes. I definitely reccomend the curry recipe, roti too :drinker:

970Mikaela1

S&B curry at grocery store in appropriate aisle is good really good. Mild medium and spicy..try it like 4 bucks for a package we make about 4 lbs of curry chicken with it last night

hookilau

I make my North Indian curry the same way except I also add garlic or ginger with the spices. BTW. South Indians do use coconut milk in there curries so it is not incorrect, just different. Like one of the earlier posters mentioned many different curries around the world.

Absolutely. I have some aunties that will use coconut milk judiciously when cooking. Others not so much, my mom included. We also add fresh ginger, chadon beni, and lots of garlic. Tomatoes also add a nice pop of acidity to balance out flavors.

UrbanLotus

I make my North Indian curry the same way except I also add garlic or ginger with the spices. BTW. South Indians do use coconut milk in there curries so it is not incorrect, just different. Like one of the earlier posters mentioned many different curries around the world.

Yup should have specified North Indian, I'm punjabi - know nothing about South Indian cooking lol. People are usually talking about cooking North Indian food and I often see them saying you have to use coconut milk for a "curry" - just clarifying that you don't, we never used it in my house and generally it's not part of basic "curries"

hookilau

to make basic Indian or thai curry you use coconut milk. I reccommend light coconut milk b/c not only is it less fat/cals BUT it's thinner and you don't have to stir it to use it.

Sorry but not for Indian food, no coconut milk! For basic North Indian food (I'm guessing ths is what you mean by curry recipe) - you need to make a masala (thats the base, like mirepoix or roux would be). You have to cook diced onions in oil for a while till they brown (not burn), maybe for like 10 minutes. Then puree them in a blender (I do this in huge batches and freeze it) then add that back to the pan, add diced or minced ginger and garlic and brown all that together. This is the masala. Then add chicken or whatever, cook it, add spices (coriander powder, ground cumin, turmeric, salt, garam masala. Please NO curry powder!), then add some tomato paste and water and let it simmer for a while. Done! You can substitute anything for the chicken - meat, paneer, etc, this is just a basic recipe for Indian home cooking.

Wait, what's wrong with curry powder?

in_this_generation

I've been dying to try this, and since it is also meatless you may consider it reasonable to make.
http://www.food.com/recipe/sweet-potato-thai-curry-121137

Mdin1029

Trader joes sells a curry masala sauce in jar. Put in a pot with chicken breast cut small. Simmer for about 40 minutes on low heat. So tasty, easy, and cheap.

lizzardsm

bump!

Lupercalia

Sorry but not for Indian food, no coconut milk! For basic North Indian food (I'm guessing ths is what you mean by curry recipe) - you need to make a masala (thats the base, like mirepoix or roux would be). You have to cook diced onions in oil for a while till they brown (not burn), maybe for like 10 minutes. Then puree them in a blender (I do this in huge batches and freeze it) then add that back to the pan, add diced or minced ginger and garlic and brown all that together. This is the masala. Then add chicken or whatever, cook it, add spices (coriander powder, ground cumin, turmeric, salt, garam masala. Please NO curry powder!), then add some tomato paste and water and let it simmer for a while. Done! You can substitute anything for the chicken - meat, paneer, etc, this is just a basic recipe for Indian home cooking.

That's great UL thanks for that. I recall making a recipe once that started with browning onions and peppers then pureeing - never realised it is the foundation for most recipes

No problem! Sorry I don't have exact measurements or anything, I learned to cook just by watching my parents - but for Indian food, always err on the side of MORE spices ,onions, etc, our food is very flavorful . OH and I forgot to mention the red chili powder, this is key!

Thanks for sharing your curry basics with us! I LOVE CURRY! :flowerforyou: :flowerforyou: :flowerforyou:

JeneticTraining

Bump hehe

Wynterbourne

Sorry but not for Indian food, no coconut milk! For basic North Indian food (I'm guessing ths is what you mean by curry recipe) - you need to make a masala (thats the base, like mirepoix or roux would be). You have to cook diced onions in oil for a while till they brown (not burn), maybe for like 10 minutes. Then puree them in a blender (I do this in huge batches and freeze it) then add that back to the pan, add diced or minced ginger and garlic and brown all that together. This is the masala. Then add chicken or whatever, cook it, add spices (coriander powder, ground cumin, turmeric, salt, garam masala. Please NO curry powder!), then add some tomato paste and water and let it simmer for a while. Done! You can substitute anything for the chicken - meat, paneer, etc, this is just a basic recipe for Indian home cooking.

Wait, what's wrong with curry powder?

Most pre-mixed curry powders use turmeric as the primary ingredient as a filler. Pretty, but turmeric itself doesn't have a lot of flavor. Making your own curry powder (roasting and grinding everything fresh) will allow you to get the right spice ratios and it will have a ton more flavor than anything you could get out of a pre-mixed jar or powder.

hookilau

Silly me, I've been doing it wrong all these years :laugh: I'm aware that roasting and grinding spices fresh each time is supposed to be better, I don't always have time or the inclination. I guess it comes down to personal preference.

I understand a mixture too heavy with tumeric makes a bitter blend. Since my curries are tempered with other flavors, (coconut milk, tomato, green seasoning, etc) I've never found chief curry powder off putting enough to grind my own.