Credible Curry Recipe - for Beef or Chicken

This is something I've now practiced made several times and guinea pigs guests have come back for more. Curry is something pre-children I mainly had as a takeaway, in a jar or from the fresh section of the supermarket. You still can't beat an authentic curry, but this one is a great alternative   Since I was motivated by the arrival of the Junior Gingerbread's to improve my cooking and try healthier dishes from scratch, I have tried several curry's. Some were OK, some were just not that great, one even boosted the recycling and we had fish fingers and oven chips instead. This one I am finally happy to add to my online recipe book - hurrah. On my cooking adventures I've found some things are easier to just pick up than and have turned out well first time and others take experimentation and practice.

This takes about half an hour to prepare and then its best left to simmer for a couple of hours. Its best made earlier in the day, or the day before you plan to eat it to really let the flavours emerge.

I've made this with beef and chicken both worked well, although the beef required a long slow cook to get truly tender.

Ingredients

Dribble of olive oil

800g casserole beef, or chicken cut into pieces 

2 onions, chopped

4 garlic cloves, finely chopped

Half a tsp of dried chillies (more to taste if you like more heat)

2 teaspoons ground ginger or (2.5cm fresh ginger)

4 tsp ground cumin

4 tsp ground coriander

2 tsp ground turmeric

2 x tins chopped tomatoes

Small carton of natural yoghurt (optional)

Handful fresh chopped coriander

Vegetable stock cube

If you want to change this up a little, mushrooms are a good addition, but I needed to increase the spices, as they seems to reduce their impact. Courgettes can be added later in the cooking, indeed any vegetables you want to use up, such as a cubes of potato, peas or peppers.

Method

Chop the chicken or beef. Add a little oil and brown in a large pan. Then put to one side.

Add a little oil, chopped onion and if using fresh ginger and chillies these too. Cook on a gentle heat until the onion is soft.  Add all the spices to the onion and cook on a gentle heat until the onion is soft.

Add the tomato's. Fill one of the tins with water and add this too. I like to add and extra half a tin as I cook for a long time, however, if you like a thicker sauce or don't plan to let it reduce down then 1 is fine.

Add the stock cube and stir everything together and cook on a medium heat for until the sauce bubbles. Then reduce the heat and leaver to simmer for around two hours.

If you like a creamier sauce stir through a carton of natural yoghurt about 20 minutes before the end of the cooking time.  Add the coriander and stir through just before serving.