Lazy Butter Chicken Curry

This one-pot wonder is the zero-effort curry that never fails to please a crowd. Think juicy chunks of chicken coated in a creamy, mildly spiced sauce that’s perfect served alongside naan bread

15 minutes prep, 2 hours, 10 minutes in the oven / 4 hours, 30 minutes in the slow cooker cook

Serves 3

Ingredients

400g boneless, skinless chicken thighs

1 tsp minced ginger paste

1 tsp minced garlic paste

1 onion, finely chopped

1 medium carrot, chopped into 1cm chunks

3 tbsps tomato purée

2 tbsps butter

400ml boiling water

2 heaped tbsps Greek yogurt

2 tbsps double cream (optional)

1 tbsp cornflour, mixed with 2 tbsp water

For the spice blend:

1 tbsp garam masala

½ tsp ground turmeric

1 tsp chilli powder

1 tsp ground coriander

1 tsp lemon juice

1 tsp fenugreek leaves

1 tsp salt

To serve:

Handful of fresh coriander, roughly chopped

Basmati rice

Gluten-free naan breads

Mango chutney

Method

Mix the ingredients for the spice blend together in a small bowl.

To cook in a slow cooker: place the chicken, ginger, garlic paste, onion or carrot, tomato purée, butter and water in the slow cooker. Stir in the spice blend until everything is combined, ignoring that the butter is still in a lump! Pop the lid on and cook on low for around 4 hours, or high for 2 hours, until the chicken is nicely done. Stir in the yoghurt, cream, if using, and cornflour mixture, then leave the lid off and cook for a further 30 minutes, to allow the sauce to thicken.

To cook in the oven: preheat your oven to 160°C/Fan 140°C/Gas 3. Place the chicken, ginger, garlic paste, onion or carrot, tomato purée, butter and water in a large, lidded and flameproof casserole dish. Stir in the spice blend until everything is combined, ignoring that the butter is still in a lump! Pop the lid on and place in the oven for around 2 hours, or until the chicken is nicely done.

Remove the lid, stir in the yoghurt, cream (if using) and cornflour mixture then place on the hob over a medium heat for about 5–10 minutes to allow the sauce to thicken up to your liking.

To serve, sprinkle over the coriander and serve with basmati rice, gluten-free naan breads and mango chutney on the side.