Curry has, after all, long since been acknowledged as one of our key national dishes, its first recorded mention appearing in Hannah Glasse’s 1747 book, Art of Cookery. In 1894, the first Indian restaurant opened in Portman Square, London, run by Sake Dean Mohamed, whose mission it was to recreate an authentic Indian experience, complete with bamboo chairs and hookahs. After that, we ourselves were hooked as a nation: since those days, curry has gone stratospheric, with 11 per cent of us hoovering one up three times a week and just 10 per cent of the population never eating the dish.
Rather than a takeaway, why not turn your hand to creating some delicious recipes to enjoy at home this winter? These are our favourites.
Butter Chicken
Delicious Magazine
Butter chicken’s roots reach back to the 1950s when Kundan Lal Jaggi and Kundan Lal Gujral – two Punjabi migrants living in Delhi – accidentally mixed tandoori chicken with a tomato gravy that happened to be rich in butter. This classic recipe takes just 15 minutes to whip up and is exactly the sort of comfort food we crave through the colder months. Plus, with ginger, garlic, green chillies and plenty of herbs and spices, it’ll help ward off winter colds too. Find the recipe here.
Roasted Coconut And Lime Tamarind Curry
Anna Jones
Squash, fennel seeds and tamarind, plus roasted maple and lime coconut: is there anything not to adore about this reviving and warming dish? We think not. No wonder, as its inventor Anna Jones tells us, it has become an instant classic in her house. And now in ours too. Find the recipe here.
Spicy Fish Curry
Taste
Trumpeted as a ‘powerhouse of flavour’, this spicy fish curry lives up to its billing absolutely. The coconut is sweet, the lemongrass is fresh and the ginger is warming, making this a good recipe for any time of year. Thanks to the proliferation of chillies, herbs and spices, we are particular fans in the winter months when our immune systems could really do with the boost. Find the recipe here.
Baked Chicken Curry
BBC
Madhur Jaffrey is the oracle when it comes to curry. Simply, if you follow one of her recipes properly, you cannot go wrong. This is an absolute classic and should be a staple in any curry lover’s arsenal. With ginger, chillies, mustard and chilli powder, it gives our taste buds exactly the sort of kick we’re hankerinhg after as the big chill sets in. Find the recipe here.
Spicy Chicken Zigni Curry
Taste
How about swapping continents for an East African curry? This one packs a flavour punch thanks to its many-spiced berbere blend, and is extremely hearty too thanks to the inclusion of potatoes and eggs. Serve it with rice and be sure to make enough to keep you going for a couple of days. Find the recipe here.
Creamy Paneer And Veg Curry
Jamie Oliver
We’re big fans of paneer and never more so than when slightly charred, as advised by Jamie here. Smoky and flavoursome, this is a spectacular veggie dish – we highly recommend cooking up the two-minute pancakes to accompany too. Find the recipe here.
Madras Curry
Taste
For those of a carnivorous persuasion, why not try this intensely tasty Madras curry, which is made with lamb curry leaves, an onion, passata sauce and rogan josh curry paste? It has the advantage too of being reasonably light on ingredients for a curry, meaning you can whip it up in no time and without additional trips to the shops to furnish your spice cupboard. Find the recipe here.
Chicken Tikka Pie
Atul Kochhar
As comfort food goes, the marriage of chicken tikka with pie is an idea of such genius that we can’t imagine anyone beating it – ever. In the wrong hands, this could have been a disaster of a hybrid. But under the exceptional culinary auspices of the twice Michelin-crowned Atul Kochhar, it’s hands-down winner. Make it for a winter dinner party and you’re guaranteed rave reviews from delighted guests. Find the recipe here.
Aubergine And Cherry Tomato Curry
Meera Sodha
The great Meera Sodha can do no wrong in our eyes – nor, presumably, in anyone else’s given the superior calibre of her recipes. Of this beauty she says, ‘You can do all sorts of wonderful things with an aubergine, which is why an Indian kitchen is rarely without one. This aubergine curry was one of the first curries my mother ever taught me how to cook, and although I’ve adapted it slightly to include cherry tomatoes because I enjoy their sweetness, it’s still one of my most frequently cooked dishes during the week.’ Simple and perfect. Find the recipe here.
By Nancy Alsop
Updated November 2023
