Add the onion, garlic, and ginger to a mini food processor and blend to a paste.
1 large onion, 2 cloves garlic, 2 tsp minced ginger
Heat the ghee (or oil) in a large frying pan over a high heat. Add the onion mixture and fry for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until starting to brown at the edges.
3 tbsp ghee or vegetable oil
Add the chicken and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring often, until sealed.
3 chicken breasts
Turn the heat down to medium and add the cinnamon, curry powder, chilli powder, paprika, ground fenugreek, and tamarind paste. Cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
½ tsp ground cinnamon, 2 tbsp medium curry powder, 1/2 tsp hot chilli powder, 1 tsp paprika, ¼ tsp ground fenugreek, 1/2 tsp tamarind paste
Add in the lemon juice, sugar, salt, passata, tomato puree, chopped chillies, and chicken stock. Bring to the boil, then simmer for 10 minutes.
1 tbsp lemon juice, 2 tbsp sugar, ¾ tsp salt, 400 ml (14 oz) passata, 2 tbsp tomato puree, 2 red chillies, 60 ml (1/4 cup) chicken stock
Serve with fresh coriander, a slice of lemon, and boiled rice.
Can I make it ahead?Yes, you can make the curry, then cool, cover and refrigerate.Reheat in a pan over a medium heat, stirring occasionally until piping hot throughout. Or reheat in the oven (170C/325F) in a lidded, oven-proof dish, for around 30 minutes, until piping hot throughout. You may need to add a splash of water or stock to loosen up the curry when reheating.Can I freeze it?Yes, make the curry, then cool, cover and freeze. Defrost overnight in the refrigerator and reheat as per the make-ahead instructions above.Ingredient swaps
Swap chicken for prawns, or you can use leftover cooked lamb or beef, following the instructions in the same way (you need to use cooked lamb or beef, as they take a lot longer to cook and become tender).
Go veggie - swapping out the chicken for chunks of courgette (zucchini), mushrooms, quorn/tofu or steamed sweet potato/squash.
Add in veggies such as sliced bell peppers or mushrooms.
How to scale up and scale down this recipeYou can halve or double this recipe, sticking to the same ingredient ratios. Cook for the same amount of time if you're halving the recipe to serve 2. If doubling the recipe, it may take 5-10 minutes longer to cook altogether.Nutritional Information is per portion, WITHOUT the serving suggestion of rice.