Good cook-in curry sauces can be expensive so here’s how to make a very easy one of your own. Don’t be alarmed at the use of butter and cream - it’s authentic. (Well, almost . . . )

Serves 4-6
Time: about 15 minutes
Cost: about £1.50 to £2 a head

2 tbsp medium hot curry paste (I used Patak’s Biryani paste)
1-2 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed
250ml creamed tomatoes or passata
125ml chicken or vegetable stock made with 1/2 stock cube or 2 tsp vegetable bouillon powder
25g butter, cut into cubes
6 skinless, boneless chicken thighs (about 500-600g in total), cubed
5-6 tbsp double cream
Salt, ground black pepper and a squeeze of lemon juice
2-3 tbsp finely chopped fresh coriander (optional)

Spoon the curry paste into a saucepan, add the crushed garlic, creamed tomatoes and stock and mix thoroughly. Add the butter and heat gently until it melts then bring the sauce to the boil and add the cubed chicken. Stir well then turn the heat down and simmer for about 10 minutes until the chicken is thoroughly cooked. Stir in the cream and season to taste with salt, pepper and lemon juice. Stir in some fresh coriander if you have some. Serve with boiled basmatti rice.

TOP TIPS:

* cartons of creamed tomatoes are cheaper than bottles of passata

* it's obviously quicker to make this with boneless meat but if you buy chicken thighs on the bone and take the meat off yourself you'll save quite a bit

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