Easy Chicken Curry

Easy chicken curry recipe with a versatile homemade sauce inspired by Jamie Oliver. Quick, delicious, and customisable with your favourite veggies or protein.

Why I love this recipe

Curries, curries, curries – I could eat them every single day. Chicken, prawn, dahl; korma, madras, masala, jalfrezi… the list goes on, and I adore them all. Most of the time I cook specific curries from scratch, but when I need a quick fix, I turn to this recipe adapted from Jamie Oliver’s Happy Days with the Naked Chef.

Jamie calls it his “Favourite Curry Sauce.” I like to call it the “Universal Curry” – a versatile base you can pair with chicken, fish, or vegetables. Once you’ve got the spices in your cupboard, it’s a fast, easy, and endlessly adaptable dish.

The Star Ingredient

The only tricky ingredient here are curry leaves. They add incredible depth and fragrance, and sadly, there’s no real substitute. If you find them – buy extra!

Fresh curry leaves can be frozen or dried, which means they’ll last for months. If your local supermarket doesn’t carry them, try small, family-run corner stores or Indian grocers. That’s how I discovered my own reliable source, and now I always keep a stash in the freezer.

My Favourite Combinations

The beauty of this curry is that the sauce does the heavy lifting. The rest is up to you.

• My go-to: chicken, frozen cauliflower, and spinach
• Other favourites: chickpeas, potatoes, or lentils
• Protein swaps: fish, prawns, or paneer work beautifully too

It’s flexible, forgiving, and always delicious – perfect for whatever you have on hand.

Why Not Just Use a Jar of Curry Sauce?

Yes, supermarket shelves are stacked with ready-made curry sauces, but this homemade version is nearly as quick. Plus, you know exactly what goes in, and you can tweak the heat and spices to match your taste buds.

How I Serve It

I usually plate this curry with:

• Homemade samosas (see my earlier post for the recipe!)
• Fluffy basmati rice
• A sprinkle of fresh coriander for brightness
• Or simply with naan or roti on the side

Whichever way you serve it, I think this “Universal Curry” will earn a regular spot in your kitchen – just like it has in mine.

Watch the video below to see it being made:

Easy Chicken Curry

Servings

4

servings

Easy chicken curry recipe with a versatile homemade sauce inspired by Jamie Oliver. Quick, delicious, and customisable with your favourite veggies or protein.

Ingredients

• 500g chicken breast, diced

• 2 large onions, sliced

• 1 fresh red chilli, chopped

• One handful of curry leaves, torn into small pieces

• 2tsp black mustard seeds

• 1tsp ground fenugreek

• 1tsp ginger paste

• 1tsp chili powder

• 1tsp turmeric

• 1tsp ground coriander

• 1tsp salt

• 1tbsp tomato puree

• 400ml chopped tomatoes (1 can)

• 400ml coconut milk (1 can)

• Oil for frying

• Frozen cauliflower

• Frozen spinach

• Fresh coriander for serving

Directions

• In a small bowl, mix the curry leaves, chili, ginger paste, and fenugreek.
• Heat oil in a large deep frying pan. When hot, add the mustard seeds.
• Once the seeds start popping, add the prepared aromatics and fry briefly.
• Add the onions and cook until translucent, adding a splash of water if the pan gets too dry.
• Stir in the chicken pieces and fry until lightly browned.
• Season with chili powder, turmeric, salt, and ground coriander. Mix well to coat the chicken.
• Add the chopped tomatoes, half a can of water, coconut milk, and tomato purée. Stir and bring to a boil.
• Add the frozen cauliflower and spinach. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer until the sauce thickens and the flavours develop (about 20 to 30 minutes).
• Serve hot, topped with fresh coriander, alongside basmati rice, naan, or roti.

• Mix it up and use different ingredients depending on what you have at home. This curry sauce is also a great base for fish, prawns, paneer, chickpeas, potatoes or lentils.