Fakeaway family dinners this Curry Week!
Whether you like a mild butter chicken or a blow-your-socks-off vindaloo, there’s no denying that a Friday night curry with a couple of beers has become a ‘thing’.
Since the 1970s, curry houses have become a staple of high streets up and down the country and millions of curries are consumed every single week. The love affair shows no signs of slowing and that’s why we’re celebrating National Curry Week 2023.
Now in its 25th year, this annual event puts the focus on cooking with spices, creating incredible sauces and marinades and selecting the best meat to create a flavoursome meal. It’s easy to get involved. Host a curry night and entertain friends or create the perfect ‘fakeaway’ and enjoy a movie.
Curries are also great as the nights draw in, warm and hearty – once you find your go-to recipe, you’ll probably crave a curry night more than just during National Curry Week. Read on for some recipe inspiration…
Lamb Galouti Kebab | Impress family and friends with a delicious dish from the team behind National Curry Week using Lakings grass-fed lamb. Lamb Galouti Kebab is a favourite across the region of Lucknow in Central India; a tender kebab with an explosion of flavours that should melt in your mouth, with some describing them as an Indian version of pate. While the original kebabs used beef, today, lamb is a more popular choice and with their burger-like appearance and mild ‘heat’, these little patties are a great way to introduce younger members of the family to spicy food.
Persian Lamb Tagine | Although not technically a curry, our ambassador chef Rosie Dicker’s Persian Lamb Tagine is a warming stew-style dish, infused with spices often found in Indian dishes, like cumin, saffron and turmeric. Made with lamb shanks, one of the more economical cuts of lamb, this aromatic dish is also perfect for the slow cooker (all hail the start of slow cooker season!).
Marinated Chicken with Harissa | If you’re not a fan of lamb, chicken always works well with most Indian spices. Rosie has created a tempting dish to spice up your mid-week meals this autumn. Try her Marinated Chicken with Harissa. For this dish, use a whole chicken, portioned into eight pieces. If you’re not sure how to portion a chicken, ask one of our skilled butchers to do it for you. The little bit of heat from the harissa makes this ‘one-pot’ dish just the one to warm up a chilly household post-school run.
Choosing which meat to use in a curry
Chicken | Often a go-to meat for curries, chicken is a great carrier for the delicate spices and herbs used to layer the flavours of a well-balanced curry. If you are watching your waistline, chicken being low in fat is also a good option for those craving a curry without the calories, especially if you opt for a traditional tandoori – where the meat is flavoured with spices but then roasted (traditionally in a heavy clay pot in the oven), so no calorie-laden sauces with this one. Chicken also works well on skewers. We have a selection of kebab flavours available, including Indian Mystery – a yellow marinade with a mild curry flavour with a hint of coconut.
Beef | Beef works well in a curry, particularly braising beef and minced beef. The beauty of cooking braising beef Indian style means the beef becomes tender and infused with all of the flavours of the spices. We like this simple recipe for Aromatic Beef Curry, especially as it can also be cooked in the oven, like a traditional stew, leaving you free to do other things. We guarantee your kitchen will smell amazing while it cooks, too.
Lamb | Lamb, of course, is a staple ingredient for curry chefs to use. From Lamb bhuna to Rogan Josh, many of the recipes are simple and use cupboard staples like tinned tomatoes and everyday spices that can be found at your local shop and often cooked in just one pot. Given all that, we think someone with even the most basic ingredients and cooking skills should be able to rustle up a curry.
The cheat’s guide to chicken curry
Psst – you can always cheat by grabbing a No Hurry Chicken Curry Gourmet Sauce Mix from our pantry. Just add Lakings premium chicken breasts and a handful of other ingredients. We won’t tell if you don’t… and for those people who don’t do gluten, this mix is gluten-free.
Watch the ’60 Curries in 60 Minutes challenge’
Finally, if you’re struggling for recipe inspiration, take a couple of minutes to watch chef and National Curry Week brand ambassador Dipna Anand take on the ‘60 Curries in 60 Minutes‘ challenge on YouTube. From chicken korma to methi chicken, to pork keema, we’ve never seen so many pans of bubbling curry. The question is, does she complete the challenge?
