Make your own chicken curry for less

When you’ve had a long day or you’re in a rush, reaching for a ready meal or a jar of curry sauce can be tempting.

But these can be expensive, and they aren’t particularly healthy either.

So what can you do if you fancy a spicy curry but you’re watching the pennies and the calories?

Well, you can make your own from scratch - it’s easier than you might think, and could save you lots of money.

What you’ll need 

Serves about three or four people

• two or three chicken breasts
• one carton of passata
• two of three spoonfuls of curry powder
• dried herbs, such as basil or coriander
• a little oil for cooking

Optional extras:

• leftover vegetables like tomatoes, peppers, carrots or spinach
• a dollop of fat-free natural yoghurt 

How to make it

• Defrost chicken breasts and chop them into chunks
• Heat a little oil in a pan or wok and add the chicken
• Add a spoonful of curry powder
• When the chicken has browned, throw in any vegetables you want to use up
• Pour in the passata
• Add another spoonful of curry powder and dried herbs
• Simmer for about 20 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce has thickened

Take the pan off the heat and stir through a large dollop of fat-free natural yoghurt to make the curry feel creamier.

Once cooked, serve with boiled rice or some delicious homemade chips.

You could even knock up some quick flatbreads too.

Great for fussy eaters

Homemade curry is a great option if you have fussy eaters at home, such as kids who won’t eat vegetables.

Just cook the sauce separately to the chicken, so you can then blitz it with a blender or food processor before serving.

It’s a great way to hide the veg and sneak some more health into their diets without them even realising it.

And it means you can use up any veg you’ve got knocking around that’s a bit past it best and you were thinking of throwing away.

A healthier and tastier alternative

A carton of passata counts as one of your five a day.

By contrast, a jar of curry sauce will have added sugar, salt and preservatives.

So it’s an easy switch to make if you want to improve your diet.

It also gives you more control over the flavour.

You can make it as spicy or as mild as you like and easily tweak it for each person in your home, depending on what they prefer.

So next time you’re in the supermarket looking at ready meals or jars of premade sauce, remember that there’s a cheaper and healthier option that’s just as easy to make.

And no less delicious.