Cheap Budget Meals - Chicken Curry

We always enjoy chicken, however it can be expensive to buy. So to make it go further I like to bulk out the meals with added vegetables.

One of our favourite meals has to be curry.

If you ever look at the contents of shop bought curry meals you will be amazed by how many calories and fat content there is. On the traffic light system, the majority of the nutritional information is highlighted in red! This is not the sort of meal that I want to feed my children, plus there is the added expense!

The basic curry sauce is a recipe that I was given to from my mum a few years ago. Over time I have adapted it to our tastes and bulked it out with extra vegetables to make it go further.

This is my Cheap Budget Meal recipe this week...

Chicken Curry

Ingredients

2 chicken breasts, 320g - 350g (£2.50)
100g baby tomatoes, chopped (30p)
115g mushrooms, halved and sliced (50p)
1 onion, chopped (16p)
1 red pepper (60p)
600mls chicken stock
2tbsp curry powder (I use Tesco Everyday Value medium curry powder, 85p for 50g)
2tbsp plain flour
3tbsp mango chutney (£1.19 for 230g)
Rice to serve (40p per 500g bag)
2tbsp butter
2tbsp oil

Method

1 - Melt the butter in a large pan and add the oil

2 - Add the onions and fry over a medium heat until soft

3 - Mix the plain flour and the curry powder together and add to the pan, mix into the oil and onions and heat for a minute

4 - Gradually add the chicken stock stirring continuously, you may not need all of the 600mls add according to taste, if you like a thicker sauce add 500mls only

5 - Brown off the chicken in a frying pan with a little oil

6 - Add the chutney to the sauce, according to taste, for a sweet curry add 3 tablespoons, however if you do not like it as sweet add it a tablespoon at a time and taste

7 - Add the browned off chicken, mushrooms and peppers to the sauce and bring to the boil, then simmer until the chicken is thoroughly cooked

Serve with rice and add naan bread to bulk it out even further.

With this being a sweet curry, it is perfect for the whole family.

This meal cost a little more than usual. I made this meal for £6.50. It fed all five of us and there was a meal left over for the twins. That is £1.30 per serving and you will be left with curry powder, chutney and rice for other meals.

Enjoy x