STEWBERT'S CURRY HOUSE
Six proper curries. One little Crock-Pot. From silky korma to fire-breathing Madras, this is my complete NIX guide to making a curry night worth staying in for.
Small cooker.
Proper curry-house attitude.
There is something marvellous about a good curry: the smell of ginger and garlic, the warmth of the spices, that moment when you lift the lid and realise dinner has been quietly sorting itself out for hours.
My little slow cooker is called Stewbert. He's no giant catering appliance, which is precisely the point. I wanted six genuinely useful curries sized for one hungry person or two sensible portions — not a recipe that expects you to feed half of Staffordshire.
These are my kitchen-trial recipes, designed around Stewbert's small 1.8-litre Crock-Pot and everyday British supermarket ingredients. They're curry-house-inspired, not claims of traditional regional authenticity. The whole point is big flavour without mountains of leftovers.
Choose your curry.
Tap a dish to jump straight to the recipe.
The Stewbert rules.
Keep it small
These recipes are designed for a 1.8L mini slow cooker. Follow your model's fill guidance, leave room below the rim, and never pack in extra ingredients just because the sauce looks good.
Bloom those spices
A five-minute frying-pan start with onion, garlic, ginger and curry paste makes a noticeable difference. It's optional, but the flavour is deeper and less raw.
Time is a guide
LOW times vary by cooker and ingredient size. Check chicken reaches 75°C in the thickest part; beef and lamb should be fork-tender. Never start with frozen meat.
Chicken Tikka Masala
The one that started the whole idea. A gloriously rich tomato curry with a mellow, creamy finish. No complicated curry-house base gravy, and definitely no industrial-sized saucepan.
What goes into Stewbert
Tick ingredients as you prepare them.
- 250g boneless chicken thighs, diced
- ½ onion, finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 tsp grated fresh ginger
- 1½ tbsp tikka curry paste
- 150g chopped tomatoes
- 1 tbsp tomato purée
- 50ml double cream
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
Optional extras: Fresh coriander; 1 tsp butter or a squeeze of lemon to finish.
How I make it
- For the best flavour, soften the onion in 1 tsp oil in a frying pan for about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, ginger and curry paste for 30–60 seconds. This quick step is optional but well worth it.
- Tip the onion mixture, chopped tomatoes and tomato purée into Stewbert. Stir well, then nestle in the raw diced chicken thighs.
- Cover and cook on LOW for approximately 4–5 hours, until the chicken is tender and thoroughly cooked. Check the thickest pieces reach 75°C and are piping hot throughout.
- Stir in the double cream for the final 20 minutes; keep the lid on and let the sauce warm through. Taste before adding salt.
- Finish with coriander and serve with fluffy basmati rice or warm naan.
THE NIX TWIST A small squeeze of lemon just before serving lifts the whole sauce. Want it a little richer? Add 1 tsp butter with the cream.
Fiery Beef Madras
This is Stewbert in his serious boots: beef slowly relaxing into a dark, punchy tomato gravy. The curry-house kick comes from proper Madras paste, not just chucking half a jar of chilli flakes at it.
What goes into Stewbert
Tick ingredients as you prepare them.
- 300g diced stewing beef (chuck or braising steak)
- ½ onion, finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 tsp grated fresh ginger
- 1½ tbsp hot Madras curry paste
- 150g chopped tomatoes
- 100ml beef stock
- 1 tbsp tomato purée
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
Optional extras: Optional fresh chilli or chilli flakes to increase heat; coriander; ½ tsp vinegar or lemon.
How I make it
- Optional but recommended: brown the beef briefly in a hot frying pan with 1 tsp oil, then remove. Soften the onion, garlic and ginger in the same pan and fry the paste for 30 seconds.
- Transfer the beef, onion mixture, chopped tomatoes, beef stock and tomato purée into Stewbert. Stir until the beef is coated.
- Cook on LOW for approximately 6–8 hours until the beef is fork-tender. Actual timing depends on the cut and size of the cubes; do not rely on the clock alone.
- If the sauce is thinner than you like, remove some sauce, reduce it in a saucepan and return it to the slow cooker. Taste before adding extra salt.
- Serve with basmati rice, chopped coriander and a little natural yoghurt on the side if you need to cool the heat.
THE NIX TWIST For a sharper Madras finish, add ½ tsp lemon juice or vinegar at the table. Use a hot paste for fiery results; brands vary considerably.
Golden Chicken Korma
A beautifully gentle curry for nights when the flavour matters more than the fire alarm. Coconut milk, almonds and a little cream make it soft, fragrant and satisfyingly luxurious.
What goes into Stewbert
Tick ingredients as you prepare them.
- 250g boneless chicken thighs, diced
- ½ onion, finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 tsp grated fresh ginger
- 1½ tbsp mild korma curry paste
- 100ml full-fat coconut milk
- 2 tbsp double cream
- 1 tbsp ground almonds
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
Optional extras: Optional flaked almonds for finishing (avoid for nut allergies).
How I make it
- Gently soften the onion in a frying pan with 1 tsp oil if time allows, then briefly warm the garlic, ginger and korma paste.
- Put the onion mixture and coconut milk into Stewbert. Add the chicken and ground almonds and stir thoroughly.
- Cook on LOW for approximately 4–5 hours, until the chicken is fully cooked and reaches 75°C at its thickest point.
- Add the double cream during the final 20 minutes. Stir gently so the sauce stays smooth.
- Finish with a scattering of flaked almonds and coriander, if you like, and serve with basmati or pilau rice.
THE NIX TWIST For a smoother sauce, blend the onion and coconut sauce before adding raw chicken, not afterwards. Ground almonds thicken the gravy as it cooks.
Lamb Rogan Josh
Tender lamb and a red, beautifully spiced sauce: the sort of dinner that smells magnificent long before it is ready. A slow cooker and a good shoulder cut were made for each other.
What goes into Stewbert
Tick ingredients as you prepare them.
- 300g diced lamb shoulder
- ½ onion, finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 tsp grated fresh ginger
- 1½ tbsp rogan josh curry paste
- 150g chopped tomatoes
- 100ml lamb or beef stock
- 1 tbsp tomato purée
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
Optional extras: Optional coriander, plain yoghurt or a pinch of Kashmiri-style chilli powder.
How I make it
- Brown the lamb shoulder in a frying pan with a little oil if you can. Set aside. Soften the onion in the same pan and briefly fry the garlic, ginger and curry paste.
- Transfer everything to Stewbert, adding the chopped tomatoes, stock and tomato purée. Stir carefully.
- Cook on LOW for approximately 6–8 hours, until the lamb is exceptionally tender and breaks apart easily with a fork.
- Taste the sauce. If it needs a thicker finish, reduce a ladleful separately in a saucepan and stir it back in.
- Serve with basmati rice, coriander and a spoonful of yoghurt if desired.
THE NIX TWIST Lamb shoulder is the star here. Lean leg can dry out with long cooking, whereas shoulder becomes wonderfully succulent.
Butter Chicken
Butter Chicken is the silk shirt of the collection. Tomato, warming spices, proper butter and cream: rich, glossy, and the sort of sauce you want to mop up with every last scrap of naan.
What goes into Stewbert
Tick ingredients as you prepare them.
- 250g boneless chicken thighs, diced
- ½ onion, finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 tsp grated fresh ginger
- 1 tbsp garam masala
- 150g chopped tomatoes
- 1 tbsp tomato purée
- 30g butter
- 50ml double cream
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
Optional extras: Optional ½ tsp mild paprika for colour; coriander to serve.
How I make it
- In a frying pan, soften the onion with 1 tsp oil. Add garlic, ginger and garam masala and stir for 30 seconds. (If skipping this step, mix everything very thoroughly in the slow cooker.)
- Put the seasoned onion, tomatoes and tomato purée into Stewbert, then add the chicken thighs.
- Cover and cook on LOW for approximately 4–5 hours until the chicken is cooked through; verify 75°C in the thickest pieces.
- Add butter and cream for the final 20 minutes. Stir gently to create a glossy sauce.
- Serve with warm naan, basmati and coriander. A little extra butter on top is a very NIX finish.
THE NIX TWIST Blend the tomato-onion base before adding chicken for a more restaurant-style texture. Never blend the cooked sauce with chicken pieces in it unless you want shredded chicken.
Bombay Potato & Chickpea Curry
A properly satisfying meat-free curry, not a consolation prize. Fluffy potato chunks and chickpeas soak up a bright, fragrant tomato gravy. Brilliant on its own and outstanding with naan.
What goes into Stewbert
Tick ingredients as you prepare them.
- 300g potatoes, peeled or scrubbed and cut into 2cm cubes
- ½ onion, finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 tsp grated fresh ginger
- 1½ tbsp vegetarian-friendly curry paste
- 150g chopped tomatoes
- 200g tinned chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 100ml vegetable stock
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
Optional extras: Optional fresh coriander, squeeze of lemon or a handful of spinach in the final 20 minutes.
How I make it
- Optional: soften the onion with 1 tsp oil in a frying pan; add garlic, ginger and curry paste and stir for a minute.
- Add the onion mixture, chopped tomatoes and vegetable stock to Stewbert. Stir in the 2cm potato cubes and drained, cooked chickpeas.
- Cover and cook on LOW for approximately 5–7 hours until a knife slides easily into the potatoes. The acidic tomatoes may slow potato softening; allow extra time if needed.
- Taste and adjust salt. Lightly mash two or three potato cubes into the sauce if you prefer it thicker.
- Finish with coriander and a squeeze of lemon. Serve with rice or naan — or both if it has been a long day.
THE NIX TWIST Use tinned, already-cooked chickpeas. Do not substitute dry chickpeas directly into this recipe: they require proper preparation and cooking.
Rice, naan and the last spoonful.
The rice matters.
My easy basmati method: rinse 100g dry rice for two modest servings, follow the water ratio on your packet, bring it to the boil, then cover and simmer gently until cooked. Rest off the heat for five minutes and fluff with a fork. Rice is best cooked fresh rather than held warm for hours.
Naan, yoghurt, coriander.
Warm naan just before serving. A spoon of natural yoghurt tames Madras heat; fresh coriander brightens tomato curries; flaked almonds make the korma look like it's had its Sunday best pressed.
Saving the second portion.
- Don't leave finished curry sitting at room temperature. Cool it promptly in shallow containers and refrigerate within two hours.
- Use refrigerated leftovers within 48 hours or freeze promptly for longer storage; always reheat thoroughly until steaming hot throughout.
- Keep cooked rice especially carefully: cool quickly, refrigerate and eat within 24 hours, reheating only once until steaming hot.
- Check your curry-paste packaging for allergens, and be especially careful with almonds in the korma and dairy in the creamy recipes.
That's the Curry House open.
Six menus, six different moods, one quietly heroic little slow cooker. My first pick is the Chicken Tikka Masala; when the weather gets properly grim, bring on the Beef Madras. And yes, Stewbert now considers himself head chef.
Keep it small. Cook it properly. Make it NIX.
Food imagery in this feature was generated for the NIX Curry House collection and illustrates the intended finished dishes; actual results will vary. Cooking times are estimates and recipes have not been independently kitchen-tested.