This meat and yoghurt curry can be made with nearly any type and cut of meat. I use chicken a lot, and also lamb. You can use a packet of tenderloin chicken for a curry ready in 20 minutes, or bone-in chicken, lamb forequarter chops or another cut that takes to hours of slow cooking, time permitted. Using bone-in pieces of meat and cooking your curry slowly for a couple of hours will definitely give you the best result but it's not practical for weeknight meals.
Whatever your choice, this basic recipe will work beautifully.
For four people, you will need:
500-750 grams chicken or red meat (more for bone-in pieces)
2 heaped tablespoons full fat greek yoghurt
1 heaped tablespoon tomato paste
1 heaped tablespoon bottle masala
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar
3 tablespoons of oil or ghee
1 red onion, finely sliced (optional)
1 green chilli, sliced vertically down the middle
2 cloves of garlic, crushed (optional)
1 tablespoon of ginger, crushed
1-1.5 cups of water or stock
Start by cleaning, cutting to size and marinading your meat. Mix the yoghurt, tomato paste, bottle masala, salt and sugar into the meat and leave for at least 30 minutes, at best overnight.
When you are ready to cook, heat the oil in a large, heavy bottomed pan, fry the onion, ginger, garlic and chilli (or whatever combination of aromatics you are using) for at least 20 minutes if you're using onions, only a few minutes if not.
Add the meat, scraping in all the marinade, and fry on medium-high heat for another few minutes. Then turn the heat down, add a little water, cover and cook until meat is done, according to the approximate times below. Stir occasionally and add a bit of water here and there, up to a cup and a half by the end. Once your curry is done, taste for salt and sugar, and finish by squeezing in a bit of lemon juice and adding some fresh, finely chopped coriander.
Approximate cooking times:
Chicken, boneless - 20 minutes (if you are using very small bits of tenderloin or breast, reduce this to 10-15 minutes)
Chicken, bone-in thighs or legs - 45 minutes
Red meat, bone-in - 2 hours, cook on low, in oven is a good option