Super Simple Chicken Curry

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There are certain meals that you can almost guarantee will appear on most standing camp menus, Chicken Curry, Spaghetti Bolognese and maybe even a Stew. They come up time and time again because they are tasty and enjoyed by most and because they are easy to make for a crowd. Bolognese and even chilli are simple to make from scratch but a lot of people don’t ever attempt to cook a curry from scratch on camp. They worry that the spices are hard to balance or that it’ll need to cook for hours to thicken. There is a little truth in these concern but they are easily addressed.

Flavour Base

When cooking the onions, give them plenty of time to go soft, translucent and maybe even caramelise a little. This is a great base for your flavour.

The Chicken

For the chicken, use thigh meat. Yes, it’s a little bit grosser looking than breast but it tastes sooooo much better. Add it to the pan with the onions and DO NOT TOUCH it. The more you move the chicken, the more juice will come out. You’ll end up boiling the chicken instead of frying. Move only once or twice. It doesn’t need to be cooked through at this stage, you’re just adding colour. It’ll finish cooking in the sauce. If you do end up with a very wet pan, drain some of the juice off.

The Spices

The spices for this Chicken Curry couldn’t be easier. But before you add them, have all of the wet ingredients ready. The spices will burn quickly so add them, stir them through for 30-60 seconds and then immediately add the wet ingredients. I usually let those who want it spicy to add their own chilli flakes to their own plate. It’s important everyone eats and being too spicy may put some off.

The Veg

When adding the spinach, your Scouts may panic. It looks like a lot! But it wilts down to nothing. They will barely even notice it’s there when it comes to eating it. Don’t let them leave it out, they can pick it off their plate once they’ve tried it. Encouraging children to eat a healthy diet and to try new things is an important part of Scout Camp.

How to make your Simple Chicken Curry thick and creamy in less time

We’re using coconut milk which goes a long way to creating that creamy texture we’re after. The cornflour is optional, it creates a slightly thicker sauce. This is a time saver! You could let your curry simmer away to thicken up, but this isn’t always conducive to an evening Scout meeting. Simply add a tablespoon of cornflour to a glass with 2 tablespoons of water and stir until it becomes a thick paste. When it’s smooth, you can add this to the curry. It can have a slightly delayed affect. Don’t just keep adding cornflour!

Wet ingredients go in almost immediately after stirring the dry spices through

Tomatoes go in with other wet ingredients!

Stock goes in with other wet ingredients

The Recipe

Here is a little insight into what the Scouts in my Section see when we’re cooking like this. The recipe, and any shared ingredients(spices, oil, etc.), stay on a central table for them to use. A leader talks the PL and a Designated Cook through the recipe and answers any questions. They then go off to cook their meal. The ingredients list and simplified recipe stay on the table so that anyone can check or consult it at any time. 

This is a tasty Simple Chicken Curry which your Scouts can cook completely from scratch. Served it up with naans and fluffy white rice.

Experienced Scouter Barry was heard to say, “That is the best Chicken Curry I have ever had… from a campfire.” I am taking that as a massive endorsement!