Chinese Curry Recipes UK: Make a Takeaway-Style Curry

This British Chinese takeaway-style chicken curry is a mild, savoury curry made with chicken, potatoes, carrots and a glossy sauce seasoned with curry powder, soy and stock. It is a practical home version of the curry many people in the UK recognise from Chinese takeaways; recipes vary, so adjust the spice and thickness to suit your table.

Ingredients

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs (450 g), cut into roughly 1-inch (2.5 cm) pieces
1 medium brown onion (about 5 oz / 150 g), finely chopped
2 medium carrots (about 5 oz / 150 g), peeled and cut into thin half-moons
1 medium floury potato (about 8 oz / 225 g), peeled and cut into ½-inch (1.25 cm) cubes
2 tablespoons neutral oil (30 ml), such as rapeseed or sunflower oil
2 cloves garlic (about 2 teaspoons / 6 g), finely chopped
1 tablespoon finely grated fresh ginger (about ½ oz / 15 g)
2 tablespoons mild curry powder (about 12 g); use a British-style curry powder if available
½ teaspoon ground turmeric (about 1 g)
2 cups chicken stock (475 ml), preferably lower-salt
1 tablespoon light soy sauce (15 ml)
1 teaspoon granulated sugar (4 g)
¼ teaspoon ground white pepper (about 0.5 g), or black pepper
2 tablespoons cornflour (cornstarch) (16 g)
3 tablespoons cold water (45 ml), for the slurry
Fine salt, as needed (start with ¼ teaspoon / 1.5 g, then taste)

Instructions

Prepare the ingredients. Cut the chicken into similar-sized pieces so they cook evenly. Chop the onion, carrots and potato, and measure out the spices, stock and soy sauce. Mix the cornflour with the cold water in a small cup until completely smooth; set it aside. This preparation takes about 20 minutes, depending on your chopping speed.
Brown the chicken. Heat the oil in a large, deep frying pan or saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the chicken in one layer, working in batches if the pan is crowded. Cook for about 3 minutes, turn the pieces and cook for another 3 minutes until lightly golden on the outside. They do not need to be cooked through yet. Transfer them to a clean plate. Use tongs or a clean utensil for cooked chicken, not anything that touched it raw.
Soften the vegetables and bloom the spices. Reduce the heat to medium. Add the onion, carrots and potato to the pan and cook for 4 minutes, stirring often; scrape up any browned bits. Stir in the garlic and ginger for 30 seconds, then add the curry powder and turmeric and stir for another 30 seconds. If the spices begin to stick, add a small splash of the measured stock rather than extra oil.
Simmer until the chicken and vegetables are cooked. Pour in the remaining stock and add the soy sauce, sugar and white pepper. Return the chicken and any juices on the plate to the pan. Bring the liquid to a gentle simmer, cover with a lid slightly ajar and cook for 15 minutes, stirring once or twice. Keep the heat low enough that the sauce bubbles gently, not vigorously. Check a thick piece of chicken with a food thermometer: USDA FSIS guidance sets 165°F (74°C) as the safe minimum internal temperature for poultry. The potato should also be tender when pierced with a knife.
Thicken and season. Stir the cornflour slurry again, then pour it into the simmering curry while stirring. Cook for 2–3 minutes, until the sauce turns glossy and lightly coats a spoon. If it gets thicker than you like, add stock or water a tablespoon at a time; if it is still thin, mix 1 teaspoon (3 g) cornflour with 1 tablespoon (15 ml) cold water and repeat. Taste before adding salt, since stock and soy sauce can already be salty. The cooking steps take about 30 minutes in total.

Tips

Choose the right curry powder. A mild British-style curry powder gives a familiar takeaway-style flavour. Madras powder is hotter and more pungent, so use less at first. Chinese curry powder is not one fixed blend; brands differ in heat and spice balance. If you cannot find it, mild curry powder is a useful substitute, though the finished sauce may taste less like a particular local takeaway.
Keep the sauce smooth. Mix cornflour with cold water before adding it. Adding dry cornflour straight to hot liquid can leave stubborn lumps. Stir the slurry again just before pouring because the starch settles quickly, and let the curry bubble gently for a couple of minutes so the thickener cooks through.
Cut vegetables to match the simmer. Small potato cubes and thin carrot slices soften in the stated time. Larger chunks may need several extra minutes; add a splash of stock if the pan is reducing while they finish. Keep the lid slightly ajar to limit splashes but allow some steam to escape.
Adjust salt at the end. Stock, soy sauce and curry powder blends vary. Start with lower-salt stock and taste only after the sauce has thickened. For a gluten-free version, use certified gluten-free stock and tamari instead of ordinary soy sauce, and check the curry powder label.

Serving Suggestions

Serve the curry hot over steamed long-grain rice, jasmine rice or basmati rice. Plain rice lets the sauce stand out, while egg fried rice makes the meal feel closer to a takeaway spread. For four servings, allow about 1½ cups (285 g) uncooked rice, cooked separately according to its packet directions; rice is not included in the curry preparation time or ingredient list.

If you want a fuller plate, add steamed broccoli, sliced spring onions or a simple cucumber salad. Naan, roti or soft flatbread are handy for scooping up the sauce, although rice is the more familiar pairing for many British Chinese curry meals. Put chilli oil or sliced fresh chilli on the table rather than increasing the heat in the whole pan, so everyone can choose their own level.

Variations

Make it vegetarian: Replace the chicken with 14 oz (400 g) drained firm tofu or 2 cups (300 g) of cooked chickpeas. Brown tofu briefly, then add it with the stock; add chickpeas at the same stage. Use vegetable stock. Tofu gives a substantial bite, while chickpeas make the sauce slightly earthier.

Use prawns: Replace the chicken with 1 lb (450 g) peeled raw prawns. Cook the vegetables and sauce first, then add the prawns near the end and simmer until opaque and cooked through; check that they reach 145°F (63°C) with a food thermometer. Prawns cook much faster than chicken, so do not simmer them for the full 15 minutes.

Make it spicier: Add ¼–½ teaspoon (about 0.5–1 g) chilli flakes with the curry powder, or use a hotter curry powder. Increase gradually, since heat levels vary. A little extra ginger adds warmth and fragrance without making the sauce as hot as chilli.

Change the vegetables: Swap the carrot for 1 cup (100 g) sliced mushrooms or add ½ cup (75 g) frozen peas during the final 3 minutes. You can also leave out the potato and serve the curry with extra rice. If omitting the potato, the sauce will be less hearty but the method stays the same.

Storage and Reheating

Cool leftovers promptly and refrigerate them within 2 hours in a covered, shallow container. The curry keeps for 3–4 days in the refrigerator. For longer storage, freeze it in meal-sized airtight containers for up to 3 months for best quality; thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating. Potatoes can soften somewhat after freezing, but the curry remains usable.

Reheat only the portion you plan to eat, either in a saucepan over medium-low heat or in a microwave-safe dish, stirring partway through. Add a splash of water or stock if the sauce has thickened in the fridge. Heat leftovers until steaming throughout and to 165°F (74°C), checking the centre with a food thermometer. Avoid reheating the same portion more than once, and discard curry that has been left at room temperature for over 2 hours.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is this the same as Chinese curry from a UK takeaway? It is a home-style approximation of a familiar British Chinese takeaway curry, not a claim to reproduce every shop’s recipe. Curry blends and sauces vary from place to place. The combination of mild curry powder, stock, soy and a cornflour-thickened sauce gives this version its recognisable character.

Can I make the curry sauce ahead? You can make the full curry up to 3–4 days ahead and refrigerate it promptly, then reheat it thoroughly. For the freshest texture, you can also chop the vegetables and mix the cornflour slurry shortly before cooking. Do not leave prepared chicken at room temperature while you do other tasks; keep it refrigerated until needed.

Why is my curry sauce too thin or too thick? Stock brands, pan width and simmer strength affect how quickly the liquid reduces. If it is thin, add a small extra cornflour slurry and simmer briefly. If it is too thick, loosen it with water or stock a tablespoon at a time. Add thickener gradually because the sauce continues to thicken slightly as it cools.

Can I use chicken breast instead of thighs? Yes. Cut breast meat into even pieces and follow the same method, but check it early because it can dry out faster than thigh meat. It still needs to reach the USDA FSIS safe minimum of 165°F (74°C). Remove it from the heat as soon as it reaches that temperature and the vegetables are tender.

What can I use instead of cornflour? Arrowroot starch can thicken the sauce; use about the same quantity, mix it with cold water and stir it in near the end. The sauce may look a little clearer and can lose thickness if boiled hard, so keep the simmer gentle. Plain flour is another option, but it needs to be cooked with the vegetables and oil before adding stock to avoid a raw-flour taste.

Can I prepare this recipe without soy sauce? Yes. Use a similar amount of tamari for a gluten-free alternative, checking that the label suits your needs. For a soy-free version, leave it out and season with salt to taste; the sauce will lose some savoury depth, so a little extra stock and a pinch of white pepper can help round it out.

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Safety notes: safe minimum internal temperatures from USDA FSIS; raw and undercooked fish guidance from the U.S. FDA. Food safety notes

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