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–+ servings

Easy Curry for Kids

Let me show you how to make a toddler and kid friendly curry with a creamy tomato sauce. This is mild, sweet, smooth and tasty for young children and my recipe is completely flexible: you can use whatever fillings you like and adjust the spice quantities to suit your own children.
4 servings
Cook Time: 1 minute
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Ingredients

  • 1 tbsp butter
  • 1 tsp garlic paste, or fresh crushed garlic
  • 1 tsp ginger paste, or fresh grated ginger
  • 1 tsp ground cumin, halve for a milder sauce
  • 0.5 tsp smoked paprika, halve for a milder sauce
  • 2 tsp garam masala, halve for a milder sauce
  • ⅓ cup (80 ml) tomato passata , known as tomato puree in the US
  • ¼ cup (60 ml) water
  • ⅓ cup (120 ml) heavy (double) cream

For a pea and paneer curry

  • 8 oz (225 g) paneer cheese
  • ½ cup frozen peas

Instructions 

  1. In a large, deep saucepan or saute pan, melt the butter over a low heat and add the garlic and ginger paste. Cook for just a moment until fragrant.
    1 tbsp butter, 1 tsp garlic paste, 1 tsp ginger paste
  2. Add the spices and saute for another minute until fragrant.
    1 tsp ground cumin, 0.5 tsp smoked paprika, 2 tsp garam masala
  3. Add the tomato passata (puree) and mix through, then add the water and bring to a gentle simmer. Allow to cook, covered, for about 10-15 minutes. You want to stir regularly, but you can mostly leave it to cook while you prepare the filling.
    1/3 cup tomato passata , 1/4 cup water
  4. If you're using paneer or another filling that needs to be cooked separately, do that now.
    If you're using a canned filling such as chickpeas, lentils or beans, add them to the tomato sauce any time and let them simmer.
    If you're adding frozen peas / veggies to the curry sauce, add them towards the end of the simmer time and once they're defrosted you can move on to the next step.
  5. Once you're ready to eat, return to the sauce. Turn the heat down to its lowest setting and stir the cream through the tomato sauce. Cook for just a moment to get the temperature back up, then remove from the heat.
    1/3 cup heavy (double) cream
  6. Add any fillings that you cooked separately to the pan now and stir through.
  7. Serve immediately, with rice, couscous and/or naan bread.

Notes

Quantities of cumin, smoked paprika and garam masala: The amounts given will result in a curry that's reasonably flavorful, not as punchy as my adult curry recipes but not bland either. For kids who really don't like a lot of flavor, you can halve the amounts and end up with a much more subtle sauce where tomato is more of the dominant flavor. Or go somewhere in the middle! 
Nutritional information excludes rice, naan or any accompaniments - it is just for 1/4 of the curry with peas and paneer.
Cuisine: Indian Inspired
Course: Dinner
Calories: 288kcal, Carbohydrates: 7g, Protein: 10g, Fat: 25g, Saturated Fat: 15g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 3g, Trans Fat: 0.1g, Cholesterol: 67mg, Sodium: 52mg, Potassium: 175mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 3g, Vitamin A: 754IU, Vitamin C: 10mg, Calcium: 302mg, Iron: 1mg