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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 

  • 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
  • Add the spices and saute for another minute until fragrant.
    1 tsp ground cumin, 0.5 tsp smoked paprika, 2 tsp garam masala
  • 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
  • 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.
  • 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
  • Add any fillings that you cooked separately to the pan now and stir through.
  • 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