Need a Winter Warmer? Try This Slow-Cooked Indian Curry

THERE’S something about winter that makes a slow-cooked Indian curry feel less like dinner and more like a necessity.

When the nights cool down and the kitchen windows fog up, I start craving the kind of food that bubbles away for hours, filling the house with spice and promise. A good curry does exactly that. Better still, it’s one of those meals that tastes even better the next day.

This simple butter chicken has become one of my winter favourites for that reason. It’s easy, deeply comforting, and generous enough to feed six, which in my townhouse usually means dinner for one or two, with four or five portions tucked away in the freezer for later.

Future me is always grateful.

Lately I’ve been making it in my Ninja Foodi using the sauté and slow cook settings. It takes the fuss out of it and delivers beautifully tender chicken every time.

Serve slow-cooked Indian curry with basmati rice, warmed naan and a cool cucumber raita on the side.

Affiliate note: The products mentioned in this article are things I use in my own kitchen, and some links may be affiliate links. That means if you buy through them, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.

Why this curry works for batch cooking

Not every meal survives the freezer well. Slow-cooked Indian curry does.

The spices settle in overnight, the sauce thickens beautifully, and the flavours deepen rather than fade. It’s also forgiving. Swap chicken for chickpeas, lamb or even leftover roast vegetables if that’s what you have.

This version sits somewhere between a butter chicken and a homestyle tomato curry — rich, warming and mildly spiced without blowing your head off.

It’s practical food. The kind that earns its place in a small freezer.

Winter Butter Chicken for Six

Ingredients

For the curry

• 1.5kg chicken thighs, trimmed and cut into chunks
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 large brown onions, finely diced
• 5 cloves garlic, crushed
• 2 tablespoons fresh ginger, grated
• 3 tablespoons garam masala
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons turmeric
• 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 400g crushed tomatoes
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste
• 250g Greek yoghurt
• 300ml thickened cream
• 1 tablespoon butter
• Salt to taste
• Fresh coriander to serve

Optional:

• 2 handfuls baby spinach stirred through at the end
• 2 tablespoons mango chutney for a little sweetness

For the basmati rice

• 2 cups basmati rice
• 3 cups water
• pinch of salt

For the cucumber raita

• 1 large Lebanese cucumber, grated
• 1 cup Greek yoghurt
• 1 tablespoon chopped mint
• 1 tablespoon chopped coriander
• ½ teaspoon ground cumin
• pinch of salt
• squeeze of lemon juice

To serve

• Store-bought naan bread (one per person)

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The kitchen gear behind this slow-cooked Indian curry recipe

For this butter chicken, I used my Ninja Foodi for the slow cooking. It’s one of those appliances that earns its bench space, especially for batch cooking and winter meals.

For warming naan and everyday stovetop cooking, I reached for my Tefal non-stick frypan.

If you’re building a practical kitchen setup, a good pan is one of the best places to start.

→ Browse Tefal cookware and kitchen essentials

 

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Method

Step 1: Build the base

Set your Ninja Foodi to Sear/Sauté on medium.

Add the olive oil and cook the onion for about five minutes until soft.

Add garlic and ginger and cook for another minute.

Stir in the garam masala, cumin, turmeric, smoked paprika and coriander.

Cook for 30 seconds until fragrant.

This is where the kitchen starts smelling like an Indian restaurant.

Step 2: Add the chicken

Add the chicken pieces and stir until lightly browned.

No need to cook them through.

Add the crushed tomatoes and tomato paste and stir well.

Step 3: Slow cook

Switch to Slow Cook (Low).

Put the lid on and cook for four hours.

This is where the magic happens. The chicken softens, the sauce deepens, and the whole thing settles into itself.

Step 4: Finish the sauce

About 20 minutes before serving, switch back to Sear/Sauté (Low).

Stir in the Greek yoghurt slowly.

Add the cream and butter.

If you’re using spinach, stir it through now.

Simmer gently for 10 to 15 minutes until rich and silky.

Taste and season.

Scatter with fresh coriander.

Cook the rice

Rinse the basmati rice until the water runs mostly clear.

Add rice, water and salt to a saucepan.

Bring to the boil, then reduce to low and cover.

Cook for 12 minutes.

Turn off the heat and let it rest for 10 minutes before fluffing with a fork.

Make the cucumber raita

Grate the cucumber and squeeze out the excess water.

Mix with yoghurt, mint, coriander, cumin, salt and lemon juice.

Chill until serving.

The cool yoghurt cuts beautifully through the warmth of the curry.

Warm the naan properly

This is where a good frying pan earns its place.

I use my Tefal for this.

Heat the pan dry over medium-high heat.

Warm each naan for 60 to 90 seconds on each side.

Brush lightly with melted butter and a little crushed garlic.

Then wrap briefly in a tea towel to soften.

It makes all the difference.

(If you’ve ever wondered why supermarket naan can taste a bit flat and doughy if not heated well, I’ll share more on that in my next article.)

Freeze now, thank yourself later

Let the curry cool completely before dividing it into airtight containers.

It will keep:

• up to three days in the fridge
• up to three months in the freezer

For me, this usually means one or two dinners now and several easy meals later.

Like most curries, it rewards patience.

A little travel note

One of the things I love about rail travel, whether through India or closer to home, is how food becomes part of the journey.

Curries served aboard Indian trains are often simple, regional and deeply comforting.

This recipe has that same spirit: practical, warming and made to be shared.

Not fancy. Just good.

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Cook this at home

This meal came together in my Ninja Foodi for the slow-cooked curry, with my Tefal frypan for the naan.

It’s proof you don’t need a huge kitchen or fancy setup to cook something warming and full of flavour.

A few reliable pieces of cookware, and a little patience, go a long way.

→ Explore Tefal cookware and kitchen essentials

 

Affiliate note: The products mentioned in this article are things I use in my own kitchen, and some links may be affiliate links. That means if you buy through them, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. It helps support Jocelyn Magazine and keeps the stories, recipes and travel inspiration coming. As always, I only recommend products I use or believe are worth considering.

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