Almonds may not be the first ingredient that comes to mind when you think of curry, yet their subtle nuttiness and creamy texture can elevate a dish to new heights. In this guide, we'll explore how almonds transform the flavour profile of curries, from thickening sauces to adding a delicate richness that balances spices. Whether used whole, ground, or as almond milk, discover why this versatile nut deserves a spot in your curry repertoire.

Back in my Alresford days, we were lucky enough to have a wonderful local Indian restaurant called the Shapla, and like many curry lovers I always had my favourite dishes. For me, the big decision was usually between a Chicken Madras and a Chicken Peshwari. The Madras was always tempting with its rich spicy sauce, but I have to admit the Peshwari won more often than not — and occasionally I would just order both! and take leftovers home.

After writing 150 posts, testing countless curries, exploring traditional techniques and recreating the British Indian Restaurant style at home, I realised something important: Great curry isn’t about blindly following recipes — it’s about understanding the method behind them. That’s why I created The SCM Method™.

Welcome back to Stevie’s Ingredient Deep Dive, where we unravel the secrets behind your favourite curry dishes. This week, we're shining the spotlight on coconut—a creamy, versatile ingredient that weaves its way through countless curries across the globe. From silky coconut milk to rich coconut cream and even toasted coconut flakes, this tropical treasure is the backbone of many unforgettable flavours and textures. Join me as we explore coconut’s essential role in curry, dis

One of the first questions most people ask when learning to pressure cook curry is how pressure cooking times for curry actually work? It sounds straightforward, but pressure cooking times can feel confusing when you’re starting out. Search online and you’ll often find wildly different answers, with one recipe suggesting 15 minutes while another recommends nearly an hour for what appears to be the same cut of meat.

Get yourself a coffee or something this might be a long one Stevie xx Introduction — Why I Started Pressure Cooking Curry For years, I believed great curry had to simmer away for hours. Some of the best curries I’d ever made were slow-cooked all afternoon, filling the kitchen with the smell of onions, spices, and rich meat stock as the sauce gradually thickened and deepened in flavour. The problem was that real life doesn’t always leave room for a six-hour lamb curry. Like ma

Sometimes the best curry recipes come from mistakes. This particular curry rescue started when I made a huge batch of traditional Methi Gosht using around 2 kilos of deboned lamb leg, with the bone added back into the pot for extra flavour. My original plan was to cook a large batch, enjoy some traditionally, and keep some cooked lamb back ready for a future BIR-style Methi Gosht.

When I recently made this traditional Methi Gosht recipe at home, I decided to speed things up by using a pressure cooker. While the lamb turned out beautifully tender, I quickly discovered one of the most common pressure cooker curry mistakes

This BIR Chicken Methi is a true curry house favourite, known for its rich, aromatic sauce and the distinctive flavour of fenugreek. In true BIR (British Indian Restaurant) style, this dish is all about speed, consistency, and flavour control.

Chicken Madras is one of the most popular curries on UK menus, known for its bold heat, rich tomato base, and deep, warming spices. But depending on how it’s cooked, the flavour, texture, and overall experience can be quite different.

This BIR Chicken Korma is one of the most popular curry house dishes, known for its smooth, creamy texture, gentle sweetness, and rich, comforting flavour.

Step into the aromatic world of fenugreek, a humble spice with a remarkable legacy. Revered for its slightly sweet, nutty flavour and distinctive aroma, fenugreek has been a staple in kitchens and traditional medicine cabinets for centuries.

This BIR Chicken Korma is one of the most popular curry house dishes, known for its smooth, creamy texture, gentle sweetness, and rich, comforting flavour.

Intro Chicken Korma is one of the most popular curries around, but what many people don’t realise is that there are actually two very different ways to make it. On one side, you have the traditional method, where the dish is slowly built from scratch using a marinade, whole spices, and gentle simmering to create deep, layered flavour. On the other, there’s the BIR (British Indian Restaurant) version, designed for speed and consistency, using base gravy and a quick pan method

Chicken Jalfrezi is one of those dishes that looks simple on the surface, but there are actually two very different ways to cook it.

This BIR Chicken Jalfrezi is a proper curry house favourite, known for its bold, vibrant flavours, fresh crunch, and that unmistakable sizzling finish of onions and peppers. In true BIR (British Indian Restaurant) style

If you’ve ever tried cooking a curry at home and wondered why it tastes different from your local takeaway, you’re not alone. The truth is, there are two main styles of cooking Indian curries — traditional home-style cooking and BIR (British Indian Restaurant) cooking. Both are great, but they’re very different in how they’re made.

This BIR Chicken Dopiaza is a proper curry house favourite, known for its rich, slightly sweet flavour and that unmistakable hit of onions — used twice for depth and texture.

Introduction: In this edition of Stevie’s Ingredient Deep Dive, we turn our attention to ginger—a spice that brings a vibrant warmth and unmistakable zing to curries around the globe. Beyond its bold flavour, ginger is prized for its aromatic qualities and its ability to harmonise with other core ingredients, creating the signature depth and complexity curry lovers adore. Join me as we explore what makes ginger essential, how it enhances both taste and texture, and discover t

Onion masala is a cooked onion base used in many curry house kitchens. By blending onions with garlic and ginger and cooking them slowly, chefs create a smooth, slightly sweet foundation that can quickly be turned into curry gravy or used directly in dishes like bhuna and korma. In the delivery kitchen we used to make onion masala in large batches.It’s one of those behind-the-scenes preparations that saves huge amounts of time during service. This is the short-hand recipe we