A proper curry night is one of life’s great pleasures. The kind where the whole kitchen smells incredible before anyone has even sat down, where there’s rice on, bread warming, and something rich and spiced bubbling away on the stove. I’ve been cooking curries for decades, influenced by years of living in cities where good curry is practically a birthright, and my enthusiasm for it has never dimmed. From a deeply fragrant butter chicken to a fiery Thai red curry, from slow-cooked lamb to a vegetarian dhal that punches well above its weight, a good curry recipe is something you come back to again and again.

Not every curry needs to be an all-day project either. Some of the best ones come together in under thirty minutes with a solid spice base and a tin of coconut milk. Others reward patience with layer upon layer of flavour that only time can build. This collection covers both ends of that spectrum and everything in between. Pick your heat level, raid the spice drawer, and get something wonderful on the stove.