Cheap Eats – Chicken Rama (Curry)

Wandering the local not-so-mega mart, (Wh*le F**ds, Please come to the Mid-Hudson Valley), I note a 2 for one sale on mega family packs of chicken. Now, what to do with four-plus pounds of boneless, skinless chicken thighs?

I’ll take one pound, make a chicken curry, and freeze the rest for stir fries, oven roasts, and slow simmering.

My favorite chicken curry is chicken rama: it’s the kind of dish that makes you look like a culinary genius with minimal effort. Think opening a can of soup, but impressive.

This isn’t some exotic restaurant creation requiring specialty ingredients you’ll never use again. It’s a straightforward, budget-friendly curry that transforms cheap chicken into something special. Your family will ask what you did differently. The secret? Slow, gentle cooking that breaks down tough cuts into tender perfection while building incredible layers of flavor.

Set It and Forget It

The magic happens in your slow cooker over three to four hours on low heat. Perfect for busy weekdays when you need to throw something together in the morning and come home to a house that smells amazing.

Chicken rama is forgiving. Use whatever chicken parts are on sale. Add vegetables that need using up. Adjust seasonings to your family’s preferences. It’s the adaptable recipe that solves “what’s for dinner?” without breaking the bank or turning you into a short-order cook after a long day.

Stretch Your Budget, Not Your Time

What makes chicken rama brilliant is how it works with your food budget. A few pounds of inexpensive chicken feeds a family with leftovers. The slow cooking ensures even the toughest cuts become fork-tender and flavorful.

But here’s the real genius: this recipe yields generous amounts of rich curry sauce, which serves as the foundation for multiple meals. That extra sauce transforms leftover rice into fried rice. It turns plain vegetables into something worth eating. It can even become tomorrow night’s soup base, add some stock, a few frozen Asian blend veggies, and maybe some ramen.

The dish freezes well, reheats beautifully, and tastes even better the next day when the flavors have melded together. This is practical cooking for real people with real budgets.

Your New Go-To Recipe

This isn’t just another slow cooker recipe to collect and forget. Chicken rama earns its place in your regular rotation because it delivers on a simple promise: good food doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive.

It’s the dish you’ll make when you want something comforting, satisfying, and foolproof. Master this technique, and you’ll have a reliable solution for those days when you need a win in the kitchen without the stress.

Chicken Rama

A coconut curry base and chicken thighs gets a boost from apple cider vinegar and chilies.

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Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 3 minutes mins

Total Time 33 minutes mins

Servings: 4

Course: Cheap, Dinner, Lunch, Main Course

Cuisine: Asian, Indo-Chinese, SouthEast Asia

Calories: 1058

Ingredients Equipment Method Nutrition Notes

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x?

• 1 lb Chicken Thighs Boneless, Skinless,, sliced
• 1 can Coconut cream 14 oz
• 1 tbsp Red Curry Paste
• 3 tbsp Soy Sauce Low Sodium
• 1 tbsp Fish Sauce Optional
• 3 tbsp Brown Sugar
• 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 2 ea Chili Thai/Jalapeno, washed, seeded, sliced, Optional
• 3/4 cup Peanut butter Smooth
• 6 cups Spinach Washed, diced

Equipment

• 1 Slow Cooker inst*-pot, or crock Pot

Method

 

1. In the slow cooker, whisk together the peanut butter, coconut cream, red curry paste, soy sauce, brown sugar, Chili, fish sauce, and apple cider vinegar until combined.
2. Add the chicken breasts and toss to combine with the sauce.
3. Cook on low for 3 to 4 hours, or until chicken is cooked through
4. In the last 15 minutes of cooking, add the spinach and cook until wilted.
5. Serve the curry over the cooked rice. Sprinkle with fresh basil, crushed peanuts, and chili flakes if using.

Nutrition

Calories: 1058kcalCarbohydrates: 97gProtein: 32gFat: 62gSaturated Fat: 26gPolyunsaturated Fat: 10gMonounsaturated Fat: 20gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 111mgSodium: 1494mgPotassium: 817mgFiber: 7gSugar: 86gVitamin A: 4904IUVitamin C: 14mgCalcium: 95mgIron: 3mg

Notes

As written, this recipe yields a generous amount of gravy, making it perfect as a follow-on dish with additional rice.

I also serve this with a side of “Asian Mix” frozen vegetables, which I’ve stir-fried with soy sauce, peanut butter, and brown sugar.

Tried this recipe?

Let us know how it was!