If you only ever try one of my recipes, make it this one. Butter halloumi curry is an absolute delight, it’s easy to make, and I promise you will love it.
Butter chicken is a popular curry dish, and in this version I switched chicken for halloumi. I think it’s better than the original. The salty halloumi works so well with that rich sauce.
The sauce is named ‘butter’ because of the butter you stir into it to enrich it. It also uses tomato puree – which adds that deep bitterness to cut through all the dairy – and cream, because you want this dish to be a decadent delight.
I like to serve this mild curry alongside spicier ones – it works really well with my chicken balti – and naan, rice and maybe some pappadums. Make it a feast!
Love halloumi? You’re also going to love:
- Smoky Halloumi Fajitas
- Halloumi Veg Bowl
- The Ultimate Halloumi Burger
- Chorizo and Halloumi Pasta
- Halloumi Pittas with Sriracha Mayo and Salad
- Warm Roasted Red Pepper and Halloumi Quinoa Salad
Ingredients, Substitutions and Variations
- Onion, garlic, ginger – these make up the classic base for your curry.
- Tomato puree – make sure you use pure and not chopped tomatoes or similar. You need that really strong tomato taste.
- Garam masala, bay leaf and chilli powder – these are your spices. You can use more chilli powder if you like to make this a spicier curry, but I like it to be mild.
- Cream – I use double cream. You can switch for single.
- Halloumi – the key ingredient. I wouldn’t switch this for any other cheese – halloumi’s unique texture and taste is what makes this a success.
- Butter – use salted or unsalted.
Top Tips
- Chop roughly Because this sauce is blended, it really doesn’t matter how you chop your onion, garlic and ginger. Chop them roughly and save yourself some time.
- Make ahead The whole curry can be made in advance – it’ll keep nicely in the fridge for 72 hours. You can also make the sauce in advance and freeze it.
- Get the consistency right This should be a nice thick curry, as pictured. If it’s too thick, though, you can add a splash of water to loosen it.
Butter Halloumi Curry
May 9, 2024Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 2 onions
- 5 cloves garlic
- 2 inch piece of ginger
- 6 tbsps tomato puree
- 1 tbsp garam masala
- ½ tsp chilli powder
- 1 bay leaf
- 100 ml double cream
- 450 g halloumi
- 60 g butter
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 220 degrees Celsius.
- Cut the halloumi into pieces roughly one inch square. Place a sheet of baking parchment on a baking tray and spread the halloumi over this. Put in the oven for 15-20 minutes until golden.
- Peel and roughly chop the onion, garlic and ginger. Put the vegetable oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat. Add the onion and cook gently for 10-15 minutes until starting to caramelise.
- Add the ginger and garlic, cook for another one to two minutes. Add the tomato puree, garam masala, chilli powder and bay leaf. Stir, then add 250 ml water and the cream.
- Simmer for 5-10 minutes, then remove the bay leaf. Use a food processor or stick blender to blend into a smooth sauce.
- Add the halloumi and butter into the sauce. Bring to a simmer, then taste and season with salt as needed.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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Say halloumi and I am in! This is a great curry recipe, and it’s so easy to make! This will be a regular at our table, thanks so much!
I am curry daft and WOW this recipe hits the mark for fabulous flavors! It is SO easy to make too, a winner of a recipe! Thank you so much!
I’ve made other variations of butter chicken (like butter tofu), but this butter halloumi wins by a mile. It’s just ridiculously good on all levels. Thank you!
I am always looking for new ways to use halloumi and this was incredible. So much flavour.
I absolutely love halloumi, and this is such a fantastic option when I’m having a craving but want a vegetarian option. Can’t wait to try this, thanks for sharing!