Curries to make winter meals tasty and affordable

A plate of pumpkin, lentil and coconut curry, topped with coconut cream and tadka. Slow cooker visible with more curry. (ABC News: Samantha Parish)

Winter is officially here, and if you're looking to bring some warmth to your meals, these curries are big on flavour and low on cost.

You can easily vary the heat levels of each dish to suit your taste.

And as a bonus, some of the recipes also offer immune-boosting properties to help ward off cold-weather lurgies.

Thai red chicken curry is a quick and easy meal to feed the family. (ABC News: Melissa Darr)

If you're short on time and need to feed a crowd, this quick Thai red curry with chicken is the perfect option.

It's on the table in just 20 minutes and uses seasonal vegetables to keep costs low.

A delicious one-bowl meal packed with veggies, herbs and flavour. (ABC News: Hetty Lui McKinnon)

This irresistible dish is part way between a curry and a noodle soup.

The one-bowl meal is packed with veggies, herbs and flavour and ready in just 15 minutes.

Serve this creamy sweet potato and chickpea curry with your choice of rice, noodles or quinoa. (ABC News: Tim Grey)

Heidi Sze's sweet potato curry with chickpeas, spinach and lime is both soothing and invigorating.

The immune-boosting properties found in onion, garlic and ginger are particularly welcome in the cooler months, when we are more susceptible to colds and flus.

Let your slow cooker do the work for this delicious curry. (ABC News: Samantha Parish)

It's well known that curries get better with age, and this slow-cooker curry is worth the wait.

Hearty lentils, creamy coconut, and the sweetness of pumpkin elevate this recipe to a league of its own.

Massaman should not be overly spicy. It's signature is it's mildness, with a slightly sour note and a subtle sweetness. (ABC News: Hetty Lui McKinnon)

A vegan take on a classic curry which features hearty mushrooms, supported by equally robust potatoes.

It is an adaptable dish, so feel free to use other vegetables — sweet potato, butternut squash, cauliflower, carrots and turnips are all good options.