indian restaurant curry base

indian restaurant curry base

Indian restaurant curry base is the foundation for restaurant style curry. It's what makes Indian restaurant curry what it is.

Ingredients

  • onions

    - about 2.5 lbs peeled weight

    8 large
  • garlic

    peeled

    6 cloves
  • ginger

    coarsely chopped

    1 ½ tbsp
  • cumin powder
    1 ½ tbsp
  • coriander powder
    1 ½ tbsp
  • turmeric
    1 ½ tsp
  • salt
    1 ½ tsp
  • fresh cilantro stalks with leaves

    - roots removed

    12
  • vegetable oil
    1 c
  • boiling water
    12 c
  • can diced tomatoes

    - one small can

    15 oz

Directions

Step 1

  1. 1

    Bring the water to a boil (a kettle works well for this).

  2. 2

    Quarter the onions and then break them apart into petals (roughly - two or three petals per quarter)

  3. 3

    Combine all ingredients except tomatoes, bring to a gentle boil and simmer, loosely covered, for one hour. Use a big pot!

  4. 4

    Add tomatoes, stir and simmer an additional 20 minutes

  5. 5

    Let cool slightly. Blend to smooth consistency. Make sure you remove the centre cap from the blender lid and cover the hole with a cloth or you will be cleaning the ceiling. Alternately you can use an immersion blender.

Step 2

  1. 1

    Wipe out the pot and return pureed curry base and simmer, loosely covered, until the oil separates out - this can take an hour or more. Stir the oil back into the base. At this point you can portion out the base into 2 cup portions and freeze if desired.

indian restaurant curry base

indian restaurant curry base

4.6(184)206 cal

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Ratings & Reviews

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Based on 184 ratings

glebekitchen.com
4.6(184 reviews)
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About this Recipe

Ever wondered how Indian restaurants achieve that deep, complex flavor in their curries? The secret lies in a masterful Indian restaurant curry base, and this recipe delivers the authentic foundation for those beloved dishes right in your own kitchen.

This Indian restaurant curry base recipe stands apart by building foundational flavor through slowly cooked onions, aromatic spices, and fresh cilantro. It's the essential backbone that gives your curries their signature richness and depth, a stark contrast to quick, single-meal sauces that often lack true complexity.

You'll create a rich, thick, and incredibly aromatic paste, bursting with the earthy warmth of cumin and coriander, balanced by the gentle hum of turmeric and fresh ginger and garlic. While it takes a little time on the stovetop, the process is largely hands-off, resulting in a versatile base that's ready to transform into countless curry dishes. This base provides a robust and consistent flavor profile, making it the perfect starting point for your next homemade Indian feast.

While this base is a cornerstone, you can subtly adapt it. For a slightly different aromatic profile, consider adding a few whole green chilies with the ginger and garlic if you prefer a spicier foundation that cooks down into the base. You could also experiment by adding a bay leaf or a few whole cardamom pods during the onion cooking stage for an extra layer of complexity.

This versatile Indian restaurant curry base is designed to be the flavorful heart of your favorite chicken, lamb, or vegetable curries. It's not a standalone dish but the rich starting point that will elevate your cooking to restaurant-quality levels.

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