Learn some simple tricks to always get a tasty curry

It is tempting to just buy the pastes and sauces from the supermarket, especially when you’re busy with work, family… life.

But, making your own homemade curry from scratch is pretty easy to.

You just need to know a few simple tricks, and you’ll have an incredible, tasty curry on the table in no time.

The order of a curry

Make a paste

  • Dry fry whole spices (fried until fragrant) and take off heat once done.
  • To make the paste add ginger, garlic (chillies) and the whole spices – blitz or use a pestle and mortar to make the paste

Start the base

  • Cook finely chopped onions in the oil and cook until they turn light or dark brown in colour (darker = a more robust flavour).
  • Add the paste and cook for 30 secs – 1 min. Don’t burn!
  • Add a splash of water to make sure it doesn’t stick if you need to.

Add the meat and sauce

  • If you’re making a meat curry, add it in now.
  • Then add your tomatoes or coconut milk for the sauce.

Top curry tips

Cook your spice

Always cook-off whole spices first until fragrant.

This will unleash their flavour.

Basic curry spices include cardamom, cinnamon, cloves are a good strong base for your dish.

Be generous

Be generous with your spices.

Buy bigger packets of spices from Asian supermarkets, as your average large supermarket sells those stingy little containers or packets.

You can store them in the freezer to stop them going stale.

Decide your base ingredients

Like the French mirepoix (carrot, onion, celery) that’s the foundation for many stews and casseroles.

A good curry also has base ingredients such as onion, ginger, garlic.

This paste is the foundation of your curry.

Decide your curry sauce

Your curry sauce usually consists of one (or a combo of) tomatoes; pureed peppers or chillies; yoghurt or cream; coconut milk; spinach, or finely diced or pureed onion.

If you’re feeling health conscious, use tomatoes over coconut milk.

Take your time

Be patient.

A curry doesn’t have to take hours but like any good cooking, giving it a bit of time maximises flavour and taste.

Tip: Don’t add powdered spices until last as the cooking process reduces the flavour of dried spices.

So, wait until you’re almost finished cooking and then add them in.

Season to taste

Tomato-based curries often need a little sugar to take away the acidity and a pinch of salt.

If you go a little overboard with the seasoning, a twist of lemon juice will neutralise the excess.

Wants some curry recipes to try these top tips on?

Check out my massaman beef curry

And my leftover turkey curry

References:

Tilda

The Guardian