Indian Curry Paste Recipe: How to Make Curry Paste at Home

Name: Indian Curry Paste
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 45 min
Ingredients: 1 cup red onion (chopped); 1 inch ginger; 3-4 cloves garlic; 3-4 TBSP water (extra if necessary); 2-3 no. bay leaves (depending on the size of the leaf. 3 if small, 2 if big); 2 tsp cloves (whole); 2 tsp peppercorn (whole); 3-4 no. black cardamom (whole); 1/2 no. cinnamon stick (whole); 1/2 TBSP cumin seeds (whole); 1/2 tsp cumin seeds; 1 inch cinnamon stick; 2 no. black cardamom (gently smashed a couple times to break the outer shell); 1 tsp turmeric powder; 2 TBSP coriander powder; 2 TBSP cooking oil (preferably mustard oil, but can substitute with canola or olive oil.); 1 tsp ghee; Salt to taste; 1 cup diced tomatoes (pureed)

Prerna Singh

Sep 20, 2011

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See 10 amazing curries you can make from this curry paste

This Indian Curry Paste recipe is the base of any Indian curry. This is a master Curry Recipe that can be used to make anything from Chicken Curry to Chana Masala.

Saturday was fun and interesting. It was Abhishek’s birthday but he had to go to school so he left early leaving me and the little monster with enough time to plan something nice for him. I took this as a good opportunity to go meet a few friends of mine. pent a lovely afternoon with them talking about food, food blogging and the rest of the world while watching the kids play.

That was so fun, I almost forgot that there is a party at my house in the evening and a birthday cake needs to be made. There needs to be a whole post to tell you the story about that birthday and the birthday cake which probably I will do later! But while deciding his birthday menu I realized one thing. One of the most common masala mixture (spice mix) that is used in Indian curries is a curry paste and I never shared a post on it. So I thought before sharing what I cooked for his birthday I should share this basic Indian curry recipe for curry paste whose variation is present in almost all Indian curries.

What is an Indian Curry Paste made of:

But I feel like it is my duty to tell you that every Indian household has its own recipe for any Indian dish and the same goes with a curry paste. I come from the northern part of India where curry paste is mostly tomato-based. In South Indian kitchens use of curry leaves, coconut, some kind of lentil or tamarind will be prominent. Mughlai Cuisine is comprised of whole or ground spices and the addition of cream or a dairy product to make the sauce rich and creamy.

How to Make Indian Curry Paste

Let’s take it a little slow and focus on the basics first and start with a basic Indian Curry Paste. It can be used to make almost all kinds of Indian curries. So you start with this tomato-based curry paste recipe as the base and then add layers to it based on what you want to achieve. Add a rich cream and/or nut paste for mughlai curries or curry leaves, coconut or maybe some mustard seeds to give it a more south Indian flare.

To create an authentic Indian curry paste, blend a harmonious mix of wet and dry masalas. The wet blend, crafted from pantry essentials like onions, garlic, ginger, and chilis, infuses vibrant flavors into your dishes, while the dry mix complements with aromatic depth and complexity.

Experiment with various chili peppers like Thai green chilis, jalapenos, or dried red chilis to tailor the heat level to your liking, or omit them altogether for a milder yet still richly flavorful curry base.

Spices used to make an Indian Curry paste:

The foundation of Indian curry paste lies in the aromatic blend of dry spices akin to garam masala powder, a medley often personalized by each cook’s unique touch. In my family’s rendition, this mix features black cardamom, cinnamon, cumin, coriander seeds, cloves, black pepper, and bay leaves ground into a fragrant powder, melding seamlessly with the wet masala for a symphony of flavors.

After incorporating the garam masala powder into the wet mix, the addition of tomato puree or diced tomatoes serves as the final flourish, simmering until the sauce reaches a harmonious consistency, evoking the essence of traditional Indian cuisine in every bite.

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