Basic Curry Sauce

#myrecipe
By Beena Chandarana

Apr, 17th

577

Servings
6 persons
Cook Time
20 minutes
Ingredients
8 - 10

Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoons vegetable oil or ghee (clarified but
  • 1 medium onion - finely chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic - peeled and sliced
  • 1.5 inch piece root ginger - peeled and thinly sli
  • 2 mild fleshy green chillies - de-seeded and vei
  • half teaspoon turmeric powder
  • half teaspoon ground cumin seed
  • half teaspoon ground coriander seed
  • 5 tablespoons plain passata
  • or 1 tablespoon concentrated tomato purée mixed with 4 tablespoons water

Instructions

  • Heat the oil in a heavy pan then add the chopped onion and stir for a few minutes with the heat on high. Add the ginger, garlic and green chilli (if using). Stir for 30 seconds then put the heat down to very low.
  • Cook for 15 minutes stirring from time to time making sure nothing browns or burns. Add the turmeric, cumin and coriander and cook, still very gently, for a further 5 minutes.
  • Don't burn the spices or the sauce will taste horrid - sprinkle on a few drops of water if you're worried.
  • Take off the heat and cool a little. Put 4 fl oz cold water in a blender, add the contents of the pan and whizz until very smooth. Add the passata and stir.
  • Put the puréed mixture back into the pan and cook for 20 - 30 minutes (the longer the better) over very low heat stirring occasionally.
  • You can add a little hot water if it starts to catch on the pan but the idea is to gently "fry" the sauce which will darken in colour to an orangy brown.
  • The final texture should be something like good tomato ketchup. Warning - it WILL gloop occasionally and splatter over your cooker, it's the price you have to pay!