How to Make Curry Sauce

Co-authored by Jessica Gibson

If you want to replicate your favorite restaurant curries at home, start by making curry sauce. Most cultures have their own take on a curry sauce that can be spiced and flavored to make several dishes. Make a British curry by cooking down onions with ginger, garlic, and spices. Add tomato paste and water to give it a smoother texture. You can also make a spicy Thai coconut curry sauce that uses red curry paste and coconut milk. For a tomato based curry sauce, make an Indian curry sauce that's also flavored with onions, turmeric, and chili powder.

Ingredients

British Curry Sauce

2 tablespoons (30 ml) vegetable oil
1 medium onion
2 medium cloves garlic, minced
1-inch (2.5 cm) piece of ginger, peeled and finely chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons (5 g) ground cumin
1 teaspoon (3 g) ground turmeric
1/2 teaspoon (1 1/2 g) ground coriander
1 teaspoon (3 g) paprika
1/2 teaspoon hot curry powder (such as Madras)
1 pinch of red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon (16 g) tomato paste
1 tablespoon (8 g) all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups (355 ml) water
1 tablespoon (15 ml) lemon juice
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Makes 1 1/2 cups (355 ml) of sauce

Spicy Thai Coconut Curry Sauce

3/4 cup (115 g) minced onion
4 large garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup (60 g) Thai red curry paste
1/4 cup (60 ml) vegetable oil
1/4 teaspoon (1 g) salt
2 1/4 cups (532 ml) unsweetened coconut milk
3 tablespoons (45 ml) lime juice
1 1/2 tablespoons (22 ml) Asian fish sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons (6 g) sugar
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon (0.5 to 1 g) cayenne
1/2 cup (25 g) chopped cilantro sprigs, optional

Makes 1 1/2 cups (355 ml) of sauce

Indian Tomato Curry Sauce

1 teaspoon (4 g) sugar
1 pound (453 g) onions
1/2 cup (120 ml) sunflower or vegetable oil
1 teaspoon (5 g) salt, plus more as needed
15 cloves garlic
5 tablespoons (30 g) ginger
2 pounds (906 g) ripe tomatoes
2 1/2 teaspoons (7 g) turmeric powder
2 1/2 teaspoons (7 g) chili powder

Makes 2 1/2 cups (590 ml) of sauce

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Making British Curry Sauce

1
Grate the onion and mince the aromatics. Peel one medium onion and grate it against the large holes on a box grater. Peel two medium cloves of garlic and a one-inch (2.5 cm) piece of fresh ginger. Mince the garlic and ginger.^{[1]
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2
Saute the onion with the aromatics for five minutes. Pour 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of vegetable oil into a medium saucepan over medium high heat. Once the oil is hot and shimmering, stir in the onion, garlic, and ginger. Stir the mixture constantly and cook it for five minutes.^{[2]
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3
Stir in the spices and cook the curry sauce for six more minutes. Keep stirring the curry sauce while you stir in all of the spices. Cook the spiced onions for six minutes. You'll need to stir in:^{[3]
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- 1 1/2 teaspoons (5 g) ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon (3 g) ground turmeric
- 1/2 teaspoon (1 1/2 g) ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon (3 g) paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon hot curry powder (such as Madras)
- 1 pinch of red pepper flakes
4
Stir in the tomato paste and cook the curry sauce for three minutes. Turn the heat to medium and stir in 1 tablespoon (16 g) of tomato paste. Keep stirring and cooking the curry sauce for three minutes. It should begin to thicken a little.^{[4]
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5
Thicken the curry sauce with flour and liquids. Add 1 tablespoon (8 g) of all-purpose flour and stir it until the curry sauce absorbs it. Slowly stir in 1 1/2 cups (355 ml) of water and 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of lemon juice. Continue to stir and cook the sauce until it thickens. This should take a few minutes.^{[5]
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6
Taste and use the British curry sauce. Taste the sauce and season it with kosher salt and ground pepper. If you'd like a smoother sauce, you can puree it in a blender or food processor. To use the curry sauce as a base for sauteed meat or vegetables, just stir the sauce into your prepared meal. If you'd like a soupy curry to serve over rice, you'll probably want to double the recipe. You can also make a single batch of curry to pour over fries.^{[6]
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- One batch of British curry sauce will make about 1 1/2 cups (355 ml) of sauce.
- Store leftover curry sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Making Spicy Thai Coconut Curry Sauce

1
Mince the onion and garlic. Peel an onion and use a sharp knife to mince it. You'll need 3/4 cup (115 g) of minced onion. Peel 4 large cloves of garlic and carefully mince them.^{[7]
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2
Saute the onion with the aromatics for six to eight minutes. Pour 1/4 cup (60 ml) of vegetable oil into a large saucepan and turn the heat to medium-low. Once the oil is shimmering, stir in the minced garlic and onion. You'll also need to stir in 1/4 cup (60 g) of Thai red curry paste and 1/4 teaspoon (1 g) of salt. Saute the mixture for six to eight minutes and stir it occasionally to prevent it from sticking.^{[8]
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- The onion should soften and become clear.
3
Stir in the coconut milk and reduce the mixture for 20 to 30 minutes. Shake a few cans of unsweetened coconut milk and open them. Stir the coconut milk well and pour in 2 1/4 cups (532 ml) of the milk into the onion mixture. Stir every once in a while as some of the liquid in the pan evaporates. This should take 20 to 30 minutes.^{[9]
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- Keep the lid off of the pan so the liquid can evaporate and the sauce can thicken a little.
4
Stir in the remaining ingredients. Turn off the heat and stir in 3 tablespoons (45 ml) of lime juice, 1 1/2 tablespoons (22 ml) of Asian fish sauce, 1 1/2 teaspoons (6 g) of sugar, 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon (0.5 to 1 g) of cayenne, and 1/2 cup (25 g) of chopped cilantro sprigs (optional). Taste the sauce and add extra salt according to your taste.^{[10]
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5
Use the Thai coconut curry sauce. To create a quick stir fry or curry, saute vegetables and your choice of protein in a large pan. For example, saute carrots, potatoes, and sliced beef. Pour the sauce into the pan and serve the dish with rice or flatbread.^{[11]
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- One batch of Spicy Thai coconut curry sauce will make about 1 1/2 cups (355 ml) of sauce. You could use it to make a small serving of curry or double it to make a large serving.
- Store leftover curry sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Making Indian Tomato Curry Sauce

1
Slice the onions and heat the oil. Peel 1 pound (453 g) of onions and use a sharp knife to slice them as thinly as you can (about 1 mm thick). Set the sliced onions aside and set a large pot on the stove. Pour 1/2 cup (120 ml) of sunflower or vegetable oil into it and turn the heat to medium high.^{[12]
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2
Stir in the sugar and add the sliced onions. Set a wooden spoon in the oil. Once you see bubbles around the spoon, add 1 teaspoon (4 g) of sugar. Stir the sugar so it dissolves and starts to turn dark. Stir in the sliced onions and 1 teaspoon (5 g) of salt.^{[13]
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3
Cook the onions for ten minutes and prepare the aromatics. Stir the onions occasionally and let them cook for ten minutes so they soften. Get out 15 cloves of garlic and a five-inch (12 cm) stem of fresh ginger. Peel the garlic and ginger. Mince all of the garlic and mince enough fresh ginger to measure 5 tablespoons (30 g).^{[14]
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4
Stir in the aromatics and cook the mixture for ten more minutes. Stir the minced garlic and ginger into the softened onions. Stir the mixture every once in a while and cook it for ten more minutes.^{[15]
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- The mixture (masala) should become dark or golden in color as it cooks.
5
Dice and stir in the tomatoes with the spices. Wash 2 pounds (906 g) of ripe tomatoes and dice them into small pieces. Stir all of the tomatoes into the masala along with 2 1/2 teaspoons (7 g) of turmeric powder and 2 1/2 teaspoons (7 g) of chili powder. Stir the sauce occasionally and let it cook for 15 minutes.^{[16]
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- The tomatoes should break down as they cook.
6
Reduce the heat and simmer the sauce for five minutes. Turn the heat down to medium so the sauce still bubbles quite a bit. Put the lid on the pan and simmer the masala for five minutes.^{[17]
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- You should see oil start to glisten on the surface of the curry sauce once it's finished cooking.
7
Taste and use the Indian curry sauce. Taste the curry sauce and stir in more salt according to your taste. To use the curry sauce, saute a pound (453 g) of shrimp in the sauce and stir in a little yogurt. Serve the dish over rice. Or stir about 1/2 cup (120 ml) of the sauce into two cups (150 g) of cooked lentils and serve it with your favorite flatbread.^{[18]
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- Portion the leftover curry sauce into 1/2 cup (120 ml) portions so you can defrost and use them easily. Freeze the curry sauce for up to two months or place it in the fridge to use within three or four days.