How To Perfect Basic Indian Curry Bases

Most think that if the ingredient list is this long, then the actual procedure itself is going to be arduous. And, sadly, a lot of times that is how it is for people who are beginners. But that’s only because they aren’t familiar with the basics of Indian curries. What are the basics, you ask? Acing the base! The magic of any Indian curry lies in its base. Just the way most cakes and cookies are made with interchanging basic ingredients or changing the ingredients’ quantities, the same goes for Indian curries as well. Once you know a few basic Indian curry bases you’ll be whipping up everything from chicken curry, mixed vegetable curry, paneer tikka masala, potato gravy, and shahi paneer, and all with minimal effort. Since we will be discussing bases and ingredients like khada masala in detail, you will also get a fair idea of what you need to pick up on your next grocery shopping trip to make yummy desi dishes.

Let’s start off with the very first thing you do while making any Indian dish - the tempering. You start by adding all your tempering ingredients to the heated oil. Some of the most commonly used tempering ingredients are - cinnamon sticks, mustard seeds, cumin seeds, curry leaves, cardamom powder or pods, and asafoetida. These ingredients are all potent in the flavor and fragrance department. While tempering these ingredients, houses are filled with an inviting and warm aroma that indicates a scrumptious meal is just around the corner. This means you can also fish all these ingredients out once they are done tempering since they will have already flavored the oil. The next step is creating the base of course. While the star ingredient, like chicken or paneer, is what adds most of the flavor, it is the base that enhances and adds complexity to the dish. A base is usually made up of ingredients that add heft to the curry and form the curry itself. A few of the most used ingredients that make up the base are - tomatoes, onions, ginger, garlic, coconut, and yogurt. All Indian dishes are made using a combination or at least one of these ingredients. If you are making a - curry from the South there is a good chance that coconut milk will be the main base ingredient. If it’s a curry from the North, then in all likelihood, the base will be made from a mixture of tomatoes, onions, and ginger-garlic paste. Getting to the actual preparation, once you are done with tempering you will start preparing your base by first adding in either chopped onions or onion paste and frying it until it has turned color. Next, you add in your chopped or paste of ginger and garlic and fry it till it’s done. After that, you continue to either tomato, coconut milk, or yogurt, and then add in your masalas like garam masala, kitchen king, or meat masala, and cook. The key to any good curry is to let all the base ingredients cook well. Even if one ingredient isn’t cooked completely, the final dish will taste off.

Hopefully, the next Indian curry recipe you try won’t seem so bewildering. Also, now that you have a better understanding of the basics, go ahead experiment, and fun.