Easy Indian Basic Curry Paste Recipes

EASY INDIAN BASIC CURRY PASTE

Steps:

• In a food processor, take onions, garlic, ginger and green chilies.
• Heat a frying pan, add oil and allow it to warm.
• Add onion, ginger garlic and green chili mixture and cook it for few minutes.
• Once the onion starts to lose water, add salt. It allows the onion to cook faster by losing more water.
• Brown the mixture well on low flame, and cook until the mixture starts to ooze oil and the mixture starts to leave the pan.
• At this point, the mixture becomes semi-dry and leaves the pan easily.
• This is the time to add spices. Add all the spices and give a good stir, so the spices incorporate well in the mixture.
• Now you have two choices. You can turn the heat off and keep this mixture as your base curry mixture or add tomatoes and cook it further.
• Because some curry recipes don't include tomatoes, I prefer keeping half curry paste without tomatoes and half with it.
• After keeping half of this mixture, I add chopped or puréed tomatoes, and allow it to cook until the mixture dries up and has a pasty consistency.
• Once it reaches a thick and pasty consistency, the curry paste is ready.
• Allow it to cool down completely and store it in refrigerator for a week or two.
• Set the instant pot to the saute mode. Let it heat till the "Hot" sign appears on the IP display. Add oil and let it heat.
• There is a little difference in this Instant pot method than the traditional curry paste making method mentioned above. Instead of adding onions first, we will add everything all at once.
• Add onion, ginger and garlic mixure, followed by tomato puree, all spices and salt. Give a good mix and saute for about 2 minutes. (Till the mixture loses some moisture)
• Now change the cooking method to pressure cook and set the time for 3 minutes.
• Close the lid and seal the vent.
• Once the cooking time is up, wait for the NPR.
• After the natural pressure release, stir the mixture well.
• Now press the saute button again and cook the mixture further till the mixture looks thick and paste-like consistency.
• The curry paste is ready. Store it in an air-tight glass jar for two weeks or freeze it for a month.

EASY INDIAN CURRY PASTE

Steps:

• Place coriander seeds, cumin seeds, fennel seeds, dried red chilies and peppercorns in a frying pan over low heat. Cook, stirring constantly, for about 2-3 minutes or until the seeds turn golden and aromatic. Remove from heat.
• Allow to cool completely. Transfer cooked spices to a food processor. Grind to a fine powder.
• Add shallots, ginger, garlic, ground turmeric, paprika, red chili powder, tomato paste, vinegar and salt. Grind again to make a smooth paste.
• Use immediately, or store the paste in a sterilized jar for up to a week.

BASIC INDIAN CURRY WITH PANEER

Steps:

• Heat oil in a large pan over medium heat. Cook and stir until onion has softened and turned translucent, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to low and continue cooking and stirring until onion is very tender and dark brown, about 20 minutes more. Stir in garlic and ginger, and continue cooking for 1 minute.
• Reduce heat to low, stir in chopped serrano chiles, and cook for an additional minute. Sprinkle in the red chile powder, cumin, coriander, garam masala, and turmeric; cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
• Pour in tomato puree and ketchup; thin with water to desired consistency. Stir in the paneer and peas; cook to soften peas, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in cream, and increase heat to medium-high. Allow the curry to come to a rolling boil, and cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Garnish with cilantro.

BASIC CURRY SAUCE

Steps:

• Heat oil and margarine in a small skillet or wok over medium high heat. Add onion and saute until very brown, 10 to 15 minutes. (Note: This is an important step; if onion is not cooked well, sauce will taste funny.)
• Add ginger and garlic to onion and saute for an additional 2 minutes. Process onion/ginger/garlic mixture in food processor until smooth. Do not rinse food processor.
• Place onion mixture in a large saucepan. Stir in the cinnamon, black pepper, coriander, cumin, turmeric and cayenne pepper and cook over low heat until mixture is thick and has the consistency of a paste.
• Puree tomatoes, chile peppers and cilantro in food processor until smooth. Add to onion mixture and stir well over low heat, cooking off moisture from tomatoes and cilantro. Add yogurt a little bit at a time, stirring constantly to avoid curdling.
• Blend the whole mixture in food processor to puree it (for a very smooth sauce). Return to saucepan, add water and increase heat to high; bring sauce to a rolling boil. Cover saucepan and boil for 3 to 5 minutes. Reduce heat and simmer until desired consistency is reached.
• To serve with meat, cook the meat first separately, then simmer for 5 to 10 minutes in the sauce before serving over rice or with bread. To serve with vegetables, steam raw veggies first 4 to 5 minutes, then simmer for 5 to 10 minutes in the sauce before serving.

CURRY PASTE

Steps:

• Put it all in one of those little mini-processors and zoom it a couple of times.
• Add a little bit of water, or oil, to make a paste and zoom it until it all comes together.