Make a large batch of Onion Tomato masala paste for making “curry base in a hurry” on busy days.
Home style Indian Curry sauce base: Not your everyday restaurant style curry gravy
My base Indian Curry Sauce is a staple in Indian cuisine and you can use it in a variety of dishes from dals, curries, sabzis or rice. Or use in recipes that calls for a curry sauce or onion tomato masala, from chicken tikka masala to chana masala. Some people also call it Bhuna masala.
The key ingredients for this curry base sauce are onion, tomato, ginger, garlic, and warming spices. The sauce is versatile and can be made on the stove top in a large pan or in an Instant Pot for a quicker and easy option.
The secret to making the Best base curry sauce is to allow the masala to cook really well. And add the right amount of spices and seasoning.
Once you make this base gravy Onion tomato masala, you have cut down 90% of the steps involved in your everyday curries, dals and stews. Some of the popular recipes where you can use is Chana masala, Rajma masala, Tarka dal, Green lentils dal and more. Most of all they are so handy, cooking will be a breeze on busy week days, while party planning or in a hurry.
The best bit about this masala is that they freeze exceptionally well and can be stored until you are ready to use.
What are the ingredients to make basic Indian curry base sauce?
Onion - Opt for red onions for their robust flavour, which adds depth to the curry sauce. Any other variety of onion also works.
Tomato - Choose fresh, ripe tomatoes to enhance the sauce’s richness. To intensify the colour, consider adding tomato paste or canned tomatoes as an optional addition.
Fresh Ginger and Garlic - Use fresh root ginger and garlic cloves to extract the full spectrum of flavours in the curry sauce.
Spices - Enhance the flavours of your Bhuna masala with basic set of spices: Ground turmeric, Red Chilli Powder, homemade ground coriander, homemade ground cumin and garam masala spice blend.
Oil - I use sunflower oil or vegetable oil. Alternatively you can also use olive oil or avocado oil to make bhuna masala. Generously use oil, as it not only enhances the flavour but also acts as a preservative, preserving the rich flavours in the gravy.
When I make chana masala with frozen base curry sauce cubes, I omit the addition of oil altogether.
Homemade Indian curry sauce recipe
Add the ginger and garlic to the processor and process until finely chopped. Set it aside. Next add the onions and process them until finely chopped. Set it aside. Roughly chop the tomatoes and add it to the processor until finely chopped. Set it aside. Don’t have a chopper, blender or food processor, you can use a knife and cut them, however it is time consuming. Next, add the chopped tomatoes, salt and spices and continue to cook until the tomatoes have broken down and the sauce has thickened. This can take anywhere between 25-30 minutes. Allow the masala to cool down and blend to a smooth consistency. The masala is of thick consistency and as no water is used in the making, you will need to add water while adding onion tomato masala to your dishes. Use this super easy onion tomato masala paste can be used as a base for many recipes - in dal, stews, curries, sabzi’s or rice dishes too. I use this frozen masala straight from the freezer into the recipes without needing to thaw.
Quick Chana Masala: To make easy Chana Masala in 10 minutes, I add cooked chickpeas, ¾ - 1 cup of water, base Indian curry sauce and simmer until the chickpeas are cooked through. Top with additional spices like garam masala. Finish with fresh coriander and kasuri methi. Aloo Matar: To make easy Aloo Matar, add diced potatoes and peas to the base Indian curry sauce and water. Simmer until the vegetables are cooked through. Season to taste, add with ½ teaspoon homemade garam masala and ½ teaspoon chilli powder as need. Finish with fresh coriander and serve with homemade Garlic Naan bread without yeast. Red Lentils Dal Tadka: To your cooked red lentils, add 1 cube or ½ cup of curry sauce, ½ - 1 cup of water to adjust the consistency of the dal. Cook until heated thoroughly. Add the seasoning on the top if you like, squeeze of lemon and garnish with coriander.
Chana masala Rajma masala Chickpea tikka masala Green lentils dal Brown lentils dal Egg Curry Matar Paneer
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