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Curry base a simple freezer friendly gravy base
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5 from 21 votes

Onion and Tomato Curry Base Recipe

Make a batch of Curry Base and freeze it You can use it to make gravy recipes quickly. Healthier than takeaways and just as delicious.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time45 minutes
Course: Brunch, Cooking 101/Basic Preps, Dinner, Lunch
Cuisine: North Indian
Keyword: Basic Preps, Indian Curry, Onion Tomato Gravy, Punjabi Style Cuisine, Restaurant style curry
Servings: 4 cups
Calories: 112kcal
Author: ArchanaPotdar

Equipment

Ingredients

  • ½ cup Oil
  • 3 onions chopped fine
  • 5 Tomatoes peeled and pureed
  • ¼ cup garlic
  • ¼ cup Ginger grated or chopped fine
  • 2 litre Water Boiling hot

Whole Masala:

  • 4 bay leaves
  • 1 masala elichi black cardamon
  • 4 green cardamom elichi
  • 1 inch cinnamon stick
  • ½ teaspoon cumin seeds

Powders:

  • 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
  • 1 teaspoon red chilli powder adjust as per taste
  • 1 teaspoon garam masala
  • 1 teaspoon pav bhaji masala
  • 1 teaspoon Coriander seed powder
  • Salt to taste
  • ½ teaspoon Sugar
  • Coriander leaves A few sprigs, I grind with the garlic

Instructions

Prepping the Ingredients:

  • Wash and slit the tomatoes in a cross near the top. The slit should not reach the bottom. (5 Tomatoes)
  • Place the tomatoes in a pan and pour boiling water over them to cover the tomatoes. Cover the pan with a tight lid and set aside for 30 minutes. (2 litre Water)
  • After 30 minutes, peel the tomatoes and blend them. Set aside.
  • Chop the onions finely. Grate the ginger and crush the coriander with garlic, and set aside.

Making the Curry Base

  • In a thick-bottomed kadhai/wok, heat oil on medium-high flame. Add the cumin seeds and let it splutter. (½ cup Oil +½ teaspoon cumin seeds)
  • Lower the flame, add the whole masala and fry till you get an aroma. (4 bay leaves +1 masala elichi +4 green cardamom+ 1 inch cinnamon stick)
  • Stir-fry the chopped onions on medium flame. Stir regularly till the onions become translucent. (3 onions )
  • Add the garlic and coriander paste, and ginger. Continue to stir-fry till the onions caramelise and the oil separates. (¼ cup garlic +Coriander leaves +¼ cup Ginger )
  • Add tomato puree, mix well and let the tomatoes cook down. Again, the texture will change, and the oil separates.
  • At this point, you can stop cooking, cool and store the curry base.
  • However, I prefer to add the dry powders and fry for about 5 minutes. (1 teaspoon turmeric powder +1 teaspoon red chilli powder + 1 teaspoon garam masala + 1 teaspoon pav bhaji masala +1 teaspoon Coriander seed powder)
  • In the past, I removed the whole spices and ground the curry base. But now I do not.
  • Transfer to smaller containers, or set them in an ice tray. Freeze.
  • When ready to use the required quantity and use as needed.

Notes

  • I add very little salt and sugar as they are preservatives. Adjust the spices as per the recipe.

Nutrition

Serving: 1recipe | Calories: 112kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 4g