Curry Base Gravy: The Foundation of Great BIR Indian Cooking
- Steve Holloway
- Feb 20, 2024
- 4 min read
Updated: 3 days ago
What Is Curry Base Gravy & Why Curry Base Gravy Is Important in BIR Cooking
Curry base gravy is one of the key secrets behind British Indian Restaurant (BIR) cooking. Instead of preparing every curry from scratch, many curry houses make a large batch of smooth vegetable-based gravy that becomes the foundation for dozens of different dishes.
During service, chefs combine this base gravy with spices, garlic, ginger, and other ingredients to quickly create individual curries such as Chicken Madras, King Prawn Patia and Chicken Dhansak, Using a base gravy allows restaurants to cook curries quickly while maintaining consistent flavour and texture. It’s also what makes it possible to produce many different dishes from the same kitchen in just a few minutes.
How Curry Base Gravy Is Used
In a typical curry house kitchen, chefs begin by frying garlic, ginger, onions, and spices in a hot pan. Once the spices release their aromas, a few ladles of prepared base gravy are added to create the sauce for the dish.
From that point, the curry is built by adding ingredients such as chicken, lamb, vegetables, tomatoes, or chilli. The gravy is then reduced and finished with fresh herbs or garam masala.
This system allows chefs to create many different curries quickly while still developing deep flavour.
Recipe Difficulty level - Beginner-Friendly
Special equipment - blender
Almost every Indian restaurant or local takeaway will have their version of 'curry gravy' it is usually made in the morning ready for lunchtime or evening rush it is the backbone of most of their sauce based curries and many keep this recipe a guarded secret. The gravy is made up of layers of flavour built on top of each other I'm going to simplify it a little here for the sake of easiness. Don't forget to scale the chilli powder up and down to cater for your own heat levels also remember that salt will be added to the final dishes so don't overdo it.
If you're new to curry house cooking, start with my guide to the British Indian Restaurant cooking system.
Basic Curry Gravy Recipe
Ingredients:
4 tablespoons of coconut oil or ghee
1 large onion chopped
3 cloves of garlic crushed
1 inch piece of ginger grated
2 teaspoons of ground coriander
2 teaspoons of ground cumin
1 teaspoon of paprika
1 teaspoon of turmeric
½ - 1 Teaspoon of chilli powder
1 teaspoon of garam masala
2 tins of chopped tomatoes
150ml of water
½ teaspoon of Celtic or Himalayan salt
How To Make Basic Curry Gravy
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Step 1:
Over a medium heat fry the onions, crushed garlic and grated ginger in the oil until they are soft and the raw smell of onions has disappeared, this may take around 5 minutes or so.
Step 2:
Add the ground spices and fry for 2 minutes, adding a splash of water as you go to stop the spices from burning, keep frying until the spices have gone darker in colour you will smell them as they release their essential oils.
Step 3:
Now add the chopped tinned tomatoes, salt and water, lower the heat and simmer for around 10 minutes. Keep stirring don't let the mixture stick to the bottom of the pan or burn.
Step 4:
Finally allow the mixture to cool and then blend the mix until smooth with either a hand or a jug blender.
Recipes You Can Make With This Curry Base
This versatile curry gravy forms the backbone of many dishes on Stevie’s Curry Magic. Once prepared, you can use it to create a variety of restaurant-style curries with ease:
Frequently Asked Questions for Basic Curry Gravy
Can I Customize the Spice Level of This Curry Gravy?
Yes, you can adjust the amount of chili or spices to make it milder or spicier according to your preference.
What Ingredients Are Essential for This Curry Gravy?
Basic ingredients include onions, garlic, ginger, spices like turmeric, coriander, cumin, and a tomato base.
Can I Prepare This Curry Gravy in Advance?
Absolutely, it can be made ahead and stored in the refrigerator for a couple of days,
which often enhances the flavours. Alternatively, freeze it for several months.
Is This Recipe Suitable for Vegetarians?
Yes, it’s a vegetarian-friendly recipe, but you can add meat or protein of your choice if desired.
Can This Basic Curry Gravy Be Used for All Curries?
It can be used for most tomato based curries but might not work well in a say creamy korma but hey why not give it a try.
Conclusion
This versatile curry gravy can easily serve as a medium curry base, which you can customize by adding your favourite vegetables, chicken, or even seafood to create a delicious and satisfying meal in no time. Its adaptable nature makes it perfect for quick weeknight dinners or meal prep. I often scale up this recipe to make a double batch, allowing me to portion it into small containers and freeze them. Having these ready-to-go curry bases in the freezer means I can enjoy a homemade, flavourful curry with minimal effort whenever the craving strikes, making weeknight cooking both convenient and delicious.
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Cheers Steve.
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