With this Indian hotel style curry gravy, you can make so many delicious curries.
Those of you who have been following my blog for a while or have cooked from my cookbooks will know about the British curry house style base sauce. It's used to prepare all of the curry house favourites. This hotel style curry base gravy is used in a similar way but it's actually a curry sauce in its own right. With this easy tomato and onion based gravy, you can prepare so many delicious and authentic curries quickly and easily. Read on to see how to make it and discover how you can use it.
What is hotel style curry gravy?
At busy hotel restaurants around India, the chefs prepare several different gravies such as this hotel style curry gravy. This is done so that the chefs don't need to prepare a new base gravy for every curry ordered.
The hotel style curry gravies are made in large batches so that they have them to hand when needed.
Each hotel style gravy like this tomato and onion gravy are actually curries in their own right. You can simply add meat, seafood, paneer or vegetables to them and you've got yourself a curry. More often, however, these gravies are used together. You can mix two or three of them together to come up with the curry you want.
How do you used this gravy?
Let's say you want to prepare a chicken chengezi curry or a lamb keema shimla mirch. Both of these curries start with a base of onions and tomatoes just like this hotel style curry gravy does.
Although the exact measurements of each ingredient may not be the same, the base masalas in each are pretty similar. So in a busy restaurant kitchen, the chefs simply use a big scoop of this gravy to produce them. You can of course adjust the flavour by following the recipes so that your chicken chengezi or lamb shimla mirch tastes as they should.
Can you work ahead?
This is batch cooking! So working ahead is the whole idea behind it. You can make this hotel style curry gravy and then place it in the fridge if using in about three days or freeze it.
I usually freeze it in portions of about 250ml (1 cup) which will easily serve one person but you should freeze it in batches that are convenient for you.
Step by step photos
Hotel Style Indian Curry Gravy
Ingredients
- 70ml (1/4 cup) rapeseed (canola) oil
- 3 green cardamom pods, smashed
- 2 cloves
- 1 x 5cm (2 inch) cinnamon stick
- 2 Indian bay leaves (cassia leaves)
- 1kg (2 lbs) onions, roughly chopped
- 1 tsp salt
- 4 tbsp garlic and ginger paste
- 3 green chillies, roughly chopped
- 2 tbsp ground cumin
- 2 tbsp ground coriander
- 2 tbsp Kashmiri chilli powder (more or less to taste)
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- 1kg (2 lbs) chopped tomatoes, tinned (canned) are fine
- 5 tbsp coriander (cilantro), roughly chopped
- 2 tsp kasoori methi (dried fenugreek leaves
- More salt, if needed and to taste
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. When visibly hot, stir in the whole spices and let them infuse their flavour into the oil for about 40 seconds. Stir in the chopped onions and salt and fry for about 15 minutes or until they are soft and turning a deep golden brown in colour. The salt will help release moisture from the onions and cook them faster.
- Stir in the garlic and ginger paste and then the chopped chillies. Then add the ground cumin, ground coriander, chilli powder and turmeric. Stir the spices into the onion mixture along with about 70ml (1/4 cup) water so that the spices don’t burn.
- Add the chopped tomatoes and bring it all to a simmer. Cover the pan and simmer for about 10 minutes. When you lift the lid, the oil will have separated and floated to the top. Stir this back in and add the chopped coriander (cilantro) and the kasoori methi (dried fenugreek leaves) by rubbing them between you fingers.
- Take the pan off the heat and allow to cool. If you prefer a smoother sauce, blend it until smooth or just leave it as it is.
- Season with more salt, if needed to taste. Then use immediately or store the gravy in the fridge for up to 3 days or freeze it in 250ml (1 cup) portions.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
10Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 46Total Fat: 3gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 446mgCarbohydrates: 5gFiber: 2gSugar: 1gProtein: 1g
Craig says
Hi Dan, currently follow you on twitter. I've been making batches of curry sauce for years now, and like you say they are pretty much along all the same lines. I have recently found doing it as your full fat version and add 1 carrot 1 green pepper and a good bunch of corriander into the pot makes a awesome rich sauce. I think you should try it on your next batch.
Enjoy
Craig
Twitter @chazstretton
Dan Toombs says
Hi Craig
Thanks for stopping by and leaving some great advice. My curry sauce is now a bit out of date.
In the last couple of weeks I've been shown two new sauces that are similar but better. You are right that adding the carrot and pepper improves the flavour.
Recently I've been blackening a few bell peppers over my gas stove before adding them. I've also been adding about a half of a cabbage to the sauce.
I haven't used coriander yet in my base sauce but I can assure you I will be giving that a go next time.
Cheers
Dan
Mark says
Hey Evening all!
Last Xmas I made some curry base sauce from an internet site somewhere. It was along the following lines:
6 large onions
1 green pepper
4 large green chilli (take seeds out)
Handful of fresh coriander
Salt (I used a tea spoon)
2 tbs of Garlic / Ginger paste (made mine by using a mini food mixer)
Tin of tomatoes
Two large carrots
Plus spices as Dan as suggested ..
I guess there is no right or wrong way of doing this.... whatever works is good for me!
Mark
Dan Toombs says
Hi Mark
Thanks for that. I've changed my recipe a few times since writing it. Now I use a bit of cabbage to along with roasted red bell peppers. I think I'll try your recipe next.
Cheers
Dan
Rog says
I followed this recipe for Low fat curry sauce to the T. For some reason I ended up with a stock pot full of runny sauce that tasted like week gravey. I had to add lots of curry powder and chilli etc to get a curry taste and cornflour to thicken. Its ended up quite nice but I wont be making another batch. I certainly would not say it was anything like curry sauce. Cheers anyway Rog
Dan Toombs says
Hi Rog
Sorry to hear that.
Remember, this is only a base sauce. It's really an onion sauce with very little flavour just like a chicken stock. As you said, you needed to add a lot of curry powder and chilli to make it taste worth eating.
That is how it should be!
You take this base curry sauce and add it to my restaurant style curry recipes. You can then make anything from chicken korma to madras to vindaloo.
Dan
Dan
Gary says
Top answer.....
Sumi says
Made your full fat version , was just perfection !
Now I want to try the low cal one.. I see many differences in the two in terms of spices.
You have updates your full cersion recently.
Does this one need updating too?
Should I use thr same spices as used in the full version for a better curry?
Thanks a lot for your recipes..
Dan Toombs says
Hi Sumi
I think this one does need some updating. Don't know when I'll find the time. You could try it as is though or use the spices from the other. Both work but I do like the more recent version.
Thanks
Dan
Lauren says
Hi from the USA! Thanks for sharing your curry base, total life saver as I hate buying bottled sauces. Saves money and time! I felt it was a little bland so I added a serrano pepper, cilantro, and a little parsley. Other than that, your spice blend ratio is wonderful! Thanks again from a rookie cook!
Dan Toombs says
Hi Lauren
Thank you. You did the right thing by adding chillies and herbs. It is meant to be bland so that it can be used as a base for everything from the mildest chicken korma to the hottest vindaloo. Take a look at this link and you will see a few of the curries that it can be used in. https://greatcurryrecipes.net/2013/12/31/make-indian-restaurant-style-curry-sauce-large-batch/
Thanks,
Dan
Gary says
I have made this many times now and find that adding a half reason of ground green cardamom lifts it massively... however when basing Korma with this, it's too much... luckily I don't eat korma.
Great work mate.
Dan Toombs says
Than you Gary.
Dan
David Artus says
Loving the lite curry book, Bhajis are a winner! Question about what portion size to freeze. Recipes seem to call for about 300 ml of base sauce. Instructions say to add water or stock to creite a runny sauce, about consistency of single cream. Is that 300 ml the amount before or after then addition of water? Do I freeze in 300 ml portions or in some lesser amount?
Dan Toombs says
300 ml called for by the recipe would be 300 ml of diluted base sauce. I would suggest freezing it in 300 ml portions.
Thanks
Dan
Dave says
Thanks for the recipes i now have some great cooking to do
Caroline Toombs says
Excellent, enjoy cooking!
Thanks
Dan
Rich says
Thanks for this fantastic recipe- my curries have never been all that when cooked in one go. Love this method and definitely worth the hassle when freezing batches.
Quick question- when you say garlic smashed in skins do you remove the skins before blending? I assume you do but could be missing a trick.
I also add a little Sriracha to my base sauce as I find it adds depth.
Dan Toombs says
it isn’t absolutely necessary to remove the garlic skins as they are edible but it’s up to you.
Nice touch with the Sriacha.
Thanks
Dan