British Indian Restaurant (BIR) style onion sauce is super easy to make but takes a long time so plan ahead.
This onion sauce is part of what makes do piazza curries so good. It can also be added to other curries for extra flavour.
The secret to success is in the slow cooking. I usually cook my onion sauce in a low oven over night. Doing this gives the sauce more depth. You can use the finished onion sauce exactly as it is when you take it out of the oven or blend it if you prefer smoother curries.
When you take the finished sauce out of the oven, the top will be slightly blackened. Try it. If you like the flavour, stir it in. If not, skim it off the top.
How To Make A Tasty Onion Sauce To Add To Your Curries
Prep Time
15 minutes
Cook Time
10 hours
Total Time
10 hours 15 minutes
Ingredients
- 4 onions - finely sliced
- 2 red bell peppers - finely sliced
- Curry sauce - enough to cover plus about 200ml water
- 1 teaspoon fennel powder
- 3 whole cloves
Instructions
- Slice the onions so that the are paper thin. You want to almost fill the pan you are using with the onions.
- Slice the red bell peppers and place them on top of the onions to fill the pan.
- Add the fennel powder and cloves and cover.
- Now add the base curry sauce so that it covers the onions and about 200ml water.
- Place on a low heat and bring very slowly to a simmer.
- This is when I place the onion sauce in the oven on the a very low temperature with the lid on. You can leave it there all night if you like. The longer you cook the sauce the better up to about ten hours.
- The top of the sauce will be quite blackened when you take it out of the oven. Try it. If you like it, stir it in. If not, remove the blackened bits.
- Place the finished sauce in a blender and blend until smooth or leave it chunky as it is.
- Use immediately or freeze.
Ketan says
Hey..
Your recipes are really authentic! I would like to know what are the proportion ration of bell peppers to onions and do we use green bell peppers or red? I am an Indian and like you I experiment and try many recipes, I wanted to know whats the difference in BIR and normal indian recipes?
Regards,
Ketan
Dan Toombs says
Hi Ketan
Thank you for stopping by. Authentic Indian cookery is different to BIR which is British Indian Restaurant cooking. BIR cooking is different in that it uses a base sauce that is added to almost all of the curries. Cooked meat/vegetables and different spices are then added to make the different curries.
This way of cooking was developed so that busy restaurants could serve a lot of people quickly and inexpensively.
It is quite different to authentic Indian cooking but as the flavours are quite similar from restaurant to restaurant and the curries have become very popular in the UK. I hope you get a chance to try some.
Rod Stevenson says
Hi Dan,
Can I use your curry sauce recipe in place of the curry gravy one? How about using a slow cooker for the onion sauce?
Best regards,
Rod.
Dan Toombs says
Hi Rob - The curry gravy and curry sauce are the same. I've never tried using a slow cooker but I think it should work. Good luck!
Rod Stevenson says
Thanks Dan,
I'm a little confused though. You have a recipe here you call BIR Curry Gravy, it includes smoked paprika and gram flour. I guess when you say sauce or gravy you mean the recipe that starts with 10 onions, yes? So how do I use the 1st one? I've made a batch and it's now in the freezer.
Regards,
Rod
Luigi says
Great recipe here Dan, and to the gentlemen Rod asking the question, Yes! If you click the link it actually takes you straight to Dan's recipe anyway 🙂
Dan Toombs says
Thank you Luigi. Great to hear from you. Really glad you liked the recipe.
Dan
Julie says
Approx how much curry gravey is needed when you make the onion sauce for the Dopiaza recipe.
Your website is fab and the recipes just amazing,keep up the good work.
A chicken bhuna recipe would be wonderful
many thanks and kind regards
Dan Toombs says
You just need enough sauce to cover the onions. A little less would also be fine. Good luck.
Keith says
Hi Dan, I am new to this, well new to cooking this way, not curries! So I have a lot to learn and experiment with, getting my head around gravy sauce or onion sauce etc is a little confusing I must admit!
And leaving the gas stove on for 10 hours scares me a little too! Sounds and expensive sauce!
Yours recipes look great by the way and I will definitely give some a try.
Regards
Keith
Dan Toombs says
Thanks Keith
Good luck with it all.
Dan
Elizabeth says
I have always had disasters attempting to make anything with spices, especially Indian curries, the I bought your e book a few months ago and having just got the courage this week I decided to have a go, I started by making the basic sauce and then last night made a Chicken jalfrazi and it was just like the one I have at the local Indian restaurant. Thank you very, very much. You write down the recipes simply and precisely. You've given me the confidence to cook all our favourite Indian meals.
Dan Toombs says
Thank you Elizabeth. I'm really glad you like the recipes. 🙂
Dan
Mark Connor says
Hi dan, love the recipes, tried the chicken tikk and the jalfrezi nod they both rock. Just trying this onion sauce - when you sy a low temperature, what should I set the oven at? 250f?
Dan Toombs says
Hi Mark
About 225f should be fine though oven vary so check it often the first time you make it. Hope this helps.
Dan
Jill Szabo says
just wanted to say thank you for your wonderful recipes. I've been making curries for years and they have been great but I recently tried some of your recipes and they have all been sublime, just as good as the local Indian restaurant, my family are thrilled! Thank you!
Dan Toombs says
Really good to hear Jill. Thank you.
Dan
Ali says
Hi Dan
Just want to say i've tried at least five of your recipes and they have worked out splendidly for us, thank you very very much for taking the time to share all your recipes with us. just a quick question, when you say low temperature, how much do you mean? we have a gas mark oven, so what kind of gas mark would it be?
Thank you
Dan Toombs says
Hi Ali
It's always different on different ovens. Just have a play with it. There are no real rules. When I cook, the pan is quite hot but that isn't necessary.
Have fun
Dan
Gary P says
Hi Dan
Should there be a lid on the pot when it's in the oven?
Dan Toombs says
Hi Gary
I usually place a lid on but the oven should be quite low so it isn't necessary.
Thanks
Dan
Brian says
Hi Dan new to this and trying your recipe for the first time. I am slightly confused , i have made the curry base and the onion sauce. i am going to make the chicken dopiaza. On the recipe for onion sauce it advises to add the curry sauce to it, and on the dopiaza recipe it advises to add 500ml of each, this is where i am confused??? can you help/advise??
Dan Toombs says
Hi Brian
Thanks for stopping by and trying the recipe. To be honest, there is no real rule. Add both to taste. The onion sauce is a bit sweeter than the curry sauce. At restaurants the chefs will just add both without really measuring how much. Just do it all to taste and it will be fine.
Cheers,
Dan
Brian Rowe says
Hi Dan,
Have ordered your book so my wife can give it to me for Xmas - I'll actually get something I want this year. Things have come a long way since the 'exotic' Vesta curries we made when we first got married in '71. With the onion sauce - would it be possible to make it in an electric slow cooker?
Looking forward to your book
Brian R
Dan Toombs says
Hi Brian
Thank you. I haven't made it in my slow cooker but I see no reason why not. Go for it. Thank you very much for getting my book. I hope you enjoy the recipes.
Dan
Claire says
Hi.
Im attempting my onion sauce in the slow cooker for the first time tonight, so that i can make dopiaza tomorrow.
I will let you know how it goes - i suspect it might taste too 'raw oniony' but im sure itll still be edible.
Also... I didnt have red Peppers so ive swapped it for whatever else i had.... Which was 2 super ripe plums and a tomato. I thought it might have the same level of sweetness. We'll see!!
Dan Toombs says
Hi Claire. How did it go?
Dan
Claire says
It went really well actually. I shared some Dopiaza with my neighbours and had great reviews! Im attempting another one today in the slow cooker, although this time im going to leave the slow cooker outside as i did find the entire house reeked of onions afterwards.
Claire
🙂
Dan Toombs says
Great to hear and good idea! Thank you Clair.
Dan
Chris says
Hey Dan,
I think your recipes are amazing, first I've made Chicken Tikka Masala and now I'm
making dupiaza, your recipe says to put onions on a low heat in the oven,
what do you mean by low exactly? 80'? 100'?50?!
Cheers,
Chris
Dan Toombs says
Hi Chris
About 80c should do. Hope that helps and thank you.
Dan
Neil Biddulph says
Hi Dan could i do the onion sauce in a pressure cooker at all just dont like the idea of cookwr being on in the night
Dan Toombs says
Hi Neil
Yes, you could certainly use a pressure cooker.
Thanks
Dan
Anne Macdonald says
I've made your base sauce today & frozen in 300ml portions. I've made the onion sauce too but have cooked it on the hob rather than the oven, is that ok? I only managed to do 5 hours though because I need to cook a curry for this evening, it looks watery but i haven't blended it yet.
My son had us over last week to sample their Misty Ricardo curries, I googled the recipes for the base gravy & onion sauce and found yours instead, I hadnt realised it was different until my Son told me. We are very interested now to compare. I must say I love your videos & printable recipes so Im looking forward to our 1st curry tonight, a chicken tikka Dopiaza. Thank you for your inspiration.. It would be great btw if people could upload photos of their attempts on here.
Dan Toombs says
Great to hear!
Thanks very much.
Dan
Anne Macdonald says
Hi Dan
What else can this onion sauce be used in? I have made a batch today (its gorgeous btw) but there is soooooo much of it & I only need a few hundred grams for the Dopiaza. Obviously I'll freeze it but dont want to live on Dopiaza for the rest of the year lol.
Many thanks
Anne
Dan Toombs says
You can serve the onion sauce in any curry really. Just add a little to any curry you make and then add more to taste.
Thanks
Dan