Name: Multi-Cooker Curry Base Sauce
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 8
Cuisine: British Indian Curry House
Ingredients: 75ml (5 tbsp) rapeseed oil or ghee; 700g (1 1/2 lbs) brown onions, roughly chopped; 25g (1 oz) carrot, peeled and chopped; 25g (1 oz) cabbage, chopped; 40g (11⁄2 oz) red pepper (bell; pepper), deseeded and diced; 40g (11⁄2 oz) green pepper (bell; pepper), deseeded and diced; 150g (5 1/2 oz) chopped tomatoes; 3 tbsp garlic and ginger paste; 2 tsp ground cumin; 2 tsp ground coriander; 2 tsp ground fenugreek; 2 tsp paprika; 2 tsp ground turmeric; 2 tsp garam masala

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Make curry base sauce in minutes using a multi-cooker!

This is an updated version of my pressure cooker base sauce that you will find in my cookbook 'The Curry Guy'. At the time, multi-cookers with pressure cookers were not nearly as popular as they are now. Using this multi-cooker curry base sauce recipe, you can prepare the perfect base sauce to use in any of my curry house style curry recipes.

About this multi cooker base curry sauce recipe.

The most authentic way to prepare a curry base sauce is to do it in a pot just like they do at curry houses around the UK and in my recipe here. Slowly simmering the base sauce in this way is easy and perfect for busy Indian restaurant kitchens.

For the home cook, you might prefer to make a multi cooker base curry sauce as you can prepare in much faster and it's really a no-fuss way of doing it. This recipe is different to my other base sauce recipes as it really is something I just throw together when I need it. You could cook any of my base sauce recipes in a multi-cooker though so use this recipe or try one of the others. They all work.

Is cooking base sauce in a pot better than using a multi-cooker?

From my taste tests, I really don't think so. It makes a lot of sense for the chefs in a popular curry house to use a big pot so that they don't run out during service. At home, you can simply throw everything in your multi-cooker and achieve a curry base sauce that is just like the pot cooked version.

Is it important to stick exactly to the recipe?

Not at all! We're not baking cakes here! Use my recipe as a guide but don't worry to much about measuring everything out exactly. You really can't go wrong.

How long will this multi cooker base sauce keep in the fridge?

You can store this, covered in a bowl in the fridge for 3 to 5 days. It's great to have on hand for those last minute curry cravings.

To use it, just heat it up in a pan and follow the curry house curry recipe of your choice.

Can you freeze this base sauce?

Not only can you freeze it but it freezes really well! To save freezer space, I recommend freezing it in portions that are convenient for you before diluting the sauce.

When you first blend the base sauce, it can be a little too thick. You dilute it with water or stock until it is creamy smooth and the consistency of full fat (whole) milk or single cream. By freezing the base sauce before freezing, you won't use up nearly as much freezer space.

Do you need to make a base sauce for curry house style curries?

If you want to prepare them like they do at restaurants, then yes. It really isn't difficult and this multi cooker curry base sauce recipes makes the whole process even faster.

That said, you could try one of my curry house style curries that you make without base sauce.

Step by step photographs.

Ingredients for the recipe. — Get all of your ingredients prepared and ready before you start cooking.

Pouring oil into a multi cooker. — Pour the oil into your multi cooker and heat it up using the saute function.

Frying onions in oil in a multi cooker. — Add the onions to the hot oil and fry for about 5 minutes to soften. Do not brown the onions.

Adding the spices and remaining vegetables to the multi cooker. — Add the remaining veggies and spices to the multi cooker.

Adding water to the ingredients in the multi cooker. — Pour in 750ml (about 3 cups) water and stir well.

The ingredients in the multi cooker ready to be pressure cooked. — When ready, secure the lid and pressure cook on high for 10 minutes. Then allow the pressure to naturally release or do it by hand if in a rush.

The sauce after pressure cooking. — When you raise the lid, you will see that the vegetables are all really soft and the oil will have risen to the top.

A spoonful of the oil from the sauce. — If you like, you can remove some of the oil and discard it or use it as seasoned oil in a curry. You could also leave it in the sauce which is what I do.

Blending the base sauce — Begin blending the sauce. You can use a hand blender or blend it in batches in a countertop blender.

Blending the base sauce until smooth. — You want to blend the sauce until very smooth with no chunks.

Here are a few curry house style recipes you can use this sauce in now!

Chicken Tikka Masala
Chicken Korma
Chicken Madras
Chicken Dhansak
Lamb Rogan Josh
Lamb Vindaloo
Chicken Chilli Garlic
Chicken Patia
Lamb Bhuna

Yield: 8 to 10