We all love curry and there are three main ways to make one (let us know if you can think of any others). This page gives you a brief overview on each method, so have a quick look, then go to our recipe pages and start cooking!
With a sauce
By far the simplest and quickest way is to use one of our sauces. They’ve been expertly blended to give a great taste but in as short a time as possible. All you need do is fry some onions, brown off whatever meat you’re using, then pour over a jar of sauce and simmer for around 15 minutes. Easy, delicious and it definitely doesn’t count as cheating.
With a spice paste
Our spice pastes make the most delicious and authentic-tasting curries. It’s not too different to what goes into a curry from scratch (check out below to see how that’s done) but it is a whole lot quicker. That’s because the spices are ground for you, then immediately blended with oil. This way the ground spices are caught at their freshest, before air gets to them and starts to change their flavour profile. To use our spice pastes, simply do the following:
- Fry onions in oil until soft.
- Add some curry spice paste and gently cook for a few minutes. This allows the spices to release all their • wonderful flavours and aromas.
- Next add your meat or vegetables and cook until sealed.
- Finally add some water and leave to simmer for 15-30 mins depending on the recipe.
So a spice paste does take a little bit more work than a sauce, but we think the end result is well worth the effort. A lot of Indian restaurants and curry houses make their curries using our spice pastes, so it really does give you that great authentic taste without the fuss of cooking from scratch.
Plus our spice pastes are really versatile – unlike the sauces you can add more or less spice paste to the recipe depending on how rich or spicy you like it. And you can use it in loads of other recipes aside from curry – like marinades - they are a great way to add spice and flavour to any dish. We have lots of recipe ideas using spice pastes on our site, so take a look.
From scratch
Of course, the most authentic way is to cook the curry from scratch. It involves getting all the whole spices you need and grinding and blending them yourself. Or you can buy all your spices already ground. Once you’ve done that the process is fairly similar to using a spice paste (but just takes a bit longer.) But if you want to give it a go, check out our recipe section for some ideas.
Certainly! The concepts involved in making curry through various methods entail understanding sauces, spice pastes, and cooking from scratch.
1. Sauces: Sauces are pre-prepared blends of spices and ingredients that provide a quick and easy way to make curry. They're convenient and require minimal effort. Typically, you'd fry onions, brown the meat, then add the sauce and simmer. These ready-to-use sauces are designed for efficiency without compromising much on taste. However, they might lack the depth and customization of flavors that come from making a curry entirely from scratch or using spice pastes.
2. Spice Pastes: Spice pastes are a step closer to authenticity compared to sauces. They involve frying onions, adding the spice paste, allowing the spices to release flavors, incorporating meat or vegetables, and simmering. Spice pastes contain ground spices blended with oil, offering a fresher taste compared to pre-made sauces. They bridge the gap between convenience and authenticity, providing a balance between time-saving and flavor richness. They also allow for adjustments in spice levels and versatility in various recipes beyond curries.
3. Cooking from Scratch: The most authentic method involves obtaining whole spices, grinding, and blending them yourself. This process demands more time and effort but results in a curry with a distinct depth of flavors and complete control over spice levels and ingredients. It's the traditional way of making curry, where you have complete freedom to customize the taste and aroma according to personal preferences.
Each method has its pros and cons, from convenience to flavor depth. Sauces are the quickest but might compromise on authenticity. Spice pastes strike a balance between convenience and flavor, while cooking from scratch offers the most control over taste but requires more time and effort.
Understanding these methods gives you the flexibility to choose based on time, preference, and desired taste when preparing a curry.
