If you’re like me, you’ve probably followed a curry recipe or two that has turned out disappointingly bland and lacking depth. This is often extra frustrating when you’ve spent a long time making it. I wanted to recreate more rich-tasting curries that you find in authentic restaurants, so went and found some key advice that I’ll share here.
Curries can be bland if you haven’t used enough of the base aromatics of garlic, ginger, and onion. The onion should be caramelized in oil until well browned and flavorful. Spices should not be old enough to lose potency and preferably should be toasted and ground yourself.
Curry also needs cooking methods that bring out the complexities of flavor in different ways. If you simply throw all your curry ingredients into the pot and let them simmer away, as you would a stew, you will end up with a bland and likely watery curry that no one wants to eat.
There are a few simple steps to elevate your curry from spicy stew to an authentic dish that is fragrant and delicious with a distinctive and lively flavor.
I can really recommend the cookbook “The Curry Guy Bible” from Amazon which focuses on building amazing flavor like in restaurant-style curries.
How To Fix Bland Curry
If you’ve been struggling with getting your curries to taste better you’ll love these straightforward and simple tips that will help you fix the basic mistakes novice home chefs make when preparing curry.
There are several reasons why your curries are lacking depth, and by correcting these issues, your curries will immediately taste better.
Cooking Your Aromatics To Fix A Bland Curry
Start by using enough ingredients: For two people, 1-2 onions, 1 inch of ginger, and 2-3 garlic cloves. Cook the chopped onion until golden brown before adding the ginger and garlic until fragrant.
Along with your spices, your aromatics form the base of your curry, and not using enough of them or not cooking them for long enough will result in a bland dish.
The most common aromatics in Indian cooking are onion, ginger, and garlic. They are the “holy trinity” of curries in the same way that onion, celery, and carrot are the holy trinity of Italian cooking.
One of the biggest mistakes when cooking aromatics is not cooking them long enough and in too little oil. Be generous with your cooking oil, and make sure to cook your onions over low heat long enough to brown them thoroughly and develop their flavor. This might take 20-30 minutes but by caramelizing the onions, you release natural sweetness, making your curry richer.
Once the onion is browned, add the minced ginger and garlic and cook until they smell great, they will burn if you cook them for too long but need to be cooked before moving to the next steps.
Use Fresh Spices To Fix A Bland Curry
You might be using spices that are too old and have lost their strength and flavor. If any of your spice jars are on the old side then it’s time to check them – they should smell aromatic and not muted. Preferably use ground spices that are less than six months old and whole spices less than 2 years – the fresher, the better.
Ground spices are OK but you don’t know how long ground spices have been on the shelf. Buy the whole spices and grind yourself instead. Toast them in a dry pan to release their aroma before grinding.
Rather than buying jars of ready-made curry paste or powder, make your own curry blends by purchasing the right spices and cooking them correctly. You’ll likely need to be more generous with the spices than you have been – spices are a huge factor in what gives curry its taste and texture.
Try 4 key spices to start with as you don’t need to have a whole cupboard full: ground cumin, coriander, turmeric, and chili powder. Use equal amounts of cumin and coriander and about a quarter the amount of turmeric and chili powder.
Many Indian or Oriental markets will sell bags of spices, often together in batches, for distinctive curry flavor profiles. You can grind these spices together to create a spice base that will be rich and intense.
Spices are usually cooked at the start of the recipe, which helps release the flavors and season the oil for further cooking. Follow your recipe accordingly, and don’t be stingy with your spices.
The spice blend garam masala is added at the end of the cooking for extra taste and aroma.
Make A Tasty Sauce To Avoid Bland Curry
The final main part of making curry is the liquid which turns the aromatics and spices in the pan into a sauce.
This can be made with tomatoes, yogurt, coconut milk, or a base sauce made from pureed onions, water, and spices. Different ingredients are characteristic of areas of India – in the south they use coconut milk as its tropical.
Some curries end up tasting predominately of tomatoes and little else. To avoid this, check out my post on how to reduce the tomato flavor in curry.
A lot of western restaurants will make a base sauce and use it in most of the curries on the menu. Instead of making 20 pots of different curries, they can use this sauce to kick start the individual curries with some specific spices when ordered.
The base sauce makes extremely tasty curries as the onion, tomatoes, and spices are reduced down and then blended smooth. It adds a real depth of flavor but it does take extra time. See a recipe for base sauce here.
Best Practices When Making Curry
By keeping in mind these tips and best practices when making curry, you can make simple dishes taste great. From here you can experiment with more spices and ingredients to suit your taste.
Use fresh whole spices when making your spice mix rather than powdered spice mixes, per your recipe.
Cook the spices and aromatics (ginger, garlic, onion) well in enough oil at low heat until they form a mushy base. Have patience and enjoy the process.
Rather than using canned tomato, which can make your base watery, try using a few tablespoons of tomato puree instead. See my other post on curries that are too tomatoey.
Simmer sauces to thicken them and intensify flavors. Tomato often needs simmering longer to mellow its tangy and sometimes overpowering taste. Try to avoid a curry that is too thin.
Marinade your meats for extra flavor and tenderness – traditional Indian marinades often include yogurt, spices, and spice powder like garam masala.
Slow cook the tasty, tougher, cheaper cuts of meat in your curry sauce for extra flavor
Be careful when adding extra water – too much will make your curry watery.
Add a little ground garam masala powder last to intensify the flavor and aroma of your curry.
It may look like a lot, but if you are using a good recipe to start with, these steps will all be part of the process and explained. As you become better at making curries, these practices will become second nature.
You can add spices to curry at the end of cooking such as powdered garam masala. It is used as a final seasoning to not overcook its aromatics, as opposed to curry powder which is added near the start of cooking.
While you should always begin your curry by cooking your fresh whole or lightly ground spices, some spices are added at the end of the cooking process, which helps brighten your curry and add extra flavor depth.
Some traditional spices in Indian cooking are cumin, coriander, pepper, cloves, cassia, cardamom, star anise, curry leaves, and bay leaf. This mix is commonly known as garam masala.
You’ve most likely seen or have a premixed and powdered garam masala spice jar in your spice rack. Most often you don’t want to use this powder to start your curry, but rather to finish it. A little powdered garam masala is often added at the end of the curry cooking time to add an aromatic lift when it needs it.
So, you can definitely add a little garam masala powder when your curry is nearly done if you were wondering if it will work. But the original spice mix used at the start of the curry might not be suitable to add at the end as some spices are best cooked.
You can also add extra fresh, chopped chilies, coriander (cilantro), or ground pepper at the end if you feel you need to add more heat to taste.
Conclusion
Hopefully, now you know why your curry is bland and how you can improve it.
Make sure that your onions are well-browned and softened in your oil and that you make a good curry base with the addition of ginger and garlic. Your spices need to be relatively fresh to add the taste you were expecting.
The secret to a rich, flavorful curry is to allow the taste to develop over a long cooking time and to use fresh spices cooked well.
Tom Hambly
Hey, I'm Tom. I set up Boss The Kitchen to start answering the thousands of questions people have while cooking. For me, the kitchen is my happy place and I hope to help other people with the knowledge I've gained along the way. More about me.
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Tomato puree works best in tomato-based curries to add thickness and strong flavour. Mix in the tomato puree while cooking until the curry is your preferred consistency. If you do not have tomato puree, diced tomatoes or tomato paste can also be used.
Adding spices and herbs is an easy way to fix bland dishes. Experiment with different spice blends, such as curry powder, cumin, or chili powder, to add a depth of flavour. You can also add in some fresh herbs like basil, cilantro, or thyme can also add a burst of freshness to your dish.
Slow-cooking your curry can make all the difference. Since onions form the base of most curries, getting them right is crucial. Anjum Anand suggests cooking them slowly, until soft, then increasing the heat to colour them. 'The deeper their colour, the more flavour,' says.
Have you ever tasted something delicious that just didn't fit into the basic flavor categories of sweet, sour, bitter, or salty? That's the fifth taste, the unsung hero — umami.
Sometimes, adding very similar spices provides depth: Nutmeg and mace, pepper and chile pepper, ginger and galangal, allspice and cloves, amchur and anardana, cumin and shahi jeera...
There is a lot of coconut milk and not enough spices. Onions garlic and ginger are all the correct amounts. Try adding 1 tsp of cumin seeds and Garam masala each. Fry cumin seeds in the oil before adding onion and add Garam masala at the end.
A curry mix has a warm, robust spicy taste as a result of combining roasted and grounded coriander seeds, turmeric, cumin and chili peppers. Other spices commonly found within the blend are fenugreek, clove, mustard, black pepper, nutmeg or ginger.
Turmeric, cumin, chilies (red or green) and ginger are essential ingredients in many curries, but coriander, fenugreek, mustard, pepper, cinnamon, clove, cardamom and nutmeg can be just as vital, along with fresh aromatics such as garlic, onion, cilantro, lemongrass, lime and lemon to name but a few.
As you have discovered, even a heavily spiced dish can taste bland if there is not enough salt or umami flavouring. In the case of your Butter Chicken recipe, first of all I'd ensure the spices you use are fresh, and clearly have an aroma. Stale spices won't taste of much. Secondly, a good dish is a balanced dish.
Aim for a slow simmer – you don't want it to be too hot or it will overcook. You can eat the curry at any stage once it's cooked, but the longer you leave it (up to a point) the more flavourful and thick it will be.
Garlic and ginger are maybe the most-loved ingredients in Indian cuisine. The combination of these two fragrant elements produce an aroma that is an integral part of the many Indian curry sauces, and adds a gorgeous depth and complexity to most of Indian cooking.
Fat simply makes things taste good. The next time you're struggling with a bland dish, make sure you have some fat in there. Drizzle a bit of extra virgin olive oil or avocado oil on top, add some coconut meat or maybe even some sunflower seeds.
Mace. This spice is part of the nutmeg plant, but it's more subdued, sweeter, and more delicate than nutmeg—it even has hints of cinnamon and coriander. It's used in both savory and sweet dishes, traditionally in the North Indian cuisine, and it's bright red in color.
Canned coconut milk is essential as it's traditionally used in Thai curries as it adds a creamy texture & slight hint of sweetness to the overall dish.
Turmeric is arguably the most important ingredient in British curry. Likewise, curry is one of the most popular dishes in Britain. Popular United Kingdom Curry: Chicken Tikka Masala.
Of all Indian spices, Ginger is an absolutely essential ingredient for most curries, and is one half of the recipe for ginger garlic paste, used in most food of India. It's fine to use this spice dried. Some recipes even call for it. Most Indian dishes call for ginger/garlic paste.
If you're looking for a flavor-rich curry, try the Goan curry. This dish is made with chicken or shrimp and is usually served with rice and naan bread. It's a popular option at restaurants across the country, and it's worth trying if you're in the mood for something different.
Be generous with your use of spices: Think 2 teaspoons each of cumin and coriander, a ½ teaspoon of turmeric, and a ½ teaspoon of chili powder to infuse your pot of curry. A slightly more extensive pantry could include cinnamon sticks, brown mustard seeds, and a garam masala mix.
Adding it early or late will give different flavor, adding it at the very end of cooking will usually leave you with an unpleasant raw spice taste unless it is a roasted variety of curry powder. It does make a big difference whether the powder is added into oil, water, or an emulsion.
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.
If you try to cook your curry quickly by cooking it on high heat, you will end up ruining its taste. It might get burnt and its ingredients will lose their flavours. Thus, it is best to always cook curries on low-medium heat and avoid hurrying while adding the ingredients.
Making curries needs ample amount of time, patience and slow-cooking to ensure full flavours are extracted from the spices. Fry the spices in oil, and then let the curry gently simmer until the meat, chicken or any vegetarian dish is cooked.
Yes, curry is best thickened with cornstarch or arrowroot flour. Combine 1 tablespoon starch/ flour with 2-3 tablespoons water or curry sauce to make a slurry. Add to the pot and simmer for 2-3 minutes until thickened.
Add more fish sauce (or even shrimp paste) to add more saltiness, sugar for sweetness. Add pumpkin and beans, stir. Cook for 3 minutes or until pumpkin is just cooked through and Sauce is thickened - see video for Sauce thickness.
As with using cornstarch or flour to thicken gravy, make a slurry with your arrowroot powder by mixing 2 to 3 tablespoons with an equal amount of water. Add to 1 cup hot liquid with a whisk or wooden spoon, stirring until incorporated and the gravy thickens.
Adding tomato puree is probably the most common method of thickening curry sauces. Simply add the tomato puree during the cooking process rather than adding it at the end. This will help to thicken your curry or pasta sauce from the beginning, speeding up the cooking time.
Flour is the principal starch used, others starches used by chefs include cornstarch, arrowroot, waxy maize, instant or pregelatinized starch, bread crumbs, potato starch and rice flour, etc. These starches are known as Thickening Agents.
Curry will not thicken if there is not enough heat after adding a roux to the pot. Factors which impede thickening include using too little roux, adding too much water, and using vegetables with a high water content.
Curry sauce can of course be thick or thin, depending on your preference. But generally, the ideal consistency would be one that's not too runny and not too thick, either.
Often, Thai curries are made using coconut milk as the main liquid, which results in a creamy consistency. You can use as much or as little coconut milk as you wish based on your preference for texture, spice, and flavor.
Coconut is a great ingredient used for thickening curries. It can be used in any form - milk, cream or grated. This method is most suited for Thai, South Indian and other Asian curries. It not only makes your curry flavorful, but also makes the curry creamier.
Yogurt or Cream: Add a spoonful of plain yogurt or cream to the curry and stir it in. This will add richness and thicken the gravy. Pureed Vegetables: Puree some vegetables such as onions, tomatoes or pumpkin and add it to the curry. This not only thickens the curry but also adds a lot of flavour.
Browning adds more flavor to the gravy and gets rid of the raw flour taste. You're basically making a roux. We find that a flour-based gravy holds up better and reheats better later, which is why we tend to prefer using flour over cornstarch to make gravy unless we have a guest who is eating gluten-free.
Cooking a soup, stew, or sauce uncovered allows water to evaporate, so if your goal is to reduce a sauce or thicken a soup, skip the lid. The longer you cook your dish, the more water that will evaporate and the thicker the liquid becomes—that means the flavors become more concentrated, too.
The most common way to thicken curry sauce is with flour. Most Indian dishes use white flour, but you can also use cornstarch by following these steps: To start, combine your flour with a bit of oil and mix it. Next, add some water to the mixture until you get a very thick consistency similar to gravy or pudding.
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.
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