Top tips for your Curry Masala Spices – Frying Onions

Thursday, September 29th, 2016

Onions frying in panThe most important part of curry is the sauce.

Frying onions for a curry sauce doesn’t require a great deal of skill, it requires patience, a little time and lots of love.

When frying onions, take your time, chop your onions finely and cook them very well or if you like me, a home cook, use the grating attachment of your food processor, grate the onions coarsely which is a cheats way of creating the perfect curry sauce.

My top tips are:

  1. Start by warming your pan, add a tbsp of cooking oil to the pan and allow it to warm through, if using whole spices, this is the time to add them, not necessary if using my #currymasala spice sachet.
  2. Add your grated or finely chopped onions, if at any time your onions start to stick, please add a big splash of water, I usually get through a couple of mugs per curry, a little water at a time.
  3. It can take up to fifteen minutes on a medium/high heat to cook onions to create the perfect curry base.

fried onions

  1. Once golden through, add a sprinkle of salt and your fresh garlic/ginger/chillies if using.
  2. Or simply skip this step and add my #currymasala OR #cardamom Kick now, don’t forget to add a big splash of water to prevent the spices burning or getting bitter – YES – add it all!  No skimping!! Have a mug of water ready, the pan will dry out.

Lajina Masala Curry Masala

  1. Fry the spices on a medium, high heat, adding water to prevent burning and watch them magically transform into the greatest curry base.
  2. Adding tomatoes is an optional extra, that’s the beauty of cooking your own dishes, this is the time to add tomato if you are, then one of the following is fine, 2 fresh, 1/2 a tin, a tbsp of puree, a small cup of passata.

Now you have a flavoursome base which can “curry” up to a kilo of meat/vegetables/lentils etc.

Here’s a link to a video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VF551EmjzX4

DSC_0519When your curry is almost cooked, a fresh chilli,  a sprinkle of salt, a knob of butter, some fresh herbs (coriander, parsley, chives), a splash of cream, a handful of nuts, some fresh tomato, a squeeze of lemon, a pinch of sugar, a pinch of garam masala,  some raw spring onions and the list goes on to make your perfect curry.

 

This is what makes your curries #lovinglyhomemade, YOUR perfectly seasoned meals to share with your family and friends.

Please ask if you are stuck!


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About Lajina

Lajina Leal, Lajina Masala


Lajina Leal, Founder, Lajina Masala

Lajina had a Corporate Career as an Accountant for many years and whilst discussing an impending redundancy in an Indian restaurant with her friends, they persuaded her to set up an Indian Cooking School.

The fun started in October 2013 and the business has grown from strength to strength.

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