Name: Curry Broth (Indian Restaurant Style)
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 150 min
Total time: 160 min
Ingredients: 100 ml vegetable oil; 1 Indian bay leaf ((taj patta)); 3 green cardamom pods (crushed); 4 whole black peppercorns; 3 cloves; 1/8 cinnamon stick or cassia bark; 1 kg onions (peeled weight); 1 large salad tomato (quartered); 2 garlic cloves; 1/2 teaspoon coriander seeds; 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds; 1 litre water; 1 1/2 teaspoons tomato puree; 10 grams creamed coconut block; 1/2 teaspoon garam masala; 2 teaspoons turmeric; 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika; 1/4 teaspoon paprika; 1/4 teaspoon Kashmiri red chilli powder; 1 generous teaspoon sea salt

Rich, aromatic and packed with onions, you can use this curry broth to make your favourite Indian restaurant style curry sauces.

Indian restaurants and takeaways offering ‘British Indian’ style curry sauces typically use a spiced base gravy to create their sauces. In England this base gravy is often thin and is thickened whilst the final curry cooks along with ‘mix powder’, a variety of fragrant spices. In contrast, this Scottish style curry ‘broth’ recipe creates a much thicker gravy, almost like a concentrated curry. The result is a a rich, flavour packed gravy that you can use in all manner of curry sauces. Korma, madras, patia, chasni, South Indian garlic chilli and more.

Making this curry broth ahead of time ensures restaurants can create finished Indian curry sauces quickly. As is so often the case with takeaway food, it is ‘fast’ food only as far as the customer is concerned. Behind the scenes, a longer, slower cooking process has already been taken care of. As home cooks, we can benefit from this approach too. Once you have made your curry broth, turning it into restaurant style curry is quick and easy!

Ingredients For Curry Broth

Onions. You will need lots of them, and then a few more besides. This is the case for many curry base recipes, and certainly here. Once the onions are cooked, they are mixed with creamed coconut and a variety of spices and then blended until smooth. As a result of a long, slow simmer, the broth becomes caramelised, thick and toffee like.

Onions: Large Spanish onions are perfect for this curry broth.
Spices: Tej Patta Indian Bay Leaf, Green Cardamom, Black Peppercorns, Cloves, Cinnamon or Cassia, Coriander Seeds, Cumin Seeds, Turmeric, Garam Masala, Smoked Paprika, Paprika, Chilli Powder.
Other Ingredients: Garlic, Salad Tomato, Water, Vegetable Oil, Tomato Puree, Creamed Coconut Block, Salt.

How To Make Curry Broth

Although making curry broth is a bit of a labour of love, it is very easy. The majority of time is spent simply allowing the ingredients to cook away, making it good for a lazy day of cooking ahead. With the curry broth portioned and frozen, you’ll be rewarded for your efforts with delicious takeaway style curry sauce in a matter of minutes whenever you desire.

Step 1: Oil

Pour the oil into a pot. Add the bay leaf, crushed green cardamom, black peppercorns, cloves and cinnamon stick or cassia bark. Heat the oil over a medium heat until the whole spices begin to bubble in the oil. Reduce the heat to low and allow the spices to infuse the oil for 5-6 minutes. Strain and set the oil aside.

Step 2: Onions

Put the quartered onions in a large stock pot and add the salad tomato, garlic, coriander seeds, cumin seeds and water. Cover with a lid, bring to the boil and cook over a medium to high heat for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.

A large stock pot filled with onions and other curry broth ingredients.

Step 3: Spices

Indian curry broth in a large stock pot, ready to be blended.

Step 4: Blend

Use a stick blender to blend the curry broth until completely smooth. Reduce the heat to the lowest setting and allow the curry broth to simmer for a further 30 minutes, stirring occasionally until the broth becomes thick and toffee-like and the oil begins to separate. Keep the broth almost fully covered with a lid during this stage of cooking and be cautious. As the curry thickens it will begin to spit and splutter.

Cooked Indian restaurant style curry broth in a large stock pot.

Step 5: Portion

Allow the curry broth to cool completely, then portion into 200-250ml containers or food bags. The curry can be refrigerated for up to 3 days and frozen for up to 3 months.

Curry Broth Recipe Tips

Storing The Curry Broth: If I’m going to freeze this curry broth, I like to let it mature in the fridge for 24 hours after it’s made before freezing.

Use Straight From The Freezer! When you’re ready to eat curry, simply add the frozen curry broth to a pot and heat gently until fully defrosted and simmering. You’ll never be more than 10 minutes away from your favourite Indian restaurant style curry dishes!

Curry Broth (Indian Restaurant Style)

Prep Time

10 mins

Cook Time

2 hrs 30 mins

Total Time

2 hrs 40 mins

Rich, aromatic curry broth, ready to use in your favourite Indian curry sauces.

Course: ingredient

Cuisine: Indian, Indian Restaurant, British Indian, Scottish Indian, Indian Takeaway

Keyword: curry, curry broth, curry base, indian curry, takeaway curry, restaurant curry, british indian restaurant curry

Servings: 4 portions

Ingredients

Flavoured Oil

100 ml vegetable oil
1 Indian bay leaf (taj patta)
3 green cardamom pods crushed
4 whole black peppercorns
3 cloves
1/8 cinnamon stick or cassia bark

Broth

1 kg onions peeled weight
1 large salad tomato quartered
2 garlic cloves
1/2 teaspoon coriander seeds
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 litre water
1 1/2 teaspoons tomato puree
10 grams creamed coconut block
1/2 teaspoon garam masala
2 teaspoons turmeric
1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon Kashmiri red chilli powder
1 generous teaspoon sea salt

Instructions

Pour the oil into a pot. Add the bay leaf, crushed green cardamom, black peppercorns, cloves and cinnamon stick or cassia bark. Heat the oil over a medium heat until the whole spices begin to bubble in the oil. Reduce the heat to low and allow the spices to infuse the oil for 5-6 minutes. Strain and set the oil aside.
Put the quartered onions in a large stock pot and add the salad tomato, garlic, coriander seeds, cumin seeds and water. Cover with a lid, bring to the boil and cook over a medium to high heat for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add the tomato puree, creamed coconut block, garam masala, turmeric, smoked paprika, paprika, red chilli powder and sea salt to the pot, stir well until the creamed coconut block is fully melted, then add the prepared flavoured oil. Mix well, reduce the heat to medium, cover and cook for another 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Use a stick blender to blend the curry broth until completely smooth. Reduce the heat to the lowest setting and allow the curry broth to simmer for a further 30 minutes, stirring occasionally until the broth becomes thick and toffee-like and the oil begins to separate. Keep the broth almost fully covered with a lid during this stage of cooking and be cautious. As the curry thickens it will begin to spit and splutter.
Allow the curry broth to cool completely, then portion into 200-250ml containers or food bags. The curry can be refrigerated for up to 3 days and frozen for up to 3 months.

Do you like this Indian restaurant style curry broth recipe? If so, buying a copy of my book might appeal to you! In The Indian Takeaway Secret you can find a host of restaurant and takeaway style recipes that you can make at home. You’ll learn how to make onion bhajis, tandoori chicken, curry, rice and more! You can buy The Indian Takeaway Secret in paperback or kindle form here.