Curry Broth Base Gravy (Indian Restaurant Style)
This Scottish Indian restaurant style curry broth is the secret behind the rich, thick curry sauces served in Glasgow and beyond. A deeply aromatic base gravy that cooks down into a concentrated, toffee-like broth – ready to become korma, patia, chasni, madras or South Indian garlic chilli in minutes.
An Indian curry from a good Scottish Indian restaurant is truly a thing to behold. Rich, thick curry sauce, packed full of onion, garlic, ginger and spices – an indulgent delight just waiting to be mopped up with chapati or naan. Indian restaurants serving British Indian curries often use a pre-cooked base gravy, but in many parts of England that base gravy is fairly thin and is thickened in the pan as the final curry cooks. This Scottish style curry broth is different.
This Scottish style curry broth is the same kind of base gravy you might find used in many Scottish Indian takeaway restaurants to produce quick, flavour-packed curries to order. It cooks down into a thicker, richer, more concentrated gravy with a deep onion flavour and a slightly toffee-like finish – closer to a finished curry sauce than its English counterparts, meaning the end process of turning it into a variety of different curry dishes is ridiculously easy.
For clarity, this curry broth isn’t intended to be eaten as a finished dish. Think of it as the building block to all manner of different curry sauces. With curry broth in the fridge or freezer, your favourite Indian restaurant style curry is just minutes away.
Love Scottish Indian restaurant style recipes?
You can find more in my cookbook The Indian Takeaway Secret.
Ingredients For Indian Restaurant Style 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: Larger onions make life easy for this dish, as the recipe calls for a lot of onion. Whilst large net packs of smaller onions are cheaper, you’re a more patient person than I am if you’re prepared to spend that time peeling tiny onions. God bless those kitchen chefs who do the painstaking prep work in busy restaurant kitchens before service!
- 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 & Ginger Paste, Tomatoes, Water, Vegetable Oil, Tomato Puree, Creamed Coconut Block, Salt.
How To Make Indian Restaurant Style Curry Broth
Although making curry broth is a bit of a labour of love in terms of the time it takes, 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. 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 whole spices and heat on medium until the spices begin to bubble. Reduce the heat to low and allow the spices to infuse the oil for a few minutes. Strain and set the oil aside. This aromatic oil is packed full of flavour that will make our curry broth delicious.
Step 2: Onions
Put the chopped onions in a large stock pot with tomato and aromatics. Add the water and stir briefly. Cover with a lid, bring to the boil and cook over a medium to high heat for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Step 3: Spices
Add the remaining ingredients to the pot, stir well combined, then add the oil we made earlier. Mix well, reduce heat to medium, cover and cook for another 45 minutes, stirring now and again.
Step 4: Blend
Use a stick blender to blend the broth until it’s completely smooth. Reduce the heat to the lowest it will go and let the curry broth simmer for another half hour or so, stirring it now and again until it becomes thick and toffee-like and you can see the oil separating. Keep the pot almost fully covered with a lid at this point and be careful – the broth will spatter at you!
Step 5: Portion Indian Takeaway Style Curry Broth
Allow the Indian restaurant style curry broth to cool completely, then portion and set aside in the fridge or freezer for future use in all manner of your favourite Indian curries.
Indian Restaurant Style Curry Broth Recipe Tips
Storing Curry Broth
Curry broth keeps well in the fridge for up to 3 days and in the freezer for up to 3 months. If you plan to freeze the broth, you can let it mature in the fridge for 1-3 days first for more flavour. Curry broth can be used from frozen.
Portion Sizes
I like to freeze this broth in portions of around 200-250ml, which allows for making 1 standard takeaway sized portion of pretty much any curry dish. For puri style dishes where less curry is needed, or for dishes with other added liquid (cream etc in the case of korma sauce etc) 150-175ml portions can be stored.
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 and use it as per your favourite curry recipe. You’ll never be more than 10 minutes away from your favourite Indian restaurant style curry!
Curry Broth Base Gravy (Indian Restaurant Style)
Equipment
- 1 large soup pot or stock pot
- 1 stick blender
- 1 stainless steel fine mesh strainer or sieve
Ingredients
Flavoured Oil
- 100 ml vegetable oil
- 3 green cardamom pods, crushed
- 4 whole black peppercorns
- 3 cloves
- 1/8 cinnamon stick or cassia bark
Broth
- 1 kg onions, roughly chopped peeled weight
- 1 large salad tomato, quartered 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 mild chilli powder
- 1 generous teaspoon sea salt
Instructions
- Pour 100 ml vegetable oil into a pot. Add 3 green cardamom pods, crushed, 4 whole black peppercorns, 3 cloves and 1/8 cinnamon stick or cassia bark 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 1 kg onions, roughly chopped in a large stock pot and add 1 large salad tomato, quartered, 2 garlic cloves, 1/2 teaspoon coriander seeds, 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds and 1 litre water. Cover with a lid, bring to the boil and cook over a medium to high heat for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add 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 mild chilli powder and 1 generous teaspoon sea salt to the pot, stir well until creamed coconut block is fully melted, then add prepared flavoured oil. Mix well, reduce heat to medium, cover and cook for another 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Use a stick blender to blend curry broth until completely smooth. Reduce heat to lowest setting and allow curry broth to simmer for a further 30 minutes, stirring occasionally until broth becomes thick and toffee-like and oil begins to separate. Keep broth almost fully covered with a lid during this stage of cooking and be cautious. As the broth thickens it will begin to spit and splutter.
- Allow curry broth to cool completely, then portion into 200-250ml containers or food bags.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Indian Restaurant Style Curry Broth Recipe FAQ
How do I make curry taste like a Glasgow Indian takeaway?
This curry broth is the essential first step. With a batch prepared and in your freezer, you’re already cooking the way Scottish Indian restaurant kitchens do. Use it as the base for korma, patia, South Indian garlic chilli or any of your favourite curry dishes and you’ll be amazed how close to the real thing you can get at home.
Can I Make A Smaller Or Larger Amount Of Curry Broth?
Absolutely – the recipe scales well in both directions. In The Indian Takeaway Secret I include both a smaller and larger version of the recipe depending on your needs. As a general rule, if you’re cooking for one or two people a smaller batch makes sense, but if you’re batch cooking for a busy household or have the space to freeze curry broth in batches you’ll set yourself up well for the future and scaling up works just as well.
What does it mean when the oil begins to separate?
As the curry broth simmers and cooks, the aromatic oil helps cook the spices and a deliciously fragrant and vibrant coloured red oil becomes visible in the broth. Some of this oil can be separated and spooned off and used in fried rice dishes etc if desired. Or just keep it in the broth for a deliciously indulgent and rich takeaway style finish to all your favourite Indian curry sauces.
Love Scottish Indian restaurant style recipes?
You can find more in my cookbook The Indian Takeaway Secret.
