A jar of curry sauce is handy, but a curry made from scratch tastes fresher and costs less — and it’s easier than it looks. Most curries follow the same five steps. Learn them and you can improvise with whatever you have.
1. The base
Fry finely chopped onion in oil over a medium heat until soft and golden — at least 10 minutes. Don’t rush this: slow-cooked onion gives a curry its depth and sweetness. Then add garlic and ginger and cook for a minute or two.
2. The spices
Add ground spices to the onions and fry for about a minute, stirring, so they cook in the oil (this is called blooming). A good everyday mix is cumin, ground coriander, turmeric and chilli powder. Whole spices such as cumin seeds, cardamom pods or a cinnamon stick go in first, at the start of step one.
3. The body
This makes the sauce. Choose one or combine them:
- Chopped tomatoes for a rich, tangy sauce.
- Coconut milk for a creamy, milder one.
- Natural yoghurt, stirred in off the heat so it doesn’t split.
- Stock or water for a lighter, brothy curry.
4. The main ingredient
- Chicken thighs simmer for 20–25 minutes and stay juicy.
- Chickpeas, lentils or potatoes make it cheap and filling.
- Paneer goes in for the last 5–10 minutes.
- Fish and prawns need just a few minutes at the end.
- Spinach and peas go in right at the end.
5. The finish
Stir in a pinch of garam masala, a squeeze of lemon or lime, and fresh coriander. Taste and adjust the salt. This last step lifts the whole dish.
Try it: chickpea and spinach curry (serves 4)
- Fry 1 chopped onion in 2 tbsp oil for 10 minutes. Add 3 garlic cloves and a thumb of ginger, both grated, and cook for 1 minute.
- Add 1 tsp each of cumin, ground coriander and turmeric, plus ½–1 tsp chilli powder. Fry for 1 minute.
- Add a 400g tin of chopped tomatoes, two drained 400g tins of chickpeas and a 400ml tin of coconut milk. Simmer for 15 minutes.
- Stir in 2 big handfuls of spinach until wilted. Finish with garam masala, lemon juice, salt and coriander.
Serve with rice — our perfect rice guide shows how — or warm naan. Curries freeze very well, and most taste even better the next day.