You can easily prepare your favourite restaurant style Indian curries with this easy homemade Indian curry sauce recipe. This Indian simmer sauce is a smooth sauce prepared with onion, garlic, tomatoes, Indian spices and coconut milk.

Two jars of indian curry sauce recipe are placed on the kitchen worktop. - 1
  • Ingredients for a Basic Indian Curry Sauce Base
  • How to use Indian curry sauce in recipes
  • Storage

My home-style Indian base curry sauce is the secret to British Indian restaurant style curries at home. It is easy to make within a couple of minutes and can save you time on weeknights.

I also like too prepare other authentic curry sauce bases such as balti sauce , Makhani Sauce and tandoori sauce marinade .

For ease you can also pre-prepare Indian curry paste for when recipes need an onion tomato bhuna masala .

Ingredients for a Basic Indian Curry Sauce Base

Note that fresh ingredients will give you the best results.

Onion – white, brown or red onions works fine.

Garlic – I have used fresh cloves of garlic.

Green chillies – fresh is best. Adjust the amount based on your spice tolerance.

Ginger – fresh ginger is best, choose the ginger roots without strings.

Oil – any mild flavoured or flavourless oil works fine.

Tomatoes – fresh ripe tomatoes or tomato puree works

Cumin seeds

Spice powders – red chilli powder, turmeric powder, cumin powder, coriander powder, garam masala. Alternatively, use a ready-made or homemade curry powder .

Coriander stems adds so much flavours to the sauce.

Kasoori methi – dry fenugreek leaves adds the Indian restaurants style flavour to your sauce.

Salt and sugar – sugar balances out the tartness from the tomatoes and brings the flavours together.

Coconut milk (optional)

A small jar of authentic indian base curry sauce on worktop. - 2

How to use Indian curry sauce in recipes

Make a large batch of this basic curry sauce and keep it handy for busy days. You may need extra spice powders, oil, seasoning, cream, nut paste or particular spice blend depending what dish you are making.

Use it as a base sauce for this Indian vegetable curry or choose your own medley of vegetables such as carrots, cauliflowers, red pepper, green beans and peas. Serve with hot wholewheat roti .

You could also pan fry some tofu or paneer in oil before pouring over this sauce. Throw some frozen green peas, simmer on low heat for 5-10 minutes, finish with chopped fresh coriander then serve.

Saute boiled or steamed baby potatoes in butter or oil, add Indian curry sauce and simmer for 5-6 minutes for a quick Aloo Butter Masala .

It also works with beans and lentils – you can simmer tinned chickpeas to make a cheats chana masala or chickpea tikka masala . These curries goes so well with aromatic jeera rice or takeaway style pilau rice

Storage

Store Indian curry sauce in an airtight container an keep in the fridge for up to 1 week.

You can also freeze it in batches for 3 months in containers or zip lock freezer bags. Thaw the sauce before adding it to the recipe.

Indin simmer sauce in a glass jar. - 3

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Two jars of indian curry sauce recipe are placed on the kitchen worktop. - 4

Indian Curry Sauce Base

Equipment

  • 1 pan
  • 1 Blender

Ingredients

  • 4 cup onion roughly chopped
  • ¼ cup garlic cloves
  • ¼ cup ginger roughly chopped
  • ¼ cup green chillies roughly chopped
  • ½ cup oil
  • 2 tablespoon cumin seeds
  • 1 cup tomatoes roughly chopped
  • 4 tablespoon chilli powder
  • 1 tablespoon turmeric powder
  • 2 tablespoon ground coriander
  • 1 tablespoon garam masala
  • 3 tablespoon kasoori methi
  • 3 tablespoon coriander stem
  • 2 tablespoon salt
  • 2 tablespoon sugar
  • 1 cup water

Optional

  • ½ cup coconut milk

Instructions

  • Heat oil in a pan, add cumin seeds and once they crackle, add onion, garlic, ginger and chilli.
  • Sauté for 8-10 minutes on medium heat until light pink. Add tomatoes cook again until tomato is cooked through.
  • Add coriander stems, kasoori methi and spice powders. Mix well.
  • Cook again for 2 minutes, add some hot water, sugar and salt. Allow to boil, and cook further 3-5 minutes turn off the heat.
  • Let it cool and blend until you achieve a thick but pourable sauce. If using coconut milk, add and mix well.
  • Use directly in your recipe or store it for later.

Video

Nutrition

PLEASE NOTE: Nutritional values are estimated by a computer and may vary based on ingredients and portion sizes. For personalised dietary advice, please consult a qualified healthcare professional.

Two jars of indian curry sauce recipe are placed on the kitchen worktop. - 5

Indian Curry Sauce Base

Equipment

  • 1 pan
  • 1 Blender

Ingredients

  • 4 cup onion roughly chopped
  • ¼ cup garlic cloves
  • ¼ cup ginger roughly chopped
  • ¼ cup green chillies roughly chopped
  • ½ cup oil
  • 2 tablespoon cumin seeds
  • 1 cup tomatoes roughly chopped
  • 4 tablespoon chilli powder
  • 1 tablespoon turmeric powder
  • 2 tablespoon ground coriander
  • 1 tablespoon garam masala
  • 3 tablespoon kasoori methi
  • 3 tablespoon coriander stem
  • 2 tablespoon salt
  • 2 tablespoon sugar
  • 1 cup water

Optional

  • ½ cup coconut milk

Instructions

  • Heat oil in a pan, add cumin seeds and once they crackle, add onion, garlic, ginger and chilli.
  • Sauté for 8-10 minutes on medium heat until light pink. Add tomatoes cook again until tomato is cooked through.
  • Add coriander stems, kasoori methi and spice powders. Mix well.
  • Cook again for 2 minutes, add some hot water, sugar and salt. Allow to boil, and cook further 3-5 minutes turn off the heat.
  • Let it cool and blend until you achieve a thick but pourable sauce. If using coconut milk, add and mix well.
  • Use directly in your recipe or store it for later.

Video

Nutrition

PLEASE NOTE: Nutritional values are estimated by a computer and may vary based on ingredients and portion sizes. For personalised dietary advice, please consult a qualified healthcare professional.

Prepare this fresh and vibrant carrot and daikon radish salad that’s dressed with a simple tempering, lemon juice and sesame seeds. It’s an easy warm side dish to serve alongside your favourite recipes.

carrot and daikon salad in a white bowl. - 6
  • Ingredients notes
  • Serving suggestion
  • Storage

Gujarati Sambharo made with white cabbage and carrots is a staple in our house. It’s perfect as a side dish or warm salad with lentils curry such as Mag Nu Shaak or Brown lentils Curry .

Whenever we get hold of white radish, aka mooli in hindi, we also prepare this easy gajar mooli salad.

Carrot salad with mild daikon radish is so light. The combination of carrot and daikon radish go together so well and the dressing is flavourful and zingy. It comes together in 5 minutes.

I’ve added a single green chilli that adds a gentle heat but it’s optional.

I tend to use a food processor to achieve the julienne but you could alternatively use a spiralizer and make “noodles” or use a vegetable peeler.

The tempering is simply tossed through the vegetables meaning they retain their vibrant colour and crunch.

For a festive variation, try this Diwali Salad with beetroot and pomegranate.

carrot and daikon radish salad served with two serving spoons. - 7

Ingredients notes

Carrots – peeled and julienned or cut into thin matchsticks.

Daikon radish – daikon radish are mild and sweeter in flavour compared with the red radish. Look for creamy white long daikon with minimal blemishes. You will need to peel and grate with a food processor or use a mandoline to cut into matchsticks.

Sesame seeds – you can use white and/or black.

Oil – use a mild flavourless oil.

Mustard and cumin seeds – tempering mustard and cumin seeds adds a delicious warming flavour.

Salt to taste

Mild green chilli – optional

Lemon juice – freshly squeezed or bottled. Alternatively use lime juice.

Finely chopped coriander – for garnishing

Altnetiavely, dress the carrots and daikon with this Indian Salad Dressing .

Serving suggestion

Pair this carrot daikon radish salad alongside your favourite Indian meals or in Gujarati thali .

You can also top it on burgers, serve it alongside a BBQ or with Sun-dried Tomato Chickpea Cakes/Patties .

Storage

Store leftover carrot daikon salad in an airtight container and keep in the fridge for 2-3 days. You can serve it chilled or warm for a few seconds in the fridge to bring it to room temperature.

I do not recommend freezing this salad as the vegetables will loose their texture.

Two bowls of carrot daikon salad on the table. - 8

As always if you make this recipe, be sure to leave me a comment, rate this recipe and tag me on Instagram @jcookingodyssey or #jcookingodyssey. I love seeing all your photos of my recipe recreations!

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carrot and daikon salad in a white bowl. - 9

Carrot and Daikon Salad

Equipment

  • grater
  • small pan

Ingredients

  • 1 cup daikon white raddish
  • 1 cup carrots
  • 2 tablespoon sesame seeds
  • 1 teaspoon oil
  • ¼ teaspoon cumin seeds
  • ¼ teaspoon mustard seeds
  • 1 teaspoon green chilli optional
  • salt
  • 2 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 2 tablespoon fresh coriander.

Instructions

  • Place grated carrots and radish in a mixing bowl.
  • Sprinkle salt and cut green chilli on grated daikon and carrots.
  • Heat oil in a small pan on medium heat, add mustard and cumin seeds.
  • Once it crackles add sesame seeds.
  • Once sesame seeds pops pour everything on salad mixture.
  • Add lemon juice and mix well.
  • Sprinkle coriander.

Nutrition

PLEASE NOTE: Nutritional values are estimated by a computer and may vary based on ingredients and portion sizes. For personalised dietary advice, please consult a qualified healthcare professional.

Note – This recipe has been updated from our recipe archives with new images and content, but the recipe remains the same. First published in December 2015.