While some of us might be tempted to reach for the shop-bought pastes and sauces, making your own perfect curry from scratch could not be easier.
With a few simple tricks, you can whip up a deliciously satisfying dish better than anything the local supermarket can offer.
Here’s how to make the perfect curry at home.
Spices
Don’t be afraid of playing around with the spices. Kick-off your curry by heating up whole spices in hot oil to unleash their true flavours.
Seasoning
One of the biggest mistakes some people make when cooking curries is not adding seasoning.
This is often on the basis that there is so much flavour with the spices so seasoning is not needed.
However, this is wrong. You should add seasoning to your curry in order to combine all the tastes in your mouth, tie everything together and ensure the flavours compliment each other.
Sauces
When making curry at home, it can be difficult to recreate the thick, silky sauces you often find in professional kitchens.
Use tomato purée or yoghurt as natural thickening agents to achieve the perfect consistency.
Onions
I believe no curry is complete without onions but we are not the same. If your curry demands onions, try and dice it finely.
Always give them time to cook thoroughly.
This will create the base of your curry and help combine the favours in the spices.
The degree to which you fry your onion plays a very significant role.
The golden rule is to fry it until it’s golden.
Be patient
Slow-cooking your curry can make all the difference.
Taking your time when making a curry allows the flavours to fully develop for a rich, authentic result.