Fragrant curry sauce

Name: Fragrant curry sauce
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: Makes about 1.3 litres (6 servings)
Cuisine: Indian recipes
Ingredients: 1 tbsp vegetable oil; 5 shallots, roughly chopped; 5 garlic cloves, roughly chopped; 2 tbsp freshly grated ginger; 1½ tbsp curry powder; 3 red chillies, roughly chopped (deseeded, if you prefer less heat); 1 tbsp galangal paste (see Know-how); 2 x 400ml tins coconut milk; 1 large lemongrass stalk, bruised; 1 large cinnamon stick; 250ml vegetable stock (check it’s gluten-free, if you need it to be); Juice 2 limes; 2 tbsp tamarind paste (from most supermarkets; see Know-how); Useful to have…; Mini-chopper or blender

Published: 20 Jun 19
Updated: 18 Mar 24

Test kitchen approved

Make this fragrant curry sauce and keep it in the freezer to use when you need a timesaver. This master recipe is free from gluten and dairy and it’s vegan, too, so everyone can enjoy it.

Then, use up any leftovers in our egg, spinach and potato curry.

Makes about 1.3 litres (6 servings)
Hands-on time 10 min, simmering time 30 min

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Ingredients

1 tbsp vegetable oil
5 shallots, roughly chopped
5 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
2 tbsp freshly grated ginger
1½ tbsp curry powder
3 red chillies, roughly chopped (deseeded, if you prefer less heat)
1 tbsp galangal paste (see Know-how)
2 x 400ml tins coconut milk
1 large lemongrass stalk, bruised
1 large cinnamon stick
250ml vegetable stock (check it’s gluten-free, if you need it to be)
Juice 2 limes
2 tbsp tamarind paste (from most supermarkets; see Know-how)

Useful to have…

Mini-chopper or blender

Method

Put the oil, shallots, garlic, ginger, curry powder, chillies, galangal paste and 100ml coconut milk in a mini-chopper or blender, then whizz to a smooth paste. (If you don’t have a mini chopper or blender, chop everything as finely as possible, then bash in a pestle and mortar until it’s as smooth as you can get it.)
Set a large pan (one with a lid) over a high heat. Add the curry paste and fry, stirring, for about  3 minutes until fragrant and the  oil begins to separate from the  rest of the paste.
Add the lemongrass, cinnamon stick and a generous pinch of salt and pepper, then continue cooking for 2 minutes. Reduce the heat, then pour over the remaining coconut milk and the vegetable stock.  Stir to combine and bring to a simmer. Cover  with the lid and  simmer gently for  30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the lime juice and tamarind paste, season to taste and decant into jars, airtight containers or freezer bags.  Chill until needed (see Make Ahead).

Recipe from May 2019 Issue

Nutrition

Nutrition: per serving

Calories: 269kcals
Fat: 24.9g (19.7g saturated)
Protein: 2.5g
Carbohydrates: 8.1g (4.7g sugars)
Fibre: 1.4g
Salt: 0.1g

delicious. tips

Store the finished sauce in clean jars or airtight containers in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Galangal is related to ginger and widely used in Thai food. Find galangal paste at Waitrose, Sainsbury’s or ocado.com.

Tamarind paste is used in many Asian cuisines. It has a pleasantly tangy flavour. If you can’t find it, use the juice of ½-1 lime instead.

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Fragrant curry sauce

Ingredients

Method

Nutrition

delicious. tips

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