Bhuna Masala | Indian Curry Paste
When we moved to the US, after a few week of juggling between home and work I realised we need to plan our work and chores better. Life was super busy and without any help whatsoever. The few things I did was making spice blends and pastes for quick stews, gravies, curries and soups. A jar full of this Indian curry paste was always in my fridge for quick curries and gravies. I can praise it enough as this was one of the things that made my cooking pretty easy on busy days. After moving back to India, I still continue to keep this handy. This is perfect for all those busy days and no mood to cook days.
A lot of Indian dishes like paneer gravy, mushroom curry, chhole masala, rajma masala, aloo tarri uses this paste as the base. Then different spice blends (readily available in any Indian grocery stores) are added for the required taste for each of them.
How to make this?
Heat 3 tbsps cooking oil in a pan and sauté 2 tsps cumin seeds, 6-7cloves, 10-12 black peppercorns, 2-3 star anise, 2 big cardamom, 4-5 small green cardamoms, 2 inches cinnamon and a couple of dry red chillies and 2 bay leaves. Sauté until fragrant. Now carefully remove the whole spices from the oil.
Add in 3 tbsps crushed garlic and ginger (I used mortar and pestle), 2 chopped/crushed green chillies and then sauté 2 cups of puréed or finely chopped onion until it turns golden brown. Add in a few tsps of water if the onion paste gets dry. We need browned not burnt onions. Then add in 2.5 cups tomato purée, and cook them all until it releases oil and turns brownish red. Stir in 1/3 cup whisked curd and cook for another 7-8 mins (use coconut cream or thick coconut milk for vegan option). The paste would come together and start releasing oil again.
Add the dry spices – 2 tsps red chilli powder, 2.5 tsps coriander powder, salt to taste, 1.5 tsps roasted cumin powder, 1/2 tsp turmeric powder, 1 tsp garam masala (the spices are added at a lesser than required amount at this stage, more to be added later while making the dish).
Sauté it all until the spices are well blended in the paste and it looks cooked.
Store in a clean and sterilised jar for upto a week in refrigerator or freeze them for upto 3 months.
How to use it?
Just heat a tsp of oil and add around 1/4 or 1/2 cup of bhuna masala. Sauté for a minute and add the spice blend of the desired dish. If the spice blends aren’t available add more of the dry spices that were used to make the paste initially. Taste and adjust the spices and salt. Add the desired protein/veggies and add water for the desired gravy consistency. Cook covered for another 5-7 mins. Finish off with dried kasuri methi and chopped coriander leaves.
Enjoy!!!
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Bhuna Masala | Indian Curry Paste
Ingredients
- 2 Cups Onion purée
- 2.5 Cups Tomato purée
- 3 Tbsps Cooking oil
- 2 Tsps Cumin seeds
- 6-7 Pcs Cloves
- 10-12 Pcs Black peppercorns
- 2-3 Pcs Star anise
- 2 Pcs Black cardamom
- 4-5 Pcs Green cardamom
- 2 Inches Cinnamon
- 2 Pcs Dry red chillies
- 2 Pcs Bay leaves
- 3 Tbsps Crushed ginger and garlic
- 1/3 Cup Whisked curd
- 2 Tsps Red chilli powder
- 2.5 Tsps Coriander powder
- 1.5 Tsps Roasted cumin powder
- 1/2 Tsp Turmeric powder
- Salt to taste
- 1 Tsp Garam masala
Instructions
- Heat 3 tbsps cooking oil in a pan and sauté 2 tsps cumin seeds, 6-7cloves, 10-12 black peppercorns, 2-3 star anise, 2 big cardamom, 4-5 small green cardamoms, 2 inches cinnamon and a couple of dry red chillies and 2 bay leaves. Sauté until fragrant. Now carefully remove the whole spices from the oil.
- Add in 3 tbsps crushed garlic and ginger (I used mortar and pestle), 2 chopped/crushed green chillies and then sauté 2 cups of puréed or finely chopped onion until it turns golden brown. Add in a few tsps of water if the onion paste gets dry. We need browned not burnt onions.
- Then add in 2.5 cups tomato purée, and cook them all until it releases oil and turns brownish red. Stir in 1/3 cup whisked curd and cook for another 7-8 mins (use coconut cream or thick coconut milk for vegan option). The paste would come together and start releasing oil again.
- Add the dry spices – 2 tsps red chilli powder, 2.5 tsps coriander powder, salt to taste, 1.5 tsps roasted cumin powder, 1/2 tsp turmeric powder, 1 tsp garam masala (the spices are added at a lesser than required amount at this stage, more to be added later while making the dish).
- Sauté it all until the spices are well blended in the paste and it looks cooked.
- Store in a clean and sterilised jar for upto a week in refrigerator or freeze them for upto 3 months.
