This versatile Indian curry paste is an easy shortcut for making restaurant-style Indian curries at home! I developed it with simple ingredients, including onions, tomatoes and spices chosen for the most authentic aroma and flavor. It takes just 10 minutes to make - no cooking required.
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Flavorful Indian Curry Paste
Making tasty curries on weeknights is a breeze with this delicious and easy Indian curry paste. It works just like a Thai curry paste - you stir it into oil in a pan, cook it for a few minutes, then add in a protein like tofu or chickpeas, or vegetables of your choice. Thin it all out with water or vegetable stock and voila! A creamy, yummy curry you can serve with rice or roti.
This is a raw curry paste unlike my other go-to Indian meal prep sauces, tikka masala sauce and tomato onion masala sauce. It is perfect when you don't have a ton of time for meal prep, and it also needs fewer ingredients. Just add everything to the blender and blend. Store the paste in the fridge or freeze until you are ready to make a meal.
When you make the curry you will need to sauté the paste in oil for a few minutes but rest assured you will have dinner on the table in minutes.
Why you will love this recipe
Simple recipe with pantry-friendly ingredients
You need basic ingredients for the curry paste, including tomatoes, onions, ginger and garlic, and just five spices: cumin, coriander, garam masala, turmeric and red chili powder or cayenne. I also like adding a secret optional ingredient - a few dried or fresh mushrooms - to the sauce for umami.
Perfect for quick weeknight meals
You can make a one-pot curry in no more than 20 minutes flat using this curry paste. Everything you need to flavor the curry is already in the paste so you won't need to add any extra ingredients to enhance the taste.
Restaurant-quality flavor
I like using this curry paste to make dishes like vegan butter chicken. You can also use seitan to make this seitan curry with mushrooms and coconut milk, or add lentils for vegan dal makhani. Or make curries with mushrooms, potatoes, sweet potatoes, cauliflower, squash and more. What might surprise you is that the dishes taste so different from each other after cooking, but all of them have that alluring, restaurant-like flavor.
Ingredients
- Tomatoes. About three medium sized tomatoes. I used beefsteak tomatoes this time but any variety will work.
- Aromatics: Onions (or shallots), garlic and ginger
- Spices: Ground cumin, ground coriander, turmeric, cayenne, paprika (optional, for color) and garam masala. These spices together create the perfect aroma and flavor.
- Kasoori methi or dry fenugreek leaves. Kasoori methi with its mild but pleasant bitterness adds balance to the sweet, tangy and spicy flavors in the curry paste.
- Raw cashews (or pumpkin seeds if nut-free). I add the cashews to the paste for convenience, so you don't have to make cashew cream separately when you make a curry.
Optional ingredient
- Shiitake or other dried or fresh mushrooms. These are optional but strongly recommended, and you just need 3-4. The mushrooms add wonderful flavor and umami and make this curry paste quite sublime. You can also use fresh mushrooms. The mushrooms disappear into the paste, so anyone who hates mushrooms doesn't even have to know they are in there, but they add a delicious depth to the masala paste and therefore the curry.
How to make Indian curry paste
- If using mushrooms, soak the dried mushrooms in half a cup of hot water for 15 minutes. Fresh mushrooms don't need to be soaked. Rough-chop tomatoes, onions, ginger and garlic.
- Place the chopped tomatoes, onions, garlic, ginger in the blender. Drain the mushrooms (reserve the soaking water to add to any curry or other dish you are making as it's a great stock) and add them to the blender.
- Add cashews, ground coriander, ground cumin, turmeric, cayenne, paprika if using, garam masala and cashews (or pumpkin seeds) to the blender. (I added the kasoori methi to my curry paste to make things easier but keep in mind you will taste its bitterness a bit more if you blend it. You have the option of leaving out the kasoori methi from the paste. Add it later when you are actually making a curry with the paste.)
- Blend all the ingredients into a smooth paste without adding any more water. This will make it much easier when you sauté the paste later while making a curry because the paste will cook much faster.
How to make a curry with the curry paste
I made a tofu curry with the curry paste so I could demonstrate this for you. You can, as I said above, use a variety of other proteins or vegetables instead but follow these instructions.
- Heat 1 teaspoon of any vegetable oil (like avocado oil) in a saucepan. Add half the curry paste to it (don't add any water). Saute the paste over low or medium-low heat, about 10 minutes, until most of the water has evaporated and it becomes quite glossy and a few shades darker.
- Add the tofu cubes to the pan (I used air-fried tofu seasoned with salt and pepper, although plain tofu cubes work well too). Add 2 cups vegetable stock or water. If you didn't add kasoori methi to the curry paste, add a tablespoon of it now (crush it between your palms as you add it to the pot).
- Let the sauce come to a boil and cook for five more minutes, during which it will thicken quite a bit. You can add more water or stock to thin it out.
- Check seasoning and add more salt if needed. Serve hot.
More Indian masala sauces and blends to try
Recipe card
Easy Indian Curry Paste
Equipment you'll need
- Blender
Ingredients
- 3 medium tomatoes (roughly chopped)
- 2 medium onions (or four shallots, roughly chopped)
- 2-inch knob ginger (roughly chopped)
- 8 cloves garlic
- 1-2 teaspoon cayenne (use less if sensitive to heat)
- 1-2 teaspoon paprika (optional, but gives great color to the curry paste)
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 2 tablespoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ¼ cup raw cashews (or pumpkin seeds if nut-free)
- 2 tablespoon garam masala
Optional ingredient:
- 4 dry shiitake mushrooms (or any dry mushrooms. You can also use fresh crimini or button or any other mushrooms. For dry mushrooms, soak 15 minutes in hot water. Drain before using)
Instructions
Make the curry paste
- Place all ingredients in the blender and blend into a very smooth paste without any added water.
- Use or refrigerate/freeze.
Make a curry with the curry paste
- Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a saucepan. Add half the curry paste and saute until it becomes a bit darker and very glossy. The paste should not taste raw.
- Add any protein or quick-cooking vegetable, including tofu, vegan meat substitute, cooked lentils, boiled potatoes, zucchini or cauliflower to the saucepan with two cups water or vegetable stock. Add a tablespoon of kasoori methi if you didn't add any to the curry paste and salt to taste.
- Cook 10 minutes or until the curry is quite thick. Add more water if needed. Finish with a tablespoon of vegan butter for a smooth mouth-feel.
Notes
- Nutrition information is for half the curry paste made by this recipe.
- Estimated cost includes optional dried mushrooms and paprika. If you skip these ingredients the estimated cost of the recipe would drop by about $1.
- When you make a curry, finish it off with a tablespoon of vegan butter for a smooth, creamy mouth-feel. This is optional but it adds a lovely flavor.
Nutrition Information
My top tip
This recipe makes enough for two uses. You can use the slider in the recipe card to make a larger batch and freeze it in smaller portion sizes so you have it on hand anytime you need it!
Recipe FAQs
Beans and lentils need to be pre-cooked before you add them to the sauce.
Pre-cook any vegetables that take a while to cook, like potatoes or sweet potatoes, before adding them to the sauce. Vegetables like squash, cauliflower and mushrooms do not need to be cooked in advance. Just let them simmer in the sauce for a few minutes until they are tender.
Refrigerate the curry paste in a jar for up to five days. For longer storage divide it into portion sizes and freeze for up to three months. Thaw the curry paste before use.
Serve any curry you make with this curry paste with roti, vegan naan or basmati rice.
Steven Cohen says
Made the curry paste, I guess the paprika made it red as oppose to the yellow/golden colour in the recipe, but the flavour was great and it will be my go to paste for future curries.
Thanks
Steve
Jane says
Vaishali, I am so grateful for your website. It is enabling me to move from vegetarian to vegan, deliciously. I’m so happy for your take on middle eastern food, as that is my heritage. But have we ever come to love Indian food!
So many of your recipes contain cashews. Do you have any hints for finding them economically?
Thanks again!
Annette says
Very good recipe. I added brocoli, peas and carrots.
In your introduction you mention garam masala and cashews but not in the ingredient list and instructions. How much of each do you suggest?
Vaishali says
Hi Annette, my bad-- it's 1/4 cup cashews and 2 tbsp garam masala--I've added them now. Happy you still enjoyed it!