The Basics of Making Your Own Curry Paste

If there’s one thing many of us know how to do well, it’s perfecting a curry dish. But the secret to a pot of fragrant curry is more than just a teaspoon or two of curry powder.

Although this spice is flavourful enough to bring out the best in your meals, it never hurts to go the extra mile — especially when you’re cooking for your family or a few close friends.

But how can you make a special effort? The answer is simple: curry paste.

And the best part is that you can add your favourite spices according to your palate. Here are a few suggestions to add to your paste.

Onion
Whether you opt for fresh onion, powder or flakes, adding this will enhance the flavour of the paste. Fresh onion is also a much stronger option so when you do add this, be mindful not to use too much as that might overpower the taste.

Garlic And Ginger
These ingredients go hand in hand when you’re making the perfect curry. Grate a few cloves of garlic and a thumb-sized piece of ginger into the mix to make your curry more flavourful.

Curry Powder
The stronger the paste, the more potent your curry powder. We recommend adding Rajah Hot curry powder which contains hints of turmeric, coriander, cumin, cloves, fennel, methee and paprika. You really don’t need to add anything else. These flavours are blended perfectly together to give your chicken curry the burst of taste it needs.

Fresh Chillies (Optional)
To give your curry paste the kick it needs, add chopped fresh chillies to the mixture. Green chillies are best as they’re not only hot, but tasty too.

Sunflower Oil
Oil will also help with blending and giving your ingredients the consistency of a paste. Now that you have all your dry spices, you will need a tablespoon of oil to mix them all together.

Tomatoes
Add grated tomatoes to the paste to thicken and to blend all those fragrant spices together.

Tips For Making The Paste
Heat some oil in a pan, then add a chopped onion and cook until soft. Add the garlic and ginger paste until fragrant. Then add your grated tomatoes and allow to cook for 3 minutes. Now add the rest of the spices and cook for another 5 minutes or until the sauce thickens. Now you’re ready to use your delicious curry paste. Remember to store in an airtight container and use within a week or two. Alternatively, you can freeze for a month.

A spoon or two of your curry paste, slowly roasted before adding your meat, is all you need as a base to flavour your food. Enjoy!