Make Indian curry yourself: this is how to make the tastiest curry

Curry may be the most versatile dish in the world. In fact, every grandmother in India seems to have her ‘secret’ ingredient that makes her curry just a bit tastier than all the other Indian grandmothers’. According to her, of course. Still, the base for every curry is the same. And if you want to make the tastiest Indian curries at home, this base will ensure you can put a delicious curry on the table for your family, friends and, of course, yourself.

Because curry is so versatile, healthy and nutritious, we’re fans. That’s why in this blog we’re happy to share the basics you need to make a delicious curry. Besides curry, Indian cuisine is known for its many cooking methods and side dishes. Ever heard of a tandoor oven? And have you ever made mango chutney yourself? If you’re curious about all these cooking methods and side dishes and want to learn more about the flavorful Indian cuisine and its curries; you can read all about it in this blog!

A delicious curry starts with a good base. And although every curry is slightly different, preparing a curry always begins with the same basic spices from which you can build a unique, rich and complex flavor. This base consists in practically all cases of a spice mix of turmeric, coriander, cumin and garam masala. With these you create a solid foundation for this beloved dish in a relatively simple way.

In addition to this spice blend, there are a number of ingredients added to every curry to create that characteristic flavor. By supplementing the spice mix with the classic aromatics - onion, garlic and ginger - you give the curry body. By then adding a liquid in the form of peeled tomatoes or coconut milk (or both) you give the spices, seasonings and aromatics a way to meld together and it gets the texture you’re looking for.

Now that we’ve told you what the base of a good curry is, you’re probably eager to dive into the kitchen. But an authentic Indian meal involves a bit more than just the basic masala (that’s what a spice mix is called in India) that we mentioned above. That’s why we tell you below about 2 delicious side dishes and share an idea for a complete curry.

The complete curry we want to talk about today is the curry madras. In our opinion a wonderfully accessible curry that is popular in many countries outside India. This curry originates from the region around the Indian city of Chennai, which used to be called Madras.

A curry madras is accessible because it is traditionally made with few ingredients beyond the base and is not too spicy. Apart from the basic spices we named above, the spice mix is often supplemented with fenugreek, cinnamon, clove, black mustard seed, fennel, chili powder (to taste, of course) and naturally salt and pepper. By adding the aromatics (onion, garlic and ginger), tomatoes and coconut milk to these spices, you get a delicious curry madras. Garnish with some fresh coriander, serve with naan or rice and you have something that will surely surprise your friends and family.

If you’ve ever searched for Indian dishes, you’ve probably come across tandoori. And although many people think this is a curry, it’s not. “Tandoori” actually refers to a method of preparing mainly chicken. First the chicken is marinated in a special tandoori mixture, after which it is cooked in a tandoor, which is a kind of clay oven.

The tandoori mixture is a yogurt-based marinade. By supplementing the yogurt with lemon juice and a combination of garlic, ginger, garam masala, cumin, coriander and turmeric (do you recognize the basic spices?) you get a beautiful marinade. Sometimes a red dye is even added to this marinade to give the tandoori its characteristic red color. The chicken is then marinated in the mixture for a few hours or even a whole night, after which it is traditionally cooked in a tandoor, giving the chicken a slightly charred exterior.

Although using a tandoor is the authentic way, you probably don’t have one in your kitchen. Frying the chicken in a frying pan over high heat gives a result that comes close, so you can use this method as well! The result is a deliciously flavorful piece of chicken, which makes a lovely side dish with, for example, the curry madras.

And another delicious side from Indian cuisine: chutney. While curry is probably the most versatile dish in the world, chutney comes dangerously close. Besides every Indian grandmother having a ‘secret’ ingredient for her curry, almost every Indian family has their own chutney. This has led to an enormous diversity of chutneys that you can now find all over the world.

Still, the most well-known variant is probably mango chutney: a sweet, slightly spicy sauce that goes wonderfully with a curry. And although you can now find it in many supermarkets, it’s very easy to make yourself. And tastier too!

Of course you need a number of ripe mangoes for this. We always make more than we need, because if you’re already at it… Plus, you can keep it in a canning jar in the fridge for about a month. For a full one-liter jar we use 4 to 5 green mangoes.

This chutney also includes a chopped small onion, a piece of ginger, 3 garlic cloves, mustard seed and chili powder to give the mixture a bit of heat. In addition, our secret ingredient is a handful of raisins, delicious in this chutney!

For a chutney you naturally need a liquid to achieve a nice syrupy chutney. For that we use 1 part vinegar and 2 parts sugar. By dissolving the sugar in the vinegar and then letting all the ingredients simmer in the liquid for about an hour, you get a delicious chutney - definitely worth trying!

And although it doesn’t seem difficult, it can take some time to make a spice mix every time after a busy day. Or you may just want to be sure the proportions of the different spices are correct. Then we’re happy to help you with the Hurry Curry spice mix! We specially developed this spice mix for a quick curry on a weeknight. With it you can have a delicious curry on the table in no time.

Curry may be the most versatile dish that exists and is therefore a wonderful dish to add to your repertoire. With this blog we’ve tried to give you information and inspiration to confidently head into the kitchen. Whether it becomes a curry madras, you start experimenting with making your own spice mix, or you use the Hurry Curry spice mix for an easy weeknight curry - enjoy! As we said at the start of this blog, nearly every grandmother in India has her ‘secret’ ingredient. What will yours be?

5 Frequently asked questions about curry

1. What is the base of a good Indian curry?

The base of almost every curry consists of a spice mix of turmeric, cumin, coriander and garam masala. This is supplemented with aromatics such as onion, garlic and ginger. Tomatoes and/or coconut milk then provide body and sauce.

2. What is the difference between curry and masala?

Curry is the final dish. Masala literally means “spice mix” and forms the flavor base of many curries. You could say masala is the foundation and curry the end result.

3. What makes a curry madras different from other curries?

Curry madras is generally more accessible and mild to medium spicy. Besides the basic spices, this variant often contains fenugreek, mustard seed, cinnamon and chili powder. Its origin lies in the region around Chennai (formerly Madras).

4. Can you make tandoori without a tandoor oven?

Yes, definitely. Although tandoori is traditionally prepared in a clay oven (tandoor), you can achieve similar results in a hot oven or frying pan. The yogurt marinade with garam masala and spices provides the characteristic flavor.

5. How do you make mango chutney yourself?

You make mango chutney by combining mango with onion, ginger, garlic, mustard seed, vinegar and sugar. By slowly reducing this, a sweet, slightly spicy sauce develops that pairs perfectly with curry and rice dishes.