Basic Indian Curry Sauce

Origin: The word “curry” comes from the Tamil word kari, meaning “sauce” or “relish for rice.”

Long before European traders arrived, cooks in the Indian subcontinent were blending spices such as turmeric, cumin, coriander, and fennel in mortar and pestle, creating sauces and stews around 4,000 years ago.

These sauces often started with onions, garlic, ginger, and regional spice mixes which were then simmered with vegetables, lentils, yogurt, coconut milk, or meat to form a rich gravy.

With the arrival of the Portuguese in Goa (1510) and the subsequent Columbian Exchange, chili peppers, tomatoes, and potatoes entered Indian cuisine, transforming many curry sauces into the vibrant, spicy versions we recognize today.

Later, during British colonial rule, the term “curry” was generalized, curry powders were created for export, and these sauces traveled globally — morphing along the way but rooted in the ancient art of spice and sauce.

Ingredients

This is the mother base—onion, ginger, garlic, tomato, and spice.
From here, all things flow: chana masala, chicken curry, aloo gobi, saag, keema.

It’s not meant to be fancy. It’s meant to be functional, flexible, and true.

2 tbsp ghee or neutral oil

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 large onion, finely chopped

1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste (or 1 tsp each, fresh)

2 tomatoes, finely chopped or puréed

1 tsp ground coriander

½ tsp ground turmeric

½ tsp red chili powder (adjust to taste)

½ tsp garam masala

Salt, to taste

Water or stock, as needed to adjust thickness

How The Alchemy Happens

Heat ghee or oil in a heavy pan. Add cumin seeds; let them crackle and perfume the air.

Add onion and cook until deep golden, stirring often — this is where sweetness and body are born.

Stir in ginger-garlic paste; cook until the raw scent fades.

Add tomatoes and cook down until the oil separates and the sauce thickens into a paste.

Sprinkle in coriander, turmeric, chili, and salt. Stir and let the spices bloom in the heat.

Add water or stock gradually, stirring until smooth. Simmer for 5–10 minutes to blend flavors.

Finish with garam masala and taste — this is your blank canvas. From here, add lentils, vegetables, meats, or coconut milk to write the next story.

Every curry begins here: fire meeting patience.

At this point, your base is ready.
Add chickpeas for chana.

Add boiled potatoes and peas for aloo matar.
Add sautéed paneer.

Add chicken and simmer.
Or just ladle over rice and remember home.