Recipe for a Basic North Indian Curry

You can use this recipe if you have received a Veena's Market spice blend sample. 

Sample Spice Blend Ingredients

coriander, cumin, black peppercorn, pomegranate powder, red chili powder, mango powder, cassia, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, star anise, fennel, bay leaf, nutmeg

Shopping List and Preparation

2 onions (about 1 cup finely diced)
2 green chilies, diced (optional)
1 bay leaf (optional)
1-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 inch ginger, grated or minced
2 tomatoes (about 1 cup finely diced)
3 tablespoon vegetable oil
Your choice of vegetables or meat (see recipe)
1 tablespoon butter (optional)
~10 stems cilantro, roughly chopped

Recipe

Heat 3 tbsp vegetable oil in a large skillet on medium high heat. When the oil is hot enough a piece of onion added to the oil will sizzle. Throw in the diced onion and green chilies along with a bay leaf, add a pinch of salt and stir for 2-3 minutes. Add the garlic and ginger and stir till the onion is golden brown. The constant stirring helps avoid burnt onion and ensure an even brownness that will add a rich, deep color to your curry. Add the spices from your sample packet and continue to be careful to stir for 2-3 minutes to prevent the spices from sticking to the skillet. Add tomatoes and another pinch of salt. When the tomatoes get mushy, add ½ a cup of water. Lower the heat to medium and cover the skillet. Check every few minutes that the sauce is not burning. If it is getting dry, add a bit more water.

You’ll know the sauce is cooked when you see a thin film of oil form on the top. You now have your sauce base. You can add a vegetable or meat to this sauce, or just make a big batch and refrigerate/freeze it for later use. 

Adding vegetables to this sauce

Chickpeas (1 can, drain and rinse well), potatoes (diced into 1 inch pieces) and peas are particularly well suited to this curry. Tofu might work well too. Once you try this curry, you’ll get a feel for what you think will work with the sauce.  Unless it is a vegetable that cooks very easily, I would recommend that it be cooked when you add it to the sauce. When the sauce is simmering on low, add about a cup of the vegetable or vegetables of your choice. Let simmer for another 5 minutes (if using only vegetables) or till the meat is fork tender. If you’d like, add a tbsp or two of butter at the end. This will take any edge off the curry and help meld the flavors together. Check for salt. Squeeze some lime juice. Mix. You can mix in the cilantro or just use it as a garnish

Adding meat to this sauce

I’d recommend bone-in chicken for this recipe. Marinade the meat with a tsp or so of the same spice mixture as above and 2 tsps lime juice for about an hour. Heat up 2-3 tbsp oil, add the meat and cook till opaque or slightly brown before adding to the sauce. Simmer for another five to ten minutes or till the meat is fork tender. Similar to the vegetables, add butter if you like, check for salt, and if appropriate, squeeze a tsp or two of fresh lime juice. Garnish with cilantro. 

Serve the curry hot over rice or with naan bread.