Effortlessly make Indian curry with this homemade onion tomato masala. This base curry sauce is freezable and perfect for dal and other Indian dishes too! Makes 6 cups of sauce.
Prep Time15 minutesmins
Cook Time45 minutesmins
Total Time1 hourhr
Course: Lunch & Dinner, Side Dish
Cuisine: Indian
Keyword: base curry sauce, indian curry sauce
Servings: 6cups
Author: Sandhya Hariharan
Ingredients
7large red onionsapproximately 1.36kg or 3 pounds, finely chopped
8large tomatoesapproximately 1.36kg or 3 pounds, finely chopped
Heat the oil in a large pan. Add ginger and garlic, and sauté until fragrant, about 3-4 minutes.
20 garlic cloves, 6 inches ginger, 150 ml sunflower oil
Next, add the onions and sauté until they are slightly browned, about 20 minutes. Add a splash of water if they start sticking to the pan (though I didn't need to).
7 large red onions
Then, add the chopped tomatoes, salt, and spices, and continue to cook until the tomatoes have broken down and the sauce has thickened, which can take anywhere between 25-30 minutes.
Allow the masala to cool down, then blend it to a smooth consistency. This super easy onion tomato masala can be used as a base for many recipes, including dals, stews, curries, sabzis, or rice dishes.
Notes
How to freeze Onion Tomato masala?
To freeze your Onion Tomato masala, ensure it cools thoroughly before portioning it into individual servings. I recommend using large silicone ice cube trays, with each compartment holding approximately 1/2 cup of masala. Once frozen, transfer the masala cubes to zip lock bags for convenient storage. This method preserves the masala's freshness for up to 3 months.
I use this frozen masala straight from the freezer into the recipes without needing to thaw.
How to use this Homemade Indian curry sauce in recipes?
This onion tomato base masala sauce is the foundation of many curries. Here's how I would use it for Quick weeknight recipes. Use 1/2 cup of this versatile Onion Tomato masala blend, or opt for the convenience of frozen masala cubes, in lieu of separately preparing tomato, onion, ginger, garlic, along with turmeric, ground cumin, and ground coriander in your recipes.
Easy Chana Masala: To make Chana Masala, I add chickpeas, 1 cup of water, base Indian curry sauce and simmer until the chickpeas are cooked through. Top with additional spices like garam masala. Finish with fresh coriander and kasuri methi.
Quick Aloo Matar: To make Aloo Matar, add diced potatoes and peas to the base Indian curry sauce and water. Simmer until the vegetables are cooked through. Season to taste, add with 1/2 tsp garam masala and 1/2 tsp chilli powder as need. Finish with fresh coriander and serve with Naan bread.
Red lentils Dal tadka: To your cooked red lentils, add 1 cube or 1/2 cup of curry sauce, 1/2 - 1 cup of water to adjust the consistency of the dal. Cook until heated thoroughly.Garnish with coriander.