Curry is a delicious dish that originated from India. The creaminess and flavorful of the curry sauce has made its way to the top most famous sauces in the world. However, it is easy to get watery and bland if you’re not careful. Let’s discover how to thicken curry saucetogether.
How To Thicken Curry Sauce
1. Flour
Flour is an indispensable ingredient when thickening sauces. There are three kinds of flour that you can use: corn flour, all-purpose flour, and arrowroot.
Although being made from different ingredients, these thickening agents have the same usage. All you need to do is mix one tablespoon of flour together with an equal amount of water, then add it slowly to the sauce while stirring continuously at medium heat until the sauce thickens.
However, please note that the all-purpose flour is not as thick as the cornstarch and arrowroot. So, if choosing to use this flour, you should use double the amount compared to corn flour.
If the curry sauce is still watery after adding the liquid in, just repeat this step until it reaches the thickness level that you want. Otherwise, if the sauce becomes too thick, add some water to thin it.
2. Coconut milk
Coconut milk is one of the most essential ingredients in making curry. It not only helps to thicken the sauce but also increase the creamy flavor.
Shake the coconut milk can before opening, then pour it into the sauce and cook at medium heat. Stir the coconut milk into the curry and wait until it reaches the right consistency.
3. Yogurt
This sounds strange but you’re often wondering “how to thicken curry sauce by yogurt. Actually, this ingredient acts like coconut milk in Indian curry sauce. Add a small amount at a time then mix well until it reaches your desired thickness.
4. Tomato paste
A common method used to thicken curry sauce, especially in Indian style, is to add tomato paste.
Pour a small amount of tomato into the sauce during the cooking process and stir well. In case you do not have any tomato paste, you can use tomato puree or diced tomato instead.
5. Mashed potato
Potato is a thickener ingredient. Adding a few spoons of mashed potato will make the sauce become thicker.
6. Nuts and beans
Another option is to add some nuts like cashew, peanut, or lentil to the curry sauce and cook until it becomes tender. Using this method will make the sauce thicker and creamier.
7. Simmering
One of the simplest and easiest ways to thicken the sauce is simmering. Just leave the sauce cooked at low heat without covering the lid, then wait until it reaches your desired thickness.
Common Mistakes When Making Curry Sauce
Below are some common mistakes that you should avoid when making curry sauce.
Add too much liquid in the beginning
If you add too much liquid into the sauce instead of measuring the right amount, it will make your sauce become too watery and bland.
Make the wrong curry base
Curry base plays an important part in making the sauce. Your curry will not taste right if missing one of the ingredients or it is not made in the right order.
Rush in cooking time
It takes a certain amount of time to create a perfect curry sauce, as the spices need to be fully cooked to extract the flavor.
Forget to season the sauce
This is a common mistake when cooking curry sauce. Due to the big number of different types of spices that are added during the cooking process, people often skip this seasoning step completely!
Tips for making a good curry sauce
If you have read until this part, please spend a few more minutes to note down some tips for making a delicious and eye-catching curry paste.
Firstly, as mentioned in the previous part, you should add the thickening ingredients slowly to prevent the sauce from becoming too thick or too watery.
Secondly, don’t forget to follow this order when cooking curry:
- Put the spices into hot oil and fry until they are fragrant.
- Add onion and garlic then cook until they turn brownish
- Add other ingredients like ginger, lemongrass, and other spices in, stir well, then continue to cook for one minute.
- Season the paste with sugar and salt to create a perfect balance in flavor.
Conclusion
Making a curry sauce that has creamy and rich flavor is not difficult. Just follow the above methods and you will succeed at how to thicken curry sauce in no time.
Thanks for reading and hope that this article will help you find out your own curry sauce recipe.