British Indian Restaurant Base Gravy (Small Batch)

Ingredients

• 3 Onions (roughly chopped)
• 7 cloves Garlic (range of 6-8 cloves mentioned)
• 1 inch Ginger (cubed)
• 3 Green chilies (organic preferred; adjust for heat preference)
• 2 Vine ripened tomatoes (roughly chopped)
• 0.5 Green capsicum (bell pepper; do not use yellow or orange)
• 1 handful Fresh coriander (including stalks for fragrance)
• 1 tbsp General curry powder (standard mild or medium blend)
• 1 tsp Kashmiri chili powder (for color and mild flavor)
• 0.5 tsp Garam masala (for aroma)
• 1 tbsp Tomato puree (concentrated paste)
• 4 tbsp Cooking oil (olive oil or ghee)
• 4 cup Boiling water (to cover vegetables)

Steps

1. 1

   Prepare the vegetables by roughly cutting the onions, garlic cloves, ginger, green chilies, vine ripened tomatoes, and green capsicum.

2. 2

   Place the chopped onions, garlic, ginger, chilies, tomatoes, capsicum, and a handful of coriander into a pressure cooker (or a large pot with a tight-fitting lid).

3. 3

   Add the curry powder, Kashmiri chili powder, garam masala, and tomato puree to the vegetables.

4. 4

   Pour in 4 tablespoons of cooking oil and 4 cups of boiling water. Stir the mixture well to combine.

5. 5

   Lock the pressure cooker lid. Turn the heat to high and cook for 5 minutes to build up steam and pressure.

6. 6

   Once pressurized, reduce the heat to the lowest setting and cook for 30 minutes. If using a standard pot, simmer on low with the lid on for 45-60 minutes until all vegetables are completely soft.

7. 7

   Turn off the heat and allow the pressure to release naturally until the safety valve drops. Open the lid carefully.

8. 8

   Using a stick blender (immersion blender), blitz the mixture directly in the pot until it reaches a very smooth, uniform consistency.

9. 9

   Pass the blended liquid through a fine-mesh strainer into a clean bowl or pot to remove any remaining fibers or bits, ensuring a silky restaurant-style finish.

10. 10

    The base gravy is now ready. Use it immediately to cook a curry, or simmer it further if you prefer a thicker consistency.

Notes

This base gravy can be used for any BIR style dish like Madras, Korma, or Masala. It can be refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen in portions for later use. If the gravy is too thin for your specific recipe, simply simmer it uncovered for a few minutes to reduce.

Nutrition per serving

• base gravy
• BIR
• Indian
• sauce
• meal prep
• vegetarian
• gluten-free
• slow-cooked