Madras Curry Paste Recipe

This Madras Curry Paste Recipe builds upon a very traditional Indian masala to make a tangy, versatile, and easy to use Madras Curry base. For those unfamiliar, Indian ‘masalas are spice blends which can be ‘dry’ powders, or ‘wet’ pastes. Typically, pastes are made by combining dry powdered spices with a liquid (vinegar especially) and then either using as is, or else storing after cooking the paste in oil until the blending liquid evaporates out. Here, this particular ‘wet’ masala is made using my own homemade Madras Curry Powder Recipe as a base.

For the current paste recipe, I started with my basic Homemade Madras Curry Powder Recipe (which yields about 2/3 of a Cup) and then added 3 tablespoons more chili powder (the cooking process mellows the heat of this a little), along with a tablespoon of fresh ginger paste, and two tablespoons of garlic paste. I made this into a paste with ¾ of a cup of Vinegar.

The next step is to blend in a Cup of Oil (something neutral in flavor is best). The idea is to heat the blend over moderate heat, constantly stirring, until the vinegar evaporates, and the mass begins to clump away from the sides of the pot, with some of the oil starting to separate out.

If you look close at the above picture, you will see that the separation of oil is just beginning and oil, tinted by the chili powder, is forming in pits and crevices in the spice mass, and around the edge of the pan. Once this state is reached, the cooking is done and the paste may used, or cooled and stored.

After cooling, you can store the paste for future use. If storing for an extended period, it is a good idea to make the surface is covered by a layer of oil and, if necessary, you can add a little more. It actually keeps quite well in the cupboard but I tend to put mine in the fridge to preserve maximum flavor.

Well, essentially, you can use this Curry Paste in the same way you would use any ‘wet’ Masala, though obviously, a Madras Curry Paste will be primarily used to make a Madras Curry. That being said, the paste is versatile, and can easily extend to be used as marinade, or a rub, as seen on the the Spicy Beef Skewers shown above.

Print Recipe This Madras Curry Paste Recipe builds upon my Homemade Madras Curry Powder recipe to make a tangy, versatile and easy to use Curry flavoring.

• 1 Recipe of Homemade Madras Curry Powder
• 3 Tbsp. Powdered Red Chili
• 2 Tbsp. Garlic Paste
• 1 Tbsp. Ginger Paste
• ¾ Cup White Vinegar
• 1 Cup Vegetable Oil.

• Blend all the ingredients except the Vinegar together in a saucepan
• Turn the heat to medium and, when the mix begins to bubble, stir in the oil.
• Continue cooking until the Vinegar has evaporated and the mixture thicken and the oil begins to separate out.
• Cool and transfer to a suitable container. Cover with a thin film of oil for storage.