Four Ways to Thicken Your Curry Sauce — Zainab Jagot Ahmed (2024)

1. Tomato puree/ paste

Ideal for tomato-based sauces so great for Indian and Italian cookery. Adding tomato puree is probably the most common method of thickening curry sauces. Simply add the tomato puree during the cooking process rather than adding it at the end. This will help to thicken your curry or pasta sauce from the beginning, speeding up the cooking time.

2. Cornflour

Ideal for Chinese sauces or Thai curries but can also be used for Indian curries. Add one tablespoon of cornflour to two or three tablespoons of cold water and stir. Pour the mixture into the sauce and allow to simmer until the sauce begins to thicken. Which doesn’t take very long.

3.Yogurt

Ideal for Indian curries and can be used as a cream substitute (which is also thickens sauces). This is another common thickening agent used within Indian cookery. I like to use Greek style yogurt rather than natural yogurt because it’s thick, creamy and it doesn’t tend to curdle in the pan. I would still recommend adding a little at a time though and stirring just to be sure. Yogurt can be used alone or along with tomato puree depending on what the sauce base is.

4.Simmer down

Ideal for all curries and sauces, this is the traditional method I was trying for years, and failing miserably at! But it is still necessary even if you use one of the above key ingredients. Including them in the cooking process just ensures you won’t need to simmer your curry sauce for as long as you would without them.

Simply simmer your sauce on low heat (uncovered) until the sauce reduces. If you are cooking vegetables, try reducing the sauce first and then adding the vegetables. This will help you to avoid overcooking the vegetables maintaining valuable nutrients for the whole family.

So there you have it, my top four methods to achieving a fabulously rich curry sauce. Some of these methods may not be ‘authentic’ to some cuisines, but it gets the job done so I don’t tend to lose much sleep over it. Also, as mentioned, using a combination of these key methods will ensure you never see a runny curry again!

Four Ways to Thicken Your Curry Sauce — Zainab Jagot Ahmed (2024)

FAQs

Four Ways to Thicken Your Curry Sauce — Zainab Jagot Ahmed? ›

Yes, curry is best thickened with cornstarch or arrowroot flour. Combine 1 tablespoon starch/ flour with 2-3 tablespoons water or curry sauce to make a slurry. Add to the pot and simmer for 2-3 minutes until thickened.

How to make curry sauce thicker? ›

How to Thicken Curry
  1. Add dairy. Many curry sauces have a creamy texture, so try adding more dairy—like Greek yogurt, heavy cream, or a thick non-dairy ingredient like coconut cream—to thicken a watery curry sauce.
  2. Add ground nuts. ...
  3. Add lentils. ...
  4. Add peanut butter. ...
  5. Add a tomato product. ...
  6. Start with a roux. ...
  7. Use a slurry.
Jan 20, 2022

What are the four ways to thicken a sauce? ›

7 Ways to Thicken up a Sauce
  1. Flour. If being gluten-free isn't a concern, adding flour is a fantastic way to thicken dairy-based sauces, thick soups and gravies. ...
  2. Cornstarch or arrowroot. ...
  3. Tomato paste. ...
  4. Reduce the liquid. ...
  5. Swirl in a pat of butter. ...
  6. Add an egg yolk. ...
  7. Puree some vegetables.
Apr 9, 2019

Does cornstarch thicken curry sauce? ›

Yes, curry is best thickened with cornstarch or arrowroot flour. Combine 1 tablespoon starch/ flour with 2-3 tablespoons water or curry sauce to make a slurry. Add to the pot and simmer for 2-3 minutes until thickened.

How do you improve curry sauce? ›

The use of whole and ground spices impart deeper flavors to the sauce. I also share how to make a delicious curry with this homemade sauce. You are free to use coconut milk, cashew cream, nut milk, yogurt, heavy cream or even cooking cream for a flavor variation.

How do restaurants make curry so creamy? ›

As we've mentioned, some Indian dishes use a cream-based curry sauce. Usually using a cream is combined with other thickening and flavour-adding ingredients, such as carmelized onions blended into a paste (or simply minced and clarified).

How to thicken curry sauce without cream? ›

Make a Roux
  1. Make a roux with equal parts flour and butter. In a saucepan over medium heat, melt a tablespoon of butter. Then, add a spoonful of all-purpose flour to the butter. ...
  2. Next, thoroughly incorporate this paste into your curry sauce with constant stirring. As the sauce continues to simmer, It'll thicken instantly.
Jun 21, 2022

How To Thicken Curry?

Piping Pot Curry
https://pipingpotcurry.com
Piping Pot Curry
https://pipingpotcurry.com

How do chefs thicken a sauce? ›

Make a Butter-and-Flour Paste: Have butter at room temperature and stir and mash an equal amount of flour into it. Whisk a good amount of the paste into your simmering sauce and let it cook for a few minutes, adding more paste if needed until the desired consistency is achieved.

What is the best thickener for sauces? ›

Ways To Thicken Sauce
  • Tomato Paste. If your soup or stew is watery, adding tomato paste may help! ...
  • Arrowroot. You might prefer to avoid gluten in your recipes. ...
  • Flour. ...
  • Reduce Your Liquid. ...
  • Puréed Vegetables. ...
  • Egg Yolk. ...
  • Yogurt. ...
  • Rice.
Jul 15, 2022

How to thicken sauce quicker? ›

The most readily available sauce-thickener is flour. For a too-thin sauce, try adding a slurry (equal parts flour and water, whisked together) or beurre manie (equal parts softened butter and flour, kneaded together to form a paste)—both are ideal thickeners for rich and creamy sauces, such as steak sauce recipes.

Why is my curry always watery? ›

Curry becomes runny if it has more water content, so cook it for few more minutes to let the water evaporate and curry turns thick(this also turns flavors stronger). Also make sure not to overcook the curry. If it is more runny usually I add 1 tablespoon of besan flour.

How to thicken a slow cooker curry? ›

Cornstarch, potato starch, and chickpea flour are a couple of pantry-friendly ways to thicken soups, stews, and sauces in the slow cooker. Just a tablespoon or two of any — added towards the end of cooking — will thicken sauces especially well.

Should you thicken sauce with lid on or off? ›

When to Keep the Lid Off. Cooking a soup, stew, or sauce uncovered allows water to evaporate, so if your goal is to reduce a sauce or thicken a soup, skip the lid. The longer you cook your dish, the more water that will evaporate and the thicker the liquid becomes—that means the flavors become more concentrated, too.

How do you make curry taste fuller? ›

A good way to fix the texture and taste of thin curries is by introducing dairy ingredients like milk, yogurt or cream, this adds a rich texture and enhances the taste of curries.

What is the secret to perfect curry? ›

Tips for the Perfect Curry
  1. Use fresh spices. For the best results, always try to use fresh spices. ...
  2. Give the spices a toast. ...
  3. Wrap up your whole spices. ...
  4. Blitz your tomatoes. ...
  5. Onions are the key. ...
  6. Don't overcook your chicken. ...
  7. Keep your garlic and ginger fresh. ...
  8. Add exciting toppings.

How to jazz up a curry sauce? ›

Here are a few suggestions:
  1. Add more spices: Store-bought curry sauces often lack the depth of flavour that homemade sauces have. ...
  2. Use fresh ginger and garlic: Fresh ginger and garlic add a lot of flavour to curries. ...
  3. Add a touch of sweetness: Some store-bought curry sauces can be quite sour.
Mar 19, 2016

How to Thicken Curry: 7 Tips for a Creamy Curry ...MasterClasshttps://www.masterclass.com ›

Learn how to thicken curry at any point during the cooking process, whether you're making Indian-style curry or Thai curry.
2. Roux: A roux is a classic French technique that works wonders in thickening curry sauces. Simply melt butter in a pan, add an equal amount of all-purpose flo...
There are many different kinds of curry sauces. However, all of them have a few things in common.

Why is my curry sauce watery? ›

Curry becomes runny if it has more water content, so cook it for few more minutes to let the water evaporate and curry turns thick(this also turns flavors stronger). Also make sure not to overcook the curry. If it is more runny usually I add 1 tablespoon of besan flour.

How do you fix curry that is too thick? ›

Add water or milk

Usually, very thick curries are more prone to lumps. To dilute the curries a bit, you can add either water or milk, depending on the type of dish that you are making.

How to thicken a coconut milk-based sauce? ›

You can use cornstarch or all-purpose flour as a thickening agent. Dissolve some cornstarch or cornflour in a bowl with cold water to make a slurry. Then add the slurry to the coconut milk and boil until it reaches your desired consistency.

How do I thicken my curry in the slow cooker? ›

Cornstarch, potato starch, and chickpea flour are a couple of pantry-friendly ways to thicken soups, stews, and sauces in the slow cooker. Just a tablespoon or two of any — added towards the end of cooking — will thicken sauces especially well.

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