How to Build a Curry From the Ground Up
Forget the jar. A great curry is just a sequence of small, deliberate steps you can learn in an afternoon.
By Priya Nair
A curry is not one thing you buy; it is a method you build. Once you understand the order of operations, you can improvise endlessly.
Bloom your spices
Whole spices go into hot fat first to wake them up. This is non-negotiable.
Build the base
Onion, ginger and garlic, cooked down until jammy, are the foundation of the sauce.
Layer and simmer
Ground spices, then tomato or coconut, then your main ingredient, then time. Patience is the last ingredient.
Written in the Stewart & Musell test kitchen.
