Homemade Easy Korma Curry Paste Recipe
A quick and simple korma curry paste made at home in under 20 minutes. This money-saving recipe is a great go-to curry paste recipe that mildly spiced to suit the whole family.
Recipe Overview
Skill Level:
BEGINNER
Prep Time:
10 MINUTES
Cook Time:
7 MINUTES
What Makes This Recipe Great
You know the ingredients and exactly what has gone into your food since this curry paste is made from scratch.
Quick and easy to make and can be frozen and stored for future use.
Budget-friendly and tastes much better than shop-bought curry pastes.
Having a quick go-to curry paste when time is tight is a great option when feeding the family. But, instead of buying jars of readymade paste, you can simply make your own at home.
An easy recipe that contains only a few steps, making a curry from scratch needn’t be difficult, even for beginner cooks.
You get to control the spice level by adding or omitting the chilli powder, making it suitable for all taste preferences.
You only need minimal time and a few kitchen tools to make your own Korma curry paste. What’s more, you can scale the recipe up or down, so you can make a big batch and store it in the freezer any time you need a quick dinner option. Perfect for mid-week meals and any time you’re feeling too tired to cook.
Homemade curry is so much better than a takeaway and you can create a curry from scratch with this Korma paste in less time than it takes to wait for one to turn up on your doorstep!
Check Out More Curry Recipes:
- Quick Chicken Korma – use this curry paste recipe to create this delicious chicken curry with ease.
- Thai Green Curry Without Paste – another curry made from scratch without the use of shop-bought curry pastes.
Equipment Needed:
- Frying Pan: For cooking the onions. You can also use it to lightly toast the spices before blending to bring out their flavour.
- Food Processor or Blender: It’s easier and the quickest option to use a food processor to create the paste. However, you can also use a grater and pestle and mortar to blend everything together if you’d prefer.
- Sharp Knife and Chopping Board: For chopping the ingredients where necessary.
- Airtight Container: If you don’t wish to use the paste straight away, have an airtight container to hand for storage. If you are going to freeze the paste, I recommend using some smaller containers and freeze the curry paste in portions.
Ingredients:
- Vegetable Oil: Used to fry the onions.
- Onion: You can use red onion, yellow onion or white onion.
- Garlic: Fresh garlic cloves work best or use roasted garlic for a milder flavour. You can also use garlic paste.
- Fresh Ginger: You can also use lazy ginger or ginger paste.
- Lemon Juice: Adds a subtle tartness to the Korma paste.
- Ground Almonds: Adds creaminess and a slight nutty flavour to the paste.
- Desiccated Coconut: Provides a subtle sweetness and a rich, creamy texture.
- Ground Coriander, Cumin, Turmeric, Garam Masala: These spices come together to create the Korma flavours.
- Cornflour: Helps thicken the curry sauce as it cooks, it’s also known as Cornstarch.
- Chilli Powder (optional): You can adjust the spiciness of the paste to suit you with the use of chilli powder.
- Tomato Puree: Not to be confused with passata, tomato puree is also known as tomato paste, depending where you are from.
- Salt and Sugar: Used as a seasoning and sweetener.
- Water: Used to adjust the consistency of the paste to the desired thickness.
Substitutions and Additions:
Wondering if you can substitute or add an ingredient? Here, I will tell you if that’s possible.
Substitutions:
- Vegetable Oil: You can substitute with ghee or coconut oil for a richer, more authentic flavour.
- Garlic: Garlic powder can be substituted (use 1 teaspoon of garlic powder for every 3 cloves).
- Ground Almonds: Cashew nuts can be used as an alternative to ground almonds for similar taste.
Additions:
- Fresh Green or Red Chillies: Add chopped green chilies for an extra level of heat.
- Lemon Zest: For a stronger lemon flavour, you can add lemon zest from an unwaxed lemon too.
Step-By-Step Guide – How To Make Korma Curry Paste
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! You can increase the chilli powder or add fresh chillies to the paste for a spicier kick. Adjust according to your heat preference.
Yes, sautéing the onions first is essential. It softens them and brings out their sweetness, which will help balance the flavours in the paste.
Typically, 3 tablespoons of paste is enough for one curry serving around 4 people. You can adjust the amount depending on how strong you want the flavour to be.
Mastering This Recipe – Expert Tips
- Fry the Paste Before Using: When making a curry, always fry the paste in a little oil before adding other ingredients. This helps to release the flavours and aromas, intensifying the taste of your dish.
- Cool Before Storing: If you plan to store the paste, let it cool completely before placing it in an airtight container. This will prevent condensation and keep it fresh longer.
Storage
Storage (Fridge):
- The curry paste can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Make sure to cool the paste completely before storing to prevent moisture build-up and ensure it stays fresh.
Freezing:
- This curry paste freezes very well. Transfer the cooled paste into freezer-safe containers or zip-lock bags, and it will keep for up to 3 months. To make portioning easier, you can freeze it in ice cube trays first, then transfer the frozen cubes to a bag.
Defrosting:
- To defrost, simply remove the required amount of paste from the freezer and add the frozen paste directly into a hot pan while cooking; it will melt and blend in seamlessly with the other ingredients.
Homemade Easy Korma Curry Paste
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp Vegetable Oil
- 1 Onion
- 3 cloves Garlic
- 1 2.5cm Piece of Fresh Ginger
- 30 g Ground Almonds
- 30 g Desiccated Coconut
- 1 tsp Lemon Juice
- 1.5 tsp Ground Coriander
- 2 tsp Cumin
- 1 tsp Turmeric
- 1 tsp Garam Masala
- 1 tsp Cornflour, Cornstarch
- 1 tsp Chilli Powder, optional
- 2 tbsp Tomato Puree
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1 tbsp Sugar
- 3-4 tbsp Water
Instructions
- Heat the vegetable oil or ghee in a large pan over medium heat.
- Add roughly chopped onions and sauté until soft and golden, about 5-7 minutes.
- In a food processor, combine the sautéed onions, garlic cloves, and peeled, chopped fresh ginger and lemon juice. Blend until smooth.
- Add ground almonds, desiccated coconut, ground coriander, ground cumin, ground turmeric, garam masala, chilli powder, cornflour, tomato purée, sugar, salt and water to the food processor.
- Blend until the mixture forms a thick, smooth paste. Add more water if needed to adjust the consistency.
- Transfer the paste to an airtight container. Store in the fridge for up to 1 week, or freeze for up to 3 months.
- Use 3-4 tablespoons of the paste in your curry recipe. Fry the paste in oil for a minute to release the flavours before adding other ingredients.
Recipe Notes
- You can store the paste in an airtight container in the fridge for a week or portion it and freeze for 3 months.
- Ensure the paste is completely cool before storing.
I love this recipe, due to gastro issues there are certain foods I am unable to eat, onions and garlic to name a few, so I marinated the garlic and the white part of the leak in the oil, then cooked the green part of the leak with the oil to still give the flavour, it is the only change I made to allow for my diet, however my family loved the chicken korma I used it for, nothing was left.
Glad you like it Karen :)
Really easy to make this paste, using stuff you usually have in your pantry. I made a Lamb Korma with the paste (3 Tablespoons… dessert spoons, might have been heaped) and fried the paste with onion, meat, 200ml stock, coconut cream, cream, ground cashews and 2 teaspoons of sugar. Turned out to be a very good Korma
Sounds delicious!