Base Sauce – BIR Magic Recipe. This is a Base Sauce that is taking influence from classic French cooking. And incorporating secret Thai restaurant tricks of the trade. The result is a sauce that will help make your curry flavours sing.
I don’t cook with base sauce very often. The only reason is that I usually cook copious quantities. I find using a hotel gravy or traditional style easier when cooking large amounts.
When I do use a base though, I prefer to keep it simple. And this base is simple! I’ve just added a few elements that will help bring out the flavour of the other ingredients in your curry. You wouldn’t even know if you were to taste the sauce in its undiluted state. It has a little bit of a zing to it, and that’s it. The magic happens when you use it to make your curry. It just helps lift all the flavours.
The light vegetable stock helps give umami to the finished curry. The cabbage releases a compound as it cooks which is a natural flavour enhancer with similar qualities to MSG. Celery is also another natural flavour enhancer.
This stock is light enough, so you get the extra background qualities of these ingredients. They will not be strong enough though, that you will notice them in your finished dish.
The demerara sugar and vinegar have the same effect as it cooks down as the spicing essence devised by Escoffier. Spicing essence is amazing at elevating the flavours of sauces and coulis.
Yes, some of these ingredients don’t belong in Indian cooking. But Base sauce didn’t originate in India either! There is nothing wrong with adapting and using different ingredients. If they are going to add to the overall flavour of your finished dish, it’s a winner!
If you over reduce the stock, don’t panic. Simply add water to it to make it up to the 400ml that you need.
When you add the tomatoes and stock to the onions, you will notice there isn’t much liquid. It’s fine. The onions will still give out a little more water, but at the end of cooking you will end up with a very thick sauce.
Obviously, if your sauce gets too thick or is catching, add a splash of liquid. Don’t overdo it though. The end sauce should be thick after blending. If you are storing in the fridge or freezer, it takes up less space. Remember, you are adding as much water again when you come to use the sauce, maybe even a bit more. Think of the room that would take up!
Remember, you can use this sauce in any recipe that requires base sauce.
There is a Jalfrezi recipe and bhuna recipe on my blog. Both have a version using base gravy if you want to try it out.
And don’t forget to join our UK Curry Group on Facebook and post your photos of your finished dishes!
Magic Base Sauce
Ingredients
Light Umami Stock
- 1 stick of celery roughly chopped
- 1 small carrot roughly chopped
- ¼ onion peeled and diced
- 40 g white cabbage sliced
- 1 tsp black pepper corns
- 1 tsp dark soy sauce
- 900 ml water
Base Gravy
- 4 tbsp oil
- 1.5 kg Onion sliced
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp garlic and ginger paste
- ½ green pepper deseeded and diced
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- 1 tsp ground paprika
- ¼ tsp white pepper
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- 400 g tin chopped tomato
- 1.5 tsp demerara sugar
- 1 tsp malt vinegar
- 400 ml water or the light vegetable stock
Instructions
Light Umami Stock
- Place everything in a pan and bring to a boil.
- Keep cooking on a gentle boil until the liquid has reduced by half.
- Strain the stock into a heat proof bowl, jug or container.
Base Gravy
- Heat the oil in a heavy bottomed pan and add the sliced onion and salt, cook on a moderate heat, with the lid on for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add the garlic and ginger paste and cook for 30 seconds before adding the green pepper and stirring in.
- Lower the heat and add the ground spices. Cook for 30 seconds.
- Add the tomato, demerara sugar, malt vinegar and light vegetable stock or water and bring to a boil.
- Turn the pan down and let simmer for 15 to 20 minutes after which time the sauce can be blended.