Yes, I am always making another BIR base gravy for British Indian restaurant-style curry recipes, which is the base for British Indian restaurant recipes, making it easy to knock up a curry every bit as good as you'll find on the British high street. I promise.

Base gravy is a versatile and essential component in creating a wide array of curries, especially popular in UK curry houses. It's a rich, flavourful foundation that allows for quick and consistent preparation of various curry dishes. The gravy typically consists of a blend of onions, tomatoes, and a selection of spices, simmered together to create a deep, complex flavour. This base can be stored in the refrigerator for up to four days or frozen for longer periods, making it a convenient option for curry enthusiasts to whip up their favourite dishes on short notice.

BIR Base Gravy

Bring to a boil a large stockpot of 500 ml water containing the following:
4 onions, peeled and roughly chopped
1 carrot, washed and chopped
1 small red and green pepper, deseeded and roughly chopped
Cabbage leaves, sliced
2 bay leaves
then turn down the heat and simmer for 40 minutes.

Meanwhile, in another pan add a splash of vegetable oil and warm through.
Add ground coriander, cumin and cardamom pods. Stir and cook for one minute.
Add a good glug of tomato puree.
Stir and cook for another minute.
Add a tin of tomatoes (blitzed in a blender).
Gently cook for 30 minutes.

When done, add to the stockpot and simmer for another 20 minutes.

When finished cooking, allow to cool, then blitz until you have a smooth sauce, remembering to remove the bay leaves first.

From this BIR base gravy, I made chicken and sweet potato curry in no time. It's really quick and easy when you have precooked ingredients and base gravy.

Tip: cook the meat in BIR base gravy, then set aside until you are ready to cook the final dish.

Footnote

This BIR base gravy recipe is part of my Curry Recipes collection — the complete guide to curries, spice blends, bases, chutneys and sides from The Flexible Chef. Explore the full Curry Recipes hub.

Wonky photos, proper food, genuine adventures — The Flexible Chef