Level 2 — Technique
The Base Gravy System
Restaurant Indian kitchens make curry in 3 minutes. The secret is preparation — large quantities of bhunoed masala cooked in advance and stored in portions. Each dish takes 3-5 minutes to finish because the 40-minute bhuno step is already done.
Cook a large batch of bhunoed masala. Store in 100-150g portions (one 4-person curry worth) in freezer. For each dish: defrost one portion, add dish-specific spices, add main ingredient, add liquid, finish. The foundation is built; only finishing steps remain.
1
Make large bhuno masala batch
8-10 large onions, 2kg tomatoes, generous ginger-garlic, standard spices. Bhuno fully — 45-60 minutes total.
🔬 Same bhuno chemistry applies at scale. Oil separation signal remains the quality indicator.
2
Cool and portion
Cool completely. Portion into 100-150g portions. Freeze in labeled bags.
🔬 Bhunoed flavour compounds are stable when frozen — Maillard products don't degrade significantly in 3 months.
3
For each curry: one portion
Defrost overnight or in warm water. One portion serves 4.
4
Finish each curry from base
Heat oil, add base gravy, add dish-specific spices, add main ingredient, add liquid, simmer 15-20 minutes.
🔬 Base provides foundation. Dish-specific spices customise the flavour character.
Dietary Variants
Works for every diet
🥬Vegetarian
Make one vegetarian base. Use for all vegetarian dishes.
🥩Non-Veg
Single base works for all meat dishes.
🌱Vegan
Ensure base made with oil not ghee.
🟡Jain
Make separate Jain base: skip onion and garlic entirely, use extra tomato, ginger, and hing.
🔴Sattvic
Make separate sattvic base: skip onion and garlic, use hing and tomato.
Recipes Using This Technique
What this unlocks
