Every Indian restaurant curry comes from one of these seven bases. Make them once — cook thirty dishes. Full recipes, combination matrix, and ladle-and-ml portion guide for 1, 4 and 10 portions.
One ladle = 80ml — a standard restaurant service ladle. Measure your ladle once with water and adjust if different. All quantities below use this standard. Professional kitchens also work in ladles — this is not a simplification, it is the actual system.
These seven bases are the architecture of the Indian restaurant kitchen. A cook who understands them does not need to memorise thirty curry recipes — they need to understand seven flavour profiles and how to combine and finish them. The preparation of each base is where the real cooking happens. The per-dish assembly is fast, consistent and scalable.
Each base below includes: the full recipe with food science commentary, a portion scaling table in ladles and ml, and storage guidance. The combination matrix at the bottom shows exactly which base produces which dish and what gets added per portion.
Chop masala is the brown base — the deeply caramelised onion and tomato foundation that underlies virtually every North Indian restaurant curry that is not makhani, white or green. The name comes from the restaurant kitchen terminology for the finely chopped onion base. It is the single most important base to master.
The Maillard reaction between onion sugars and proteins begins above 140°C and produces hundreds of new aromatic compounds — melanoidins, pyrazines, furans — that give chop masala its depth. Below 25 minutes of cooking, these compounds have not fully developed. The difference between a 15-minute chop masala and a 40-minute one is the difference between a flat curry and a restaurant curry. This is why home curries taste different. Time is the ingredient.
Heat oil in a wide, heavy pan on medium heat. Add finely chopped onions. Cook on medium heat stirring every 3–4 minutes for 18–22 minutes until deep golden brown — past the pale golden stage, well past the translucent stage. The colour should be like dark honey. Do not rush with high heat — the outside chars before the inside sweetens.
Onions contain fructooligosaccharides and quercetin that caramelise progressively above 140°C. At 10 minutes, onions are translucent — water has evaporated but Maillard browning has barely begun. At 20 minutes, the temperature rises as water depletes, triggering rapid Maillard browning. The deep golden colour indicates melanoidin formation — these compounds provide the sweet-savoury depth impossible to achieve at shorter cooking times.
Add ginger-garlic paste to the golden onions. The paste will splutter. Fry on medium heat, stirring constantly, for 4–5 minutes until the raw smell is completely gone and the paste has turned golden and is frying rather than steaming.
Raw ginger-garlic paste contains allicin, gingerols and allyl compounds that smell sharp and harsh. High-heat cooking converts allicin to diallyl disulphide and other compounds that are sweeter, deeper and less aggressive. The paste must fry — not steam. If it is still wet and sputtering at 5 minutes, the water has not evaporated and the compounds have not converted.
Add chopped tomatoes and all dry spices. Stir well. Cook on medium heat for 10–14 minutes, stirring every 2–3 minutes, until tomatoes have completely broken down, the mixture is frying in oil (not stewing in liquid), and oil is clearly visible at the sides and surface. This oil separation is the indicator that the base is done.
Tomatoes are 94% water — they release this water as they cook. The oil separation occurs when all this water has evaporated and the masala is frying in the remaining oil. This is the bhuno stage — the masala has reached the temperature (above 120°C) at which further Maillard reactions, caramelisation and volatile compound development occurs. A masala that has not reached oil separation will taste watery, sharp and unfinished regardless of how long it cooks in liquid.
Allow to cool slightly. Blend to a smooth paste. Return to pan. Add 200ml hot water, stir to combine. The base should be a thick, smooth, dark reddish-brown sauce. Cool completely before refrigerating.
Blending emulsifies the oil with the tomato and onion solids, producing a smoother, more cohesive base that coats food more evenly. Restaurant bases are almost always blended. Home versions can be left textured — both are correct, the eating experience differs.
| Portions | Ladles | Millilitres | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 portion | 1 ladle | 80ml | Single serve curry — paneer 80g, sauce sufficient for roti or rice |
| 2 portions | 2 ladles | 160ml | Add add-ins proportionally |
| 4 portions | 4 ladles | 320ml | Family serve — standard home cooking batch |
| 6 portions | 6 ladles | 480ml | Small catering / dinner party |
| 10 portions | 10 ladles | 800ml | Full restaurant batch — one preparation, ten dishes |
Storage: refrigerator 5 days · freezer 3 months in 80ml (1-portion) portions
Makhani base is the richest, most indulgent of the seven — a slow-cooked tomato and butter sauce finished with cream. Unlike chop masala which is built on onion depth, makhani base is built on tomato sweetness and butter fat. The tomatoes are either roasted or slow-cooked to develop sweetness, then pureed and simmered with butter until the base has a velvety, almost sauce-like consistency.
Butter contains milk solids (casein and whey proteins) alongside fat. When cooked with tomatoes, these proteins undergo Maillard browning even at relatively low temperatures, producing diacetyl and other dairy-specific aromatic compounds that oil cannot replicate. The distinctive flavour of makhani base is impossible to produce with oil alone. The cream added at the end provides the fat emulsion that gives makhani its characteristic smooth, rich mouthfeel.
Roast tomatoes, onion and garlic in the oven at 200°C for 20–25 minutes until caramelised and slightly charred at edges. Alternatively simmer in a pan with a little water for 20 minutes until completely soft.
Roasting concentrates tomato glutamate by 30–40% as water evaporates. The Maillard reaction on the tomato surface produces lycopene breakdown products and new aromatic compounds. The slight char adds a smoky depth that distinguishes makhani from plain tomato sauce. This roasted depth is why makhani tastes sweeter and more complex than other tomato-based curries.
Blend roasted tomatoes, onion and garlic completely smooth. Strain through a fine mesh strainer pressing firmly. Discard skins and seeds. The resulting puree should be completely smooth and deep orange-red.
Heat butter and oil in a pan. Add cumin seeds, then Kashmiri red chillies. Add the strained tomato puree. Add spices and sugar. Simmer on medium-low heat for 18–22 minutes, stirring regularly, until the base is thick, glossy and the butter has re-emulsified into the sauce.
Kashmiri red chillies contribute capsanthin (the red colour compound) and very little capsaicin (heat). They are used specifically for colour — the deep orange-red of makhani base comes from the combination of tomato lycopene and capsanthin. Regular red chilli powder adds heat but much less colour. The 20-minute butter simmer emulsifies the butter fat throughout the puree, producing the velvety consistency.
| Portions | Base (ladles) | Base (ml) | Cream at service |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 portion | 1 ladle | 80ml | 1 tbsp (15ml) |
| 4 portions | 4 ladles | 320ml | 4 tbsp (60ml) |
| 10 portions | 10 ladles | 800ml | 150ml |
Kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves) contains sotonol — the aromatic compound most strongly associated with the smell of Indian restaurant food globally. It is recognisable at concentrations as low as 0.006 parts per million. When people say a home curry "doesn't smell like a restaurant," kasuri methi added in the last 30 seconds is usually the missing element. It must be crushed between the palms before adding — this ruptures the leaf cells and releases the compound. Added early, it loses potency. Added last, it defines the dish.
Note: Cream is never stored in the base — it is added fresh at service. Storage: refrigerator 4 days · freezer 2 months
White gravy is the Mughal base — the pale, rich, nutty-aromatic sauce of the royal kitchen tradition. Its colour comes from the absence of tomato and the presence of cashew paste and cream. Its flavour is warm rather than spicy — whole aromatic spices (cardamom, mace, bay leaf) rather than ground chilli.
Cashew nuts contain 44% fat — when blended to a paste, this fat creates a natural emulsion in water that thickens the sauce smoothly without starch or cream. The cashew protein network also traps aromatic compounds, distributing them evenly throughout the sauce. The pale colour is intentional and requires specific technique: onions are not browned (they are boiled or sweated until soft and pale), and tomatoes are completely absent.
Boil roughly chopped onions in water until completely soft — 12–15 minutes. Drain and cool. Blend with soaked cashews and melon seeds to a completely smooth, pale paste using as little water as possible.
Boiling onions keeps them pale — frying triggers Maillard browning and produces the golden-brown colour and sweet-savory depth appropriate for chop masala but wrong for white gravy. Boiled onions contribute a mild, gentle sweetness and body without colour. This is the fundamental distinction between white gravy and every other base.
Heat ghee. Add cardamom, cloves, bay leaf and mace. Fry 30 seconds until fragrant. Add ginger paste and fry 1 minute. Add the cashew-onion paste and stir well to combine.
Add warm milk or water and white pepper. Cook on low heat, stirring frequently, for 12–15 minutes until the base is thick, smooth and fragrant. The colour should remain pale ivory throughout.
| Portions | Base (ladles) | Base (ml) | Cream at service |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 portion | ¾ ladle | 60ml | 2 tbsp (30ml) |
| 4 portions | 3 ladles | 240ml | 120ml |
| 8 portions | 7½ ladles | 600ml | 240ml |
Storage: refrigerator 3 days · freezer 2 months. White gravy oxidises and yellows slightly after 2 days — still safe but colour changes.
Yellow gravy is the hotel kitchen base — onions fried to golden (not as dark as chop masala), blended with yogurt and mild whole spices. The colour is a warm gold from the caramelised onion. The character is mellow, slightly sweet, creamy from the yogurt. It produces curries that are rich but not heavy, spiced but not fiery.
Fried to golden (not deep brown as in chop masala) means the onion's caramelisation has produced fructose breakdown products and mild Maillard compounds — sweeter and gentler than the deep melanoidins of a fully browned onion. The yogurt added to this golden onion base provides lactic acid (mild sourness), fat (creaminess) and casein protein (body). The combination produces a sauce that is simultaneously richer and milder than chop masala.
Heat oil. Fry sliced onions on medium heat for 12–15 minutes until golden. The colour should be like pale honey — do not push to dark brown. Remove and cool.
Blend fried golden onions with whisked yogurt to a completely smooth paste. No chunks.
Blending fried onion with yogurt creates a stable fat-in-water emulsion — the caramelised onion sugars and proteins combine with yogurt fat to produce a cohesive, smooth sauce that will not separate during cooking. The lactic acid in yogurt also slightly denatures the onion cell wall proteins, contributing to a smoother, more integrated texture.
Bloom cardamom, cloves, bay leaf and mace in remaining oil. Add ginger-garlic paste. Add the onion-yogurt paste on low heat. Add turmeric, white pepper, saffron milk and salt. Cook on low heat 12–15 minutes stirring frequently until thick and fragrant.
| Portions | Base (ladles) | Base (ml) | Finishing cream |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 portion | 1 ladle | 80ml | Optional — 1 tbsp |
| 4 portions | 4 ladles | 320ml | Optional — 4 tbsp |
| 9 portions | 9 ladles | 700ml | Optional — as needed |
Storage: refrigerator 3 days · freezer 2 months. Do not freeze with saffron — add saffron fresh at reheating.
Spinach base is the simplest of the seven — blanched spinach pureed smooth, used as the primary sauce for green Indian dishes. The technique challenge is chlorophyll preservation: spinach goes from vivid green to dull olive-brown within 3 minutes of overcooking. The 30-second blanch and ice water technique is non-negotiable.
Spinach's colour comes from chlorophyll a and b — magnesium-centred porphyrin molecules. Above 70°C, prolonged heat replaces the magnesium ion with hydrogen ions, converting green chlorophyll to grey-brown pheophytin. The 30-second blanch softens spinach enough to blend while the instant ice water stops temperature before the conversion occurs. Every additional 30 seconds of heat after this point loses visible green colour.
Bring a large pot of water to a vigorous boil. Add spinach and blanch for exactly 30 seconds. Remove with tongs and immediately plunge into ice-cold water. Leave for 2 minutes. Drain and squeeze out excess water.
Blend blanched spinach, green chillies and a little water to a completely smooth puree. The colour should be vivid green. Strain if a very smooth restaurant texture is required.
| Portions | Base (ladles) | Base (ml) | Chop Masala addition |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 portion | 1 ladle | 80ml | ¼ ladle (20ml) — depth |
| 4 portions | 4 ladles | 320ml | 1 ladle (80ml) |
| 8 portions | 7½ ladles | 600ml | 2 ladles (160ml) |
Note: Spinach base is always used with a small amount of chop masala for depth. Pure spinach base alone tastes flat. Ratio: 80% spinach : 20% chop masala. · Refrigerator: 2 days (colour fades after day 1) · Freezer: 1 month
Achari base gets its character from two things no other base uses: mustard oil (smoked to its flash point first) and the achaar spice combination — mustard seeds, fennel, nigella, fenugreek and dried red chilli. The result is bold, tangy and unmistakable. It is the most flavour-forward of the seven bases.
Raw mustard oil contains allyl isothiocyanate — the compound responsible for its harsh, pungent sharpness. Smoking the oil to its flash point (approximately 160°C) breaks down this compound, producing a mellower, nuttier oil with a distinctive character that remains after cooling. Unsmoked mustard oil in a curry produces a harsh, acrid result. Smoked mustard oil produces the correct achari character.
Heat mustard oil in pan until it begins to smoke lightly. Remove from heat, cool 30 seconds, return to medium heat. This step is non-negotiable — it removes the harsh raw pungency.
Add mustard seeds to smoked oil. When they pop, add fennel, nigella, fenugreek and dried red chillies. Fry 30 seconds. Add onions and cook until golden — 12 minutes.
Add ginger-garlic paste, tomatoes and spices. Cook until oil separates — 10 minutes. Cool slightly. Add whisked yogurt on low heat. Cook 5 minutes. Add amchur.
| Portions | Base (ladles) | Base (ml) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 portion | 1 ladle | 80ml | Use slightly less than other bases — achari is intense |
| 4 portions | 4 ladles | 320ml | |
| 6 portions | 6 ladles | 480ml |
Storage: refrigerator 4 days · freezer 2 months. Achari base intensifies on storage — reduce quantity slightly when using day 3–4 base.
Kadhi base is the most distinctly Indian of the seven — there is no Western or Persian equivalent. Besan (chickpea flour) whisked into yogurt and cooked slowly until thick, tangy and stable. The besan prevents the yogurt from curdling and provides the characteristic slight bitterness that makes kadhi instantly recognisable. Unlike the other bases which are used to produce many dishes, kadhi base is specifically a kadhi — it produces variations of one dish rather than a family of different ones.
Yogurt curdles when heat denatures its casein proteins above 70°C, causing them to aggregate. Besan starch, when hydrated and heated, forms a gelatinised network that physically surrounds the casein proteins — preventing them from aggregating even at temperatures above 70°C. The minimum effective ratio is 2 tablespoons besan per cup yogurt. Below this, the protection is insufficient and curdling occurs regardless of heat management.
Whisk besan into yogurt until completely smooth. Add water gradually whisking constantly. Add turmeric, chilli powder, jaggery and salt.
Pour into heavy pan. Cook on low heat stirring constantly with a whisk for 20–25 minutes until thick. Do not increase heat.
| Portions | Base (ladles) | Base (ml) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 portion | 1 ladle | 80ml | Add pakoras at service — never stored in base |
| 4 portions | 4 ladles | 320ml | |
| 10 portions | 10 ladles | 800ml |
Storage: refrigerator 3 days · freezer 1 month. Kadhi thickens significantly on refrigeration — add water when reheating.
This table shows how the seven bases combine to produce the most common vegetarian Indian restaurant dishes. Each row is one portion (1 ladle = 80ml). The "add-ins" column shows what goes into the pan per portion at service. The "finish" column shows what happens in the last 2 minutes.
| Dish | Base — ladles (ml) | Add-ins per portion | Finish |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paneer Makhani | 1 Makhani 80ml | 80g paneer · 1 tbsp cream · 1 tsp kasuri methi (crushed) | Knob of butter, stir off heat |
| Kadai Paneer | 1 Chop Masala 80ml | 80g paneer · ½ capsicum sliced · ½ tsp kadai masala · 1 tsp ginger julienne | High heat dry toss 2 min — no cream |
| Palak Paneer | 1 Spinach + ¼ Chop Masala 80ml + 20ml | 80g paneer · 1 tbsp cream · salt · pinch nutmeg | Raw cream swirled in off heat |
| Paneer Korma | ¾ White Gravy + ¼ Makhani 60ml + 20ml | 80g paneer · 2 tbsp cream · kewra drops · saffron pinch | Gentle — do not boil after cream |
| Shahi Paneer | 1 White Gravy 80ml | 80g paneer · 2 tbsp cream · saffron milk 1 tbsp · silver leaf optional | Cardamom powder, gentle finish |
| Paneer Jalfrezi | 1 Chop Masala 80ml | 80g paneer · ½ capsicum · ½ onion petals · 1 tsp jalfrezi spice | High heat wok toss — semi-dry |
| Achari Paneer | 1 Achari Base 80ml | 80g paneer · 1 tsp mustard oil drizzle · curry leaves | Keep tangy — no cream |
| Navratan Korma | 1 White Gravy 80ml | Mixed veg 100g · paneer 40g · cashews · raisins · 2 tbsp cream | Gentle simmer 5 min, finish cream |
| Malai Kofta | ½ Makhani + ½ White Gravy 40ml + 40ml | 2 kofta balls · 2 tbsp cream · cardamom powder | Pour sauce over kofta — do not boil kofta |
| Dal Makhani | 1 Makhani 80ml | 80ml cooked black dal · 1 tbsp butter · 1 tbsp cream · kasuri methi | Slow simmer 10 min minimum |
| Aloo Gobi Masala | 1 Chop Masala 80ml | 60g potato · 60g cauliflower (both par-cooked) · ½ tsp garam masala | Dry finish — toss on high heat |
| Saag Aloo | 1 Spinach + ¼ Chop Masala 80ml + 20ml | 100g potato (par-cooked) · pinch nutmeg | Medium heat 5 min — slightly thick |
| Kadhi Pakora | 1 Kadhi Base 80ml | 2–3 onion pakoras (fresh fried) · tadka of ghee-cumin-chilli | Pakoras added last 5 min only |
| Mughlai Paneer | 1 Yellow Gravy 80ml | 80g paneer · 1 tbsp cream · saffron milk | Gentle — keep golden colour |
| Mix Veg Restaurant | ¾ Chop Masala + ¼ Makhani 60ml + 20ml | Mixed veg 120g (par-cooked) · 1 tbsp cream · garam masala | Simmer 5 min, cream finish |
Notice that several dishes combine two bases rather than using one alone. Malai Kofta = 50% Makhani + 50% White Gravy — the richness of makhani with the delicacy of korma. Palak Paneer = 80% Spinach + 20% Chop Masala — the chop masala provides the spiced savoury depth that pure spinach lacks. Mix Veg = 75% Chop Masala + 25% Makhani — the makhani adds body and sweetness to what would otherwise be a plain masala dish. Once you understand the flavour profile of each base, you can invent combinations for any dish you encounter.
When a dish calls for 75% Chop Masala and 25% Makhani, the result is not "chop masala with a bit of makhani flavour." It is a new flavour profile. The fat-soluble butter compounds in the makhani base distribute through the chop masala's water phase, carrying aromatic compounds to places they would not otherwise reach. This is why mix vegetable curry from a good restaurant tastes richer than a home version made with the same spices — it is the blending of two fully developed bases, not a single base with more spices added.