You can thicken your curry at any stage of the cooking process.
What is Curry?
Curry is the general term for any dish that uses spices like turmeric, coriander, cumin, and fenugreek. Curry is used as a general term by many countries, including the United States, to describe any sauce-based South Asian dish. However, there are several different types of curry, and not all words are in Indian, Japanese, or Thai cuisine. Many non-specific seasoning mixes are labeled “curry powder.” However, many Indian curries, including tikka masala and Thai curries, can be green, yellow, or red.
What makes curry watery?
Curry is usually a thick sauce. However, there are a few reasons why a curry may become watery.
- Excessive moisture from frozen items: You can use frozen ingredients in any curry recipe. However, adding them frozen to the dish will cause the components to defrost while cooking. This will cause the curry to be runny because it will leech excess liquid from the ingredients.
- Substitutions If you are using a Thai recipe that calls for full-fat coconut or cream, use this specific type of coconut to thicken the curry sauce. Coconut water or light coconut milk will make the curry too watery.
- You are cooking at too low a temperature. A curry must simmer to reduce liquid excess and achieve the desired consistency. The liquid won’t evaporate if you cook your sauce at a very low temperature.
- Cooking time should be longer. Curry sauce will thicken as it simmers. Don’t turn off the heat when the sauce reaches a boiling point. This will lead to a thin curry.
How to Thicken Curry
Here are seven ways to thicken curry at various stages of cooking:
- 1. Add dairy. Add more dairy. Many curry sauces are creamy. Try adding heavy cream or Greek Yogurt to thicken the watery curry sauce.
- 2. Add ground nuts. Add ground nuts such as cashews and almonds if the curry sauce is a bit runny. The nuts will absorb the liquid and thicken the curry sauce for the remainder of the cooking time.
- 3. Add lentils. Lentils, a common ingredient in vegetarian curries, are a natural thickening agent because they absorb liquid when they cook. Add lentils halfway through cooking, and then check the consistency of the sauce once the lentils are fully cooked.
- 4. Add Peanut Butter. Peanut Butter is a typical flavor found in Thai and Japanese cuisines. It can enhance the flavor of certain curries and make the sauce thicker. Add the peanut butter towards the end of cooking.
- 5. Add tomato products. Add more tomato puree or paste to Indian-style curries with tomato sauce as a base. The other vegetables or seasonings may need to be adjusted to compensate for the additional tomato.
- 6. Begin with a roux. It is not common to start a curry recipe with a Roux. However, it can help ensure that the curry will be thick. Use equal quantities of wheat, coconut, or rice flour with fat like ghee or olive oil. Add the curry ingredients after cooking the flour for a couple of minutes. The sauce will thicken once the curry dish has reached a boiling point.
- 7. Use a paste. Mix cornstarch or tapioca with cold water to make a slurry, or add a cup of curry sauce liquid. This should be added at the end of cooking, as the sauce will thicken once it returns to boiling.