Kenneth Glad
A warm bowl of curry remains a beloved comfort food when chilly weather sets in. Making a rich, restaurant-worthy dinner at home often feels like a slow process, but top culinary experts say the single most critical step takes less than a minute.
Skipping simple prep techniques can leave homemade sauces tasting surprisingly flat or harsh. According to experts cited by the Daily Express, the secret step happens before adding any liquids, meats, or vegetables to the cooking pot. Chefs call this simple process blooming or tempering. It involves frying whole or ground spices in hot oil or ghee to draw out their natural oils.
Sophie Nahmad, lead recipe developer at Gousto, explained to the British paper: “If I could give home cooks just one tip for a better curry, it would be to fry your whole spices or seeds in hot oil or ghee before adding anything else.”
She noted that spending 30 seconds on this releases deep flavor without extra cost or equipment.
Jiwan Lal, executive chef at Babur, agreed that whole spices like cumin, cardamom, cloves, or mustard seeds need brief contact with hot fat.
“That brief contact with the hot fat releases their aromatic oils and carries the flavour through the whole sauce,” Lal said. He added that skipping this causes spices to taste muted or raw.
Food hygiene consultant Mark McShane told the Daily Express that whole spices should sizzle for 30 to 60 seconds before tossing in onions. Ground spices like turmeric or garam masala should be stirred into the onion, garlic, and ginger base for 20 to 30 seconds on medium-low heat.
Give it time
Patience makes a massive difference when building a complex sauce from scratch. Chef Stephen Beaddie advised preparing the entire dish a full day before serving to let the ingredients settle.
“Resting overnight gives the spices, aromatics and sauce time to properly come together, so the flavour becomes deeper, rounder and more balanced,” Beaddie said. He suggested reheating it gently while stirring, then finishing with fresh lime, lemon, or coriander.
Finishing touches also elevate the final meal. Steenbergs co-founder Sophie Steenberg and Michelin-starred chef Aktar Islam both recommended incorporating garam masala near the very end. Islam advised cooks to “lightly toast your garam masala before sprinkling on to your curry” to boost fragrance.
Dishoom executive chef Arun Kumar emphasized regular stirring with a rubber spatula to lift caramelized bits off the pan bottom. If ingredients catch, he recommended adding a few drops of water to bring the temperature down.
Sources: Daily Express, Gousto, Babur, Steenbergs, Aktar Islam / Instagram, Dishoom
