Gravy is the soul of Indian cooking, be it palak paneer or any normal curry, this thick liquid provides a delicious consistency to all kinds of savoury dishes. It provides one or more the basic tastes like bitter, hot, sweet, sour, salty. The variety of masalas and herbs gives the Indian gravies the rich and robust taste. But getting perfect gravy is often considered complicated. The quantity of masala and other ingredients along with the cooking time affects the quality of the gravy.
Here is a list of five basic Indian gravies which are pretty fuss-free and can give a delicious spin to your recipe with just a little improvisation:
1. Onion-Tomato Gravy
This basic gravy serves as the base for most curries all across the country. Butter chicken, butter paneer masala and egg curry are some common dishes made with onion-tomato gravy. This flavourful gravy is made with onion, tomato, ginger, garlic and spices. It can also be prepared in advance to reduce the cooking time.
2. Palak Gravy
This easy gravy is delicious along with being healthy. It can be paired up with both vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes. Palak paneer, mutton palak and chicken palak are some common dishes that can be cooked with this gravy. This medium spicy gravy is prepared with the combination of green chillies and curd along with blanched spinach.
3. Goan Curry
This beautiful curry acquires its unique and delicious taste from the addition of coconut milk. It is a staple in Goa and is used in dishes like fish curry and prawn curry. This coconut gravy also lifts up the taste of basic fried okra. Made with basic ingredients like coconut, red chillies and other spices, this gravy gives out a great flavour and taste.
4. Salan
Mirch ka salan is the most popular accompaniment of biryani. Hyderabadi dum biryani is incomplete without this rich side dish. But do you know there are other varieties of salan as well that can be eaten with regular steamed rice? Just swap the chillies in salan with fried brinjals or light fried eggs and your delicious side dish is ready.
5. Basic White Gravy
This rich and creamy gravy is prepared with the goodness of ground cashew nuts and poppyseeds. It is often added to dishes like malai kofta and safed maas. This gravy has the capacity to change a simple meal into a gourmet affair. Milk can also be used instead of cream in this gravy if you want to reduce the calorie count.
6. Makhani
This popular North Indian gravy is used in many preparations like dal makani, murgh makhani, and paneer makhani. The delicious flavour comes from the butter that is added along with other ingredients like tomato puree, cream, curd and masalas.
Tips To Make Perfect Gravy
- In order to amp up the taste and give a smoky flavour to the gravy, add roasted tomato, onions, garlic and ginger and then blend with other ingredients.
- It is very important to roast all the masalas and spices before adding them to the gravy. This will not only give a charred flavour to the gravy but also bring out the taste of whole spices.
- Adding cashew to the gravy can give it a heavy and creamy texture without adding cream.
- It is always suggested to cook gravy for a longer time. Even though it starts thickening, continue to cook till the oil separates.
- Always add hot water to the gravy if needed, adding normal water can hamper the taste and will also take longer time to cook.
Improvise your dishes with these basic gravies and remember to follow these tips to master cooking skills and impress your family and friends.
