Curry Sauces make a great base for a curry when time is short. I prefer the Passage to India Sachet Sauces which are quite good on their own, but with a little help they can be really great.

How to Improve Packet Curry Sauce

It was a weekday evening and I wanted some sauce for a two portion stir fry.

I put 300gms diced chicken breast in a wok with some oil and stir fried until just cooked, then added half a packet of Passage to India Chicken Korma curry sauce and simmered for a few minutes. I added two pinches of curry powder, made from the standard ground spices of Cumin, Coriander etc and half a T spoon of Kashmiri chilli powder.

The light, coffee coloured sauce looked a little bland, so I fried up a Tablespoon of Tomato paste with a little oil, constantly stirring. After about 90 seconds added the same amount of water to make a 50/50 mix.

Korma is a yoghurt based curry, but I couldn’t find any yoghurt so I added a Tablespoon of Coconut Powder, stirred it in and allowed to cook for 2 minutes before pouring into the pot and stirring into the curry.

I put the pot in the oven to simmer for 30 mins while I prepared the stir fry ingredients.

After stir frying chopped Capsicum, Snow Peas, Slivers of Carrot and tiny pieces of Broccoli with some oil and 2 large chopped cloves of garlic, I removed them from the Wok and with a little more oil, fried a packet of Noodles that had been soaking in water.

After a minute or two I added half the stir fried vegetables and when all was combined, tipped that into a bowl and ladled half the Chicken Korma on top. I repeated that with another bowl for the 2^nd portion, adding another half teaspoon of Kashmiri chilli, because I like a little more chilli heat with mine.

It was a really excellent meal. Adding the extra ingredients transformed the Sachet Curry Sauce, and I will be making this many more times. It was yummy, the sauce dripped down through the vegetables and noodles, transforming this quick snack into a gourmet meal and the only complaint heard was ‘not enough sauce’- I count that as a win !

Tomato Paste and Water: Mixed 50/50 is the base for most BIR (British Indian Restaurant) curries.

Oil: Transfers the tastes of the ingredients; I use it in Casseroles for the same reason.

Curry Powder/Garam Masala: A pinch or two adds to the aroma and taste. A pinch or two can be added just before the end of cooking if the meal is lacking in aroma but don’t overdo it!

Coconut Powder: I use Ayams Coconut Milk Powder because it tastes like real coconut, 100% better than tinned coconut milk or cream .

Noodles: I use Changs Gluten Free Wok-Ready Noodles. They’re like Udon Noodles, not thin like the dried Ramen Noodles. It’s best to soak them in water to help untangle, they are a bit stiff and soften when fried.

Sachet Sauces: There’s a wide choice available and I’ve tried many. Often the taste of preservatives is too strong, or some other unknown taste is overpowering. I like the Passage to India Korma, Rogan Josh and Butter Chicken sauces best.

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