Creamy onion warm-spiced winter sauce
ready for enveloping your favorite protein or vegetable
Winter is here. The cold is here. The grey days are here. The low moods are here. The feeling-of-the-cold-in-my-bones is here. The desire to hibernate is here.
The cravings of comforting, warming meals are here, in full swing.
On top of all this, some days are windy, harboring a biting cold that makes outside walks challenging. On one such day recently, I could not shake the cold or the resulting fog in my brain. I was craving warmth. Specifically, warm food. As I paced shivering in my living room after attempting a walk outside, a desire to create a comfort curry sauce that would warm me up from the inside overtook me and I dashed into the kitchen.
I played around with ingredients at hand and ended up making a sauce that hit the spot, providing much comfort and warmth that I was seeking. I share this warmth with you today.
Ingredients (bold are needed, others are optional):
Aromatics: seeds (cumin, fennel, nigella, cardamom, cloves, mustard), dried red chili, onions, garlic, ginger, serrano peppers
Thickeners: cashews, chickpea flour, milk (omit for a vegan dish)
Spices powders: turmeric, coriander, cumin, curry, red chillies, dried fenugreek, black pepper, sugar
Step 1: Infuse the aromatics
Into hot olive oil on medium-high heat, I added the first layer of seeds (mustard, cardamom, cloves, red chilies). After about 30 seconds I added the rest of the seeds. About 30 seconds later the seeds began their dance (cumin) or violence (mustard) in the pan, accompanied by a lovely feint aroma of the spices. This is where I added the chopped onions and let them soften for ~5 mins with periodic stirring. Once the onions were translucent I added the garlic, ginger, serrano chilies (these ingredients look ‘cubed’ because I prepare a big batch and freeze them). I let these aromatics soften and infuse together for another ~5 mins with periodic mixing so they don’t burn or stick too much to the bottom.
Step 2: Mix in the thickeners
You could use cream, however, I am not a big fan of it. I didn’t grow up eating it and my stomach generally dislikes it. So, in order to thicken the sauce I made use of 1 tbsp chickpea flour and ~30 cashews (soaked in water ~15 min). I find this combination (or even cashews by themselves) gives a good nutty taste without the heavy cream flavor or dilution of spices.
I reduced the heat to low-medium, toasted the chickpea flour for ~1 min and then added 0.5 cups of water to generate a roux (similar to what you would do with regular flour). I cooked this roux while continuously mixing for ~8 mins, adding more water as needed (~0.25 cups). I then added the cashews along with 0.5 cups water and let this mixture simmer covered for ~5 more mins.
Step 3: Let the spices sing
I added all the spices along with salt to taste and let them cook covered for ~1 min before turning off the heat and letting the mixture cool for ~10 mins.
Step 4: Blend and adjust
All the contents went into the blender to generate a smooth sauce (add water as needed to adjust blending/thickness to your liking). I poured the sauce back into the pan on low heat containing a little bit of olive oil, and adjusted a few things after a taste test. I added 0.5 cups of milk to add another layer of creaminess/flavor to the sauce. I also added a pinch of black pepper, some salt, and a pinch of sugar to balance out the flavors. I let this warm over low heat for ~5 mins to complete the sauce.
Step 5: Dunk in your favorite protein or vegetable
I ended up building exactly the sauce I had in mind, something that would warm me and comfort me. I happened to have chicken meatballs on hand to dunk into this sauce (post on this coming next week!). I tossed in the meatballs and let them drown in the warm sauce for ~5-7 mins on super low heat with a lid.
In my view, the best thing about this sauce is it’s versatility. Any protein or vegetable of choice can be added to it. It can become a meat dish or easily convert into a vegetarian or vegan dish. The possibilities are endless. In the near future, I want to try:
Protein: lamb meatballs, tandoori cod, grilled chicken/beef/pork pieces, etc.
Vegetable: vegetable fritters aka pakoras, tofu pieces, tempeh tikka, boiled potatoes, steamed cauliflower, butternut squash, etc.
Other uses: enjoy it with plain rice like a Japanese curry, use as a dip for bread, use as a pizza sauce, make a thinner version to enjoy as soup, etc.
I served my chicken meatballs in this creamy onion warm-spiced winter sauce over a luxurious bed of steamed basmati rice. Each bite felt tingly, spicy, silky, tasty on my tongue. I felt comfort and warmth envelope me over dinner, lasting into the rest of the night. This has now become my favorite comfort curry sauce during the winter.
Dish Debrief
Is this my winner or disaster? Win
How would I rate this dish out of 10? 8/10
What would I change next time? Dunk in vegetables like steamed cauliflower or boiled potatoes or other ideas above
Would I make this again? oh yes
Sounds so good