Make-Ahead Madras Vegetable Sauce
A pre-cooked madras-style vegetable curry built around red onion, red pepper, and roma tomato, finished with Greek yogurt for tang and body. Adapted from researched madras consensus (Curry Guy, Swasthi, Kitchen Sanctuary, Pat Chapman) with several modifications: coconut milk swapped for full-fat Greek yogurt to lean the dish out and add protein; brown sugar swapped 1:1 for maple syrup for a caramel/woodsy sweetness that plays well with warming spices; lemon juice removed from the sauce body since yogurt provides sufficient acid; vegetables cooked into the sauce rather than added at reheat so they absorb spice and survive a reheat without going mushy. Yogurt is tempered off-heat and warmed gently to prevent curdling in the acidic tomato base. Designed for batch storage (4-5 days fridge, no freeze) and reheat over pre-cooked chicken breast with rice or naan. v2 revisions from cooking notes: red onion halved (1/2 large instead of 1, ~70g) for less sweetness, curry powder reduced to 1.5 tbsp (from 2 tbsp), and ground fenugreek swapped for 1 tbsp dried fenugreek leaves (kasuri methi) crumbled in during the last minute of simmer for a more aromatic, less bitter finish. Yields ~725g cooked sauce, about 7 portions of 100g.
Prep time
15 min
Cook time
35 min
Total time
50 min
Servings
Ingredients
Aromatics & Vegetables
- neutral oil or ghee
- large red onion, diced (~3/4 cup / 70g)
- red bell pepper, diced (~1 cup / 150g)
- cloves garlic, minced
- fresh ginger, grated
Spice Bloom
- madras curry powder
- Kashmiri chili powder or hot paprika
Sauce Body
- tomato paste
- roma tomatoes, diced (~210g)
- low-sodium chicken or vegetable stock
- maple syrup
- kosher salt
- dried fenugreek leaves (kasuri methi), added at end of simmer
Finish
- full-fat Greek yogurt, room temperature
- garam masala
- Lemon wedges, to finish (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Heat oil in a heavy skillet or saucepan over medium heat. Add red onion and green pepper. Cook 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until onion edges brown and pepper softens.
- 2
Add garlic and ginger. Cook 1 minute until fragrant.
- 3
Add madras curry powder and chili powder. Stir constantly for 45 seconds, adding a splash of water if the spices stick or threaten to burn.
- 4
Add tomato paste. Stir until darkened, about 1 minute.
- 5
Add diced tomatoes and salt. Cook 7 minutes, mashing tomatoes with the back of a spoon, until they break down and oil starts to bead at the edges.
- 6
Add stock and maple syrup. Bring to a simmer. Cover partially and simmer 14 minutes, stirring occasionally, until sauce is glossy and vegetables are tender but still hold shape. In the last minute, crumble the kasuri methi between your palms over the pan and stir in — the leaves release a maple-syrup-like aroma when bruised and warmed briefly.
- 7
Pull pan off the heat and let it sit 1-2 minutes (sauce should stop bubbling). In a small bowl, whisk the Greek yogurt with about 1/4 cup of the warm sauce to temper it, then stir the mixture back into the pan.
- 8
Return to lowest heat for 2 minutes, stirring constantly, just to warm through — do not let it boil or the yogurt will curdle.
- 9
Off heat, stir in garam masala. Taste and adjust salt and maple. Serve over sliced pre-cooked chicken breast with rice or naan, with lemon wedges on the side.
Nutrition
per servingCalories
82
Protein
2.5g
Carbs
8.3g
Fat
5.0g
Fiber
2.1g
Sodium
450mg