Easy Peasy Masala Paste

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Easy peasy Masala paste is a simple zero oil curry base prepared with onions, tomato, ginger and garlic. Absolutely lifesaver cooking hack that makes your work done quickly and smoothly.

Jump to:

• About the recipe
• Reasons you will 💖 this recipe
• Ingredients for masala paste
• Easy peasy masala paste recipe
• How to use this zero oil masala paste?
• Alternative to the blended masala paste
• Storage
• Tips and advice
• Recipe

About the recipe

The easy peasy masala paste is a concentrated paste prepared with onions, tomatoes, ginger, garlic and some Indian spices. This masala paste is used as a base to make curry or dry vegetables.

This paste is quite useful when you are in a rush or not in the mood for chopping onions, and tomatoes for preparing the curry. This masala paste is an essential base for Indian curries.

I usually make this in large batches and use it as and when required. I can't imagine my kitchen life without this. It's a perfect, lifesaving cooking hack for me.

Reasons you will 💖 this recipe

I am sure once you try this masala paste, you are going to be obsessed with this recipe like me because of the following reasons:

• Zero oil recipe
  
• Easy peasy masala paste recipe; even a beginner cook can prepare.
  
• It fastens your cooking time.
  
• Reduce your efforts to half.
  
• Time-saving trick.
  
• Make the cooking process easy and smooth.
  
• Ready to use.

Ingredients for masala paste

The ingredients required for making a masala paste recipe are as follows:

Onions: In Indian cuisines, onions play a crucial part in the curry base. Onions give a body to the curry base. It makes curry thick and delicious. Moreover, onions have antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties that are linked to several health benefits.

Some people with IBS cannot tolerate onions as it contains FODMAPs which leads to unpleasant digestive symptoms. For low FODMAP recipes, feel free to check my low FODMAP recipes.

Garlic- It is a well known culinary spice used in various forms ranging from fresh, paste and powder forms. It is extensively used in Indian cooking because of the distinctive flavour and aroma that it imparts to the curry base.

Garlic possesses antifungal and antibacterial properties that are proven to lower cholesterol and blood pressure etc.,

Tomatoes - After onions, tomatoes are the next most important part of a curry base. It is used mainly as fresh with skin and seeds. It is a perfect souring agent that imparts colour and sourness to the curry base. The tangy taste of tomatoes uplifts the bland starches we consume.

Additionally, tomatoes are a healthy option as they are full of lycopene, antioxidants associated with many health benefits, including reduced risk of heart disease and cancer.

Ginger - It can be used in fresh, dried, powdered form. It is having a spicy, and pungent flavour. Ginger is rich in gingerol, which possesses anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.

It aids digestion. Ginger tea is also a well-known remedy for cold and throat issues for instant relief. In winter, it is widely used to warm up your body, especially masala chai.

One study review observed that people using ginger for treating osteoarthritis found significant reductions in pain and disability. 

Spices: Spices give dimensions to the curry base. These mask the bland taste of the paste.

Easy peasy masala paste recipe

Watch the video to learn how to make a paste with onions, tomatoes, ginger and garlic!

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1. Peel off the onion, garlic and ginger. Thoroughly rinse all the ingredients.
   
2. Roughly chop and blend to a paste using a blender.
   
3. Pour into the pressure cooker, and add in salt, pepper, turmeric and garam masala.
   
4. Stir well and cook until 2-3 whistles of the cooker and let the steam goes down.

5. Open the lid, partially cover it with the lid and cook on high heat for 7-8 minutes without stirring. It makes masala paste stabilize as the excess water will evaporate soon and hence fewer splashes.
   
6. When masala paste settles down, uncover it and keep on high heat with occasional stirrings to avoid sticking to the base.
   
7. Cook until the masala paste gets dry.

8. Let this zero oil masala paste cool and store in an airtight container.
   
9. Store it in the fridge. Use it as and when needed.

Hurray! You are ready with the masala paste without adding even a single drop of oil.

How an easy peasy masala paste recipe it is! Isn't it?

Note:

It is a basic idea for making easy peasy masala paste. If worried about how to use this masala paste, check this lentil recipe.

You can make it in a large batch using more quantity than mentioned.

How to use this zero oil masala paste?

This easy peasy masala paste can be used for making curry and dry vegetables as well.

For use in dry vegetables:

I recommend it adding to the vegetables in the later stage when your vegetables are 80 % cooked. The easy way to add the masala paste to any dry vegetable (that I learned from my father) is as follows:

Make a space in the centre of the pan by swiping the vegetable to the sides of the pan. Add 2-3 tablespoons of masala paste in that space. Saute' masala paste for 2-3 minutes. Mix well with the vegetable. Cover it and stir occasionally. Cook until the vegetable is done.

For Making Curry/Gravy:

For making curries, I recommend sauteing the masala paste in oil before adding water. I usually saute masala paste first in oil for 2-3 minutes for lentils, rajma (kidney beans), white chana (chickpeas) etc and then boil them along with this masala paste. The curry prepared in this way is super delicious as the curry is well infused with all the spices present in the paste while boiling. 

Give this hack a try; I am sure you won't regret it!

Alternative to the blended masala paste

If a blender/mixer is not available, roughly chop onions and tomatoes. Grate ginger and use garlic cloves as such.

Pour into a cooker and cook until 3 -4 whistles. When masala paste is near to dry, mash it with a masher and dry it completely.

Here's you go with the same masala paste consistency as a blended paste.

Storage

• Make it in a large batch, and use it whenever you plan to cook.
  
• Store it in a fridge, and it goes well for more than 2 weeks if stored properly.

Tips and advice

1. Do not add water. Onions and tomatoes have already a lot of water in them.
   
2. Make it dry. It won't long last if there is any moisture left in the masala.
   
3. Stir occasionally to avoid any sticking to the base.
   
4. Store only when it is COMPLETELY cool.
   
5. Store in the fridge.
   
6. Do not use a WET spoon to take out the quantity you required.
   
7. You are free to modify the quantity of masala paste as per your taste buds!

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