Roasted Curry Paste

Chicken
Curry

Serves 4  ·  25 minutes  ·  Two ingredients

Roasted comes from Shalet's mom, Aleyamma Varghese's kitchen in Kerala.

This is the kind of curry Shalet grew up around. Spices being roasted slowly, onions cooking down, and the smell filling the whole house before the curry was even ready. It was not fancy food. It was proper home food, made with patience and instinct.

Roasted is our way of bringing that flavour into BASHA. It is warm, deep and comforting. The kind of paste that reminds us of home, but is simple enough for everyday cooking here.

Kerala-style chicken curry made with Basha Roasted Curry Paste — rich dark sauce with tender chicken pieces

Why it tastes this way

This paste is built around roasted spices, cooked down onions and a deep Kerala home curry flavour. That is why it works so well with chicken, cauliflower, vegetables, paneer and chickpeas. It gives the feeling of a slow cooked curry without needing to start from scratch.

What you need

  • 1kg chicken, cut into pieces
  • 1 Basha Roasted Curry Paste, 150g pouch or jar
  • 100–200ml coconut milk
  • A splash of oil

  1. Bloom the paste

    Add a tiny bit of oil to a pan and place it on medium heat, not too hot, you're not frying. Spoon in the paste and let it cook for about a minute, stirring gently. You'll notice the colour deepen and the kitchen will start to smell incredible. That's the spices waking up.

  2. Add the chicken and coconut milk

    Add the chicken pieces and pour in 100ml of coconut milk. Stir everything together so each piece of chicken gets coated in the paste. It should look glossy and well covered.

  3. Cook into a curry

    Keep the heat at medium and cook until the chicken is fully done, no pink inside, juices run clear. The sauce will thicken and cling to the meat as it cooks. This usually takes 15–20 minutes. Give it a stir every few minutes so nothing sticks to the bottom.

More variants

More ways to use the Roasted paste — coming soon.

More recipes coming soon