Chefs and food experts agree that one easy step makes the best homemade curry: frying whole spices in hot oil or ghee before adding anything else. This 30-second technique releases the flavour and aroma of the spices, giving the dish a deep, rounded taste.
Fry the spices in ghee or oil first
Sophie Nahmad, lead recipe developer at Gousto, said: "If I could give home cooks just one tip for a better curry, it would be to fry your whole spices or seeds in hot oil or ghee before adding anything else."
"That short 30 seconds or so releases the flavour and aroma from the spices, and it's what gives a homemade curry that deep, rounded flavour you'd expect from your favourite takeaway. It costs nothing, needs no special kit and makes every curry taste better."
Jiwan Lal, executive chef at London's two AA Rosette restaurant Babur, agreed: "The simplest step I would never skip is blooming whole spices in hot oil or ghee at the beginning. Give cumin, cardamom, cloves or mustard seeds around 20-30 seconds, just until they begin to crackle and release their aroma, before adding the onions or any wet ingredients."
"That brief contact with the hot fat releases their aromatic oils and carries the flavour through the whole sauce. If everything is added at once, the spices can taste muted or raw; blooming them first gives a curry depth, warmth and fragrance rather than simply heat."
Food hygiene and HACCP consultant Mark McShane highlighted that this ranks amongst the most crucial stages involved in preparing a homemade curry. He said: "The single most impactful step you can take to make the best homemade curry is blooming your spices in oil, a process traditionally known in Indian cooking as tadka or tempering. You fry your whole or ground spices in hot oil or ghee to unlock their full potential."
"To execute this step properly with whole spices like cumin seeds, cardamom, or cinnamon, add them to hot oil for thirty to sixty seconds until they sizzle and become fragrant right before you toss in your onions. If you are working with ground spices like turmeric, coriander, or garam masala, stir them into your cooked aromatic base of onions, garlic, and ginger on medium-low heat for just 20 to 30 seconds until they form a fragrant paste, taking care not to let them burn before adding your liquid."
Prepare the curry the evening before
This might appear to go against conventional wisdom, yet chef Stephen Beaddie maintains that allowing the curry additional time to rest can truly elevate the dish.
He said: "My best tip for making a great curry is to cook it the day before you plan to eat it. Resting overnight gives the spices, aromatics and sauce time to properly come together, so the flavour becomes deeper, rounder and more balanced."
"Reheat it gently the next day remembering to stir it as it reheats so it doesn't catch on the bottom, then finish with something fresh like lime, lemon or coriander to wake everything back up."
Never overlook the garam masala
Sophie Steenberg, co-founder of Steenbergs, a Yorkshire-based sustainable spice company, said: "A simple step that instantly improves any homemade curry is adding garam masala towards the end of cooking. I swear by it as not only is it a great base for a curry, but by adding it at the end it helps preserve its aromatic oils and gives the dish a final burst of warmth, fragrance, and complexity. It's an easy chef's trick that makes flavours really sing."
Michelin-starred chef and TV personality Aktar Islam agreed. He told Express.co.uk: "Lightly toast your garam masala before sprinkling on to your curry, this is really going to bring out the flavour and take it to the next level."
Take your time
Perfection cannot be rushed, and the same principle applies to your cooking. Arun Kumar, a chef and Dishoom executive, encouraged home cooks to exercise patience when preparing curry.
He said: "Patience is key when making a great curry, and one step you shouldn't skip is regularly stirring your ingredients. Most curries need plenty of stirring to stop the ingredients from sticking and, importantly, to lift and scrape up all those caramelised flavours from the base of the pan. The high heat helps create flavour, while stirring works those flavours back into the sauce."
A heatproof rubber spatula is ideal for getting into the corners of the pan but keep one specifically for curries as the rubber can retain the flavour. If your onions or spices start to catch, have some water to hand and add a few drops to bring the temperature down rather than letting them burn.
