Description
This vibrant Yellow Coconut Curry Sauce combines aromatic spices, fresh herbs, and creamy coconut milk to create a rich and flavorful base perfect for various dishes. Featuring a blend of turmeric, curry powder, and mild heat from red chili, it simmers to a luscious consistency ideal for pairing with meats, vegetables, or rice.
Ingredients
Scale
Spice Paste
- 1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
- 5 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
- 1 lemongrass stalk, bashed, peeled and roughly chopped
- 4 shallots, roughly chopped
- 50g ginger, roughly chopped
- Small handful of coriander, finely chopped
- 1 tbsp light brown soft sugar
- Salt, to taste
Curry Sauce
- 2 tbsp coconut or sunflower oil
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- ½ tbsp mild curry powder
- ½ tsp ground coriander
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- 400ml can coconut milk
- 500ml chicken stock
- 1 tsp fish sauce (optional)
Instructions
- Prepare the Spice Paste: In a food processor, combine the red chilli, garlic cloves, lemongrass stalk, shallots, ginger, coriander, light brown soft sugar, and salt. Blitz the mixture until it is very finely chopped into a thick, fragrant paste.
- Cook the Aromatics: Heat the coconut or sunflower oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Add the finely chopped onion, ground turmeric, mild curry powder, ground coriander, ground cumin, and a pinch of salt. Cook for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion begins to soften and the spices become fragrant.
- Fry the Paste: Mix the previously prepared spice paste into the pan. Fry the mixture for 5-7 minutes, stirring often, until it becomes very fragrant and cooked through.
- Add Liquids and Simmer: Pour the coconut milk and chicken stock into the pan, stirring to combine. Bring the sauce to a gentle simmer and cook uncovered for 20-25 minutes until the sauce reduces slightly and thickens to a luscious consistency.
- Season and Store: Season the curry sauce with up to 1 teaspoon of fish sauce, according to taste. Allow to cool, then store in the refrigerator for up to four days. Use as a versatile base for dishes like meatball and chickpea curry or coconut rice with prawn stir-fry.
Notes
- You can substitute chicken stock with vegetable stock for a vegetarian-friendly version.
- Adjust the heat level by varying the amount of red chilli or omitting seeds entirely.
- This sauce freezes well; store in airtight containers for up to 3 months.
- Use mild curry powder for a gentle flavor; for spicier versions, opt for hot curry powder.
- Fish sauce is optional—skip to keep the sauce vegetarian.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Sauce
- Method: Frying
- Cuisine: Southeast Asian
Keywords: yellow coconut curry sauce, curry sauce recipe, coconut curry base, homemade curry sauce, Southeast Asian curry, coconut milk sauce
