Prepare this basic Indian curry paste recipe in advance and use in all your favourite Indian curries. You only need 5 ingredients plus basic Indian spices for this onion tomato masala paste that is also freezable. Prep a large batch and freeze to make a curry in a hurry on busy weeknights!

You may also like to prepare a batch of Balti sauce, Makhani Butter Sauce, Tandoori sauce or Indian curry sauce, which is a base curry sauce with coconut milk.

The secret to the best curry paste base lies in cooking the masala thoroughly and using the right balance of spices and seasoning. You should see oil leave the sides of the pan to indicate a well cooked bhuna.

You can choose to add salt or leave it out and use directly in the recipe.

Once you’ve prepared this onion-tomato masala base, you’ll have streamlined 90% of the process for making everyday curries, dals, and stews.

This paste is ideal for dishes like Dal makhani, Rajma masala, Tadka dal, and Green lentils dal, simplifying meal prep for busy weekdays, party planning, or when you’re short on time. An added bonus is that this masala freezes exceptionally well, ready to use whenever you need it.

a bowl of onion tomato bhuna masala placed on a round tray.

Ingredients notes

The primary components of this basic curry paste is onions, tomatoes, ginger, garlic, and a blend of warming spices. Whether prepared on the stovetop in a large pan or in an Instant Pot for a quicker option, this sauce is both adaptable and convenient.

Oil: Sunflower or vegetable oil is recommended, though olive or avocado oil can also be used. Generous use of oil enhances flavour and helps preserve the masala. When using the frozen curry sauce for recipes like chana masala, you will need to add little extra oil.

Onions: I've used red onions this time, but other onion varieties such as white or brown also work.

Tomatoes: Fresh, ripe tomatoes contribute richness to the sauce. For a deeper colour, you can add tomato paste, passata or canned tomatoes.

Fresh Ginger and Garlic: Use fresh ginger root and garlic cloves for maximum flavour.

Spices: Basic spices like ground turmeric, red chili powder, ground cumin and coriander powder, and garam masala are essential for a flavourful bhuna masala. Alternatively, try my homemade curry powder recipe - a versatile spice blend that you can use for your Indian cooking.

Frozen cubes of basic curry paste in a small bowl.

Ingredients Prep

Efficiently prepping the ingredients simplifies the cooking process. A blender or food processor works well for finely chopping the ingredients, which helps them cook faster.

Finely chop ginger and garlic in a food processor and set aside.
Process the onions until finely chopped and set aside. Optionally, blend the onion, garlic and ginger.
Blend the tomatoes into a puree.

If you don’t have a food processor, finely chopping by hand is an option but takes more time.

crushed ginger and garlic in a vegetable chopped bowl.

chopped red onion in a vegetable chopper bowl.

crushed tomatoes in a vegetable chopper bowl.

How to make Indian red curry paste

Heat Oil: Warm oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the onions, ginger and garlic and sauté until the mixture reduces and become a light brown. This can take 5-10 minutes.
Add Tomatoes and Spices: Stir in blended tomatoes, salt, and spices. Cook until you notice oil separating from the mixture. This is key.
Use in recipe: Use directly in your favourite recipe or allow to cool and store for later.

chopped ginger garlic cooking in hot oil in a pan on the stovetop.

crushed tomatoes added to sauteed onion in a pan.

cooked basic onion tomato bhuna masala in a pan on stovetop.

Spices powders added to the onion tomato masala in a pan.

How to use Indian curry paste in your recipes

For Indian dishes that require a base of onion garlic and tomato, you can easily sub in this paste. This homemade onion-tomato masala serves as the foundation for many Indian dishes. Use this curry base or frozen cubes in place of separately prepping onion, tomato, ginger, garlic, and spices for these dishes:

Simply heat a little oil and add the cooked curry paste. Proceed with adding your vegetables, lentils or legumes.

Frozen cubes of indian red curry paste in a freezer safe zip lock bag.

Storage

Refrigerator:

Onion tomato bhuna masala stores well in the fridge for 1 week.

Freezing:

Allow the masala to cool completely before portioning it into large ice cube trays. Once frozen, transfer the cubes to zip-lock bags for easy storage. Frozen masala can be added directly to recipes without thawing.

As always if you make this recipe, be sure to leave me a comment, rate this recipe and tag me on Instagram @jcookingodyssey or #jcookingodyssey. I love seeing all your photos of my recipe recreations!

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