How can I thicken a curry without flour or cornflour? (9 methods)
In this article, we will answer the following question: How can I thicken a curry without flour or cornflour? We will give you 9 accessible alternatives to flour and cornflour, and also talk about the health benefits of curry.
How can I thicken a curry without flour or cornflour?
Thickening a curry sauce without flour or cornflour is easy. Depending on your personal preference or what you have in your pantry, you can thicken your curry sauce with straightforward ingredients and in no time.
Thicken a curry without flour or cornflour: reduce it.
If your sauce is too runny, it has too much water. To remedy this, the first technique is to reduce it (decrease in volume) by bringing it to a boil so that the water it contains partly evaporates. This will also help to concentrate its flavors. The downside is that you will have less sauce, so it may not be for everyone. In this case, and if the recipe is suitable, you can add a little fresh cream, for example.
Thicken a curry without flour or cornflour: add a roux.
At the base of several classic sauces (such as béchamel, for example), roux can also be added to a sauce to thicken it. The problem is that it is recommended to add it cold.
Therefore, you will need to take the time to prepare it, then the time to cool it before taking the time to incorporate it into your sauce. In short, if it’s to thicken the sauce of the dish that you have decided to serve in 5 minutes, that will not be possible. But we’ll explain it to you anyway because a roux can be prepared in advance and even freeze when needed.
A roux is a mixture of flour and butter (or margarine, or even oil) in equal amounts. We start by melting the butter; we add the flour in the rain. Stir well for 10 minutes over low heat, and allow the preparation to cool. When it is very cold, pour it into the sauce to thicken and simmer quietly for 15 min to 20 min.
Thicken a curry without flour or cornflour: handled butter
Butter and flour, again… But without cooking, so more accessible and faster than roux. How does it work? In a deep plate, mix as much butter (at room temperature) as flour with a fork, until a homogeneous preparation is obtained, which will be incorporated little by little (while whisking, in the sauce to thicken on medium heat).
Attention, little by little, means that we will take the time to test the sauce’s consistency before adding another piece of handled butter.
Thicken a curry without flour or cornflour: using mashed vegetables.
Sachet flakes of puree will do just fine. Or mashed vegetables frozen in pebbles, or even some of the vegetables from the dish that your sauce will accompany. Note that mash flakes should be handled with care because they have a thickening power (normal, dehydrated) than frozen mash.
Thicken a curry without flour or cornflour: sprinkle with breadcrumbs.
We will proceed carefully by sprinkling our sauce with little breadcrumbs, continuing to cook until thickened before possibly adding the breadcrumbs. If there are no breadcrumbs, use a blender to reduce rusks or dry bread to very fine crumbs.
Thicken a curry without flour or cornflour: using powdered milk.
This tip is perfect for sauces made with a little too runny cream. And again, this is very simple since you only need to add 1 or 2 tablespoons of powdered milk to a sauce to see it thicken and start again if the result is not satisfactory.
Thicken a curry without flour or cornflour: with tomato paste
Perfect for a tomato coulis that is a little too runny, you won’t hesitate to add tomato paste, which will thicken the sauce without altering its taste.
Thicken a curry without flour or cornflour: one (or more) beaten egg yolk.
It’s like the custard principle. Ideal for thickening a sauce and making it smooth. How do we do it? Well, we pour the egg yolk (s) into a bowl, beat them with one or two tablespoons of the thickening sauce, and pour everything into the saucepan placed on low heat, mixing well with a spoon in wood.
Thicken a curry without flour or cornflour: with a binder for sauce from the supermarket
These products are ideal for thickening sauces. Practical, quick, they are available in the cooking aids department.
What is a curry made of?
Western curry has many different varieties. However, the mixture’s main ingredient is usually turmeric, a spice responsible for its vivid yellow color. Cumin, coriander, or fenugreek, one of the oldest medicinal plants known to man, is also common. Cardamom, anise, nutmeg, cloves, cinnamon, or other spices can be added.
The health benefits of curry
The spices in Western curry provide numerous health benefits. Turmeric is beneficial in ending stomach problems and facilitating digestion. It also stands out for its antioxidant properties, rejuvenating our cells, and speeding up metabolism. And it is highly recommended for people who have respiratory problems.
Other FAQs about Curry that you may be interested in.
What is the healthiest Thai curry?
What is the difference between green and red Thai curry paste?
Conclusions
In this article, we answered the following question: How can I thicken a curry without flour or cornflour? We gave you 9 accessible alternatives to flour and cornflour, and also talk about the health benefits of curry.
There are several simple methods to thicken a curry. Among those mentioned by us in this post are: adding butter, potato or potato flakes, roux, vegetable oil, or merely simmering the curry.
Curry is not supposed to be too watery, but neither extremely thick. You need to find the right balance, one that is tasty and easy to prepare.
If you have any questions or comments on the content, please let us know!
References
Thetakeout.com
Theatlantic.com
Food.com
