What Are the Best Tips for Making Curry Dipping Sauce?

Curry dipping sauce is a homemade condiment that can be served with appetizers. It goes well with traditional Indian delicacies, such as samosas, but can be used for dipping other appetizers as well, such as spring rolls. To make the best curry dipping sauce, cooks decide on the amount of spice they want and the source of the curry flavor. They also can add sautéed onions, dairy ingredients and spices to give the sauce extra flavor.

A unique flavor, curry comes in varying degrees of spiciness, and can be made at home by combining cumin seeds, turmeric, garlic and spices in a saucepan. One much easier method for making curry dipping sauce is to use curry powder or curry paste; both of these contain a variety of spices and can be added to any sauce. People often experiment with differently flavored curry powders and pastes to find the one that best matches the desired result. If a particular curry flavor is not spicy enough, chili flakes or hot sauce can be added.

Many curry flavored sauces use onions and garlic to add a strong flavor. Diced onions can be sautéed in a small amount of olive oil or butter to add sweetness to the curry dipping sauce, while cooking the onions with crushed garlic will add further flavor to any condiment or sauce. The onions and garlic can be added directly if a chunkier texture is desired; alternatively, they can be pureed in a blender to give the curry dipping sauce a smoother texture.

It is common for curry dipping sauce to be creamy rather than watery, which can hold it together more effectively as a dip. A cook will often use butter or ghee, a traditional Indian clarified butter used in a variety of dishes; this can be melted in a saucepan and added to the curry dipping sauce. Another option is to add mayonnaise or heavy cream directly into the dip and stir it until it is completely absorbed.

Other spices can make a curry dipping sauce extra flavorful. In addition to salt and pepper, cooks often use paprika or coriander in dipping sauces. A small amount of brown sugar can add sweetness to a dipping sauce that tastes bitter. Garlic powder or onion powder can add flavor if the sautéed onions and garlic are not strong enough, while tomato paste or puree in small quantities can also add color and flavor to the dipping sauce.