How To Make Curry Thick Without Cornflour?

I remember when I first started cooking, my curry sauce was always surrounded by little puddles of water, and no amount of simmering combined with vigorous stirring would thicken the sauce. It felt like it was taking a lifetime to reduce and in the meantime my vegetables would overcook, or my chicken would dry out.

1. So there was no other alternative I would have to pour out some of the water into the sink before I served it up for dinner and hope no one would notice.
2. Oops! I do however love cooking and I refused to be beaten by ‘the watery curry sauce’.
3. So after numerous lessons from my mum, ‘the experienced one’, and through experimentation of my own; I learnt that adding one key ingredient can be the difference between serving up a rich, luscious curry sauce or having a river running through your curry.

So here are four different methods you can use to help answer the question I am most frequently asked ‘How can I thicken my curry sauce?’ 1. Tomato puree/ paste Ideal for tomato-based sauces so great for Indian and Italian cookery. Adding tomato puree is probably the most common method of thickening curry sauces.

• Simply add the tomato puree during the cooking process rather than adding it at the end.
• This will help to thicken your curry or pasta sauce from the beginning, speeding up the cooking time.2.
• Cornflour Ideal for Chinese sauces or Thai curries but can also be used for Indian curries.
• Add one tablespoon of cornflour to two or three tablespoons of cold water and stir.

Pour the mixture into the sauce and allow to simmer until the sauce begins to thicken. Which doesn’t take very long.3. Yogurt Ideal for Indian curries and can be used as a cream substitute (which is also thickens sauces). This is another common thickening agent used within Indian cookery.

I like to use Greek style yogurt rather than natural yogurt because it’s thick, creamy and it doesn’t tend to curdle in the pan. I would still recommend adding a little at a time though and stirring just to be sure. Yogurt can be used alone or along with tomato puree depending on what the sauce base is.4.

Simmer down Ideal for all curries and sauces, this is the traditional method I was trying for years, and failing miserably at! But it is still necessary even if you use one of the above key ingredients. Including them in the cooking process just ensures you won’t need to simmer your curry sauce for as long as you would without them.

Simply simmer your sauce on low heat (uncovered) until the sauce reduces. If you are cooking vegetables, try reducing the sauce first and then adding the vegetables. This will help you to avoid overcooking the vegetables maintaining valuable nutrients for the whole family. So there you have it, my top four methods to achieving a fabulously rich curry sauce.

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Some of these methods may not be ‘authentic’ to some cuisines, but it gets the job done so I don’t tend to lose much sleep over it. Also, as mentioned, using a combination of these key methods will ensure you never see a runny curry again!

How do I make my curry thicker?

Mix cornstarch, tapioca starch, or arrowroot with cold water or a cup of liquid from the curry sauce to make a slurry. Add this at the end of the cooking process—the sauce should thicken as soon as it returns to a boil.

How do you thicken curry with plain flour?

2. Thicken With Flour – Using corn starch or regular wheat flour is also an easy and popular way to thicken any sauce. For every cup of liquid in your curry, prepare 2 teaspoons of flour added with enough water to make a slurry. Pour the mixture in, stirring constantly.

Do this near the end of the cooking process since the sauce can thicken rather fast and may stick to the bottom of the pan if you overcook it. An alternative you can use is arrowroot, rice, or coconut flour which are all gluten-free. Arrowroot, in particular, is more heat-stable than corn or wheat and is more neutral in taste.

Rice and coconut flour may be available only at vegan, Asian, or ethnic foods stores, or on Amazon.

How can I thicken something without corn flour?

All-purpose flour: You can thicken sauces with all-purpose wheat flour. For every tablespoon of cornstarch, use three tablespoons of flour. Combine raw flour with cold water in a small bowl to form a paste, then add it into the sauce as it’s simmering. Cooking the flour in the sauce will remove the flour taste.

How can I thicken Thai curry without cornflour?

Download Article Download Article It can be frustrating to make a tantalizing curry only to have the sauce turn out watery. Luckily, there are many quick and simple fixes for a thin curry. You can use foods like yogurt to get the curry to thicken. You can also add flour or corn starch. Simmering the curry for a few extra minutes can also get it reach the right consistency.

1. 1 Mix in unflavored yogurt. A thick yogurt, like Greek yogurt, works best. Simply add a small amount of yogurt, like a spoonful, at a time. Stir your yogurt into the curry and keep adding a little more at a time until it reaches your desired thickness.
   • This is great for Indian-style curries as a cream substitute. It can also come in handy if your curry is a little spicier than you would like, as it can cool your curry down.
2. 2 Try tomato paste or puree. This works best for curries that are already tomato-based, as it won’t affect the flavor too much. Tomato puree is usually thicker than paste and has a slightly stronger flavor. Mix in a small amount of tomato puree or paste into the curry. Add a little at a time until the curry gets as thick as you want.
   • If you don’t have puree or paste, you can try diced tomatoes.
   • For best results, add tomatoes or tomato puree during the cooking process rather than after.

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3. 3 Mash the potatoes already in your curry. If you’re cooking with potatoes, try mashing them after the curry is cooked. This is a simple way to thicken the curry without potentially damaging or diluting the flavor. Sometimes, a few mashed potatoes can make for a thicker curry.

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1. 1 Try cornstarch. If you have some cornstarch on hand in your kitchen, mix a tablespoon (15 mL) of cornstarch with a tablespoon (15 mL) of water. Mix this into your curry while it’s boiling to get it to thicken.
   • If necessary, you can add a bit more water and cornstarch if your curry doesn’t thicken with one tablespoon (15 mL) of each.
2. 2 Use flour and cooking fat. Two tablespoons of flour (30 mL) mixed with two tablespoons (30 mL) of a cooking fat like butter can thicken curry. Remove a cup of curry (240 mL) and mix it with your flour and cooking fat mixture. Return the curry to the main pot and mix it in to thicken your curry.
   • You can add in a bit more flour if your curry doesn’t thicken the first time.
3. 3 Add arrowroot. Arrowroot thickens curry just like cornstarch. Add a tablespoon (15 mL) of arrowroot to your curry and then mix it in. If your curry doesn’t thicken, add a little bit more at a time until you get the right consistency.

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1. 1 Reduce the heat. If your curry doesn’t adequately thicken during the normal cooking time, switch the heat to a simmer. Let the curry simmer over the heat while you keep an eye on it.
   • Keep the curry uncovered while it simmers.
2. 2 Let the curry simmer until it reduces. As the curry simmers, you can expect it to reduce. Stir the curry as it reduces to test the thickness. Let the curry reduce until it’s as thick as you want.
   • Time varies greatly depending on the type of curry, so keep an eye on your curry as it thickens. It may reduce in a few minutes or it may need 10 to 20 minutes to thicken.
3. 3 Add water if your curry gets too thick. Sometimes, curry can reduce too much when simmering. This may result in a curry that’s too thick. Simply add a little bit of water at a time in this case until your curry gets to the right consistency.

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• Question How can I thicken curry without cornstarch? Ed Kuoha is a Chef and the Owner of Kuoha Culinary based in Aiea, Hawaii. He has more than 20 years of experience in various culinary kitchens and settings such as Morimoto Waikiki, where he received hands-on training from Iron Chef Morimoto. Chef Ed specializes in small catering events and private chef requests. Well, you can add flour and butter or flour and water to make a slurry. Another option is to use potato starch and water if you want a gluten-free alternative.
• Question How do I make chicken curry with thick gravy? Diluted Potato Community Answer Start off with frying a few onions and tomato paste in a frying pan. Then add spices: chili powder, turmeric powder, etc. Then add the chicken and water. To make the curry thicker, add a little bit of flour at a time until the consistency is to your liking.

Ask a Question 200 characters left Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered. Submit Advertisement Article Summary X If you need to thicken curry, try stirring in a spoonful at a time of unflavored Greek yogurt until you get the thickness you desire.

• This will add a creamy texture, and is also a good way to cool off your curry if it’s a little spicier than you would like.
• If you’re making a tomato-based curry, add in tomato paste or puree to the curry to thicken it.
• Also, if your curry has potatoes in it, take out a few of the potatoes and mash them up, then add them back into the curry.

This will thicken the dish without changing the flavor. Keep reading how to use flour or cornstarch to thicken your curry! Did this summary help you? Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 246,325 times.

How do I thicken curry in slow cooker without cornflour?

Cornstarch, potato starch, and chickpea flour are a couple of pantry-friendly ways to thicken soups, stews, and sauces in the slow cooker. Just a tablespoon or two of any — added towards the end of cooking — will thicken sauces especially well.

Can you thicken with flour and water?

How to Thicken Sauce with Cornstarch – Thickening a sauce with cornstarch is very similar to using flour, but you need different quantities:

Use one tablespoon cornstarch mixed with one tablespoon cold water (aka a cornstarch slurry) for each cup of medium-thick sauce.thoroughly mix the cornstarch and water together, then pour into your sauce.Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened and bubbly. Heat two minutes more in order to completely cook the cornstarch.

Test Kitchen Tip: Be careful not to overcook cornstarch-thickened sauces. They can break down when overcooked (the starch loses its thickening properties when cooked too long).

How do you thicken stew without cornflour?

How to thicken sauce with flour – Flour can be used in 2 different ways:

Toss meat pieces in flour prior to browning. The flour helps to thicken a stew as it cooks. Whisk a teaspoon of flour in a little cold water to make a slurry, then stir into the stew as it’s cooking. Don’t add dry flour directly to the stew as it may clump. After adding the slurry, bring the stew to boil. This will cook out the flour taste and allow the starch to swell. Only add one teaspoon at a time, bringing to the boil before adding more.

What can I use instead of cornflour?

❓ FAQ – Can I use plain flour instead of corn flour? Yes, you can use plain flour instead of corn flour. Plain flour is going to be one of the best options for all types of recipes. It can be used as a coating for fried goods, a thickening agent in slurries, and in baked goods like bread and muffins.

• What is the same as corn flour? A lot of people assume that corn flour and cornstarch are the same things.
• They have similar profiles, but corn flour is made from the whole kernel while cornstarch is derived from the starchy part of the kernel.
• What can I use to thicken instead of cornflour? There are plenty of thickening agents that can be used in place of corn flour.

White flour, rice flour, cornstarch, tapioca flour, guar gum, and sorghum flour are top-notch solutions for thickening agents. I’ve listed more above, plus how and when to use them. Is plain flour the same as cornflour? No, although they are used in similar ways.

1. Corn flour is specifically derived from the whole corn kernel.
2. Plain flour, or white, all-purpose flour, comes from wheat that has been grain milled and processed into the flour.
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What can replace flour as a thickener?

Cornstarch – Ever wondered where cornstarch comes from? Cornstarch is extracted from the white endosperm that is found in the center of a corn kernel. This extraction is then ground into a super fine, white powder that can be used for several different baking purposes.

Like most starches, cornstarch is most commonly used to thicken stews, sauces and even puddings. When used sparingly, cornstarch is practically flavorless and works alongside several different flavored foods. When purchasing cornstarch, it’s essential to look for one of quality. Bob’s Red Mill cornstarch is made from non-GMO corn and is certified gluten free, kosher and vegan.

If you’re cooking for someone with gluten sensitivity and want to swap out a wheat flour thickener with something grain free, look no further! Cornstarch can be subbed in for wheat flour at a 1:2 ratio. Because it’s a durable thickener, you only need half the amount of cornstarch to create the same effect.

• Also, adding cornstarch to a gluten free recipe is a great way to add softness and texture to baked goods while keeping them grain free! Cornstarch is a key component in this Healthy Cranberry Pear Crisp,
• Gluten free and vegan, this yummy recipe uses cornstarch to add thickness to the warm fruity filling.

In this recipe, sweet pears are combined with tart cranberries to create a warm dish that is perfect for serving up for breakfast or after-dinner dessert. The cinnamon oat topping is especially tasty with a scoop of non-dairy whipped cream or ice cream!

How do you thicken food without cornstarch?

If you don’t have cornstarch, all-purpose flour will work as a thickening agent. Use twice as much flour as you would cornstarch. Potato starch is another good substitute for both thickening and baking, as it delivers similar results to cornstarch and requires an equal amount.

Does boiling coconut milk thicken it?

Thickening the Coconut Milk with a Reduction – Reductions are incredibly easy to do if you have enough sauce to get the job done. For coconut milk, you are going to want to make sure that you have more than whatever recipe you are following calls for.

1. This will ensure that when you begin the reduction process, you won’t be left with too little of the thickened milk, as the reduction will take away some of the milk.
2. To begin, you will want to simmer the milk with the lid off so that the water in the coconut milk can evaporate naturally.
3. Without the water acting as a thinner, the sauce is going to thicken up naturally.

As you stir the mixture together, you will be able to notice it thickening up, allowing you to have some degree of control over how thick your coconut milk becomes. Do keep in mind that because of the natural process that comes with reductions, the flavor of the coconut milk is going to concentrate and become quite sweet.

1. For some cooking purposes, will work just fine, but it is a change in the flavor that you need to be aware of so that you can accommodate it in more savory dishes.
2. Typically, to reduce the sweetness, you will want to boil a potato or two in a minimal amount of water.
3. Once the potatoes have been sufficiently boiled, you will want to mash them as finely as you can, preferably removing the skin in the process.

The goal of this is to turn the potatoes and water into a slurry. Next, you can add the potato slurry to the reduction. This will further thicken the sauce, add volume to it, and absorb a fair amount of the sweetness without creating much of a change in the texture and consistency of the sauce.

Does sauce thicken with the lid on or off?

When to Keep the Lid Off – Cooking a soup, stew, or sauce uncovered allows water to evaporate, so if your goal is to reduce a sauce or thicken a soup, skip the lid. The longer you cook your dish, the more water that will evaporate and the thicker the liquid becomes—that means the flavors become more concentrated, too.

If you take a peek at your pot of soup and decide you’d like it to be thicker, just allow it to simmer with the lid off until it’s as thick as you like. This same principle applies with most sauce and gravy recipes, which include a step to reduce a liquid—often stock, juice, or wine—in order to reduce volume and intensify flavors.

You should also leave the lid off whenever you’re trying to achieve a beautiful sear. Searing takes place in a very hot pan and serves to create a flavorful, caramelized crust on the exterior of steaks, duck breasts, lamb chops, pork chops, salmon, tuna, scallops, and other kinds of meat and seafood,

• Moisture is the arch nemesis of pan searing, as it creates steam and prevents a crisp coating from forming, so this is the time to leave the lid off the pan.
• The same thought process applies to stir frying and deep frying: Just like with pan searing, moisture interferes with creating a caramelized, crispy surface on s tir-fried and deep-fried foods,

All foods give off some steam when cooking, so it’s important to leave the lid off the pan during frying so the steam evaporates rather than collecting on the lid and dripping back into the hot oil. For the best-ever stir fry, fried chicken, French fries, hush puppies, doughnuts, fried oysters, crab cakes, fried fish, latkes, and other crunchy-crispy fried favorites, don’t overcrowd the pan and leave that lid in the cabinet!

Can plain flour be used as a thickening agent?

How to Thicken Sauce With Flour – So long as you’re not gluten-free, flour is an excellent option that you’ll likely always have on hand. Not only can you use it to thicken sauces, but it makes an excellent thickener for gravies and soups as well. When added to liquid, the starches in the flour expand, helping to thicken whatever you add it to.

Is plain flour good for thickening?

How to and how much? – The general rule is 2 tsp of flour to thicken 1 litre of liquid, but this of course varies depending on how thick you’d like the sauce to be and how thick it is already. The easiest way to thicken a sauce with plain flour is to make a flour slurry,

Simply mix equal parts of flour and cold water in a cup and when smooth, stir in to the sauce. Bring the contents to a simmer for 5 minutes to cook away the raw flour taste. By mixing the flour with cold water first, it ensures the starch granules are separated so they’re less likely to link together and form clumps when they meet the hot liquid.

The next option is a Beure marnie; equal parts butter and flour, kneaded in to a dough. It’s ideal for thickening small amounts of liquid, like a pan sauce. Add a small amount to a hot pan of sauce and whisk until combined. Simmer for 3 minutes to cook the flour and thicken.

1. If you’re making a recipe that you’ve previously found to be too thin, you can start it off with a roux or the dusting method to thicken the sauce.
2. A Roux is made of equal parts fat and flour, just like the beure marnie, apart from it is cooked first before the sauce is started.
3. Simply add the chosen fat or oil to a saucepan until melted then add the flour, stirring to combine and allowing to turn a light golden colour.

It’s important to remember that this colour will be transferred to the final sauce so it isn’t suitable for all recipes. You can of course cook a roux past that golden phase to achieve deeper colour in your sauce but the over cooked flour loses its thickening ability.

1. Once the roux is made, add the liquid and continue with the recipe as normal, adding a 3 minute simmer to thicken.
2. You’ll be familiar with the dusting method if you’ve made casseroles and stews.
3. It involves tossing the meat, veggies or other ingredients in flour before cooking.
4. Essentially this does exactly the same as a roux; the oil in the pan and fat from the meat (or what you’ve added) combine and the flour is cooked.

I personally think this method is easier than making a roux. You’re less likely to burn the flour and it cuts the extra step out. It’s worth noting that neither the slurry nor the dusting method involve added fats so may be your choice of thickening method if you’re watching your fat intake.

Does plain flour make sauce thicker?

How do you make a sauce thicker? – The easiest way to thicken a sauce is by reducing the amount of liquid. This can be done by simmering your sauce or bringing it to a full boil—do this uncovered, so the steam can escape. Note that this is a good fix if your sauce is just a little too thin—this isn’t the best solution for a sauce that is super watery and needs a total overhaul.

Think of it this way: By reducing the liquid, you’re also concentrating the flavor, which could potentially impact levels of salt. If you reduce a sauce by half that wasn’t meant to be reduced at all, you could end up with an overly salty situation. If your sauce needs some serious thickening, try one of the thickening agents below.

This content is imported from poll. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. The most readily available sauce-thickener is flour. For a too-thin sauce, try adding a slurry (equal parts flour and water, whisked together) or beurre manie (equal parts softened butter and flour, kneaded together to form a paste)—both are ideal thickeners for rich and creamy sauces, such as,

Indira Usman