Madras paste
A medium hot, tangy red curry paste with toasted spices and tamarind, ready for chicken, lamb or vegetable madras.
Make this once, then cook it into 14 different dishes.
- Time30 mins
- LevelMedium
- Costabout £0.20 a head
- Makesabout 200 g, enough for 2 to 3 madras curries
Cost is worked out from Aldi and Tesco shelf prices in October 2026. Your shop and brands will differ.
Ingredients
Tick what you need to buy. It goes on your shopping list.
Method
- 1
Soak the dried chillies in 150 ml of just boiled water for 20 minutes until soft.
20 min - 2
Toast the coriander, cumin, fenugreek, mustard seeds and peppercorns in a dry pan over a medium heat for 1 to 2 minutes until fragrant. Do not let them darken.
1 min 30 s - 3
Grind the toasted spices to a powder, then mix in the turmeric and paprika.
- 4
Drain the chillies and keep the soaking water. Blend the chillies with the garlic, ginger, tomato purée, tamarind, vinegar, sugar, salt and the ground spices, adding soaking water 1 tbsp at a time to get a thick paste.
- 5
Heat the oil in a small pan over a medium heat. Fry the paste for 5 minutes, stirring, until it darkens and smells rich and the oil starts to separate.
5 min - 6
Cool, then spoon into a clean jar with a thin layer of oil on top. You should have about 200 g. Chill within 1 hour or freeze in 80 g portions.
About madras paste
Madras paste is a medium hot, tangy red curry paste made from dried chillies, toasted spices, tamarind, garlic, ginger and tomato purée, used to make madras curry. Madras curry is a British Indian restaurant dish named after the city now called Chennai, and it sits between a korma and a vindaloo for heat.
This paste has a savoury depth from toasted cumin, coriander and fenugreek, a fruity sourness from tamarind, and a warm chilli kick. It is deeper in colour than a masala and tastes less sharp than a vindaloo.
It is vegan and free from gluten, dairy, egg and nuts. Use about 80 g for 4 people with 600 g of chicken, lamb or vegetables, and simmer in a base sauce or tinned tomatoes.
Tips
- Toast the whole spices until you can smell them, then grind. This is where the depth comes from.
- Fenugreek seeds are bitter if scorched. Toast them for only 30 seconds.
- Fry the paste in oil before adding anything else. This cooks out the raw chilli and garlic.
- Add the tomato purée and tamarind slowly to taste. Too much tamarind makes it sour.
- For a milder madras, use fewer dried chillies and keep the Kashmiri chilli powder.
Storing and freezing
Chill within 1 hour and keep in a clean jar with a thin layer of oil in the fridge for up to 1 week. Freeze in 80 g portions for up to 3 months. Always fry before use.
Dishes you can make with madras paste
Beef Madras (Curry House Style)
GFDFEFVegetable Madras (Hot Vegetable Curry House Curry)
GFDFEFChicken Madras (Restaurant Style)
DFEFNFSlow Cooked Lamb Madras with Baby Potatoes
GFDFEFChana Madras (Chickpea Madras)
GFDFEFPaneer Madras with Green Pepper
GFEFNFEgg Madras (Anda Madras)
DFNFVMadras Mushroom Curry with Peas
GFDFEFBeef Madras with Carrots
GFDFEFCod Madras with Coconut and Curry Leaves
GFDFEFMadras Tofu and Pepper Curry
GFDFEFLamb Kofta Madras
GFDFEFQuestions
How hot is madras?
Medium hot. It is hotter than a korma or tikka masala and milder than a vindaloo. Adjust the chilli powder up or down to suit.
Can I use curry powder instead?
You can, but the flavour is flatter and many curry powders contain wheat or fillers. This paste has much more depth and is gluten free if your tamarind and mustard are.
Is homemade madras paste gluten free?
Yes, provided the tamarind paste and mustard seeds are labelled gluten free. Many shop bought pastes contain wheat, so check labels.
How do I use madras paste?
Fry about 80 g in oil for 2 to 3 minutes, add 400 ml of base sauce or tinned tomatoes and your meat or vegetables, and simmer until cooked through and tender.
Can I freeze it?
Yes, for up to 3 months. Freeze in 80 g portions, and thaw in the fridge or add frozen to a hot pan.
More base recipes
Double check before you cook. Recipes can contain mistakes. Any diet labels come from the ingredients as written in this recipe and are a guide, not a guarantee. Always check every ingredient and the packet label for allergens and cross contamination, and ask your doctor or dietitian what is right for you, especially with coeliac disease, diabetes or a serious allergy. This is not medical advice.