Indian Curry Sauce | Onion Tomato Bhuna Masala (Instant Pot)

This Indian curry sauce, or onion-tomato Bhuna Masala is a rich, aromatic and versatile Punjabi-style master sauce recipe that forms the base for a variety of delicious north-Indian dishes, curries and lentils. Make it in bulk and freeze it for later use. This bhuna masala is a lifesaver for weeknight curry cravings.

What is Bhuna Masala?

Bhuna in Hindi refers to 'sautéed' or 'caramelized', and Masala means spiced base, and in this case refers to the sauce. This bhuna masala is a flavorful and versatile master Indian curry sauce that can be used to make many Indian lentils and curries.

All it is, is onions, ginger, garlic and tomatoes, sautéed and simmered with warm Indian spices like garam masala, coriander powder, cumin powder and of course, salt, turmeric and chili powder, which is the inseparable trio in Indian cuisine!

Easy Meal Prep Recipe- A 'Lifesaver' on Weeknights

This Indian curry recipe is a great make-ahead and freeze sauce.  I always make a big batch of this sauce, cool it, and pour it in single-use mason jars, pop it in the freezer and pull it out on crazy weeknights.  Here's why I love to use it:

• Great head-start: This master curry sauce has been a lifesaver for me for the last 2 decades. This easy 30-minutes recipe, most of which is hands-off, helps me get a head start on meals and turns most curries into easy dump & start recipes.
• Cut down cooking time: It cuts the cooking time for curries and lentils considerably, since the sautéing part is done and all I have left to do, is pressure cook! This comes in very handy on weeknights.
• Facilitates eating healthier: With a great shortcut like this, cooking a healthy home cooked meal is actually faster than ordering takeout. In terms of effort, it's about the same as heating frozen food. In my book, that's always a win-win.
• Great for entertaining: This is the perfect make-ahead sauce when you're planning a party. It cuts down time and effort to less than half on the day of the party. Scroll down for more details on this.

Versatile Gluten-Free & Vegetarian Recipe- Easy to Make Vegan

You can make a variety of gluten-free and vegan Indian recipes with this master curry recipe. Some popular examples are Chana Masala, Kidney Beans curry (Rajma), Paneer Mutter (Cottage cheese and peas), Chicken Curry, and believe it or not, even Butter Chicken! Wait... What?  Yup! 

All you have to do is puree this sauce, add chicken and heavy cream (or Greek yogurt) to this curry, add a pinch of sugar or honey, and cook everything till the chicken is tender.  Garnish with cilantro, and you have a super-easy butter chicken.

Ingredients

As with most Indian food recipes, this one also starts off with fresh produce.  Let's take a look at them:

• Onions- the foundation of this sauce. I prefer to use red or white onions, but if yellow is all you have, that'll work too.
• Ginger and Garlic: Fresh minced ginger and garlic give best results in this recipe. alternatively, you can use the frozen small cubes that are available in the frozen produce aisle in most stores like, Trader Joe's and Safeway.
• Tomatoes: Plum or Roma tomatoes are perfect here since they have fewer seeds. Alternatively, use canned plum tomatoes, minus the juice. The juice makes them too tart for this recipe.
• Spices: We'll use the usual suspects of Indian cooking here as well- salt, turmeric, coriander, cumin and garam masala- homemade or store-bought.

How to Make Bhuna Masala (Curry Sauce) in Instant Pot

I prefer to make this sauce in my Instant Pot, but any comparable electric pressure cooker will work for this recipe.

Prior to owning an IP, I used to make it in my stove-top pressure cooker by Hawkins.  If using that, wait for 2 whistles, reduce the heat to medium, and cook it another 5 minutes.  Turn off the heat and let the cooker depressurize. 

Here are the Step by Step Directions using the Instant Pot:

1. Preheat the pressure cooker on Saute mode. Wait 30 seconds and add cumin seeds. When cumin seeds begin to splutter, add chopped onions, ginger and garlic. Saute 5-8 minutes (depending on quantity) until onions get light golden brown. Stir at regular intervals. (Pic 1)
2. Add salt and spices and saute for 1 minute. This helps toast the spices and release their aroma. (Pic 2)
3. Add tomato puree and use that to scrape off the brown bits stuck at the bottom of the pot. Add water as needed, depending on the portion size you're making. (Pic 3)
4. Cancel Saute, Close the lid in position and cook for 5 minutes at high pressure using Pressure Cook or Manual, on sealing mode. (pic 4)
5. Let the pressure release naturally for 5-10 minutes (NPR 10). If in a rush, release pressure manually by following the quick release instructions. Open the lid only after the pin drops. You can use or store the masala as is, or puree it using an immersion blender.
6. To store, let the masala cool completely, then transfer to any air-tight container and refrigerate or freeze (see instructions below).

Stovetop Recipe

Follow the recipe above using a deep sauce pot on medium-high heat. After step 3, reduce heat to medium, cover the pot and cook for 15-20 minutes, stirring at regular intervals.

Please Note: If you double up the recipe, the saute and simmer time will increase accordingly.

How to Store & Freeze Onion-Tomato Masala

Storage: To store, let the masala cool completely, then transfer to 8 oz. mason jars, or these ¼-cup sized silicone molds and refrigerate or freeze. This masala stays good in the refrigerator for up to a week, but for best results, I would recommend using it within 5 days. Read below for freezing directions.

Freezing Instructions: Simply label the container with name and date for convenience. If using the mold, once frozen, you can pop out the cubes and store them in a freezer safe ziplock bag. It stays good in the freezer for up to a month.

How to Reuse this Bhuna Masala

The 4-portion serving of this recipe yields in roughly 8oz. of curry sauce, which is good for one curry.  I multiply this recipe based on serving size.

As and when I need it, I thaw a jar (or two), in the refrigerator overnight, or, remove the lid and defrost it in the microwave, using any low power setting.  Sometimes, for curries and lentils, I throw in the frozen cubes along with the ingredients and pressure cook.

Here are a few ways I use this curry sauce to make different curries:

Paneer Mutter (Cottage cheese and peas)

• Add 8 oz. curry sauce, ¼ cup water, 10-14 oz. paneer cut into cubes, and ½ cup frozen peas to the Instant Pot and stir well.
• Close lid. Sealing Position.  Cook for zero minutes on Manual/Pressure Cook.  Manually release the pressure by turning the knob to Venting position.
• Garnish with fresh cilantro.

Chana Masala

• Add 8 oz. curry sauce, rinsed and drained can of chickpeas or pre-soaked dried beans, 1.5-2 cups water and 1 teaspoon garam masala to the Instant pot.
• Close lid.  Sealing Position.  Cook on Manual/Pressure Cook for 4 minutes.  Wait 5 minutes and release the pressure (NPR 5). If using pre-soaked beans, increase pressure cooking time to 45 mins Bean Mode. NPR.
• Squeeze in some fresh lime juice and garnish with fresh cilantro before serving. Here's the Chana Masala recipe from scratch.

Rajma Masala (Kidney Beans Curry)

• Add curry sauce, rinsed and drained can of kidney beans or pre-soaked dried beans, 1.5-2 cups water and ½ teaspoon garam masala to the Instant pot.
• Close lid.  Sealing Position.  Cook on Manual/Pressure Cook for 4 minutes.  Wait 5 minutes and release the pressure (NPR 5).  If using pre-soaked beans, increase pressure cooking time to 35 mins Bean Mode. NPR.
• Garnish with fresh cilantro before serving. Here's the Rajma recipe from scratch.

Butter Chicken

• Using an immersion blender, puree the curry sauce till it's smooth.  Skip this step if you like a chunky sauce.  Add curry sauce, boneless skinless chicken pieces (about 1.5 inches), ½ cups water and 1 teaspoon garam masala to the Instant pot.
• Close lid.  Sealing Position.  Cook on Manual/Pressure Cook for 4 minutes.  Wait 10 minutes and release the pressure (NPR 10).  Add ½ cup heavy whipping cream and simmer for 2-3 minutes.
• Garnish with fresh cilantro before serving. Here's the Butter Chicken recipe from scratch

Toor Dal Tadka (Split Pigeon Peas)

• Soak 1 cup dal for 30 minutes in warm water. Rinse and drain.  Add curry sauce and 1 cup water,  to the Instant Pot and stir well.
• Close lid. Sealing Position.  Cook for 5 minutes on Manual/Pressure Cook.  NPR 5mins and release pressure.
• Garnish with fresh cilantro and a squeeze of lime before serving (Optional). Here's the Dal recipe from scratch.
• Time Variation for other Lentils: Red Lentils: 5 mins; Green Lentils: 8mins

How to Use this Recipe for Party Planning

Whenever I am hosting a dinner party with an Indian food menu, I multiply the recipe based on serving size. It makes the cooking time so manageable and less exhausting for me on the day of the party, so I can enjoy my own party too:-). For a party, I cook it one of two ways:

• Make it a week-10 days before the party and freeze it. Thaw it in the refrigerator 2 days before the party. This gives the sauce enough time to thaw gradually.
• Alternatively, I cook the sauce 2-3 days in advance and refrigerate until ready to use. 

Recipe Tips & Notes

1. Easy Prep: For convenience, I chop all aromatics and puree tomatoes using a mini food chopper. That cuts down prep time considerably and doesn't need any advances knife skills.
2. Instant Pot Method vs. Stovetop: I find the hand-off method of the Instant Pot much easier than using the stovetop method, especially if I'm doubling or tripling the recipe.  
3. Storage: This masala stays good in the refrigerator for up to a week, but for best results, I would recommend using it within 5 days. Read below for freezing directions.
4. Freezing Instructions: Once the masala cools down, I prefer to store it in either a single-meal portion (4 servings) or individual serving. I either use 8oz. mason jars or a silicone mold which store ¼ cup portions.  Just label with name and date for convenience. If using the mold, once frozen, you can pop out the cubes and store them in a freezer safe ziplock bag. It stays good in the freezer for up to a month.
5. How to use Bhuna Masala: If making a curry or lentils, you can either thaw the masala in the refrigerator overnight, or add the frozen cubes as-is along with your other ingredients and set it to pressure cook. For stir-fries, it is better to thaw it out first. 
6. Recipe Updated: Recipe has been updated with easy replacement for chili powder, and updated with clearer instructions, process shots and a measurements for a larger quantity that serves 12.

More Master Sauces from my Kitchen

• Tikka Masala Sauce- A jazzed up version of an Indian curry sauce, great with any protein.
• Spaghetti/Pasta Sauce- Your everyday pasta sauce with a ton of fresh veggies.
• Easy Bolognese- A classic Italian meat sauce that goes great with any pasta.
• 10-Minute Pesto Sauce- A no-cook sauce that goes great with pasta, for salads or main course.

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