"so don’t rush it, just let it happen.”
A home cook has stunned TikTok viewers with her straight-talking guide to making an authentic chicken curry, promising bold flavours and no shortcuts.
Sobia Bashir, who specialises in Indian cooking and goes by SobiasSpice on TikTok, shared a step-by-step video tutorial on how to make what she calls a “proper” masala from scratch.
She guaranteed: “Your chicken curry will never taste the same again after this masala.”
Her post has since attracted over 750,000 views in just 24 hours, with social media users praising her clarity and technique.
As she stirred her bubbling pot, Sobia told viewers:
“This is what you are getting wrong when you make a curry, if you want your chicken curry to sing, then keep watching.”
She began by finely dicing onions so they could melt into the sauce. A “generous amount” of butter followed.
Combining the two, Sobia urged viewers not to rush:
“Now this bit takes time. You want them [onions] deep golden. That colour gives body to the curry – so don’t rush it, just let it happen.”
She then added garlic and ginger.
Stressing patience once again, she explained that proper caramelisation is key to getting the flavours right.
Sobia continued by mixing in some passata, but with a warning not to overdo it:
“Just enough to loosen things up.”
A splash of water came next, helping to slow the cooking and deepen the flavour.
She then revealed her four go-to spices:
“Garam masala, coriander, red chilli basa and salt.”
While many cooks add garam masala at the end, Sobia takes a different approach.
“Spices need to be cooked through, no shortcuts. Adding the spices including garam masala at the beginning allows the spices to cook properly.”
To round out the masala, she folded in yoghurt for “tang and depth”, along with green chillies for a punch of heat.
Sobia said the key sign the masala is ready is when butter or oil begins to separate from the sauce.
“When you see the butter or oil start to separate from the masala, you’ll know it’s ready.”
That’s when the chicken can be added and cooked through in the rich, aromatic sauce.
@sobiasspice Your chicken curry will never taste the same after this masala. Proper masala, cooked from scratch—no shortcuts.” #chickencurry #masalarecipe #fromscratch #homecooking #desifood #southasianfood #easycurrynight #recipe #realfoodrealflavour #curryrecipe #currylover ? original sound – SobiasSpice
TikTok users flooded the comments with praise for the no-fuss approach and traditional method.
One viewer said: “FINALLY! Cooking the way I was taught by a master chef from India.
“Adding the spices, including garam masala at the beginning allows the spices to cook properly.
“One other thing I was taught. Cook the sauce the day before and let it cool down.
“Then add the meat and let it marinate overnight. This makes a huge difference to the dish.”
Another wrote:
“Clear instructions, no messing about. Top marks.”
A third added: “This was one of the best articulated recipes I’ve ever seen on TikTok. Thank you so much for not starting with ‘did you know’.”
A fourth user echoed Sobia’s advice: “This was the BEST couple of tips I was ever given years ago – brown the onions (it takes so much longer than you think!) and the separation of the oil.
“Really excellent straightforward tips to make a wonderful curry.”
Loading ...