Calabash Sour Curry
A comforting, traditional heirloom curry packed with tang, warmth, and fresh garden vegetables.
This is my mum's Calabash Sour Curry—simple, deeply comforting, and full of traditional flavour. It balances the mellow, delicate nature of calabash and brinjal with a beautifully sharp, tangy tamarind and spinach finish.
Before you start
Get your mise en place ready so nothing catches you out mid-cook.
Method
- 1
Build the Aromatic Base
Heat the 2 tbsp of oil in a pot over medium heat. Sauté the sliced onion, crushed garlic, grated ginger, sliced green chillies, and the sprig of curry leaves together until everything is soft and lightly browned.
- 2
Add the 1 tsp of turmeric, salt to taste, chopped tomato, and 1–1½ tbsp of tamarind paste to the pot. Stir well, allowing the tomato to break down and blend with the spices into a fragrant, thick paste.
The rest of this recipe
There’s 6 more ingredients and 2 more steps to go.
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Ivana Sanshia’s note
The combination of fresh spinach and sharp tamarind paste is the ultimate secret weapon here—it perfectly replicates that iconic, traditional sour-herb taste even when true sour herbs aren’t available in your area.
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