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    Home » Pakistani Recipes » Instant Pot Salan Masala - Batch Cooking for the Busy Desi

    Instant Pot Salan Masala - Batch Cooking for the Busy Desi

    May 3, 2019 · Modified: Apr 30, 2020 · by Sarah Mir

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    Jump to the Instant Pot Salan Masala Recipe

    There are two things that I always say. One is that I come from a long line of practical people (Hi Mama!) and the other that I come from a long line of lovable nerds (Hi Abu!). My entire life my mother has batch cooked her curry masala, portioned it off and frozen it for the next few months. Last Ramadan I remember standing there, wearily staring at my onion masala willing them to dissolve and thought this is the part of cooking I don't like.

    Instant Pot Salan Masala
    Above a darker onion base with coriander powder, below a salan masala wihout coriander powder and with golden onions

    So this year I have decided to take a page out of my mothers book and prep some Salan Masala. I make mine in the Instant Pot because it is so much faster and have tried it a few times in different dishes and am SO pleased with the results.

    Is Instant Pot Salan Masala the Same as Making it Fresh?

    Short answer: no. As any Pakistani cook knows flavour starts with the onions. The translucent onion is the perfect base for a cleaner curry, the slightly golden one provides the caramelly undertones in another and the deep brown ones give richness to Kormas and Pulaos alike. When you batch cook a masala it won't have all those subtleties but it is such a huge time saver that it is totally worth it!

    When you make an Instant Pot Salan Masala you are picking one style. My suggestion: stick to the one you use the post. In my case I have made two batches - one darker Korma style for pulaos and deeper curries and a second milder one for every day chicken curries and Aaloo Gosht.

    How Do I Customize the Masala?

    Think hard about the food you eat the most. If you never ever make a curry without tomatoes, add a few in when putting the Instant Pot on Manual. If your curries always have coriander powder go ahead and put it in, but if they do not then skip it or just put a little.

    Want the handy mixer? Wondering what Instant Pot I use? Check out my Amazon page! It doesn't cost you anything extra, but I will get a small (very small) percentage of sales.

    How do I use the Salan Masala?

    In a nutshell - depending on how much curry you like - for one pound of beef/chicken heat ¾-1 cup of the salan masala on the stove. Add the meat, saute, add water, bring to a boil and cook till tender. For my Aaloo Gosht I tossed in two tomatoes, the salan masala and the meat in the IP and cooked on manual for 20 then quick released. For a Pulao you would use a similar approach.

    As with any curry what you add towards the end is key. A pinch of methi gives a sweeter flavour, garam masala adds depth, cilantro freshness, cumin powder a more rounded taste.

    Liked this recipe? Show me your creations by tagging me on instagram @flourandspiceblog and please rate the recipe by clicking on the recipe rating below!

    Instant Pot Curry Paste
    Print Recipe
    5 from 10 votes

    Instant Pot Salan Masala

    How to batch cook a curry base that will save you time!
    Prep Time10 mins
    Cook Time30 mins
    Total Time40 mins
    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: Indian, Pakistani
    Author: Sarah Mir

    Ingredients

    • 2-3 cinnamon sticks
    • 1 tsp cloves
    • 1 tsp whole black pepper
    • 1 tsp cumin seeds
    • 3 lb onions - roughly ⅞
    • 3 tbsp garlic paste
    • 3 tbsp ginger paste
    • 1.5 tbsp salt
    • 1 - 1.5 tbsp red chilli powder
    • 2 tsp coriander powder (optional)
    • 1 tsp turmeric powder

    Instructions

    • Slice or dice your onions. Use a food processor or a mandolin if you have one handy. 
    • Heat a generous amount of oil in your IP on saute mode.
    • When it is hot add the whole spices and saute for 30 seconds
    • Add the onions, keep stirring and cook for about 10 minutes until the edges/tips of most of the onions are slightly golden. For a darker curry base keep cooking (and stirring) for 15-20 minutes - usually it is safer to go for a light golden.
    • Now add your ginger and garlic pastes and saute for 2 minutes
    • Once they pastes are incorporated add the remaining dry masala and salt and saute until the mix starts to come together and form a cohesive paste. If it starts to burn add a small splash of water. When it is done the oil will rise to the top.
    • Pour 2.5 cups of hot water into the Instant Pot, give it a stir and put it on manual (pressure) for 20 minutes. 
    • Let it naturally release and saute to reduce the liquid for a more concentrated base. If you want you can use an immersion blender to puree it at this point. 
    • When it is cool enough to handle then drain the extra oil out of the masala 
    • This mix will keep in the coldest part of your fridge for 10 days or you can freeze it into roughly one cup servings for 3 months.

    Notes

    This recipe yields enough for 4 curries with generous gravy, you can double it if you want to make a bigger batch.
     
    Please do read the blog posts for tips on flavour and customization!

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Samina says

      May 04, 2019 at 1:04 am

      This is an awesome idea.
      Thank you dear

      Reply
      • [email protected] says

        May 04, 2019 at 10:25 pm

        you are so very welcome!!!!

        Reply
    2. J says

      May 06, 2019 at 4:55 am

      Hi! You are such an all rounder! What can not you do!!?? 🤔
      Anyway back than there were no IPs, so how to make this without it?
      BTW Photography and video is great.

      Reply
      • [email protected] says

        May 06, 2019 at 11:11 pm

        wow thank you so much! appreciate your support! So my mother just cooks it stovetop, simmering it until the onions are tender - my guess is that this would take about 40 minutes for this quantity,then you can puree and/or reduce it down to make it easy to store!

        Reply
    3. Shehla says

      April 07, 2021 at 9:42 am

      So excited to try this and have a quick fix option to get dinner on the table in 30 min.

      Reply
      • [email protected] says

        April 08, 2021 at 10:18 pm

        thank you Shehla!!!

        Reply
    4. Hera says

      March 24, 2022 at 3:30 am

      Love this! Will definitely try it out! I don’t have an IP so a normal pot will do, right?

      Reply
      • Sarah Mir says

        April 04, 2022 at 7:17 pm

        It totally will! That's how my mother always made it!

        Reply
    5. Kiran Ahmad says

      March 27, 2022 at 1:58 pm

      Making this today and my house smells amazing! Thanks so much, Sarah!

      Reply
      • Sarah Mir says

        April 04, 2022 at 7:12 pm

        Yay! so glad! this particular smell always reminds me of my mother

        Reply

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    Hi, I'm Sarah! Welcome to Flour & Spice, the foodie world of a Pakistani origin Canadian mama of two whose busy life and love for food means practicality reigns supreme! I love baking (duh!), my readers (extra duh!), reading, coffee, singing loudly slightly off key, and aprons.

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