11 Restaurant-Style Curries With Just 5 Ingredients

Restaurant-style curries often feel complex, but most of the flavor comes from five high-impact pieces: a good main (protein or legume), an aromatic base, a concentrated liquid base (tomato, coconut, or cream), a signature spice or masala, and a finishing fat or cream. For this list, I counted only the ingredients that drive flavor—salt and cooking oil are assumed pantry items and aren’t part of the five. Each recipe below lists the five counted ingredients, a quick cooking time, a short restaurant-style tip, and a plating note so your family dinner or weekend tiffin looks shop-ready. These picks cover classic favorites you’ll find on Indian restaurant menus—Butter Chicken, Paneer Makhani, Goan prawn curry—and a few regional nods such as a mustard-finished Bengali-style fish and a South-Indian coconut vegetable curry. The technique matters more than a long spice shelf. Bloom spices in hot oil, reduce tomatoes until glossy, finish with butter or cream, and give proteins the quick sear they need. That’s the sort of advice Dadi passed down, adapted for small kitchens. You’ll see where a simple tomato reduction replaces a dozen spices, or where toasted mustard seeds do the aromatic work of an entire rack of jars. Each recipe aims for about 20–30 minutes of hands-on time so you can get that takeaway-style comfort without the fuss.

1. Butter Chicken: Creamy Tomato Comfort in 5 Ingredients

Ingredients (counted): chicken thighs, canned crushed tomatoes, heavy cream, butter (or ghee), garam masala. Start by searing well-seasoned chicken in a hot pan to build a caramelized surface. Push the chicken aside, add a splash of oil, then tip in tomatoes and let them simmer hard until they thicken and darken; this reduction concentrates sweetness and gives that glossy restaurant sauce. Return the chicken and finish with cream and butter, then stir in garam masala at the end for aroma. Cook time is about 25 minutes. For a restaurant touch, strain the sauce briefly through a sieve for silkiness and finish with a small knob of butter and a sprinkle of crushed fenugreek if you have it. Plate over steamed basmati and wipe the rim of the serving bowl clean—presentation makes a simple dinner feel like a special order.

2. Paneer Makhani: Restaurant-Style Paneer in 5 Ingredients

Ingredients (counted): paneer, tomato puree, heavy cream, kasuri methi (dried fenugreek), garam masala. Cut paneer into thick cubes and give them a quick char in a dry skillet or with a light sear in oil to add texture. Sauté a finely sliced onion until golden, add tomato puree and reduce until the oil separates and the mixture is glossy—that reduction is the backbone of restaurant gravies. Add cream and a pinch of kasuri methi for that slightly sweet, herbaceous lift, then fold in the seared paneer. Total time is roughly 20 minutes. Tip: Warm the paneer in the sauce for only a few minutes so it stays soft and doesn’t crumble. Serve with a smear of cream on top and scatter a few torn cilantro leaves for color and scent, much like a neighborhood dhaba plating.

3. Chicken Korma: Mild, Rich Korma in 5 Ingredients

Ingredients (counted): chicken pieces, plain yogurt, blanched almond paste (or store-bought almond powder), onions, mild garam masala or korma masala. For a silky korma, blend soaked, blanched almonds into a paste and whisk yogurt until smooth. Brown thinly sliced onions until they turn deep gold to add sweetness and body, then add spices and the almond-yogurt mix on low heat to avoid splitting. Add chicken and simmer gently until cooked through, about 25 minutes. Restaurant kitchens rely on slow, low-heat finishes for korma’s luxurious texture, so keep the temperature down and stir gently. Finish with a drizzle of ghee and serve with soft parathas or steamed rice for a comforting, rich plate reminiscent of home and hotel-style kitchens alike.

4. Goan Prawn Curry: Coconut Tang with Minimal Ingredients

Ingredients (counted): prawns, coconut milk, tamarind paste (or fresh lime), red chili paste (or Kashmiri chili), garlic. Start by lightly searing garlic and red chili paste to bloom the oils and deepen the color. Add coconut milk and a small spoon of tamarind paste or lime juice for balancing acidity, then toss in prawns and cook just until they turn pink—overcooking ruins the texture. This curry cooks fast; expect 12–15 minutes from start to finish. A restaurant trick is to use full-fat coconut milk for body and to finish with a scatter of fresh coriander. Serve in a shallow bowl, so the glossy coconut gravy shows off the prawns; a wedge of lime at the side brightens each bite.

5. Tomato Egg Curry: Homely, Restaurant-Style Egg Curry

Ingredients (counted): hard-boiled eggs, tomato puree, onions, ginger-garlic paste, garam masala. Halve boiled eggs and briefly fry cut-side down until lightly golden; this technique gives a restaurant edge and keeps them from soaking up too much sauce. Sauté onions until they are deeply golden to build sweetness, add ginger-garlic paste, then pour in tomato puree and reduce until the sauce clings to a spoon. Nestle the fried eggs into the gravy and simmer gently for five minutes so flavors meld; total time is about 20 minutes. Finish with a dash of garam masala and a few drops of oil on top for shine. Plate with chopped cilantro and a side of warm roti to make a weekday meal feel like a takeaway favorite.

6. Coconut Vegetable Curry: South-Indian Style in 5 Ingredients

Ingredients (counted): mixed vegetables (carrot, potato, beans), coconut milk, mustard seeds, turmeric, curry leaves (fresh or dried). Temper mustard seeds in hot oil until they pop, then toss in curry leaves for an immediate aroma—this simple step delivers the layered fragrance you expect from a restaurant. Add vegetables and turmeric, then pour in coconut milk and simmer until vegetables are tender and the sauce is slightly reduced. Cook time is about 20 minutes. If you want a more restaurant-style finish, mash a few cooked vegetable pieces against the pan to thicken the sauce naturally. Serve with steaming rice and a wedge of lemon to brighten flavors; the tempering on top gives the dish visual contrast like a pro chef’s plate.

7. Dal Makhani Shortcut: Creamy Lentils with Five Essentials

Ingredients (counted): whole black lentils (or canned black beans for speed), tomato puree, butter, heavy cream (or cashew paste), garam masala. For a restaurant-style dal, use pre-soaked lentils or a pressure cooker to get creamy results faster; canned beans are a good shortcut if you’re tight on time. Cook lentils until soft, then add a reduced tomato puree and finish with butter and cream for that glossy, indulgent texture. Simmer for about 30–35 minutes total, less with a pressure cooker. A chef’s trick is to simmer with the lid off near the end so the sauce thickens and develops depth—this concentrates flavor without extra spices. Serve with a knob of butter on top and a sprinkle of garam masala for aroma.

8. Spiced Chickpea Curry (Chana Masala-ish): Hearty and Fast

Ingredients (counted): canned chickpeas, onion-tomato base (onions + tomato puree counted as one combined aromatic in the five), chana masala powder (or garam masala), ginger-garlic paste, fresh cilantro. Start by frying the onion-tomato base until the oil separates—this shortcut gives a takeout-level depth without a long spice list. Add drained chickpeas and a hearty spoon of chana masala powder, then simmer so the sauce reduces and the chickpeas absorb flavor. Cook time is around 20 minutes. Finish with a squeeze of lemon and chopped cilantro; the acid lifts the dish and mimics the bright finishing touches you often taste in restaurants. Serve with flaky bhature or steamed rice for a satisfying plate.

9. Malai Kofta-Inspired Paneer Balls in 5 Ingredients

Ingredients (counted): paneer + potato (formed into koftas), tomato-cream gravy (tomato puree + cream counted as one base), cashew paste (or ground nuts), garam masala. Make quick koftas by mashing paneer with boiled potato and seasoning lightly, then shape and pan-sear until golden—searing gives the kofta a restaurant-style crust. Prepare a smooth tomato and cream gravy, add cashew paste for body, and finish with garam masala. Total time is approximately 30 minutes. For an elevated finish, spoon a ribbon of cream across the top and dust with crushed pistachio or toasted seeds. Present koftas individually in shallow bowls so the sauce frames each ball like a plated entrée.

10. Mustard Fish Curry (Bengali-ish) in 5 Ingredients

Ingredients (counted): firm white fish fillets, mustard paste (or prepared mustard), yogurt, turmeric, green chili. Pat fish dry and lightly salt before a quick pan-sear for color. In the same pan, temper mustard paste by cooking it briefly in oil to take away rawness—this step makes a big difference and is a common restaurant technique in Bengali kitchens. Add yogurt thinned with a little water, turmeric, and green chili, then slide the fish back in and simmer gently for 10–12 minutes. Total time is about 15–20 minutes. Finish with a light drizzle of mustard oil if available. Serve with plain steamed rice so the pungent mustard sauce shines; the contrast of white rice and golden gravy is classic and striking.

11. Quick Mulligatawny-Style Curry Soup: Anglo-Indian Restaurant Flavor

Ingredients (counted): shredded chicken or red lentils, onion, grated apple (for natural sweetness and acidity), curry powder, coconut milk (or cream). This Anglo-Indian classic makes a restaurant-worthy starter or light main with very few items. Sauté onion and curry powder to bloom spices, add chicken or lentils and grated apple, then pour in coconut milk and simmer until everything is tender. Purée half the mixture for a velvety mouthfeel while keeping some texture for interest. Cook time is around 25 minutes. Finish with a small spoonful of ghee for sheen and a scattering of chopped coriander. Serve in a wide soup bowl with toasted bread for a comforting plate reminiscent of hotel menus that adapted Indian flavors for Western palates.

Final Plate: Small Lists, Big Flavor

You don’t need a dozen spice jars to make a curry that tastes like it comes from your favorite local restaurant. Focus on five strong elements: a quality main, an aromatic base, a concentrated liquid base (tomato, coconut, or cream), one signature spice or masala, and a finishing fat or cream. These recipes show how those building blocks replace long ingredient lists while respecting regional techniques—tempering mustard seeds for a South-Indian hit, reducing tomatoes for a North-Indian richness, and finishing with ghee for sheen and aroma. Small techniques do heavy lifting: searing protein, properly reducing tomato, and stirring in cream at low heat will change a simple pan into a restaurant pan. If you keep pantry staples like oil and salt on hand, you can rotate these eleven curries through weeknight dinners and weekend feasts alike. Try one recipe this week and notice how a single finishing tip—toast the spices, add a dot of butter, or pan-sear the paneer—transforms the final dish. That’s the kind of practical, neighborly advice you’d expect from Dadi’s kitchen, updated for busy modern life.