North Indian "Gila" (wet) Masala


For those who are not Indian, this dish will take some explanation. 'Masala' just refers to mixed spices. 'Gila' means wet. Put them together and you have the base for any curried dish. Most Indian mothers toil over the stove for hours preparing gila masala. Why? Because it's like having soup broth on hand - you can pull it out of the fridge, mix it with peas and paneer or chicken, and prepare an amazing tasting dish in minutes. This recipe here makes the process easy by throwing ingredients in a slow cooker.
 
3 pounds yellow onions -- peeled and chopped
1 pound tomatoes
5 teaspoons turmeric powder
1/2 pound fresh ginger root -- peeled and chopped
24 garlic cloves -- peeled
2 tablespoons salt -- plus 2 teaspoons
1/2 cup vegetable oil -- or canola oil

Put everything in the slow cooker, adding the oil last.

Cook on high for 4 hours. Puree with an immersion blender or transfer to traditional blender, puree, and return to the slow cooker.

Cook the blended mixture on high for another 8 hours. The longer cooking time is essential to make sure the flavors blend well. The mixture should thicken and bubble as it cooks.

This mix will last 5 to 6 weeks in the fridge. In the freezer, it will last up to 3 months. Use about a cup this masala in any wet dish on the stovetop from peas and paneer (matar paneer) to meat curries. You can even experiment in the slow cooker. Just add veggies and this masala and cook on low for a few hours.

Double or triple the amount of tomatoes for more of a tomato base.

A mixed vegetable curry with the masala follows :)
Enjoy!
Until next time....XOXO
 

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