Vibrant curry dipping sauce filled with Indian-inspired flavor is plant-based, oil-free, and utterly addictive. Grab your blender because you are minutes away from dipping madness!
Easy dipping sauces – what a concept! And we are completely sold on this one. The vivid color and flavors make everything taste better. And when it comes to a dipping sauce, there is a lot of everything to love with this one.
Falling somewhere between hummus and gravy, this basic curry sauce that you can tweak with different spices and ingredients. But let’s get on with the basics and what to toss into your blender or food processor.
Unsalted, raw sunflower seeds – this is the only ingredient that requires special care. If you don’t have a high-speed blender (I don’t), then you’ll want to either soak the sunflower seeds in boiling water for 15-20 minutes or overnight in cooler water. My preference is to simply add the sunflower seeds to a spice grinder and pulverize them.
Chickpeas – This is the perfect recipe for a can of chickpeas. And we’ll use the entire can – liquid and all.
Lemon juice – Use at least ½ a cup of lemon juice, or more if you want.
Nutritional yeast – As I’ve tested this recipe, I've gradually reduced the nutritional yeast and arrived at ¼ of a cup as a good measure. If you want to ramp that amount up, go for it. You may want to add more lemon juice or water as it will thicken the sauce.
Garlic – Garlic enhances the Indian flavors we’re going for with our sauce.
Besides, chickpeas and lemon without garlic?
Turmeric – Is there curry without the earthy flavor of turmeric? And the beautiful color is just icing on the cake (or for the dippers).
Chili powder – I always use my own chili powder blend, and I highly recommend it. You can always adjust the spiciness up, so start with half the amount if you aren’t sure how hot your chili powder is.
Onion powder
Curry powder – Like chili powder, curry powder can vary in ingredients and intensity. I prefer a ‘medium’ powder, so I don’t overwhelm the spiciness.
Dry mustard powder
Cayenne pepper – Use this conservatively or liberally depending on how spicy you want it. Consider how spicy your chili powder is before going crazy. A pinch of cayenne sprinkled over the top makes a beautiful garnish.
Make sauce
Once you decide about the sunflower seeds, making this recipe is a matter of dumping everything into your blender or food processor. I’ve made this sauce several times (maybe more), and because I don’t have a fancy appliance, it won’t be silky smooth. Personally, I like a bit of texture. Start by blending the ingredients and then add water, ¼ of a cup at a time. The sauce will thicken as it sits.
You’ve made it in the blender, so now what? This can be as simple as transferring it to a bowl and serving it alongside your favorite dippers. You can also heat it in a small saucepan. Keep it at a low heat so that it doesn’t scorch.
I added about ½ a cup of water to my sauce, even when we used it the next day. If you want to make a sauce to serve over roasted or steamed veggies, for example, you may want to add a bit of water and heat it up.
We love this curry sauce as is, but feel free to experiment with the amounts of spices. If you like a sweet sauce, consider adding a teaspoon of date paste, agave syrup, or maple syrup.
Store unused sauce in the refrigerator in a sealed jar or container for several days (3-4). Stir it a few times before using.
Deliciously versatile – that’s another name for this sauce. Here are a few of our favorites:
Roasted veggies – toss it over roasted veggies or alongside so folks and dip them in.
Oil-free chips – Hands down, our favorite is dipping chunky potatoes in curry sauce. Can’t get enough of that!
Rice – Mix a heaping spoonful (or more) and transform plain old rice to pare with your favorite Indian curries.
Final Thoughts
The idea of dipping things into curry sauce might not be your 'usual.' Let’s end that now. Break the mundane with something easy and healthy. It makes dipping more fun, roasted veggies more tolerable (if you don’t like them), and when you crave a snack, is there anything better than dips? I’m just saying…Peace.
Printvibrant curry dipping sauce
Vibrant curry dipping sauce filled with Indian-inspired flavors is plant-based, oil-free, ready in minutes, and utterly addictive.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 3 cups 1x
- Category: Dressings & Condiments
- Cuisine: Indian
- Diet: Vegan
Ingredients
- ½ cup of raw sunflower seeds, ground or soaked (see notes)
- 1 can, 15-oz. (400 gm.) can of chickpeas (do not drain)
- ¼ cup of nutritional yeast
- 4 cloves garlic, peeled and pressed
- ½ cup of lemon juice
- 2 tsp. turmeric
- 1 tsp. chili powder
- 2 tsp. onion powder
- 1 tsp. curry powder
- 1 tsp. mustard powder
- ¼ tsp. cayenne pepper (or to taste)
- Water, as needed
- ½ tsp. salt (optional)
Instructions
- To prepare the sunflower seeds, grind them into a powder using a spice grinder. Alternatively, soak them for 20 minutes in boiling water or overnight.
- To make the sauce, add all the ingredients in a blender or food processor. Be sure to add the entire can of chickpeas, including the liquid.
- Add water, ¼ of a cup at-a-time. Blend the ingredients each time you add water until you reach the desired consistency.
- Serve with your favorite dippers or with roasted or steamed veggies.
- Store this curry sauce in the refrigerator in a sealed container for 3-4 days. Mix it before reusing.
Notes
- Be sure to use raw, unsalted sunflower seeds. If you have a high-speed blender, you may not need to soak or grind them before adding them.
- If you use your own cooked chickpeas, add 1 cup of water to make up for the chickpea liquid.
- Serve curry sauce hot or cool. To heat the sauce, use a small saucepan and keep the heat low so that it doesn’t scorch.
- Feel free to experiment with different amounts of spices. For a sweeter sauce, add a teaspoon of date paste, agave syrup, or maple syrup.
Keywords: curry dipping sauce
Pam
I made this sauce, next time I will half the lemon juice.
Denise
Glad to hear you will be making it again. We like things on the lemony side, but it's a good reminder to add half first, then taste. Thanks for trying this out.