10 Best Indian Curry Pastes You Can Use For Quick Meals In Australia

Being multicultural, culinary Australia extends this idea of diversity, and it would be unfair not to allow its special corner to Indian cuisine. 

Those Indian aromas, those splashes of bold colours from spices, and various layers of aromas and flavours are slowly entering Australian kitchens. 

But with their hectic schedules, people may not find time (or the spice cabinet) to prepare an Indian curry from scratch. And that is where curry pastes come in handy.

These ready-to-use spice blends carry all the intricacies of traditional Indian flavours in a jar or packet. 

Curry pastes are a must-have in your kitchen if you are a student in search of new dishes to whip up for dinner or a busy parent looking to amp up weeknight meal flavours.

Let us see why Indian curry pastes enjoy such huge popularity in the land Down Under and find the 10 best picks that make cooking finger-licking Indian meals so easy.

Why Indian Pastes Are Popular in Australia

Over the years, Indian curry pastes have gained massive popularity in Australia for various reasons-

Convenience: No grinding, roasting, or mixing spices—just open, add to your dish, and cook.

Authenticity: High-quality curry pastes capture traditional Indian flavors offering restaurant-style results at home.

Versatility: Great for curries, marinades, stir-fries, dips, and BBQs.

Wide availability: Major Australian supermarkets like Woolworths, Coles and local Indian grocers stock a variety of Indian brands.

Growing Indian community: With a vibrant Indian diaspora, the demand and appreciation for authentic Indian ingredients have grown significantly.

Here are 10 must-try Indian curry pastes that will transform your cooking in minutes.

1. Mother's Ginger-Garlic Paste

Mother's ginger and garlic paste is an indispensable element in Indian cooking and myriad curry preparations are looked upon as incomplete without it.

To prepare this paste, equal parts of fresh ginger and garlic are ground to form a smooth, aromatic, pasty mixture that imparts a warm and pungent smell.

Sautéed along with onions or in some oil at the onset of cooking, it acts as a base that lifts meat, vegetables, and lentils.

It's versatile, can be stored with ease, and negates the need to chop ginger and garlic every day.

2. Priya Red Chilli Paste 

Priya red chilli paste lends a dish heat, colour, and a layer of smoky flavour. This paste is made out of dried red chillies, oil, and sometimes vinegar and is packed with intense flavours. 

This paste finds its uses in hot Indian curries such as vindaloo or madras and also within fusion cooking like Indo-Chinese cuisine. 

Given its potent character, a small quantity is all that is used, and to counterbalance its blazing heat, yoghurt, cream, or coconut milk might be mixed in. 

3. Mother's Garlic Paste

Mother's garlic paste stands for pure garlic flavour in a dish without the warmth of ginger. It is perfect for when the garlic needs to be prominent, as in garlic naan, chilli garlic prawns, or garlic-flavoured dals.

Convenience is what this paste serves; in addition to that, it easily amalgamates into marinades, dressings, and sauces.

4. Mothers tamarind paste

Preparing tasty Indian meals in no time is easy with mothers tamarind paste. 

The pure essence of Indian tamarind is in the paste and you can enjoy it without having to deal with soaked and strained tamarind pods. 

You can use it to improve the flavors of sambhar, rasam, or even chutneys and curries from up north. 

A little bit of concentrated paste in your lentils or gravy can improve their taste and add special flavor in no time.

5. Laziza Curry Paste

Laziza is a Pakistani brand that is famous for its aggressive and multilayered spice mixes. 

Its laziza curry paste, such as biryani korma and nihari, consist of ground spices, herbs, and sometimes caramelized onions, made to produce rich multi-layered gravies. 

These pastes work perfectly well with slow-cooked meat and add restaurant style to the casual cooking at home with little effort. 

6. Bolst's Tikka Masala Paste

Bolst’s is an old-timer heritage brand from the UK with a sincere reputation as a producer of true curry paste from quality ingredients. 

The bolst’s tikka masala paste is made of tomato, yoghurt, and an aromatic spice blend that creates a creamy, tangy, and mildly spiced curry. 

It is very popular for chicken, paneer tikka masala and can be used for stovetop and oven cooking.

7. Mother’s Recipe Butter Chicken Paste

Mother butter chicken paste is the common choice of the Indian household; the classic butter chicken taste for a jar. It brings together tomatoes, cream, butter and a gentle mix of spices to give a rich and slightly sweet curry base. 

It’s ideal for the person wanting to make a quick, flavourful dish without excessive heat. 

Add marinated chicken or tofu, simmer with the paste, and you’ll be eating supper in 20 minutes.

8. MD Seeni Sambol

MD seeni sambol is a sri Lankan speciality which is a caramelized onion relish-like paste imbibed with chilli, cinnamon and tamarind. 

Although not a typical Indian curry paste its popularity among the South Asian communities in Australia and elsewhere makes it a unique entity to the list. 

It combines nicely with rice, bread, or eggs and adds a taste of sweet-spicy kick that no other paste can produce.

9. Ferns Rogan Josh Paste

Keeping its essence, ferns rogan josh paste has the Kashmiri cuisine signature of its fragrant spice mix with cardamoms, cinnamon, and cloves. 

Meant to give the signature rogan josh dish, which is a lamb curry, it creates a rich tomato gravy with a balanced taste. 

This paste is perfect for slow-cooked meats or big vegetables and finishes with restaurant style at home.

10. Shan Chicken Tandoori Paste

Shan is a much-loved global brand which makes ready-to-use spice pastes and mixes. 

The shan chicken tandoori paste is a marinade-style mix made up of paprika, garlic, ginger, and yoghurt powder to induce a smoky charred flavour as experienced in the tandoor oven. 

Perfect for grilling or baking, it works great on chicken, tofu or vegetables, good for versatility in BBQs, wrap or rice bowls.

Conclusion

Indian curry pastes are the best kitchen shortcut for all those who want to taste the real flavours without spending a lot of time cooking. 

You do not need to be a curry expert or a die-hard fan of Indian cuisine to appreciate the variety, versatility and bold flavours of these ten pastes, which you can call your own – in your very own Australian kitchen.

Whether you shop at an indian grocery store in melbourne like Sarawan Spices or elsewhere, from traditional ginger garlic paste to mouth-watering butter chicken/tandoori masalas, this pantry staple has something for everybody and for every cooking level.If you're stocking up, our blog what every indian pantry should have can help you cover all the essentials to make these pastes even more versatile.

All of these pastes provide interesting insights into regional and traditional Indian tastes, thus becoming useful instruments for an amateur and an experienced cook. 

This helps you to come up with quick, delicious Indian meals without sacrificing authenticity if you have some of these set aside in your pantry.