Chips and curry sauce is a favorite late night snack in Ireland and England.
When I say chips I am referring to the Irish equivalent to steak fries accompanied by a sweet, spicy curry sauce.
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How to Make an Irish Style Curry Sauce for Chips or French Fries
This chip sauce is different to a regular Indian curry. It has fewer veggies and is slightly less hot and spicy, with a satisfying sweet flavor.
I received an e-mail from a reader a few weeks past. She requested I share my curry sauce recipe which I mentioned when I showed you how to make perfect Irish chips.
She first tasted this unique combination on a trip to my homeland. A waiter suggested she try curry sauce with her fries and she loved it. She savored this treat many more times before returning to the US, where ever since she has been searching for a recipe to help revive her tasty memories of Ireland.
And remember, this is a perfect side for serving with beer battered fish.
This may not be gourmet food, but in Ireland chip shops make gallons of curry sauce to satisfy their hungry customers. I confess I never bothered making it from scratch when I lived in Ireland.
There didn't seem to be any point, when it could be so easily found at the local chipper, or made by simply adding hot water to a dried, powdery concoction of who knows what. I am pretty certain that's how chip shops create their signature sauces too.
When did chip shops first start selling curry sauce? In the north of England many chip shops were owned by Asian families, and they introduced curry sauce in the 1970's. It crossed the Irish sea and by the 1980's curry sauce was very popular in Ireland.
Once I moved to America I discovered curry sauce was not to be found. I needed to create my own homemade version to satisfy my curry cravings. So today, here is my recipe for chip shop curry sauce.
Ingredients for Curry Sauce
Here you’ll find a quick list of what you’ll need for this recipe.
Check out the printable recipe at the bottom of this post for US and Metric equivalent versions of the recipe.
There you can choose the measurement system that works best for you.
Some chip shop curry sauce is made from a dried powder, but if you've ever wondered what good chip shop curry sauce is made of, then here's my list of ingredients.
- onion (peeled and diced)
- apple (peeled and diced)
- minced garlic
- minced ginger
- curry powder
- turmeric
- ground cumin
- ground coriander seeds
- ground cinnamon
- canola or vegetable oil
- all-purpose flour
- chicken stock
- worcestershire sauce
- sugar
- tomato puree
- salt and pepper (to taste)
- golden raisins (optional)
I use canola oil to cook the chopped onions for this recipe. If you would like to add some extra flavor, add a knob of butter to the oil as it heats in the frying pan or saucepan.
Directions for Curry Sauce:
Here you’ll find step-by-step photographic instructions to help you recreate this recipe successfully. There are plenty of tips included along the way.
Next step is to prepare the spice blend for the sauce. In a small bowl or ramekin add the curry powder, turmeric, cumin, ground coriander seed, and cinnamon. I love the browns and tans of the spices in the bowl.
I use Sharwoods hot curry powder which I can buy in my local Meijers supermarket. If you prefer a lower spicy, heat level then use an American mild curry powder. The difference is significant.
Add the oil to a large skillet over medium to high heat.
Add the onions and saute for 4 minutes.
Caramelized onions add delicious sweetness to the sauce.
Next add the peeled and diced apple to the pan and sauté for another 2 minutes.
This sauce is deliciously sweet and spicy.
Toss in the minced garlic and ginger.
Next comes the aromatic spice blend.
Mix the spices and onions together as they cook for another minute.
Flour is my sauce thickener of choice.
Cook it over medium heat for 2 minutes, scraping the bottom of the pan as you combine the mixture completely.
The flour can burn and stick to the bottom of the pan very easily. See how my pan is getting a little crusty looking. That's because I stopped stirring to take a photo.
Now lets get saucy. Gradually add the stock while you constantly stir the mixture to prevent lumps forming.
Scrape the bottom of the pan as you mix everything together. Bring it to a boiling point, then reduce the heat so the sauce is just simmering.
Now comes my secret ingredient. I add a teaspoon of worcestershire sauce, not a typical curry requirement.
I just love the extra dimension it adds to the exotic flavors of this sauce.
A hint of sweetness is next. Add the tomato paste and two teaspoons of sugar. Season with salt and pepper and mix everything together. Simmer the sauce for 15 minutes to allow the flavors to meld.
Some cooks like to add a teaspoon of lemon juice at this point, but I prefer not to detract from the sweetness of my curry sauce. Feel free to try it if you want to add a little freshness at the end.
Decision time has now arrived. To blitz or not to blitz that is the question.
If you prefer a textured sauce with lumps of apple and caramelized onion then skip this step. In our house there is no skipping a little spin in the blender. My husband likes onion flavor, but detests their texture, so I always make a smooth curry sauce.
Before blending turn the heat off under the pan and allow the sauce to cool a little. This is a precautionary step just in case of blender accidents. Sticky, boiling curry sauce can easily burn. Believe me - I know. I've had a few blender explosions in my day. I now always hold the lid down with a dish towel when I switch the beast on.
When ready pour the sauce into the blender and blitz until smooth (1 to 2 minutes depending on how powerful your blender is).
Return the sauce to the pan and turn the heat back on. Time for another decision - to add raisins or not. I love the sweet surprise of golden raisins in this spicy sauce. If you decide to go with them, then just toss them in and stir them around.
Then you're ready to serve your spicy sauce with perfectly golden chips or fries.
Just one more decision to make.
Do you pour your sauce all over the top of your chips?
Or do you prefer to dip your chips? Big, big decisions!
But what ever your final eating style, just enjoy.
If you make too much sauce for one sitting, you can store it in the fridge in an airtight container up to 3 days. This sauce can also be frozen for up to 3 months. Defrost and reheat before serving.
Recipe Card for Curry Sauce
Here's a quick video for this curry sauce recipe....
Here's the printable recipe card.
Chips and Curry Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 large onion peeled and diced
- 1 large apple peeled and diced
- 1 teaspoon garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon ginger minced
- 2 tablespoons curry powder
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander seeds
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 3 tablespoons canola oil or vegetable oil
- 2 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 2 cups chicken stock use vegetable stock for a vegetarian curry sauce
- 1 teaspoon worcestershire sauce
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 1 tablespoon tomato purée
- ⅛ teaspoon salt to taste
- ⅛ teaspoon pepper to taste
- ¼ cup golden raisins optional
Instructions
- Prepare the spice blend by mixing the curry powder, turmeric, cumin, ground coriander seeds and cinnamon in a small bowl.
- Heat the oil in a large skillet. Add the onion and saute for 4 minutes over medium heat. Add the diced apple and cook for another 2 minutes.
- Add the minced ginger and garlic and stir.
- Add the spice blend to the onion mixture and stir constantly as it cooks for 2 more minutes.
- Add the flour and stir constantly as it cooks for 2 minutes. Scrape the bottom of the pan to prevent burning.
- Gradually add the chicken stock, stirring constantly to prevent lumps from forming.
- Add worcestershire sauce, sugar, tomato puree and stir. Season with salt and pepper.
- Bring the sauce to boiling point, stirring constantly. Then reduce the heat to low and simmer the sauce for 15 minutes.
- Turn the heat off, and allow the sauce to cool slightly before blending. When cool enough add the sauce to a blender or food processor and blitz until smooth.
- Return the sauce to the pan over medium heat. Add golden raisins if desired.
- Serve hot with a side of chips or french fries.
Nutrition Information is estimated based on the ingredients and cooking instructions as described in each recipe and is intended to be used for informational purposes only. Please note that nutrition details may vary based on methods of preparation, origin and freshness of ingredients used.
Thanks for following my recipes and ramblings.
Slán agus beannacht,
(Goodbye and blessings)
Mairéad -Irish American Mom
Pronunciation - slawn ah-gus ban-ock-th
Mairéad - rhymes with parade
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Mary
I still get requests to make this sauce 3 years after I found this recipe thanks IA mum!
Irish American Mom
Hi Mary - That's wonderful to hear. I'm delighted this curry sauce is such a hit in your family. Thanks so much for stopping by to let others know you give this recipe two thumbs up.
Best wishes,
Mairéad
Robert Hill
I'm originally from Scotland and found this recipe a couple of years ago. My family when they come over to the US to visit ask me to cook this.
This recipe is by far the best I have found for Chipshop Curry
Irish American Mom
Hi Robert - I'm delighted to hear you give this curry sauce your seal of approval. Your Scottish family requesting this recipe is high praise indeed. Many thanks for stopping by.
All the best,
Mairéad
Travis
What kind of apples do you recommend?
Irish American Mom
Hi Travis - Granny Smiths work great. If I'm in Ireland I use Bramley cooking apples, but I find tarter apples like Granny Smith are very good in this recipe.
All the best,
Mairéad
Devin Nalle
First found this on irishcentral.com. It IS wonderful! Being American I had no idea this was a thing. Had it in Cardiff, loved it, had to have it again. Glad I did!
Irish American Mom
Hi Devin - Thanks for giving this curry sauce your seal of approval. I'm delighted you found my recipe. Chips and curry sauce are enjoyed all over the United Kingdom and Ireland. I'm sure you tasted some good curry sauce in Cardiff.
All the best,
Mairéad
Brian
Wow! This curry sauce is amazing. While I loved chips and curry the few times I’ve been to the UK I never thought to make it back home in the US (and I’ve never seen it on a menu a single time). It just hit me today to find a recipe (it’s been years since I’ve had it). I tried this recipe and another I found online to do a side by side test. This one won, hands down. The cinnamon and touch of sweetness gave this one an amazing “warmth” that can’t be beat. Thanks!
Irish American Mom
Hi Brian - Thanks for letting us know this recipe won your taste test. I'm so glad you like it and give it your seal of approval. It's a great way to create a taste of Ireland and the UK in America.
All the best,
Mairéad
Jody
We're an Irish family living in France and I can tell you that your recipe gat a great reception and left a warm fuzzy feeling with us all along with a lot of nice memories of home. Thanks!
Irish American Mom
Hi Jody - That's wonderful to hear - I'm so glad you enjoyed this recipe and that it stirred fond memories of home.
All the best,
Mairéad
Donna Matthews
Just like the chippy in Manchester England! Memories of my college years (Nurse training) 1980's... Ta very much! Love this recipe 🙂
Irish American Mom
Hi Donna - "Just like the chippy in Manchester" is high praise indeed. I'm so glad you like this recipe and that it brings back tasty memories from years gone by. Thanks so much for stopping by to check out my recipes and ramblings.
All the best,
Mairéad
Siobhan Doyle
Absolutely nailed the Irish Chippy Curry Sauce with this recipe. Thanks so much I have made this a few times and it is spot on! It also freezes pretty well. Growing up in Co. Antrim, N.Ireland this was one of my favorite chippy sauces. Never ordered a fish supper without it. Cheers!
Irish American Mom
Hi Siobhan - Thank you for that 5 star rating on this recipe. I'm so glad you liked it and that it brings back memories of chip shop curry sauce from your childhood days. I love curry sauce on my chips too.
Have a lovely Saint Patrick's Day.
All the best,
Mairéad
Kate
Thank you for this! Yum! Perfect.
Irish American Mom
Hi Kate - So glad you like this recipe. It really is a taste of Ireland.
Thanks for stopping by.
Best wishes,
Mairéad
KG
I live in TN and we don't get a lot of good Irish food. There's a local Irish restaurant that sells chicken curry over fries so good that I think about it in my dreams. We made this recipe tonight and it was ssooooo close. We added chicken for some protein. Ours came out a bit darker in color than the pictures and we'll need to thin it a bit more next time as it thickened quite a bit once we added the meat. Thanks so much, this will happen again soon.
Kathleen Bailey
Heavenly recipe- thank you!
Irish American Mom
So glad you liked it Kathleen. Thanks for taking the time to rate my recipe.
All the best,
Mairéad
disneypal
I haven't tried this yet, but I am looking forward to it. I'm so glad I found your website. I have read 11 of the Irish Murder Mystery series books and they often mention Irish food that you have posted here (Curry Chips, Brown Bread, Scones). I can't wait to try several of these. I've been wanting to try Curry Chips for years but as you mentioned, you just can't find them in America, even at so-called Irish Pubs. Thank you for sharing your recipe.
Irish American Mom
Hi there - thanks for stopping by. I hope you enjoy the flavors of chips and curry sauce, a midnight snack from my college days in Dublin.
All the best,
Mairéad
Matthew
Thank you! I have made this recipe for chip shop curry sauce since shortly after you first published it. We serve it over panko-fried chicken and vegetable "cutlets" to make katsu curry. The dish is such a part of my culinary life that when it looked like cancer might steal my ability to eat, this sauce for katsu curry made my list of "last meals" before treatment. It is now three years later, I thankfully remain able to eat, and I still make a double or triple batch of this sauce in my kitchen when I want to fry a ton of food for a crowd.
Irish American Mom
Hi Matthew - It's good to hear that you are still able to eat and enjoy this curry sauce. Wishing you health and happiness this Saint Patrick's Day. Thanks for stopping by to share your story and for rating this recipe.
All the best,
Mairéad