MyTastr

Best indian simmer sauce, according to chefs

Three picks, each tied to a named taster and a public source — from Chris Morocco, Jaya Saxena and Anya Hoffman. Recommendations come from bonappetit.com, epicurious.com and eater.com.

International Pantry · The ranking

  1. 1
    Top pick

    Maya Kaimal Indian Simmer Sauces

    Chosen by
    Also chosen by
    Bon Appétit’s food director has used them for years: “The shelf-stable jars have been a short-cut of mine for years, allowing me to build incredibly rich and complex flavors in my cooking without frankly having to work very hard.” He simmers chicken thighs in the tangy tikka masala and stews potatoes and green beans in the butter masala, and on Epicurious turns to the line “for more intense spice.” Tasting Table’s tikka masala test ranked it first of 10. At most supermarkets.
    Where to buy · Amazon ↗Instacart ↗Source: bonappetit.com ↗
  2. 2

    Brooklyn Delhi Simmer Sauces

    Chosen by
    Saxena, who grew up skeptical of jarred Indian sauces, came around: chef Chitra Agrawal’s vegan concentrates of spices, onions, nut butters and coconut milk “are as close as you can get to homemade in a jar.” They’re mild by design so you can build your own heat. Coconut-forward and a little sweet; sold at Whole Foods and online.
    Where to buy · Amazon ↗Instacart ↗Source: eater.com ↗
  3. 3

    Masala Mama Simmer Sauces

    Chosen by
    The tikka masala made the former Epicurious editor reconsider sauce in a jar: “It has all real ingredients—no weird stabilizers or artificial preservatives… And it’s actually delicious.” She also found the sodium “surprisingly reasonable” for a packaged sauce. Sold at Whole Foods and Target and on the maker’s site.
    Where to buy · Amazon ↗Instacart ↗Source: epicurious.com ↗

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Questions, answered

What is the best indian simmer sauce, according to chefs?
MyTastr’s top pick is Maya Kaimal Indian Simmer Sauces, chosen by Chris Morocco (Bon Appétit). Bon Appétit’s food director has used them for years: “The shelf-stable jars have been a short-cut of mine for years, allowing me to build incredibly rich and complex flavors in my cooking without frankly having to work very hard.” He simmers chicken thighs in the tangy tikka masala and stews potatoes and green beans in the butter masala, and on Epicurious turns to the line “for more intense spice.” Tasting Table’s tikka masala test ranked it first of 10. At most supermarkets. Source: bonappetit.com ↗
What are the other top picks for indian simmer sauce?
No. 2 is Brooklyn Delhi Simmer Sauces, chosen by Jaya Saxena (Eater). No. 3 is Masala Mama Simmer Sauces, chosen by Anya Hoffman (Epicurious). Each card above links to the original source.
How does MyTastr choose these picks?
Every pick is tied to a named chef, cookbook author or food expert and links to the public interview, panel or article it came from. We survey dozens, often hundreds, of top chefs, food writers and critics, and order reflects how often and how strongly a brand is recommended. Only organic recommendations count — paid endorsements don’t — and brands can’t buy a spot. Read how we pick.

The tasters behind this ranking

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