Who is choosing butter for curry night?

Home cooks making a curry sauce

The choice between salted butter, unsalted butter and ghee depends on the recipe and how much seasoning its other ingredients contribute.

Shoppers replacing an ingredient at short notice

A block, a spreadable product and ghee are different choices. Check what the recipe calls for, then buy the required weight rather than relying on the phrase “6 pint”.

Households checking milk allergens

The Food Standards Agency identifies milk as a common ingredient in butter and a possible risk for people with a milk allergy or intolerance. Check the exact product label before cooking for someone affected.

What should you check before buying?

Start with the recipe’s ingredient and quantity, then compare the product’s salt declaration, format and pack label.

PriorityWhat to checkYour needs
Salt Read the salt declaration on the exact pack. Anchor lists 0.02g salt per 100g for its Unsalted Block Butter and 1.7% salt for its Original Block Butter; those figures describe these products, not every brand. I want to decide how much salt to add when the curry also contains paste, stock or sauce.
Cooking format Check whether the recipe specifies block butter or ghee, and compare the label before using a spreadable product instead. Anchor lists 82g fat per 100g for its Original Block Butter and 77g per 100g for Original Spreadable. If the recipe calls for butter, I want to avoid assuming a spreadable tub is interchangeable. If it calls for ghee, I can choose a ghee product or allow for the preparation involved in making it from butter.
Quantity Find the recipe’s required weight in grams and check the pack weight. Tesco’s UK block-butter listing includes examples weighing 200g, 250g and 500g; “6 pint” does not specify which butter pack to buy. I need enough for the recipe without guessing whether the shopping note meant a weight, several packs or another grocery item.
Milk allergen Read the ingredients and allergen information for the exact product. The Food Standards Agency identifies milk as a common ingredient in butter and a possible risk for people with a milk allergy or intolerance. Someone eating the curry needs a product that is suitable for their milk-allergen requirements.
Date and storage Check the date and storage instructions on the pack. GOV.UK distinguishes use-by dates, which relate to safety, from best-before dates, which relate to quality. If I am buying ahead of curry night, I want to know how to store the product and which date appears on it.

Mistakes to avoid

  • Shopping for “6 pint” as though it were a butter pack size

    That wording does not tell you how much butter the curry needs. Tesco’s listed block-butter examples are labelled by weight in grams.

    Check the recipe quantity and ask whether the note means several packs, a particular gram weight or a different item.

  • Using spreadable butter without checking the recipe

    Product composition can differ: Anchor lists 77g fat per 100g for Original Spreadable and 82g per 100g for Original Block Butter. Those label figures do not establish how either will turn out in your curry.

    If the recipe specifies block butter or ghee, check its substitution instructions and the product label before choosing a spreadable tub.

  • Overlooking salt already in the curry

    Butter can contribute salt alongside ingredients such as curry paste, stock or sauce. Anchor’s salted and unsalted blocks have different salt declarations.

    Read the declaration on your chosen pack and account for it when seasoning the dish.

  • Assuming butter is suitable for a guest with a milk allergy

    The Food Standards Agency identifies milk as a common ingredient in butter and a possible risk for people with a milk allergy or intolerance.

    Check the exact label and choose a suitable non-dairy product when required.

Brand and retailer references

These examples help distinguish pack types and labels; they are not a comparison of how the brands perform in curry.

Anchor

Anchor lists salted and unsalted block butter alongside a spreadable product.

  • Its product labels state butter (milk) for Unsalted Block Butter and butter (milk) plus 1.7% salt for Original Block Butter.
  • Its Original Spreadable lists 77g fat per 100g, compared with 82g per 100g for Original Block Butter. Check the chosen product rather than treating the formats as identical.

Kerrygold

Kerrygold UK lists salted and unsalted 200g butter products; Tesco also lists a Kerrygold salted 500g product.

  • Kerrygold describes both its cited 200g products as options for cooking or baking.
  • Check the salt choice and pack weight for the particular product you intend to use.

Lurpak

Tesco’s UK block-butter listing includes Lurpak Slightly Salted 200g and Lurpak Unsalted 200g.

  • The listed products offer two stated salt choices at the same pack weight.
  • Check the exact pack label for its ingredients and salt declaration before using it in a recipe.

Tesco

Tesco’s block-butter listing includes an own-label Organic Unsalted Butter 250g product.

  • The listing states a 250g weight, which can be compared with the recipe’s required amount.
  • Check the exact product label and pack details rather than applying one listed variant’s information to other Tesco butters.

A Joybuy ghee option

This ghee option is relevant if your curry recipe calls for ghee; check the recipe quantity before choosing a 500g pack.

Laila Pure Butter Ghee 500g

Laila Pure Butter Ghee 500g

Consider this ghee if your curry recipe calls for ghee rather than block butter. The pack is labelled 500g; check the recipe quantity and the product’s milk-allergen label before buying.

View on Joybuy

Frequently asked questions

What does “6 pint” mean when buying butter for curry?

It does not identify the weight of butter needed for the recipe. Tesco’s UK block-butter listing shows examples labelled 200g, 250g and 500g; confirm the intended gram weight, number of packs or other item before buying.

Should I use salted or unsalted butter in curry?

Choose unsalted block butter if you want to control the salt added alongside paste, stock or sauce; salted butter may suit a recipe that allows for its salt contribution. Check the exact label: Anchor lists 0.02g salt per 100g for its Unsalted Block Butter and 1.7% salt for its Original Block Butter.

Can I make ghee from butter for a curry?

Anchor’s curry recipe describes melting butter and filtering it for a ghee-style curry base. If your recipe calls for ghee, follow its preparation instructions or consider a ghee product, and check how much is required.

Is ordinary butter suitable for someone with a milk allergy?

Do not assume it is. The Food Standards Agency identifies milk as a common ingredient in butter and a possible risk for people with a milk allergy or intolerance; check the exact label and choose a suitable alternative when needed.

What should I check on the butter’s date label?

Check which date appears on the pack and follow its storage instructions. GOV.UK explains that a use-by date relates to food safety, while a best-before date relates to quality.