MOO Curry Pasta & Sauce Mix — Updated for 2026
Some Cheapskates recipes have been around for a very long time, and this Curry Pasta & Sauce Mix is one of them.
The original recipe was created as a homemade alternative to those little packets of curry pasta and sauce you find at the supermarket. They were handy, quick and convenient — but even back then I knew we could make something similar at home for much less.
And we did.
But recipes sometimes need a little updating.
Ingredients change, packet sizes change, prices certainly change, and after looking at the original recipe again I decided it was time to give this Cheapskates favourite a bit of a 2026 refresh.
The idea hasn't changed.
It's still simple pantry cooking.
It's still homemade convenience food.
And it's still considerably cheaper than buying the individual packets.
What has changed is the balance of the sauce so that it is creamier, thicker and more flavourful, along with updated costings to reflect what we're actually paying for ingredients in 2026.
Why Update the Original Recipe?
The original Curry Pasta & Sauce recipe used milk powder, curry powder, onion flakes and parsley.
It worked, but when I revisited it I realised there were a couple of things we could improve.
First, the quantities of sauce mix didn't divide neatly into the four 125g pasta portions.
Second, the sauce relied mainly on the starch released by the pasta to thicken it.
And third, compared with the flavour of bought curry pasta packets, it could use just a little more seasoning.
So the updated version now includes cornflour for a creamy sauce that clings nicely to the pasta, along with onion powder, garlic, a little salt and sugar, and optional chicken stock powder for extra savouriness.
Nothing complicated.
Just ordinary pantry ingredients doing the job.
MOO Curry Pasta & Sauce Mix
Makes 1 packet — approximately 4 side serves
Ingredients
Pasta:
• 125g small pasta such as spirals, shells or macaroni
Curry Sauce Mix:
• ¼ cup milk powder
• 1 tablespoon cornflour
• ¾ teaspoon mild curry powder
• ½ teaspoon onion powder
• ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon dried parsley
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon sugar
• ½ teaspoon chicken stock powder, optional
To Make the Pantry Packet
Combine all the Curry Sauce Mix ingredients and mix well.
Store the sauce mixture with the 125g pasta in an airtight jar, container or storage bag.
Keep in a cool, dry pantry until required.
To Cook
You will need:
• 1 Curry Pasta & Sauce packet
• 2 cups water
• 1 teaspoon butter or margarine
Place the pasta, sauce mix, water and butter or margarine into a medium saucepan.
Bring to the boil, stirring well.
Reduce the heat and simmer gently, uncovered, for 10–12 minutes, stirring regularly, until the pasta is tender and the sauce is thick and creamy.
Remove from the heat and let it stand for 2 minutes before serving. The sauce will thicken a little more as it stands.
If the sauce becomes too thick before the pasta is cooked, simply stir in a small splash of boiling water.
Turn It Into Dinner
One packet also makes a very handy starting point for a quick pantry dinner.
Add:
You can also use leftover cooked chicken, diced ham or vegetables that need using up.
That's the beauty of keeping simple mixes like this in the pantry — they're not just side dishes.
They're meal starters.
What Does It Cost in 2026?
I've updated the costing for this recipe too.
At current ingredient prices, one MOO Curry Pasta & Sauce packet costs approximately: $1.45
We're comparing that with a bought pasta-and-sauce packet at approximately: $4
That means every time you make your own, you're saving: $2.55 per packet.
For four serves, the homemade version costs approximately: 36 cents per serve
compared with: $1 per serve for the bought version.
That's around 64 per cent cheaper.
And this is where making your own really starts to add up.
Make the equivalent of four packets
Homemade: $5.80
Four bought packets: $16
Saving: $10.20
Make a 24-packet bulk batch
Homemade: $34.80
Equivalent bought packets: $96
Saving: $61.20
That's more than $60 staying in your household budget simply because you've mixed a few basic pantry ingredients yourself.
And once the bulk mix is made, there's very little extra work involved.
Make It in Bulk
If Curry Pasta & Sauce is something your household enjoys regularly, keep a jar of the sauce mix in the pantry rather than making individual packets.
The easy cooking ratio is: 125g pasta + 6 tablespoons Curry Sauce Mix + 2 cups water + 1 teaspoon butter or margarine
That means you can use whatever pasta happens to be in the pantry rather than having to prepare individual packets ahead of time.
Of course, you can do both.
Keep a few complete packets ready for those nights when you want absolute grab-and-cook convenience, and store the rest of the sauce mix in a large labelled jar.
Choose Your Curry Pasta Sauce Mix Size
Make one for tonight, four for the pantry, or stock up with the bulk mix.
The original recipe was created as a homemade alternative to those little packets of curry pasta and sauce you find at the supermarket. They were handy, quick and convenient — but even back then I knew we could make something similar at home for much less.
And we did.
But recipes sometimes need a little updating.
Ingredients change, packet sizes change, prices certainly change, and after looking at the original recipe again I decided it was time to give this Cheapskates favourite a bit of a 2026 refresh.
The idea hasn't changed.
It's still simple pantry cooking.
It's still homemade convenience food.
And it's still considerably cheaper than buying the individual packets.
What has changed is the balance of the sauce so that it is creamier, thicker and more flavourful, along with updated costings to reflect what we're actually paying for ingredients in 2026.
Why Update the Original Recipe?
The original Curry Pasta & Sauce recipe used milk powder, curry powder, onion flakes and parsley.
It worked, but when I revisited it I realised there were a couple of things we could improve.
First, the quantities of sauce mix didn't divide neatly into the four 125g pasta portions.
Second, the sauce relied mainly on the starch released by the pasta to thicken it.
And third, compared with the flavour of bought curry pasta packets, it could use just a little more seasoning.
So the updated version now includes cornflour for a creamy sauce that clings nicely to the pasta, along with onion powder, garlic, a little salt and sugar, and optional chicken stock powder for extra savouriness.
Nothing complicated.
Just ordinary pantry ingredients doing the job.
MOO Curry Pasta & Sauce Mix
Makes 1 packet — approximately 4 side serves
Ingredients
Pasta:
• 125g small pasta such as spirals, shells or macaroni
Curry Sauce Mix:
• ¼ cup milk powder
• 1 tablespoon cornflour
• ¾ teaspoon mild curry powder
• ½ teaspoon onion powder
• ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon dried parsley
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon sugar
• ½ teaspoon chicken stock powder, optional
To Make the Pantry Packet
Combine all the Curry Sauce Mix ingredients and mix well.
Store the sauce mixture with the 125g pasta in an airtight jar, container or storage bag.
Keep in a cool, dry pantry until required.
To Cook
You will need:
• 1 Curry Pasta & Sauce packet
• 2 cups water
• 1 teaspoon butter or margarine
Place the pasta, sauce mix, water and butter or margarine into a medium saucepan.
Bring to the boil, stirring well.
Reduce the heat and simmer gently, uncovered, for 10–12 minutes, stirring regularly, until the pasta is tender and the sauce is thick and creamy.
Remove from the heat and let it stand for 2 minutes before serving. The sauce will thicken a little more as it stands.
If the sauce becomes too thick before the pasta is cooked, simply stir in a small splash of boiling water.
Turn It Into Dinner
One packet also makes a very handy starting point for a quick pantry dinner.
Add:
- ½ cup peas
- ½ cup corn kernels
- 185g tin tuna, drained
You can also use leftover cooked chicken, diced ham or vegetables that need using up.
That's the beauty of keeping simple mixes like this in the pantry — they're not just side dishes.
They're meal starters.
What Does It Cost in 2026?
I've updated the costing for this recipe too.
At current ingredient prices, one MOO Curry Pasta & Sauce packet costs approximately: $1.45
We're comparing that with a bought pasta-and-sauce packet at approximately: $4
That means every time you make your own, you're saving: $2.55 per packet.
For four serves, the homemade version costs approximately: 36 cents per serve
compared with: $1 per serve for the bought version.
That's around 64 per cent cheaper.
And this is where making your own really starts to add up.
Make the equivalent of four packets
Homemade: $5.80
Four bought packets: $16
Saving: $10.20
Make a 24-packet bulk batch
Homemade: $34.80
Equivalent bought packets: $96
Saving: $61.20
That's more than $60 staying in your household budget simply because you've mixed a few basic pantry ingredients yourself.
And once the bulk mix is made, there's very little extra work involved.
Make It in Bulk
If Curry Pasta & Sauce is something your household enjoys regularly, keep a jar of the sauce mix in the pantry rather than making individual packets.
The easy cooking ratio is: 125g pasta + 6 tablespoons Curry Sauce Mix + 2 cups water + 1 teaspoon butter or margarine
That means you can use whatever pasta happens to be in the pantry rather than having to prepare individual packets ahead of time.
Of course, you can do both.
Keep a few complete packets ready for those nights when you want absolute grab-and-cook convenience, and store the rest of the sauce mix in a large labelled jar.
Choose Your Curry Pasta Sauce Mix Size
Make one for tonight, four for the pantry, or stock up with the bulk mix.
1 Packet 4 side serves 1 pantry meal |
4 Packet Bulk Mix 16 side serves 4 pantry meals |
24 Packet Bulk Mix 96 side serves 24 pantry meals |
¼ cup milk powder 1 tbsp cornflour ¾ tsp curry powder ½ tsp onion powder ¼ tsp garlic powder ½ tsp parsley ¼ tsp salt ¼ tsp sugar ½ tsp chicken stock powder |
1 cup milk powder ¼ cup cornflour 1 tbsp curry powder 2 tsp onion powder 1 tsp garlic powder 2 tsp parsley 1 tsp salt 1 tsp sugar 2 tsp chicken stock powder |
6 cups milk powder 1½ cups cornflour 6 tbsp curry powder 4 tbsp onion powder 2 tbsp garlic powder 4 tbsp parsley 2 tbsp salt 2 tbsp sugar 4 tbsp chicken stock powder |
To make one packet:
125g pasta + 6 tbsp Curry Sauce Mix + 2 cups water + 1 tsp butter or margarine
1 packet: $1.45 homemade | $4 bought | Save $2.55
4 packets: $5.80 homemade | $16 bought | Save $10.20
24 packets: $34.80 homemade | $96 bought | Save $61.20
Choose Your Mix Size
Making just one? Stocking four packets? Or filling the pantry with a 24-packet bulk batch? Download the handy quantity guide and keep it with your Emergency Pantry recipes.
125g pasta + 6 tbsp Curry Sauce Mix + 2 cups water + 1 tsp butter or margarine
1 packet: $1.45 homemade | $4 bought | Save $2.55
4 packets: $5.80 homemade | $16 bought | Save $10.20
24 packets: $34.80 homemade | $96 bought | Save $61.20
Choose Your Mix Size
Making just one? Stocking four packets? Or filling the pantry with a 24-packet bulk batch? Download the handy quantity guide and keep it with your Emergency Pantry recipes.
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