When making my own curries, I tend toward starting with some of these combos
Pulses & greens (think Daal aloo)
Fish & fruit (herring roe + mango)
Red meat & rich veggies (lamb rump + tomatoes)
Poultry & cream (pheasant + coconut cream, almonds)
As for aromatics/spices I usually start with popping some combination of mustard, cumin, coriander, fenugreek, nigella, and allspice in a little ghee, before adding onions (rich, deep, a little sweet in curry), garlic (good for strong meat imo), and ginger (fish, veggies), cooking that down and turning into a paste (fine chopping will have helped here) into which yr seared/parboiled proteins and veggies go, then form a sauce with yr choice of liquid
The number 1 tip I have for curry is doing it by smell; Jamaican curry for instance is characterised by liberal use of allspice, and slow cooked marinated goat meat
I have a couple of recipes that I've penned over the years if anyone's interested