Topic: Chicken Madras, KD1-derived

[Peripatetic Phil]

This is based on KD1/PT, using the new pressure-cooked base KD1/PC, with additional spices, and replacing the Methi powder by Methi leaves.

• 5 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 3/4 pint KD1/PC base
• 8 oz pre-cooked Chicken
• 1 teaspoon Al Noor Bassar Curry Masala (for flavour)
• 1 teaspoon MDH Kashmiri Mirch (for colour)
• 1 teaspoon MDH Degghi Mirch (for heat)
• 1 teaspoon Salt
• 1 teaspoon Ground Cumin
• 1 teaspoon Methi leaves
• 1/4 teaspoon Chat Masala (to add a slight touch of sourness)
• 1/8 Lime, whole
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh Coriander stalk
• A little chopped fresh Coriander leaf for garnish

• Gently saut

[solarsplace]

Hi Phil

As I said before in a previous thread, the curry certainly looks delicious 

The 1 x tsp of salt makes me worry that it would be too much and taste very salty?

I assume that you find it perfectly seasoned at that level?

Cheers

[Peripatetic Phil]

As I said before in a previous thread, the curry certainly looks delicious 

Thank you.  Incidentally, I can confirm that the colours are accurate (at least, if viewed on a PC running Windows with a CRT monitor) : I colour-corrected the image with the curry alongside me until it was impossible to see any difference at all !

The 1 x tsp of salt makes me worry that it would be too much and taste very salty?  I assume that you find it perfectly seasoned at that level?

Yes, I do, which is not to say that you or anyone else will necessarily agree.  At the table I continued to grind salt onto the chicken, so clearly to my taste buds it was not over-salty, but "your mileage might vary", as they say.  Even so, 1 teaspoon salt distributed through 3/4 pint stock and 8 oz chicken doesn't seem excessive (to me !).

** Phil.

[Malc.]

Looks very good indeed Phil, very colourful. 

[Razor]

Hi Phil,

Like the guy's have said, it looks really good.

I do share SP's concerns over the level of salt but I think you have mentioned before that you do quite like highly salted dishes?

For those who do not have access to some of your ingredients,

Bassar curry masala = Spice mix
MDH Deggi Mirch = Hot chilli powder
MDH Kashmiri Mirch = Paprika

Of course, your ingredients will produce better results if expense is something to go off!

I have never added any extra cumin into my Madras before, going to try that this evening, as I do love cumin/jeera.  I'm also going to up the veg oil to your suggested 5 tbs. It's more than I usually use but hey ho, it's nearly weekend ;D

Oooo, just noticed, no tom puree?  I like, I like a lot ;D I've ruined many a good dish with overdoing the tom puree.

Great looking dish Phil, well done.

Ray

[Peripatetic Phil]

Bassar curry masala = Spice mix
MDH Deggi Mirch = Hot chilli powder
MDH Kashmiri Mirch = Paprika

I can only go along with one of those, I'm afraid.  Yes, MDH Degghi Mirch could be substituted by generic "hot chilli powder", but the other two are just W R O N G 

Bassar Curry Masala contains the folllowing (sorry, no ratios given) :

• chilli powder
• coriander powder
• turmeric powder
• mustard oil
• fenugreek leaves
• cumin powder
• bay leaves
• mustard seeds
• cardamom powder
• cinnamon powder
• black pepper powder
• cloves
• fenugreek powder
• nutmeg powder.

Also I deliberately smelled the Kashmiri Mirch when I opened it yesterday and there is no way that it is paprika.  It is pure chilli, but a bright red mild chilli, not an orange fiery one.

Great looking dish Phil, well done.

Thank you, Ray !  And when you've tried it, please let us know how you feel it compares with your variant of Madras 2011, because I've now tried two or three times to replicate that and failed to come up with a "Eureka moment".

** Phil.

P.S.

I'm also going to up the veg oil to your suggested 5 tbs. It's more than I usually use but hey ho, it's nearly weekend ;D

If you do, you should expect to have to pour some off before serving; I always aim for an excess of oil, which I can then remove, in preference to insufficient with the accompanying negative effect on flavour.

[Razor]

Phillip,

I'm not saying that they are complete substitutes, I'm saying that, that would be the BIR equivalent.

The Bassar, is basically a superior curry powder than say a standard madras curry powder but does contain many of the same ingredients.

Kashmiri mirch is more akin to a hot paprika, again, far superior though.

It's doubtful that the BIR's or TA's would use Deggi Mirch, Kashmiri Mirch or Bassar masala, if they can produce equally as good a result using less expensive alternatives.

Have you wet fingered each of the powders for a taste comparison to my suggestions?

Ray

[Peripatetic Phil]

I'm not saying that they are complete substitutes, I'm saying that, that would be the BIR equivalent.

Mumble mumble  ...

The Bassar, is basically a superior curry powder than say a standard madras curry powder but does contain many of the same ingredients.

It also comes in catering-sized packs, which suggests to me that it is used in some BIR kitchens, although I willingly agree not in all.  It is a Pakistani product, so perhaps in BIRs run by Pakistani chefs rather than Indian, Bangladeshi or whatever.

Kashmiri mirch is more akin to a hot paprika, again, far superior though.

Really can't agree !

It's doubtful that the BIR's or TA's would use Deggi Mirch, Kashmiri Mirch or Bassar masala, if they can produce equally as good a result using less expensive alternatives.

Bassar is really not expensive when bought in catering-sized packs.  I haven't personally been able to obtain any MDH product in a catering-sized pack, but they are definitely available in 500g.

Have you wet fingered each of the powders for a taste comparison to my suggestions?

Off to do that this very second  ;D  OK, test complete.

In order tested, used Greek yoghurt and cold water to cleanse palate between tests.

• Paprika : immediate hint of chilli con carne, followed by overtones of goulash.
• Kashmiri Mirch : pure chilli flavour, heat quite overpowering.
• IG spice mix : basically generic curry powder in flavour, with sweet overtones.
• Bassar Curry Masala : hot, rich, complex.

P.S. MDH web site is suspended : better stock up while we can ...

[solarsplace]

Hi

Kashmiri Mirch is a special chilli powder of unprecedented beauty.

In a single BIR size portion approx:

1 x tbsp = madras (fairly hot)

1 x heaped tbsp = vindaloo

Instant 'radiant whole-mouth encompassing quality tasty heat'

I very much like that you have included it in your recipe

[Stephen Lindsay]

Good looking curry Phil. Nice to see some KD recipes being developed by forum members. If I'm not mistaken that's six pieces of chicken - is that your std portion size or was this just for the picture? As I've said before I usually do ten pieces per portion (yes I'm a greed git!).