OK this ones for yellowfingers, I finally got back to my friendly takeaway and ordered the above.

He used 2 pans to cook this one for the sauce, the other for the rice.

The madras sauce was very basic, get 1 cooks spoon of oil very hot then add a TBSP of tomato paste (the more I look at this the more I think it might actually have ketchup mixed in it or even be ketchup), 1 TSP of res. masala, 1 TSP chilli powder and a squirt of lemon juice, fry this lot for about 20 seconds then add a small amount base, evaporate this and then add a ladle of base, simmer for 5 mins. This sauce turned out very smooth indeed and had the taste. I didnt notice him adding salt which is unusual and probably means he doesnt MSG unless it is in the base.

For the biryani he used 2 cooks spoons of oil not 1, he started with a TBSP of pre cooked onions and the chicken tikka, fry this lot for a few mins and then add fresh coriander and fry for a few minutes more, while this is going on he microwaved precooked pilau rice. He added a load of this to the pan and stir fryed for a few minutes more.

He added in a chopped raw tomato and wedge of lemon to the rice in the container.

Cheers mark i think I will try this one tonight.

Was there no garlic or garlic ginger paste used at all?

cK

Y'see, this is really quite exciting.  You just can't get much more basic than that madras sauce recipe, so as it had 'the taste' this really narrows down the possibilities of where it comes from - or at least where it is in the cooking process.  If it's not in the base to start with, as some people are saying, then it's in one of the few ingredients used in the dish.

I know what I'll be doing next!  I'll cook up a batch of MarkJ's base with added chicken stock, and then make up as many restaurant masalas as I can from the recipes listed on this site.  Then with each curry I make, I'll try a different masala, mixtures of ketchup and puree or just ketchup, pre-fried onions or barbied ones...  this on the basis of chasing my local's 'taste' (their madras and vindaloo are identical apart from chilli heat.  And a potato!).

Another great post, MarkJ - thanks.  One question - did he flame the pan at any point?

Ian
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hey mark thanks for the recipes, a few questions

Quote from: Mark J on June 15, 2005, 11:37 PM
For the biryani he used 2 cooks spoons of oil not 1

Was that for one portion of Biryani rice? It seems like an awful lot! Also was it ordinary oil or was it ghee?

Weren't there any sultanas or nuts or coconut in some form added?

QuoteHe added in a chopped raw tomato and wedge of lemon to the rice in the container.

The lemon wedge is a new one to me. Usually I get some mixture of egg, cucumber and tomato.

It just looks too basic. Did it meet the standards of biryani rice that you have had elsewhere?

The Biryanis that i have had have definitely been coated in what i took to be base sauce, well dried out of course.

Hi folks,

Ian - He didnt have flame in the pan but did have little flames licking up the sides

Yellowfingers - I never have biryani so I cant say if it was up to standard but I would say I didnt think it was up to the standards of other meals I have had from him. Yes it was a lot of oil for one portion but Im not suprised as the rice was obviousl stir fried in it. No sultanas or coconut or anything. I must admit this dish is not on his emnu, the dish was chicken tikka biryani with a masala sauce (red coconut sauce from CTM), I didnt like the sound of that so I said I want a madras sauce instead, maybe that changed something?