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Author Topic: Curry Base cooked the traditional way?  (read 4,681 times)

AI Summary
The discussion revolves around the idea of cooking a curry base using traditional Indian methods, specifically frying ingredients rather than boiling them. While some participants agree that the method described resembles traditional practices, they note that many British Indian Restaurants (BIR) typically use a quicker boiling method for efficiency. The consensus suggests that while traditional cooking can yield acceptable curries, it may not replicate the distinct taste associated with BIRs, which often rely on pre-prepared bases.

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Offline currymonster

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Curry Base cooked the traditional way?
« on: November 25, 2008, 01:59 PM »
Hi All,

I've been thinking  :o
Has anyone tried cooking a base using the standard ingredients (Onions, tomatoes and or other veg, stock or water, spices, etc.) but by using a traditional Indian cooking method? My logic behind this is that maybe an Indian Chef would also cook it in this way.

By traditional I mean:

Fry onions until soft or brown
Add garlic/ginger and fry until the rawness has gone
Add spices (maybe in a paste with water to prevent burning) until rawness has gone
Add tomatoes and or other veg
Keep simmering for an hour or more adding water or stock when the mixture is getting too dry and then finally adding more stock/water to get the right consistency.

???
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Offline joshallen2k

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Re: Curry Base cooked the traditional way?
« Reply #1 on: November 25, 2008, 03:30 PM »
Not sure what you mean by "traditional", you mean without blending?

Other than that, the method you describe is similar to a number of BIR bases on the site.
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Offline Bobby Bhuna

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Re: Curry Base cooked the traditional way?
« Reply #2 on: November 25, 2008, 05:39 PM »
Hey!

I have to say meaning no offense, that the base sauce method is, in basic, the method that every normal BIR uses.
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Offline Cory Ander

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Re: Curry Base cooked the traditional way?
« Reply #3 on: November 26, 2008, 06:51 AM »
Welcome to cr0 CM  8)

By "traditional", do you mean frying all of the curry base ingredients rather than boiling them?  If so, I can see the logic in your thinking.  Some curry base recipes here do do that.  And many don't.  However, I presume that most BIRs don't do it and rather just lob all the ingredients into a pot, add water, and boil them.  'Tis quicker and easier you see  :P
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Offline currymonster

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Re: Curry Base cooked the traditional way?
« Reply #4 on: November 26, 2008, 07:35 AM »
Joshallen2k/Cory Ander,

By traditional I meant that the way an Indian home cook might cook it if you just gave them the ingredients and said 'cook that' without specific instructions.

Bobby Bhuna,

Fair enough but I can't help wondering if this is the way they used to do it and why BIR doesn't taste the same these days (thinking about the early days of BIR).

I might have to give it go just to satisfy my curiosity.  :)



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Offline Cory Ander

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Re: Curry Base cooked the traditional way?
« Reply #5 on: November 26, 2008, 07:51 AM »
Quote from: currymonster on November 26, 2008, 07:35 AM
I might have to give it go just to satisfy my curiosity.  :)

Yeah do that CM, nothing ventured nothing gained, or so they say  :P

Of course it can be done this way (without using a curry base per se) and it obviously produces perfectly acceptable "traditional" curries.  BIRs generally don't (nor ever have) done it this way though.  And doing it this way will just make it harder to produce that BIR taste.

The exception is proper balti houses where they make more of a play on using fresh ingredients and don't necessarily use a curry base to make their baltis.
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