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Author Topic: Pat Chapman Base Gravy  (read 48,129 times)

AI Summary
The discussion revolves around Pat Chapman's Balti Curry Cookbook and specifically the Special Balti Base Sauce recipe. While some users express skepticism about the recipe's ingredients, particularly celeriac and mooli, others share their experiences with the book, noting that it was groundbreaking for its time but may not meet modern expectations for British Indian Restaurant (BIR) flavors. Ultimately, several participants recommend exploring other base sauces available on the forum, suggesting that they may yield better results for those seeking authentic BIR tastes.

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Offline Invisible Mike

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Pat Chapman Base Gravy
« on: June 25, 2013, 12:25 AM »
Hi All

I am new to the forum. I have been cooking curries for a while now but only relatively recently had the BIR curry "epiphany" when I learnt about garabis/base gravies, mix powders and the pre-cooking of chicken! Overnight my curries were totally transformed but are still not quite "there" yet. I've tried a couple of different gravies and do have a favourite but I'm still convinced there is a better formula out there.
I managed to pick up a copy of Pat Chapman's Balti Curry Cookbook (1993) for a pound the other day. Bargain I thought, but we'll see. I am intrigued to know if anyone on here owns this book and has tried the Special Balti Base Sauce on page 108. The recipe is as follows:

200ml Milk
200ml Water
2tbsp Ghee or Veg oil
3 Cloves Garlic
225g Onion
110g Carrot
50g Celeriac
50g White Radish (Mooli)
4 Bay Leaves
8-10 Green Cardomom Pods
Several pieces of Cassia Bark
1tsp Fennel Seeds
1/2 tsp Turmeric
1" Ginger

I am actually sceptical about the inclusion of celeriac and even more so about the mooli especially if it actually tastes like radish (I have never tried it) but I know Pat's books are supposed to be amongst the best so who am I to argue. Now I know the book is 20 years old and therefore the recipes may be deemed as obsolete to some, especially as this is unlike the more standard recipes which contain cabbage, peppers and 10 litres of oil etc but I'm very curious to know if this works before I spend an afternoon wasting gallons of petrol hunting high and low around all the shops for the mooli! Any thoughts on this recipe would be appreciated. :)

Many Thanks

MM
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Offline goncalo

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Re: Pat Chapman Base Gravy
« Reply #1 on: June 25, 2013, 11:39 AM »
I haven't tried the base myself, but PC is not really very famous around these planes. I believe he is seen somewhat like many authors out there who failed to deliver with their books.

You have plenty of good base sauces on this forum. To name but a few: taz, chewytikka, saffron, darthphall, CA
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Offline Unclefrank

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Re: Pat Chapman Base Gravy
« Reply #2 on: June 25, 2013, 09:55 PM »
I used to make this base and the curries from the book quite a lot at one time, i have got a few links somewhere on here will try and find for you.

Is this the book with the pastes?

If so i made some excellent curries from them and not been that disappointed with the results.

I remember the hassle i had trying to find mooli, Tesco sell it now.
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Offline Unclefrank

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Re: Pat Chapman Base Gravy
« Reply #3 on: June 25, 2013, 10:19 PM »
Found this out

https://curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php/topic,5108.msg49741.html#msg49741

https://curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php/topic,5195.msg50997.html#msg50997

I do use a different Balti Base and recipes now but they are from another site.
My Balti cooking has come on leaps and bounds since the above links. Having had the pleasure of been allowed into some local Indian Restaurant kitchens some of them being Balti houses.
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Offline Invisible Mike

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Re: Pat Chapman Base Gravy
« Reply #4 on: June 26, 2013, 12:05 AM »
Cheers UF

Yes this is the book with the pastes. I looked at those links. I had a funny feeling someone on here would have been familiar with the book and that particular base. As it happens I found loads of mooli on sale in my local Morrisons earlier so I'll give it a whirl asap.

MM
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Offline Unclefrank

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Re: Pat Chapman Base Gravy
« Reply #5 on: June 26, 2013, 09:38 AM »
Always make the recipe you choose to spec then tweak to your own tastes as i did for my palette/region.
The pastes from the book last for quite a few months.
Any questions please feel free to ask away.

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Offline Invisible Mike

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Re: Pat Chapman Base Gravy
« Reply #6 on: June 30, 2013, 05:44 PM »
If it's still of any interest I made this base up last night and followed the recipe for the balti madras from the same book using the pastes. The base on its own tasted pretty much like any other I've made. The final dish had a lot of depth but for me wasn't a true madras in my book. The best madras so for comprises of the following..

Undercover Curry Base (taken from Jamie Curle Website)
Dipuraja's Madras (although for the spices and g&g etc work in teaspoons instead of the prescribed chefspoons. Also, omit the salt)
Made with:
Julian's Mix Powder &
Julian's Pre-cooked Chicken (again omit the salt and don't be tempted to throw in the spicy cooking juices or the finished dish will be too harsh.)

Awesome! I would definitely recommend this to even the most 'seasoned' of BIR connoiseurs.

MM

edited by George: changed 2 instances of 'emit' to read 'omit'.
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Offline Garp

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Re: Pat Chapman Base Gravy
« Reply #7 on: June 30, 2013, 11:00 PM »
I bought this book, back in the day, before the Interweb and all that stuff. I prob (sic) still have it.

Never really made much, if anything, from it - so can't really comment.

Things have moved on a lot since then, I guess. Pat, bless him, was maybe making the first attempts to emulate the taste and texture of the restaurant-style curries of the day. Maybe he succeeded. Maybe not.

I think that restaurant curries have moved on a lot in the last 20 years and perhaps good old Pat was ground-breaking in his day - maybe we should show him more respect for attempting to achieve what we are attempting to achieve now........with similar success it would seem.

I also bought, I think, Pat Chapman's Restaurant Curries. I made a few attempts at his Pakistani Curry Gravy as a base, but found it a bit underwhelming.

Pat's ok - give him a break. He tried - his heart was in the right place :)
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Offline StoneCut

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Re: Pat Chapman Base Gravy
« Reply #8 on: July 01, 2013, 11:55 AM »
I'd really like a copy of this book for the Balti recipes but it's entirely unavailable in Germany. Does anyone have a scan of it? I'd be happy to buy it but it's simply not available :/
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Offline Peripatetic Phil

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Re: Pat Chapman Base Gravy
« Reply #9 on: July 01, 2013, 12:42 PM »
Quote from: StoneCut on July 01, 2013, 11:55 AM
I'd really like a copy of this book for the Balti recipes but it's entirely unavailable in Germany.
http://www.amazon.de/Curry-Club-Balti-Cookbook/dp/0749916699
** Phil.
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