Curry Recipes Online
Beginners Guide => Trainee Chefs / Beginners Questions => Topic started by: k4ssie on October 07, 2014, 11:27 AM
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Hi, I'm new here and have just tried cooking a base gravy for the first time. Wasn't sure if i should put this question in the thread for the gravy, but i didn't want to mess up the "pro" discussion with daft questions!
So I made the JB takeaway base gravy; I had to make a half quantity because i only have normal domestic pans, and the largest one i have would just about take 1 1/2 kilos of onion. I used 4 tbsp to a chef's spoon as a basic metric and then halved the spice quantities. I did everything exactly as it said apart from using a sachet of coconut cream rather than block. Also i wasn't 100% sure what "garlic / ginger" meant but i used "nishaan" brand minced ginger and garlic from a jar, from my local pakistani cash & carry - i'm in East London so ingredients aren't a problem!
I cooked the first stage for around 3hrs because i'm on an electric hob, but did have it at a good rolling boil; then the second part for around an hour on lower. The onions were still visibly onions, i just don't know what "melting" should look like that's why i gave it the extra time to try and make sure.
So my question is: should it taste nice at this point?! It smelt pretty good, but when i tasted it it really did just taste of boiled onions to me, not much complexity, plus it had a metallic-y taste and slightly bitter. All in all not really pleasant at all. Any ideas as to what went wrong? Or will it magically improve when i do the garlic tarka part?!
any help much appreciated ;)
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Silly question, but you have blended it?
What's the colour like?
I haven't made JBs base, but, by all accounts its good. Doesn't look like you've done anything wrong, but not sure how it scales down, not having tried it.
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No perfectly sensible question! yes i blended it, the colour is...kind of yellowy orange i guess. looks a bit like a brightly coloured korma!
I've tried to add a pic as an attachment. but not sure if it's working or not. (edited to add - sorry, photo is giant. you can see the colour though!)
Another question - i'm going to need to freeze most of it, if i'm going to freeze it can i still do the tarka part first, or not? I'm thinking that when i defrost it will be in much smaller portions so getting the right amount of garlic will be harder?
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Firstly, our dear friend Phil, will advise you on resizing your pics (I think it's 725 x something).
The base looks good. Nice colour and consistency looks, if anything, just a little thick. I'd do the tarka before freezing. I'm sure it will be fine when you use it in a dish :)
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Looks just perfect to me. I use Picasa (https://dl.google.com/picasa/picasa39-setup.exe)to export at the size I want but beware -- when Picasa asks "Resize to", that is the /larger/ dimension of the image. Your target width is 720px, so use that if the picture is landscape format (as yours is after re-cropping) but if the picture is portrait orientation you will need to adjust the figure appropriately. Oh yes, and I agree with Garp -- almost certainly too thick. Maybe add at least as much water again if not more, then re-boil and stir well.
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Maybe even blend it again before boiling :)
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Thanks for the reassurance. :D
I've just been to the pound shop for takeaway cartons for the freezer. Have added some extra water (i agree it does seem thick, especially since it coooled), done the tarka (2 tbsps oil and 2 sliced garlic cloves, definitely golden to brown) and reboiled for half an hour so far. But i'm just getting frothy scum on the top, no sign of oil rising? Should i just keep boiling until i lose the will to live or the neighbours complain about the smell of onions permeating everyone's flat?!
Here's a pic, better size this time i hope :)
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It still looks thick, K4ssie, and the volume doesn't look any more in the pot than the previous picture.
I'd add more water to just about halfway up the rivets in the pan, blend it again, then freeze it :)
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It looks fine to me. Aim for milk consistancy after blending.
I made this base, I added the tarka before freezing and it turned out fine once defrosted.
A good tip for freezing is to use those freezer bags that are closable, then lay them flat and stack in a box in the freezer, seperate the layers with a bit of paper towel. I don't have much freezer space and this advice has proved invaluable.
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Looks good to me Kasse, I've also just cooked another pot of jb's base, mine is the same as yours. :)
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Okay i've watered and blended a bit more before starting freezing. I did wonder about freezer bags but have managed to clear some space for containers this time - i have a tiny freezer so it might be bags in future!
A friend who makes a lot of curries dropped round earlier and her diagnosis on the flavour front was "too much coconut". I agree, particularly the smell is basically like a korma but without the nut or cream elements. I wonder if the coconut cream I used is more concentrated than the block kind, if i make it again i might even leave that out altogether - maybe coconut is something better added at the final dish stage, if appropriate? The metallic / oniony flavour does seemed to have eased up a bit after the hours of boiling and the tarka.
Right, stage two at the weekend will be pre cooked meat, probably lamb. Then we'll see how a finished dish holds up - any recommendations for something idiot proof and not too spicy? I'm a wuss with chilli so probably no more than medium hot.
Thanks :)
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The coconut taste surprises me, this was the first base that I've ever added coconut and I honestly coudn't taste it in the base or the finished curry!
Are you doing tikka or normal meat? I'd advise using chicken for a first try as it's less hassle to get good resulrs on the pre-cook.
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Hi k4ssie, I'd keep the gravy thick to freeze, then thin as needed, to cut down on storage space & also to see how thinning alters the flavour.
I'd also practise making the sauces only at first without adding meat. Its quite possible you wont be happy with some of your early efforts. :)
Regards
ELW
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I was planning on trying some lamb - i think it's the glasgow pre cook but i'm getting a bit mixed up with all the methods now!
The day i did the base, I didn't actually have anything to eat at the end of it and by then the brain was obsessed with curry so...yup, straight on the phone to the takeaway. oh the irony ;D
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I agree that it looks too thick. You can just add water until it is the consistency of a thin soup. Not sure how much oil you used, but we use 1 liter of seasoned oil to 10 liters of gravy, and I would normally expect to see a deep-brown slick of the stuff on the top of the gravy. Are you gently cooking the gravy for 2-3 days? That's what it needs to lose that brackish onion aroma and develop the deep caramel flavours we all crave.
If you are still not happy with the background notes from the gravy, try cooking your curries longer in the pan. I mean lower the heat and lengthen the gap between deglazing with the gravy and putting in the meat/chicken/etc. Using more oil in your pan is also a good idea. You can always skim it (we put it back into the gravy if it's a veg dish).
Happy cooking,
Tim
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2-3 days Mr Mac?
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ew....really?? Surely hrs??
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Days. You cook it for days. I'm surprised you're surprised.
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Days. You cook it for days. I'm surprised you're surprised.
I'm surprised that you're surprised that we're surprised! ???
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Days. You cook it for days. I'm surprised you're surprised.
I'm surprised that you're surprised that we're surprised! ???
I'm surprised that SS is surprised about mac being surprised at others showing signs of surpise :P
Think I've surprised myself actually ;)
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:o :o I am really surprised!!
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Surprisingly enough, I'm not surprised. I once made a base and left it on while I travelled across Europe, India and Australia.
On my return, it was gorgeous (well so the firemen said)........
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Hahaha. ;D Seriously, cooking the grabbi is a job that starts on the Weds ready for the weekend. And the restaurant where I worked just added it to a big pot that had been going for about a decade. If you are used to cooking with your grabbi after 2-3 hours, try extending that to 2-3 days and you will be amazed at the difference. All the harsh flavours get cooked out and you end up with something that is essence of curry - sweet, dark, complex. I don't mean cook it all night - but a big pot with a lid on is still warm when you get back in the morning and then you just put it back on to simmer again.
EDIT - some of these posts crossed. Not trying to cheek anyone.
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I once left my curry on a very gentle simmer for a week , unfortunately there wasnt enough base left to make a curry so couldnt say if it improved or not :'(