Curry Recipes Online
Curry Base Recipes => Curry Base Chat => Topic started by: Bobby Bhuna on March 29, 2009, 06:34 PM
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Hey guys, I haven't made much progress of late (which I don't consider to be a bad thing - I'm happy with my results and my technique gets consistantly better). My favourite (as it's probably well known) is still SnS June 2008 base, with the Bruce Edwards (BE) spice mix and BE curry technique. What's everyone else's defacto these days?
Cheers,
BB.
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hi bb my base of choice is rajver stylee adding tomato paste( white tower) and fresh tomatoes and sometimes without the coconut milk or block and the spice mix is just rajver spice mix how mch is down to the amount of onions i am using9 as i don't weigh anything :o, rajver spice mix (must repost this adding that i got some more of their mix powder, so have add extra ground coriander to 2 1/2 parts from 1 )and technique. although i have been using butter ghee to cook the final dish after my last 2 visits in about a week to Mouchak. both vindaloos have been fantastic and i can tell they use butter ghee and the curries i have made ie chicken vindaloos and bombay aloo have been just like the ones from Mouchak although they don't use methi in the bombay aloo (just salt spice mix fine chopped onions base sauce and 1/4 of tomato and fresh coriander) oh and butter ghee.
regards
gary ;)
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I'm still on Ashoka... man that recipe makes a lot of base.
When I'm done with it though I'm thinking of going back to the BE base. Possibly I'll try the SnS 2008 and do a bit of a head to head with the BE.
For curry, its the BE Madras method with a spoon of bunjara to boot.
I've also been utilizing a new spiced oil method that I will post about soon. Basically instead of using skimmed base oil, I've been making Madras sauce (just on its own) with extra oil and skimming that for use in finished curries. Positive results. I'm saving final judgement though until my trip to the UK later this week so I can compare my work against the real thing.
-- Josh
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i've used my attempted copy of real BIR base sample for a good while now (produces yellow curry gravy oil). i'm going to switch back to the red oil bases ie rajver & saffron for a while to compare.
on all base i've adopted the ashoka marg as std but a much smaller proportion and also add a little coconut block.
on curry front i've been trying to convert my std madras into a sylhety (still in work). still making CK CTM regular and the ashoka karahi bhuna. got on my list to make more of admins jalfrezi (proven dish for me) and Chris303's rogan josh.
have managed to get 2nd hand chip fryer so chilli prawn's onion bhaji's will feature more regularly (ruins the chip taste if made in the same fryer).
i very much like the look of Curry Dev's Sheek Kebab. something new for me.
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It's the Ashoka for me - with a little less salt and oil in it :)
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It's the Ashoka for me - with a little less salt and oil in it :)
Ashoka was lost on me. I really don't think much of it.
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Although i liked the Ashoka base i still prefer Currytesters base with 50 grams of coconut block added
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Haven't tried Currytester's but don't think I will do the Ashoka again (only 3 bags left)
I DID however like what the coconut added personally, and that's about it.
Too much garlic/ginger, too much cumin. When you add the chicken marinade, its just too much. Back to KD's precooked method for me on the chicken (6T oil, 4T base, t turmeric)
I did think the bunjara added something though. I will continue with that. Caramelized onion was a positive add.
I also might make my next base (two bases actually, the BE 2008 and the SnS 2008 on a head to head) with half a coco block.
-- Josh
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Ashoka was lost on me. I really don't think much of it.
Yes, that was pretty much my conclusion. The one thing I did think though was that this base was just made for making korma. I doubt there's another base to beat it in that sense.
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hi Bobby,
So far i have to say saffron and ashoka do it for me, i have made a different base tonight with no capsicum, carrot or potato, with a little cinnamon, made my curry edible by noticeably worse off for it I'm my opinion. it will be ditched tomorrow i think. makes me appreciate a good base even more.
windybum
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Ashoka was lost on me. I really don't think much of it.
The one thing I did think though was that this base was just made for making korma.
I concluded the same about the ashoka base SS. Not necessarily just for a kormas, maybe, but for the milder, creamier, coconutty dishes, in general (such as korma, pasanda, chicken tikka masala, etc).
Otherwise, I agree with some of the other statements; the better bases are much of a muchness. Although some seem more appropriate for particular dishes, eg:
- Ashoka (onioney, mildly spiced, coconutty and creamy - probably suit mild, creamy, cocunutty dishes best)
- SnS's (medium spiced, very tomatoey - probably suit medium dishes best, such as madras)
- Bruce Edward's (lightly spiced - probably an all round versatile base)
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- SnS's (medium spiced, very tomatoey - probably suit medium dishes best, such as madras)
Certainly not 'very tomatoey' CA ??? Have you tried it or are you reporting on SS's findings?
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What? :-\
You KNOW I've tried it SnS! :o
This is how it stands:
- Ashoka (3% tomatoes as a percent of total "solids")
- Bruce Edward's (12% tomatoes as a percent of total "solids")
- SnS's (18% tomatoes as a percent of total "solids")
So, yes, your base is more tomatoey than the others (by some considerable margin). This is not a critism, but a statement of fact suggesting it is more suitable for more tomatoey curries (such as madras perhaps)! :P
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How would I know? I've just been through the postings on the SnS Base and there is nothing from you to suggest that you've tried it.
Are you not confusing this to the original Saffron base which I know you have tried?
BTW: When you calculated the % ingredients, both the Ashoka and BE bases contain either tomato puree or tomato paste, whereas there is none of this in the SnS base .. how did you arrive at such accurate figures for tomato content?
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How would I know? I've just been through the postings on the SnS Base and there is nothing from you to suggest that you've tried it
Cos I DID post it...on your ammended one?
Are you not confusing this to the original Saffron base which I know you have tried?
I don't know? I'm referring to the "revised" Saffron version. Are there more??
BTW: When you calculated the % ingredients, both the Ashoka and BE bases contain either tomato puree or tomato paste, whereas there is none of this in the SnS base .. how did you arrive at such accurate figures for tomato content?
For zero decimal places, I simply calculated the weight percentage of tomatoes (and/or tomato paste) in the total weight of solids (onions, garlic, ginger, pepper, tomatoes, etc). I thought this would suffice, as a rough indicator, in the first instance. Crunch your own numbers then, see what you come up with ;)
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OK, I can see that I was referring to the "revised Saffron" base (the one from the restaurant and the one that I've tried?) http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=2271.0 and not your "SnS base" (the one not from the restaurant?) http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=2757.0.
Anyway, I can't see that the quantity of tomatoes is reduced in your latter SnS base?
In fact, I estimate it to now be about 30%!
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In fact, I estimate it to now be about 30%!
Perhaps your maths is not quite what it used to be CA.
The finished base is 2.65 litres (2650 ml)
Amount of tinned tomatoes added is 1 x tin at 400 ml (+ 1 fresh tomato)
400/2650 is 15% - This is a maximum percentage! Tinned tomatoes contain a lot of water which will evaporate (unlike tomato pastes - and to a lesser degree, puree's) so the percentage in 'tomato' terms will be a lot less than 15%.
SnS ;)
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The finished base is 2.65 litres (2650 ml)
Correct me if I'm wrong but I recall reading that CA was working on "solids" and not finished base volume.
On another note, I'm down to the freezer base sauce dregs (trying to rid myself so I can start anew) and used the Ashoka base. God I hate that base. I swear, it's near imposible to knock up a bog standard curry worth eating. Gross.
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The finished base is 2.65 litres (2650 ml)
Correct me if I'm wrong but I recall reading that CA was working on "solids" and not finished base volume.
On another note, I'm down to the freezer base sauce dregs (trying to rid myself so I can start anew) and used the Ashoka base. God I hate that base. I swear, it's near imposible to knock up a bog standard curry worth eating. Gross.
That appears to be true Bobby - however my point is that tinned tomatoes are not solids and cannot therefore be compared in percentage terms with tomato puree or tomato pastes used in other bases as these are already condensed.
Anyway - who cares? ;D I like the 'VERY TOMATOEY' base.
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Anyway - who cares? ;D I like the 'VERY TOMATOEY' base.
I wouldn't say it comes over as particularly tomatoey to me. Besides, I've tried all the main bases on this site several times and still have best results with your June 2008. This is probably because it works so well with a Madras, which is what I make most of the time. It's also perfect for Bhunas.
I very rarely make any of the gay curries ;D anyway, so I don't care how a base works in a Korma etc. As "versatile" a base as I need is one that works for Phall, Vindaloo, Madras, Bhuna and Jalfrezi.
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Yes, you're right Bobby. I was talking about the approximate weight percent of tomatoes compared to the approximate total weight of vegetables in the base.
I make these simple comparisons to keep my own base developments on track. For example, it seems to me that most better bases have a high percentage of onions (70% plus). I have also been developing a "madras" base where I have purposefully and significantly increased the proportion of tomatoes (and spices) in the base. So, in that regard, not too dissimilar to SnS's efforts.
I recognise that the same weights of fresh, tinned, pastes and pureed tomatoes are not equivalent.
Nevertheless, any rudimentary analysis suggests to me that 550g of tomatoes (i.e. 400g of tinned plus one large fresh weighing about 150g) is a relatively large quantity of tomatoes in a base that has 700g of onions (the proportion of onions being about 40%, by weight, of total vegetables in the base).
It seems to me, therefore, that the proportion of tomatoes to onions in the SnS base is significantly higher than in some other bases on the forum (such as the ones I mentioned).
As I said, this is not a criticism, it's an observation. It suggests to me that the SnS base is probably more suited to tomatoey dishes (e.g. madras, bhuna, rogan josh, jalfrezi, etc) and less suited to milder, creamy dishes (korma, pasanda, chicken tikka masala, etc).
As BB says, this would probably suit many members because they are not into these, so called, "gay" dishes. :-\
I was hoping that some members might find such a rudimentary analysis helpful in determining a base that best meets their personal needs. I didn't intend for people to get hung up on the detail and get their knickers in a twist :P
....or did I? ;)
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Yes, you're right Bobby. I was talking about the approximate weight percent of tomatoes compared to the approximate total weight of vegetables in the base.
I was hoping that some members might find such a rudimentary analysis helpful in determining a base that best meets their personal needs. I didn't intend for people to get hung up on the detail and get their knickers in a twist :P
....or did I? ;)
The points regarding your rules of measurement seem reasonable. ::)
However, to describe (the taste) of this base as VERY tomatoey is not accurate and therefore misleading. This defeats the inital object of your post (see above).
No matter how you justify your statement (ie using measurements), without actually trying the base yourself, you are only making assumptions .. something you are normally first to disapprove of. :o
Nobody is getting hung up or their knickers in a twist CA. :-*
SnS ;D ;)
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to describe (the taste) of this base as VERY tomatoey is not accurate and therefore misleading.
I said it CONTAINS a relatively large quantity of tomatoes (compared to other bases on this forum)! It's a statement of FACT! ::)
withthout actually trying the base yourself, you are only making assumptions
Yes, I'll bear that in mind when someone presents a base that is a tin of tomatoes with a slither of onion in it. Who knows, they might be using non-tomato tasting tomatoes for all I know ;D
Nobody is getting hung up or their knickers in a twist
Oh yes, so I see! :P ;D
...but I'm sure most members are smart enough to take my observations and comments at face value, for what they are worth ::)
..anyway, moving on to more interesting debates....I'm bored with this already ;)
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here we go again ::)
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I can't be arsed (that's for you Bobby ;D ) doing the calcs, all I know is that the base for me was definitely tomatoey, and even too tomatoey. I might make it again soon as it was a reasonable base apart from that, in my opinion.
Oh I also left the spud out because that makes bugger all difference. Let's see if we can crank up the argument about that again! ;D
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Not necessarily just for a kormas, maybe, but for the milder, creamier, coconutty dishes, in general (such as korma, pasanda, chicken tikka masala, etc
Yes definitely.
Bruce Edward's (lightly spiced - probably an all round versatile base)
Which one?
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I can't be arsed (that's for you Bobby ;D )
To be honest, I'd just rather offend minority groups by labeling any curry not macho enough for my tastebuds as gay ;D Kormas??? :-X I'd rather order a mild Bhuna in a gimp suit! 8)
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i have tried many bases from this site and ever since purchasing my locals base i just have no enthusiasm for safron base or any base on this site. the real bir base was a million miles away from any on this site. i am desperatly trying to reproduce their base but with no joy (as yet). I know this sounds extreme and i could be making a big mistake not sticking to the safron base! i made some good curries with the safron base, especially korma. but something felt wrong with it? anyone else think this? so what is the best base recipe for madras?