Curry Recipes Online
British Indian Restaurant Recipes - Main Dishes => BIR Main Dishes Chat => Topic started by: chriswg on August 13, 2009, 03:43 PM
-
I have just got back from Zaffron after a very interesting and enlightening Madras cooking lesson. I was only there for an hour so didn't get a chance to cover anywhere near as much as I would have liked, but I did get to cook a Madras from scratch including the base in about 30 mins. I'm going back in a couple of weeks for a longer stint so hopefully I can cover more areas then.
Interestingly, there was no Garam Masala or Restaurant Spice Mix. He had 5 big tubs containing Turmeric, Salt, Hot Chilli Powder, Ground Cumin and ground Coriander.
As the main restaurant batch of base was already made, the chef made up a small individual batch to show me how to do it. This was priceless as far as cooking from home goes, and the finished result was simply sublime.
So for the base he got a metal frying pan and added a lot of vegetable oil. I'm guessing 6 to 7 tablespoons worth. To thins he added two chefs spoons of finely chopped onion and green pepper (about an 80/20 split). After a couple of minutes he added in two green finger chillies which had been split lengthways. When this was was just starting to think about browning, he added in about 2 tablespoons of finely chopped carrot and continued to fry. He added a couple of teaspoons of ginger garlic paste (60% garlic 40% ginger) which they make themselves by blending the chopped ingredients with water. Next was a ladle of blended tinned plum tomatoes which were cooked for 2 - 3 minutes. then he added 1 tsp chilli powder, 1/2 tsp ground cumin, 1.5 tsp ground coriander, 1 tsp turmeric and 1 tsp salt. Once this had cooked for about 5 minutes he added about 2 tablespoons of plain yoghurt. He added water (half a metal serving bowl) and simmered for a few minutes. He then poured it into a blender to be finely blended. this whole process only took about 20 minutes. The finished base sauce didn't taste that nice. it was quite spicy and very salty but this was apparently normal as it gets thinned out with water at the curry cooking stage.
-
Using the same dirty pan he used to cook the base in, he added a couple of tbsp of veg oil and added a desert spoon of hot chilli powder, a big squirt of lemon juice, a dessert spoon of tomato puree (was quite runny, not like from a tube), a ladle of base sauce and a pinch of methi leaves. He heated this on high for a few minutes then added water to thin the base. He added in the cooked chicken (cooked in pots, not boiled) and cooked it on high until the oil started to separate. this probably took 6 - 7 minutes. Once it was ready he added a big pinch of fresh coriander and served.
I ate it with a fresh naan bread and it was absolutely delicious. One of the best BIR curries I have had (and I have had a lot).
-
One thing I will note about this is that the measurement he gave me for the spices (tsp of turmeric, salt etc) didn't match up with what my eyes told me when he added them. He was using a big chefs spoon to get the spices out and I thought he was adding closer to 2 - 3 tsp of each. The chefs spoon was about a quarter full of each. I couldn't believe how much salt he added!
I'm going to have a go at cooking this soon so I will report back.
JerryM, I'm sure you wont be able to resist giving this one a go either. I'm looking forward to hearing your feedback!
-
I couldn't resist, I had to make a batch up straight away and it was EXCELLENT. The base once blended tasted very similar to the restaurant one. It is very yellow and salty. It actually tastes pretty gross on its own, you certainly couldn't eat it like that. Most of the bases I have tried from here taste more like lightly spiced onion and tomato soup, but this stuff is something completely different.
I doubled all the spice amounts so they looked more like they did on his chef spoon. The final taste was brilliant. I didn't have any chicken so I just ate a bowl of sauce on its own, dreaming of how nice it would have been with some naan and bhajis.
The base should be enough for 3 - 4 curries. I'll be freezing the remainder for next time I want an even quicker curry. This one was only 30 mins from start to finish and the base is used for most of their main curries (CTM, Rogan Josh, Jalfrezi, Vindaloo etc). He was cooking up a different base when I was there which he uses for the chefs specials. He said there was more spices in it.
-
Thanks for the report Chriswg
Do you know how they precook their chicken/veg ?
Curry Bases are all different
The idea that they only "vary slightly from place to place" was a statement from one of PC's cooking books
It isn't true, and you need the correct curry recipe to go with each base you learn.
I hope you can get a few from this place
Thanks again
-
Yes, thanks for the report Chris.
Does this small scale base reflect what they do with their full scale base? I'd be surprised if they stand there and fry everything like that! I'd also be surprised if they spice it like that (with that much chili powder and chilies).
It sounds to me like this base was made specifically for your madras (with the extra chili and spicing to compliment it).
Other than that, the ingredients in the base look pretty much standard to me, apart from the yoghurt.
I'd tend to agree with whomever said that curry bases only differ slightly from place to place. They do seem to, with regard to the main ingredients. It's the peculiar things (such as yoghurt, margarine, celery, carrots, white radish, cabbage, potatoes, etc), which I can't really see you can adjust for in the curry recipe, that seems to be where the difference primarily lies.
I don't think you need the "correct curry recipes" to compliment a specific base. You just need to exercise a little prudence!
-
He said that the base he made was exactly the same as he makes on a large scale. I commented on it being a bit spicy for say a Tikka Massala but apparently when its watered down it loses most of the chilli kick but retains the flavours. He tried the blended base and was happy with it.
I have his email address so I will drop him a quick email asking him what he would add to the base to make it into a Tikka Massala. I'll give it a go and pass it on.
I'd be very keen to hear some other members thoughts once they have tried it. It really had that 'cant stop eating until I have licked the bowl clean' taste to it that my other curries have lacked.
When I made it, I swapped tomato puree for a thick tomato passata which I think was closer to what they were using.
-
chriswg,
it's compelling stuff. i will certainly give the madras a try.
i'm currently under strict instructions from the family to stick to what i know for a while. they don't see a need to change anything.
i've not made a base exactly like your spec but feel i've covered similar ground pretty much already. the use of the lemon juice in the madras is a feature i'm particularly interested in as well as the fact there is no mix powder or curry power or garam used.
a couple of general observations. i too don't wash my pan between curries (observed at my local TA). i've also just started to not fully thin the base after cooking and then use a jug of water to adjust at cooking stage. some dishes need thinner than others depending upon the ingredients.
ps, i'll email u a welcome pack for the footie though.
-
I have uploaded some pics:
http://picasaweb.google.com/chriswg/Madras#
I think the difference with this recipe is the fact most of the ingredients are effectively deep fried rather than boiled. The water doesn't go in until the end and only really to thin out the sauce. I think this maintains a lot more flavour as well as speeding up cooking times.
I may be alone with this, but for me I'd rather cook a 30 min curry at home including the base than having to either make a fresh batch of base for 2 - 3 hours, or use frozen. As Emin also recently experienced, making up a fresh base specifically for a curry can produce an amazing taste plus it saves freezer space and I don't think takes up any additional time. By the time I have got a block of base out of the freezer, microwaved it for 10 mins to defrost, then put it in a saucepan, heated it up, blended it again, and brought it up to simmering point, I'd be just as quick to make fresh with a better result.
The big decisive factor will be how versatile it is, does it just work well with a Madras or can I use it for anything? I'm hoping to find out soon.
Regarding the chicken cooking, I'm not sure but it wasn't boiled. It was cooked in saucepans along with lots of spices. All I got to see was a big tray of cooked chicken in a light covering of yellow coloured sauce. I tried a piece on its own and there weren't any stand out flavours. I'll get a better idea next time I am there and write down the recipe and method.
-
Great post chriswg,your so right on everything you have said ( well I think so ;) )You cant beat fresh base ,whether it's mashed up in a blender or worked into a paste as I was shown last Saturday ,a base that has been frozen never tastes as good. A takeaway uses sooo much base theirs is constantly being made and I wonder if their base goes a little ' flat ' by the time they get to the bottom perhaps this is why you sometimes get a T/A that is not as good as the last one :-\
I can see a pattern coming on here what with our visits to the kitchens :D fresh,fresh,fresh is the way forward not stuff that's been in the freezer 6 month's. ::)
-
You cant beat fresh base....A takeaway uses sooo much base theirs is constantly being made.....I can see a pattern coming on here....fresh,fresh,fresh is the way forward
Utter b*llocks, I'm afraid Emin! BIRs generally make enough base to last that night! BIRs DO NOT use FRESH, FRESH, FRESH! :-\
-
You cant beat fresh base....A takeaway uses sooo much base theirs is constantly being made.....I can see a pattern coming on here....fresh,fresh,fresh is the way forward
Utter b*llocks, I'm afraid Emin! BIRs generally make enough base to last that night! BIRs DO NOT use FRESH, FRESH, FRESH! :-\
Exactly what I mean by fresh !! why don't BIR's make gallons and gallons and freeze it ? The base they use is fresh how the base is affected as the night goes on I don't know :-\ But they are constantly preparing for the next base ( there's usually another one on the go )how can we all expect to produce BIR tasting Curry if your starting with base that's been in the freezer a few weeks or whatever ::) have you not noticed how good the Curry is the first time you use a fresh base , I certainly have.
-
I suspect as the night goes on, if they are busier than planned for the base will be watered down to stretch it a bit further. Hence the occasional poor result.
-
If, what you mean by "fresh" is that it is not frozen, then I agree. However, if what you mean by "fresh" is that BIRs generally use roasted and ground spices and curry bases cooked and used within 30 minutes, then I disagree!
And I disagree that a base tastes better the "fresher" it is!
-
I suspect as the night goes on, if they are busier than planned for the base will be watered down to stretch it a bit further. Hence the occasional poor result.
I doubt it's watered down but, nevertheless, I suggest this might result in a GOOD result Chris! :-\
In my experience, poor curries are generally produced during less busy times when turnover is lower and the main chef is not present
-
If that were true and it produced a GOOD curry, why wouldn't they all water down their bases more than they already do? It would help keep their costs down.
I've had bad curries at all times including when I know the head chef is in (I usually ask when I phone up).
-
If that were true and it produced a GOOD curry, why wouldn't they all water down their bases more than they already do? It would help keep their costs down.
I've had bad curries at all times including when I know the head chef is in (I usually ask when I phone up).
Sorry Chris, I meant that "as the night goes on" might produce a better curry (rather than it being "watered down").
In my experience, best curries are generally produced (by ANY BIR) on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights...their busiest nights and, presumably, when their head chef is present.
-
Next time I cook a Madras I'll make one fresh and one using frozen base to see if there is any discernible difference. I imagine they will be very similar but my point earlier was that as there is little or no time saving using frozen base, I may as well make it fresh every time. It also means no more 3 - 4 hour base cooking sessions on a Saturday afternoon, and plenty of extra room in the freezer.
-
In my experience, best curries are generally produced (by ANY BIR) on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights...their busiest nights and, presumably, when their head chef is present.
Agreed.
-
If, what you mean by "fresh" is that it is not frozen, then I agree. However, if what you mean by "fresh" is that BIRs generally use roasted and ground spices and curry bases cooked and used within 30 minutes, then I disagree!
And I disagree that a base tastes better the "fresher" it is!
I mean fresh as in probably made that day .
< And I disagree that a base tastes better the "fresher" it is! >
When have you ever tasted anything that tastes as good frozen as it did when it was fresh other than Ice Cream ! ???
-
have you ever tasted anything that tastes as good frozen as it did when it was fresh other than Ice Cream ! ???
Yes!
..but what I was meaning is that a base cooked for longer is not necessarily worse (and is arguably better)!
-
Next time I cook a Madras I'll make one fresh and one using frozen base to see if there is any discernible difference. I imagine they will be very similar but my point earlier was that as there is little or no time saving using frozen base, I may as well make it fresh every time. It also means no more 3 - 4 hour base cooking sessions on a Saturday afternoon, and plenty of extra room in the freezer.
Yes, and I'll wager you can't tell the difference Chris! A frozen base is instantly (once defrosted of course!) available for cooking...whereas it will take you AT LEAST 20 minutes, or so, to cook a similar base (questionable!) from scratch each time!
-
FYI Cory, I ordered a Madras from my local favourite last night at 8pm - the busiest time of the week - and it was terrible. No chilli heat at all and it was a very strange almost transparent orange/brown colour. Interestingly though was that my wifes CTM was excellent, it was a really think tasty sauce. I can only assume they were so busy, my 'easy' dish was palmed off to the pot washer to cook while the CTM was handled by the head chef.
-
I have to say that I have made several different batches of base sauce/gravy over the past 2 years, and the curries I have made from them haven't been anywhere near as good as the ones I have made without a base sauce. Maybe I'm not cooking them on a high enough heat? maybe its something to do with the ingredients, I don't know.
I posted a Chicken Kashmiri Masala on here a while ago which I cannot find anymore, but it used just fresh ingredients and no base sauce, and it was one of the best curries I have ever tasted....
I'm not knocking base sauce, but I think in future I'll leave it to the BIR's to produce, and I'll continue to make my mouth watering curries without it..
-
976
I have cooked with great success your kashmiri chicken and must say it is a real winner even better if you use pre cooked chicken tikka and a tad of fresh pineapple juice
mark
-
FYI Cory, I ordered a Madras from my local favourite last night at 8pm - the busiest time of the week - and it was terrible.
Sorry to hear that you had such a disappointing result from your local favourite BIR. All I can suggest is that you change to another one!
To my mind, the busiest TIME of the week is around 11 to 12pm (Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays)! 8pm is generally far too early to get the best result from them (in my experience anyway).
-
976bar,
link http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=3585.0 (http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=3585.0).
i make the base version all the time. it's currently our No 1.
-
I have to say that I have made several different batches of base sauce/gravy over the past 2 years, and the curries I have made from them haven't been anywhere near as good as the ones I have made without a base sauce. Maybe I'm not cooking them on a high enough heat? maybe its something to do with the ingredients, I don't know.
I posted a Chicken Kashmiri Masala...it used just fresh ingredients and no base sauce, and it was one of the best curries I have ever tasted....
I'm not knocking base sauce, but I think in future I'll leave it to the BIR's to produce, and I'll continue to make my mouth watering curries without it..
With all due respect then, 976bar, you (and several others here) seem to be more interested in cooking traditional Indian curries and NOT typical BIR curries. Nothing wrong with that but, to my mind anyway, not the focus of this forum! Actually, forget that, I'm actually no longer sure what the focus of this forum is! :-\
-
the timing of getting a BIR eh!
i find it best to avoid the busy times. i won't buy on friday's or Saturday's. midweek early on when hardly any other orders are coming in is best.
i think the main point though is to find a spot on BIR. this these days with so many entering the market is very hard to do. i only rate 2 for example (maybe 3) in warrington and we probably have at least 20.
i chatted on the very subject (he prompted) with a friend in brum yesterday and he was very disappointed that the v.good BIR's are becoming a thing of the past. so it's probably nationwide. i guess the competition is so fierce. i find the family run are the best. obviously a speculative purchase will give an instant assessment. u need to ask a few questions about the establishment to get a picture about who they are to be sure the consistency will last over time.
-
i find it best to avoid the busy times
And that doesn't surprise me at all Jerry :-\
My experience has been that, if you want a crap curry, go during their slacker periods (when throughput is low and their head chef is probably not present).
-
CA,
u and i don't need cheering up. given what my curries turn out like we have no need for anything else. yes u're always learning of course.
the cheeri up bit. i've only been to 1 PAR. well known and amazingly well rated in warrington called the cottage. it cost 70 notes around 3 yrs ago for 3 people. of course i've never been back. my local TA is say 20 notes - which i'm more than happy to hand over on a regular basis - i'd even help clean up if they asked me. u only have to see and say hello to the chef to instantly know how proud and comitted they are. they i know cook fresh too (no frozen here).
the PAR still stays in business though so some people must gel with it. each to his own!
-
CA,
i quite agree on the Head Chef. i make it my business to find out who he is and what night he's off. that's sort of what i'm trying to say. make sure u know who the BIR is before complaining of it's food. there are many imitations but once u know how good it can be nothing else comes close.
-
Jerry,
Many thanks for the post of the base, and Corry yes of course I won't give up trying, sometimes I just get so dissapointed with the curries i have made, that I just revert back to the fresh ingredient ones.
So, I will try this base and let you know how I get on. Besides, this forum has taught me a lot over the past 2 years. My chicken tikka my kids say is to die for and I now have to make regular batches every week, I would also love to produce the perfect Madras as apart from a Lamb Bhuna it is one of my favourite dishes. I also love a Chicken Chilli Masala, but haven't seen any recipes for that on here, but my local BIR does it so well....
All of you keep up the good work, I certainly enjoy coming to this forum :)
-
Hi Jerry,
I think the link you gave me sent me to the Kashmiri Masala page. Can you send me the one you use for the Base please? :)
-
JerryM ,
Totally agree with you ,whatever Indian or other Restaurant / T/A we visit at busy times the service and quality definitely take a downturn .We have a favourite Indian Restaurant / T/A at a local Seaside Resort that we regularly visit and have now give up going to or ordering food at a Bank Holiday time as it's rubbish. ???
-
I have to say that I have made several different batches of base sauce/gravy over the past 2 years, and the curries I have made from them haven't been anywhere near as good as the ones I have made without a base sauce. Maybe I'm not cooking them on a high enough heat? maybe its something to do with the ingredients, I don't know.
I posted a Chicken Kashmiri Masala...it used just fresh ingredients and no base sauce, and it was one of the best curries I have ever tasted....
I'm not knocking base sauce, but I think in future I'll leave it to the BIR's to produce, and I'll continue to make my mouth watering curries without it..
With all due respect then, 976bar, you (and several others here) seem to be more interested in cooking traditional Indian curries and NOT typical BIR curries. Nothing wrong with that but, to my mind anyway, not the focus of this forum! Actually, forget that, I'm actually no longer sure what the focus of this forum is! :-\
Don't be like that Cory Ander :'( ;D I believe individuals on the forum make ' the typical BIR Curry ' their focus and carry on in a blinkered fashion refusing to take serious anything to do with Curry that has the word ' fresh 'in it ! The forum does a wonderful job of bringing everyone together to discuss Indian Cooking and even Thai and Chinese (http://www.thescubasite.com/smile/scared/scared0016.gif) (http://www.thescubasite.com)
Hopefully we will all get what we are looking for especially if we help one another and not poohoo ideas and practices shown by members just because they differ from yours ;)
-
hi 976bar there is a recipe for chicken chilli masala in bruce edwards curryhouse cookery i have made it and it is hot and tasty and quite aromatic because you fry the chillies/peppers and onion with star anise, mmmm lovely
hope this helps regards
gary ;)
-
Many thanks Parker, I'll look this up and give it a go :)
-
The madras recipe is similar to how I make mine but with lemon juice and methi, I'm sure this is how simple it is. I have tried all sorts into a madras and it's just tom puree and chili powder.
-
In my experience, best curries are generally produced (by ANY BIR) on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights...their busiest nights and, presumably, when their head chef is present.
Hi CA, I hope you're well! It's funny you should say that, I'm utterly convinced Thursday is the best day to get any takeaway. It's always so good!
I couldn't agree more on what you said about the head chef being present. My new local Asha is really good. The head chef there looks like a wise old monk with a long white beard. He's just great.
They're a really friendly bunch and I give my usual chat to see what info I can get. You can see into the kitchen - it's pretty standard stuff that is mentioned on the site. They don't use too much heat mind you... Also, they LOVE the veg ghee. I see loads of empty ones in the bin outside. I think it's mostly for the rice.
I speak to one younger worker quite often who is usually front of house. He says he's spent a couple of years in the kitchen working when it's not so busy. I was explaining how much I enjoyed their curry. I was also talking about which takeaways are good / bad. Oddly enough my other favorite is run by their friends.
Anyhow, this young guy was happy to discuss technique but insisted that the reason they get it better than me (I told him what I do and he says all the ingredients etc are correct) is because their more experienced chefs have been doing it for so long and are very proud of their trade. Makes sense to me. I certainly doubt that someone given the tools and some brief info about how to do my job would produce results like I do!
Ultimately I think what I'm getting at is that you can give 2 people the same ingredients and recipe and get very different results. Especially when it comes to spices - a little deviation from the recipe makes a substantial change. The experienced and skilled chefs present in the better BIRs will just have so much more of a feel for curry making than the layman. I'm not suggesting that this is where "the taste" is per say but I am saying that this explains the consistent high end result offered by a good BIR's curry. Mmmmmmm curry!!! ;D
-
Hi chriswg, i made this base and madras 3 times this weekend , with varied amounts of water, to get the right taste from the madras. i quite liked the base, as its quick and fresh, although did not like the yogurt, too sour. Also too much plum tomato + chilly in the base IMO. the madras tasted like hot tomato and chilly + lemon curry. it is a million miles away from the subtle lightly spiced sweet/toffee madras sold at my fav bir. for me this was a step backwards. However i have learnt how to make base on the fly, which is useful. overall an interesting learning experience! ;D
-
Hi Derek
Thanks for your feedback and for trying the recipe. Once I have had a chance to make it myself a few times I will post a proper recipe with exact amounts. The quantities in the OP are not right and need a bit more refinement. The plum tomato I added was half of a blended tin of whole plum tomatoes. The yoghurt was probably a bit less than specified.
I found when I made it at home, I could taste the yoghurt and lots of salt and chilli in the base, but by the time it was watered down in the curry, it didn't come through as sour. Also, the lemon juice shouldn't really be a primary taste either, everything should combine into one lovely tasting curry.
-
Hi Chris, yes i think its worth refining the recipe as i liked the way you can make base on the fly. useful if you run out of base, and fancy a quick curry. i found it odd that the madras recipe had so little to it. just puree, lemon, chilly if i recall correctly. did the chef not add extra coriander and cumin and tumeric? or some spice mix?
-
Fancied a curry tonight and as ive no base sauce left thought id give this one a try. ive tried various base sauces off this site started with darths which i thought made for a v good madras and the sns base bettered darths which i didnt think possible. Well having tried this tonight i feel it is on a par if not more tasty than the others ive tried. It might be that the base is fresh and not frozen. idont know im no expert but keep trying recipes/ideas on a regular basis and im more than happy with the taste and look of this curry. A question i have is it really worth the bother and effort of making a base when results are similar with a quick base method. Ive done the same with darths before when ive ran out of base and found the reslting curry was no different.
-
A question i have is it really worth the bother and effort of making a base when results are similar with a quick base method. Ive done the same with darths before when ive ran out of base and found the resulting curry was no different.
It's a very good question - i don't have an answer yet i'm beginning to think it's not as important as i thought. i made CA's base last week which also has a similar relatively quick cooking time (~60 mins). as long as the veg are cooked through for blending then conventional cooking would suggest it does not matter. i know the base does change taste when cooked after blending with extra water added (to rtn to the same volume after the extra simmer). i still think this makes a difference but it may not be as significant overall as i've thought. it's something that i might do a side by side when i get chance. it's not a priority for me though.
the important thing is as u've found - a quick curry can be produced of very high standard.
-
Hi alfieb
Firstly, I'm glad you liked the curry, it's the only way I cook them now as it is pretty quick and easy and I think fresh tastes better than frozen.
I personally don't think making a vat of base is essential for home cooking. For your average BIR this is the only way they can churn out curries quickly to meet demand but we know from lots of members experiences that base ingredients and methods vary quite a lot with the only constant really being boiled onion with a spice mix. It's basically a shortcut that has been developed by BIR's over the past 20 years.
We also know from other experiences that the top posh Indian restaurants don't use a base and instead cook everything fresh to order. This wont give a BIR taste but feedback from the results has been excellent. It appears they don't even blend the ingredients, they just cook down and become part of the sauce. Emin-j is the best person to quiz over this as he has first hand experience.
I guess what you have to decide if you want BIR results, or better than BIR results. Everyone is looking for something different.
-
Hi alfieb
Firstly, I'm glad you liked the curry, it's the only way I cook them now as it is pretty quick and easy and I think fresh tastes better than frozen.
I personally don't think making a vat of base is essential for home cooking. For your average BIR this is the only way they can churn out curries quickly to meet demand but we know from lots of members experiences that base ingredients and methods vary quite a lot with the only constant really being boiled onion with a spice mix. It's basically a shortcut that has been developed by BIR's over the past 20 years.
We also know from other experiences that the top posh Indian restaurants don't use a base and instead cook everything fresh to order. This wont give a BIR taste but feedback from the results has been excellent. It appears they don't even blend the ingredients, they just cook down and become part of the sauce. Emin-j is the best person to quiz over this as he has first hand experience.
I guess what you have to decide if you want BIR results, or better than BIR results. Everyone is looking for something different.
I have to agree with you there Chriswg, I have produced some of my best curries from scratch, the Chicken Kashmiri Masala being one of them.
However, I also think it's nice to have base sauce available for that BIR taste, and also when having to cook several different curries for family members or friends in one go.
So I guess from everyones contributions on here we all have the best of both worlds :)
Keep em coming everyone :)
-
Well said chriswg and 976bar , :)
I am going back to the start of this thread cuz I like the sound of this method and simple recipe , as I have said before I am sure we are over complicating what we do in the search for 100% BIR taste and surely T/A's will use the minimum of ingredients that will achieve a good dish.
The ' cooking down ' method makes an excellent Curry , my Son who is also a Curry Lover ;D will only use this method but with all the other 'stuff' to make I found it a bit time consuming and am currently making my Madras the sNs way until I am happy with another recipe and chris's could be it . ;)
-
Hi Chris
I have used this recipe quite alot now, and really like its ease of preparation and freshness, and the curries are perfectly acceptable.
I have recently added some whole spices when cooking the onions such as Cardamon, Cloves, bay leave and cassia- adds a nice dimension if you fancy a change.
Whole spices removed before blanding!
Matt