Curry Recipes Online
Curry Base Recipes => Curry Sauce, Curry Base , Curry Gravy Recipes, Secret Curry Base => Topic started by: chriswg on September 07, 2009, 09:33 AM
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If you need to make a quick curry and you don't have any base in the freezer, this recipe is for you. It may lack some of the subtleties of the long cook bases, but it packs plenty of flavour and will produce excellent results. 1 batch will be enough for 4 - 5 curries.
Thank you to JerryM for trying it out and suggesting a couple of areas of improvement.
NOTES
- There is a lot of salt, cumin, coriander and turmeric in the base so when a curry recipe calls for a spice mix this should be reduced or left out completely (as with my Madras Recipe).
- It will produce a thick base and will need water added at curry cooking stage to achieve the desired consistency.
- There is a lot of oil suspended in the base sauce so you might need to reduce the amount of oil used in the curry. I only use 2 tbsp when I start my Madras which seems to work well. You know the sauce is ready to eat when the oil just starts to separate.
Ingredients
- 200 ml vegetable oil
- 450g Onions
- 100g green pepper
- 75g carrot
- 2 green finger chillies
- 2 tsp Garlic Ginger paste
- ? tin blended plum tomatoes
- 2 tsp hot chilli powder
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 3 tsp ground coriander
- 2 tsp turmeric
- 1.5 tsp salt
- 4 tbsp natural yoghurt
- 300ml water
Add the finely chopped onion and green pepper to a frying pan and add oil to completely cover (approx 200 ml). Turn heat to high and start to fry. After a couple of minutes add in two green finger chillies split lengthways. When the onion just starts to brown, add in chopped carrot and continue to fry.
After 2 minutes add ginger garlic paste cook for a minute then add blended tinned plum tomatoes and cook for 3 minutes. Then add the spices and salt and cook for 5 minutes then add the plain yoghurt. Add water (half a metal serving bowl) and simmer for a few minutes. Pour it into a blender to be finely blended.
This whole process should only take about 20 - 25 minutes. The finished base sauce couldn?t be eaten as it is like some bases. It is very yellow, quite spicy and very salty but this is normal as it gets thinned out by half with water at the curry cooking stage.
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Chriswg
my first observations are the amount of chilli&chillies in the base! If you are going to use it to cook a CTM or Korma it would be far too spicey
easier too add heat rather than take it away mate
Also what does the addition of yoghurt do to the base pleae
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Just a few other observations from me:
I made another batch of SnS 2008 base last night and your list of ingredients doesn't look much less to be honest. In terms of preparation there probably isn't much in it and I wouldn't call it quick. But at the end of the full base I have enough for 10 curries.
If you made 4 curries with your base that would be 50 ml of oil per person before you add extra oil to make the final dish - that's quite a lot of oil.
I'm also not sure what effect the yoghurt would have on the flavour.
I appreciate your efforts to product an "instant" curry without a pre-prepared or full base so please don't take it the wrong way.
Paul.
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Hi Billycat,
Assuming you use the base for 4 portions, each curry will contain half a green chilli and half a tsp of chilli powder. I dont imagine that could make anything too hot but as I have only used this for Madras I can't accurately comment.
Regarding the yoghurt, to quote JerryM's feedback he kindly emailed me:
yogurt - something gave the base a taste i'd not come across. i can only think it was the yogurt. i liked the taste and would probably go up significantly to prove or otherwise. too much would not be a good either so maybe say 4 tbsp. i would defo keep it in and will probably try it in my base.
PaulP - I agree there is the same amount of work involved, you just dont have to boil this one for 2 hours before it is ready. I can cook a Madras from scratch within 45 minutes. If you have a Saturday afternoon free to make a big batch of base then go for it, if you want a quick Wednesday night curry after work (assuming you dont have base in the freezer) then this is for you.
This recipe and method isn't here to replace what people already do, it just offers a quick alternative and tastes almost as good as BIR quality. For some (like me), it might be exactly what they are looking for. If you have all the ingredients then knock one up this evening and let me know your thoughts. Everyone who has tried it so far has been surprised by the results.
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i'm not looking to change what i know and what i do from this site (the family have said so) - they know it works.
i don't freeze base so once it's made i tend to have to use it in ~7 days. not a problem. sometimes i do just fancy a curry in a hurry on the spur of the moment though.
this fits the bill.
it's surprisingly different to what i'm use to. the main differences are that it's real thick (the base which is then thinned at dish cooking) and all the normal adjustments (salt, chilli) are already made.
i liked the use of the green chilli and will give it a try in my base (perhaps scraping out the seeds). the yogurt is something i will try out as something gave this base a different taste that i'd not encountered before (that i liked).
Billycat is right u may want to tone the amount of chilli down if u're not going to make medium to hot dishes.
Paulp is right in that it is quite intensive on the effort front. i enjoyed cooking it taking me 1 hr from start to finish without rushing (producing 4 off curries). i agree that with practise that could come down significantly.
it's one to keep in your backpocket. i was surprised how good it was.
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Chriswg,
I reckon you could still fry those ingredients in half the amount of oil, say 100ml. Of course you would have to stir it more. Then if you added about 700 ml water instead of 300, you might end up with about a litre of base sauce which would be thinner but still fit in a normal upright blender and doesn't require a big stock pan.
JerryM,
I once tried 2 de-seeded green chillis in a base preparation and I liked the result. Probably not BIR style due to extra cost but still nice. Wife didn't like a korma I made with it so I have to go easy on the heat of my bases to keep a happy family!
Interesting stuff though - I'm still not sure about the effect of the yoghurt without trying it myself first.
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Chriswg
lol i am afraid it doesnt work like that mate
hot is hot no matter what
you get a cup of boiling water and drink a tiny bit and it will still burn you
so if you make a base that with hot chilli and chillies no matter what bit you eat or even if you divide into 4 it will be the same heat
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Next time I make it I'll make a Madras, Korma and CTM. My wife has a very low tolerance of chilli so it will make for a good test.
I'm sure you could reduce the amount of oil down, but I wouldn't want to. My final curry didn't taste overly oily and I would be concerned reducing this and increasing the water might throw the whole thing out of balance. If you ever give it a go like that I'd be very keen to hear your feedback. If it is possible to reduce the fat content while not compromising on taste then great!
The chef who showed me how to cook this said it can be used for any curry and that this is exactly how he cooks them at home for guests. Funnily enough, he also said he can't eat anything spicy. Even a Madras would be too hot for him to eat.
I'm sure with a bit more testing and refinement this could be up there.
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OK Chris
you have convinced me i will give it a bash
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i made 2 further curries last night (3rd & 4th out of the batch).
they were much much better than 1st & 2nd goes.
i think the main reason was that i applied my std cooking and practises. i added 300ml water to the base prior to cooking to get it more like the consistency i'm used too. i also used olive oil to cook with for the 1st time as i add no other. i also added a further 100ml water for the Kashmiri down to the coconut flour.
i made a version of CK's madras and a version of 976bar's Kashmiri. both were ballpark what i produce on a normal day. i did reduce the chilli at cooking stage to 1/4 tsp. i also used no tom puree at cooking stage relying solely on passata added after base. i don't feel these slight difference made the difference. i think i was just familiar with the cooking. there has been that "24hr" since the base was made but i've made curry using fresh base before and don't feel it accounted for the step improvement seen.
i would reduce the chilli going fwd to perhaps just the green chillies. other than that this base rates very highly and fullfills my occasional need for a curry in a hurry.
many thanks to you chris - much appreciated.
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Hi JerryM,
I'm really pleased to hear the base works well with other recipes. Did you have to reduce the amount of cumin / ground coriander / turmeric in those recipes compared to your usual amounts?
I think its a good point that if you are preparing this base just for mild curries then the chilli powder should be omitted. If you are using it for madras / vindaloos then it needs to stay in.
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But its not a base then Chris is it
a base is a base! BIR's dont have different bases do they ??
If you went to your local takeaway and asked for a korma they wouldnt say oh sorry we only got a hot base tonight
so i would say no extra chilli at all just add it to the dish your creating not to the base
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Hi JerryM,
Did you have to reduce the amount of cumin / ground coriander / turmeric in those recipes compared to your usual amounts?
No i used same qty of spice that i normally use. i'm really sold on the base - as i say for a curry in a hurry.
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i've made this "CIAH" 3 times recently (to go with biryani).
the 2nd go did not turn out too good at all. i think i got a tad too clever and did not follow the instructions to the letter being too caught up in the speed. i also did not have carrot and doubled the pepper. i did not grind the spice enough either. the sauce was too hot having used both the fresh chilli and chilli powder (i've now dropped using the fresh).
for info i've been making a 0.5 batch which produces enough base for 3 off curries. i'm not using as much oil (35ml c/w spec 100) and using x4 on the water (600ml c/w spec 150ml).
as i've said before it's nowhere near the best bases but it certainly fulfils a midweek need.
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i've made this "CIAH" 3 times recently (to go with biryani)....the 2nd go....i got a tad too clever...did not follow the instructions.....i....did not have carrot....and doubled the pepper.... i did not grind the spice enough....used both the fresh chilli and chilli powder....been making a 0.5 batch....i'm not using as much oil (35ml c/w spec 100).....and using x4 on the water (600ml c/w spec 150ml).
as i've said before it's nowhere near the best bases
Sorry Jerry, but it seems to me that you've probably made a TOTALLY different animal to what the recipe intended! :-\
I feel that your conclusion is invalid accordingly.
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Sorry Jerry, but it seems to me that you've probably made a TOTALLY different animal to what the recipe intended! :-\
I feel that your conclusion is invalid accordingly.
I couldn't agree more. He might as well be giving his opinons on the latest compact disc he bought! Even quite minor changes to recipes can make a huge difference to the end result.
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The principal remains the same, all he has really done is reduced the oil and increased the water to thin it down. It is very much still a work in progress base and I'm thankful for any tips Jerry can provide. When I saw it made the chef didn't specify quantities of oil and water, he just added them in. I think 35mm of oil is too little personally but I add hardly any at curry stage. I also add a lot of water at curry stage which Jerry is adding at base stage. It is still very much the same animal.
Out of interest, George and Cory, have either of you had a go at it yet? It would be great to hear your thoughts.
Chris
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The principal remains the same, all he has really done is reduced the oil and increased the water to thin it down
From Jerry's post, I was under the impression that he had changed more than the quantity of oil and water Chris.
Out of interest, George and Cory, have either of you had a go at it yet? It would be great to hear your thoughts
No I haven't tried it Chris. I find it impractical to try every recipe and suggestion. So I cherry pick what I think are likely to be the more promising advancements.
I do have my own "quick madras base" I sometimes use and can post that if anyone is interested?
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One thing I love about BIR cooking, is the whole base concept. Once you have it, you can have a curry in minutes.
On the other hand, when I'm out of base, curry is off the menu, unless I have a few hours to make base.
An "express" base, or curry-in-a-hurry, isn't a bad idea. On the other hand, most of the base-less curries I've made (i.e. those that start with fry a pile of onion and garlic, add a tin of tomatoes...) aren't nearly as good as the base curries I've made.
CA - I'd be interested to see your CIAH recipe, and how you change the main curry recipe to suit. Also how you rate it (and Chris, yours too) vs traditional BIR base curries.
-- Josh
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CA, George,
i've no interest in anyone follwing what i do in terms of tweaks (each to his own). what i was trying to say is that u MUST follow the technique exactly as stated as otherwise u won't get a good enough result.
the as spec recipe is just fine - the water and oil changes are needed for how i cook.
my folly was not of ingredient but in a rush for speed i ended up failing to following the important steps well enough.
ps CA - i love to give u're CIAH a go. it's opened up real opportunity for me as i don't freeze base and quite often want a spur of the moment decent curry
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Out of interest, George and Cory, have either of you had a go at it yet? It would be great to hear your thoughts.
This does look good and I hope I get to give it a try. Like Cory, though, there are so many recipes to try, it's hard to prioritise them, or try everything. At present, I'm building a MK2 tandoor oven, ready for the warmer (barbecue) weather, so my interest will soon be on chicken tikka, naan bread and perhaps Chicken Tikka Masala (CTM) style sauces to go with it. The CTM sauce will need to be made well in advance. People don't want to be waiting around at a barbecue while I make a sauce. So traditional butter chicken, Makhani and CTM type sauces (from scratch) will be up against recipes starting with a base sauce. I don't have time to try them all and I'll probably go for a traditional recipe, for the best taste - my gamble.
If one compares a fresh base sauce in a hurry like the one from Chris, isn't that likely to be better than a more long-winded base sauce which has been frozen and defrosted?
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I prefer the CIAH base as it produces a curry that tastes very similar to the ones from my local TA that showed me how to do it. It can be used to make any kind of curry from Madras to creamy coconutty ones. I need to play around with it a bit more myself and experiment with other recipes.
The general rule when using it but following a traditional recipe is to avoid adding any spice mix as the base already has plenty in it.
Id also avoid adding any chilli powder to a recipe unless making a hot one.
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The general rule when using it but following a traditional recipe is to avoid adding any spice mix as the base already has plenty in it. I'd also avoid adding any chilli powder to a recipe unless making a hot one.
You've persuaded me, so I hope to try it in the next few days, to make a chicken korma, for which I shouldn't need any extra spices anyway.
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George,
a slight aside on timing - for the biryani i've been making 3 off curry sauces in quick succession a few hrs in advance of the meal being ready and simply using the microwave to reheat. this would be a problem if u had quite a lot of curry to reheat (each 200ml portion bowl took 4 mins to reheat) but putting them all into a big pot and then into the oven would be almost the same.
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a slight aside on timing - for the biryani i've been making 3 off curry sauces in quick succession
I like biryani too! Is that the sauce you add into the rice for the biryani proper, which you're talking about? Have you ever tried to produce an accompanying vegetable sauce, like most BIRs serve with their biryanis? How close can anyone get with the taste of that simple vegetable curry dish? It can't be much more than pure base sauce.
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George,
no - the 3 off sauce were plain curry sauce as a side dish (using Secret Santa's chilli sauce).
interesting on the veg sauce - this was what we were served with initially when we had BIR biryani long time ago. after getting to know the waiters we became aware of the plain curry version and never looked back.
the difference as u say is really just down to the extra veg but they are quite different dishes. i've never tried to make the veg version. i'm not sure if just adding par boiled veg (ie cauliflower) at dish frying would work. Haldi or Domi would be best on this subject.