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Messages - slick

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I've made my first batch of base in ages using mild Dutch onions (the big ones that normally come in threes in smkts) and there was no sweetness at all....

If you're not getting any sweetness then you're not boiling them long enough.

From experience I've found any type of onion will break down into sugars if you boil then simmer them long enough, when this happens the water turns a white creamy colour.
The thing with a base is that once you add spices initially, then it's hard to see this change due to the colour of the spices mainly tumeric.

If you're not sure just boil the onions until the onions break down as described above then add the rest of your base mix and simmer for another hr or two.

Or just do as I do and simmer the base for at least 4 hrs, then leave to stand over night cooling down slowly before blending it.


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Lets Talk Curry / Re: Ebook
« on: October 05, 2012, 12:16 AM »
It's a fantastic book Mick as I thought it would be, from reading your posts on this forum your recipes are very similar to my favourire ones (in fact after reading the book I now see others have blatantly copied yours ) that I have gathered over the years and the price alone just to save me typing them out is more than worth it.

I initially bought the book to see the Bunjara recipe which I had read so much about because my favourite BIR uses one and I won't settle until I can get something near their taste, thats not to say that I cannot get 'the taste' of the average BIR which I can easily master but it's this particular taste I'm trying to get as I have created nothing yet anywhere near it.
I've been going there for over 20 years and it was only the other week while I was picking up a curry on the way home from work I noticed the chef's now cook 'up front' and all they used to make my madras curry was a base sauce and some sort of Bunjara, from what I saw they must have a few varying Bunjara's for different currys, I know it sounds a bit basic but believe me their currys are fantastic as I've been eating them since a young teenager and I'm nearly 50 now and coming from Manchester I've been to more than my fair share of Bir's and takeaways.

I've just finished the Bunjara and altered it slightly to my own taste but will tell you how it turned out after the weekend as I won't be making a curry until then.

One thing I would like to say is that anybody looking to get into BIR cooking then buying this book is a no brainer, for the price of ?3.50 everything is there and well explained.
It took me years to get to the level I am at now by spending hundreds if not thousands of hrs browsing websites and forums like this one trying to master the art of making a BIR curry, If Micks book was around when I first started off then it would have saved a lot of time and heartache.

If there was one thing I could knock the book for, that would be he seems to have a sweet tooth imo but even then when he mentions sugar in his recipes he does state (optional) so do take this on board.

Other than that you won't buy a better curry book and I've bought over time most of the others out there including Chapman and Dillon.


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Lets Talk Curry / Re: Ebook
« on: October 04, 2012, 12:08 AM »
Cheers m8, I should have read the thread thoroughly It was just that I couldn't find any info on his website.

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Lets Talk Curry / Re: Ebook
« on: October 03, 2012, 11:39 PM »
Ehhhm, this might sound a bit stupid but I've just purchased the ebook and now where do i download it from?

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Lets Talk Curry / Re: Easy Madras
« on: September 10, 2012, 10:03 PM »

AIR gravies are more like an onion and tomato based thick paste with the spice mix already incorporated so they need to be diluted, not reduced.

My favourite BIR uses this method and the taste is unbelievable allthough the thick paste is diluted with base sauce and not water.

I've been trying to come up with my own onion/garlic/spice mix /tomato paste sauce recently and allthough my curries have improved and 'the taste' is there , there is still something lacking.

beachbum do you have any idea of what exactly goes into this paste?

7
Lets Talk Curry / Re: BIR Kitchen essentials
« on: August 08, 2012, 11:31 PM »
Cheers Julian and thanks for the insight.

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House Specialities / Re: Curry2Go - Chicken Tikka Masala..
« on: May 10, 2012, 04:05 PM »
Quote
976bar - I've made the Curry2Go CTM, and thought it was as close to BIR as I've ever made that dish. CTM is one dish I've tried literally dozens of different recipes. Was very pleased with this one.

I actually used the original public Curry2Go base, and I think I overspiced it, using standard chefs spoons instead of the 30ml one he uses. Rather than bin the base once I figured out my error, I've been using the frozen base ziplock bags in my freezer, as the curries I've made with it have been excellent. Up next is the C2G base from the eBook.

- Josh

I'm in total agreement with that allthough rather than you over spicing things it could be Julians recipes as I've had to cut back on the spicing of a lot of his recipes , epsecially the base sauce. Having done that I'd say this dish in particular is a close to a BIR CTM I have ever made.

He also seems to put a lot of coconut in this dish which can dry up the sauce a tad, I've found that 1 tbs is more than sufficient.

Talking of which, does anybody know where to buy coconut flour? I've been pulse grinding dessicated coconut in a coffe grinder with good results but it would make life a touch easier if get hold of the flour.

9
Watching when the G/G paste starts to turn brown is fine with a fresh clean pan but when you are making a few curries one after the other I tend to use the same pan having scraped out as much as I can from the previous curry.

This has never tainted my 'next' curry taste wise but it has left remnants of Tumeric and other spices in the pan which discolours the fresh white G/G paste when you initially add it to the heated pan, resulting with it being impossible to judge how cooked the garlic is.

I have discovered though and this has now become my rule of thumb with excellent results, on a medium heat add the G/G paste to the oil and as soon as the G/G paste begins to stick to the pan (I'm using an alumunium omelette pan as seen in BIR's and recommended on this forum) ,  add the tomato puree and other spices.
Whack up the burner to full then stir quickly for around 30 secs then add half a ladle of base and mix in.
Once the base is mixed in you can leave the mixture on full for a couple of mins stirring every now and again without fear of burning the spices, this stage produces some lovely aromas.

Once this mixture has reduced enough to resemble a paste , I then add the cooked meat of my choice then stir for around 30 secs before adding the rest of my base.
I then give it a stir for a couple of mins on full heat all the time scraping down the curry from the sides of the pan to get that lovely smokey caramalised taste.

Then I reduce the heat  and let the curry simmer to the right consistancy for a few mins or if it is too thick (depending on the thickness of the base) add water then let it simmer down for 3 or 4 mins.

I've discovered this method results in the best curries I have ever made.

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Just Joined? Introduce Yourself / Long time lurker
« on: May 04, 2012, 10:43 PM »
Hi all, I've decided it's about time I introduced myself as I've been lurking long enough.

I signed up years ago when I tried to master BIR curries but after several unsuccessful attempts decided to give it up.
Then a couple or yrs ago I moved to a new area where the BIR's and takeaways are dreadful which ended up with me having to make a 20 mile round trip to my favourite takeaway every time I fancied a curry.
That has recently started to become a bit of a drag so I decided to have another bash at making my own curries again; with some great results thanks to this forum.

I can honestly say that my curries now far surpass anything the locals round these parts have to offer.

Thanks all and I promise to share my knowledge within the forum, not that I can share much as this great forum has basically taught me everything I know, but I can hopefully share a few tricks and tips I have picked up on my way.

Thanks to all on cr0.

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