Curryhell.

Sorry forgot to mention this too...

If the chef's out to impress or in especially benevolent mood they will add a small block of butter right at the very end of cooking.This then melts deliciously into the curry as its waiting to be dished out and adds a spectacular velvety dimension to the dish as it slowly blends with the pureed spinach.

 

They look fabulous curries Bob.

I've been trying to perfect Methi Gosht for years.You wouldnt be so kind as to share the recipe or your experience of cooking it would you please?

Thank you.

Some may fiind this sacreligous but its a true story..

Ive tried most bases here and most are decent however..

The best base sauce abd very closest to BIR hesven ive come was when i made a pot of
carrot and coriander soup from a recipe on the BBC Good Food website.

Lovely soup but after a coupla portions i began to think.with half a pot remaining,it wasnt far off colour/texture of a decent bssr gravy.I simply added 2 cups of fresh coriander and a tablespoon if Pataks Madras paste and heated it fir 15 mins.

Hand on heart as a true curry addict it was the best base and curry ive ever made and the closest ive cone to the true BIR flavour.

I sometimes think we might be over-complicating our quests here as a result of this improvised little experiment.

Anyone tried a similiar and less time-consuming approach and had good results?

Thanks for the replies and encouragement guys.
Ive been eating a coupla curries a week from this takeaway for 10 years.
EVERY TIME its superb with that perfect BIR taste.
The chef doesnt let me cook but i watch him from 5 feet away.
Tomato puree is usual stuff we can all buy.
Stockpot no different taste to most bases on here.
Usual G&G paste and ive tasted the garam masala,it tastes just like any we could buy e.g. East End/Rajah.
Sprinkling of dried methi leaves,chilli powder,turmeric,cumin & salt.
Coupla mins low heat then gradual base ladling over high heat,with pre cooked chicken added.
Sprinkling of garam masala and fresh corisnder two minutes before end.
In total 7-8 mins and no great secret but he NAILS the BIR taste EVERY time.
I wont give up trying but sometimes its bloody frustrating! Lol

Two points...

1. Experience.

Let's not forget that most of us only make a handful a month and are still relative novices at the game. My local takeaway,for example,has just promoted a young guy(who's been around the kitchen 3 odd years) to apprentice chef status.The basic training alone will take him a year under the eye of a Masterchef who's been doing it 40 years or more.To watch this old guy cook in front of you one might think it looks easy-he knocks out superb curries in less than 10 minutes-whilst cooking pakoras,making naans,serving chips and cheese and dealing with pissed and obnoxious punters. His lifetime experience makes it look so easy.Fact is it aint!.Years of know how are invloved.

2. The Psychology.


When you've worked away for hours in the kitchen your're already familiar and possibly immune to the spices/smells. But when it's just handed to you by a delivery guy as you're sat home with a few beers and DVD then the sheer walk-in factor from your local take away probably makes a bigger impact on your senses than you might think had you been around your kitchen own cooking alll day...