Quote from: George on May 06, 2025, 10:52 AM

He may be the most successful of the white British individuals trying to promote BIR recipes. His following on youtube is significant and still growing. It probably generates quite a high income but I bet it's hard work. How can you really relax and enjoy a meal if needing to concentrate on filming and talking the entire time? He even had a visit from Gary of the gary eats channel, treating Al's kitchen a bit like a restaurant. I'm not persuaded Al's home cooked dish was good enough to warrant Gary's high mark but how can we know?

Just watched my first Gary Eats video George.

https://youtu.be/TGIdfWr6_uM?si=KfCXG2w0jMBcjpd8

When I clicked on the link, it went to a curry review by the channel Rich Rates Food. He has just over 3,000 subscibers whereas Gary Eats now has more than 300,000

Try this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O0BEghiNLds

It's not expecting BB code between the [ IMG ] tags, George, just the URL.

Yes, the image host page also provides a direct URL. I tried looking up the image on my chrome browser. The web address came up blue, suggesting it's valid. The curry recipes image host page opened with a line saying 'loading image' but the photo never appeared. I fear the whole site is neglected with bugs all over the place.

Here is the web address if you can achieve anything with it, or perhaps the photo will appear here.

https://curry-recipes.co.uk/imagehost/#09ac36d4943c919de7cff56b00af346e.jpg

I think what I can say straight up is that the store bought paste is more acidic. 

Do you have any means of checking the acidity, especially between one item and another? I use paper strips, mainly. I also have an electronic device as sold for use with hydroponics. All readily available, low cost and, in my opinion, worth having.

Update: more than two years after my previous post on this thread. All but one of my curry tree plants have died. For a start, none of them grew a very dense root system. I'm not even persuaded that my variety of curry leaf plant has aromatic leaves. I gave up using energy to keep them warm in a heated chamber.  Last winter, and so far this summer, the two surviving plants were being grown hydroponically in nutrient solution. But they can't have liked the winter temperatures, down to almost freezing in my house. Not only did the leaves all fall off but the branches fell off, too, leaving simple upright stems, now 4 or 5 years old. I think one of the two plants has now died. The remaining one is growing new branches and leaves fast and there is a new plant growing out the bottom of the pot.

I decided to try again. It's good how Copilot understood my conditions so I think AI shows some potential. I'm not sure about the recipe, though. It doesn't even use base sauce.

You
I know about base sauce, the sweet and sour aspects and Parsi origins fior Dhansak so please don't bore me with those details. But how can I create a dhansak as good as the best restaurants in the UK?
Copilot
Certainly! Let’s dive straight into creating a restaurant-quality Dhansak that rivals the best UK establishments. I’ll skip the basics and focus on the key steps to elevate your home-cooked Dhansak:

Chicken Dhansak Recipe
Ingredients:
2 tbsp vegetable oil
8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1 medium onion
3 garlic cloves
1 thumb-sized piece of ginger
1 tbsp tomato puree
1 tsp curry powder (madras curry powder if available)
1 tsp chilli powder (adjust to taste)
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 green chilli (optional, for extra heat)
100ml pineapple juice
1/2 tsp salt
1x 400ml can of chopped tomatoes
200g split red lentils
Instructions:
Cook the Lentils:
Rinse the lentils until the water runs clear.
Add them to a saucepan, cover with water, and boil for about 15 minutes or until soft. Drain and set aside.
Sauté the Aromatics:
Chop the onion into bite-sized pieces.
Heat oil in a deep-sided pan or wok over medium heat.
Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes until lightly browned.
Add Chicken and Flavorings:
Add the chopped chicken thighs, grated ginger, and minced garlic.
Stir and cook for 7 minutes until the chicken is no longer pink.
Season and Spice:
Sprinkle in the curry powder and chilli powder.
Stir to coat the chicken evenly and cook for 2 more minutes.
Create the Sauce:
Add tomato puree, water, sugar, and pineapple juice.
Stir to combine, then add the canned tomatoes.
Bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes.
Incorporate Lentils:
Add the pre-cooked, drained lentils to the sauce.
Simmer for an additional 5 minutes.
Final Touch:
Stir in a handful of torn coriander leaves.
Taste and adjust seasoning with salt if needed.
Serve:
Pair your Chicken Dhansak with fragrant Basmati rice, naan bread, and perhaps some homemade bhajis for a complete meal.
Remember, the secret lies in balancing the sweet, sour, and savory flavors. Adjust the spice level to your preference, and you’ll have a delightful Dhansak that rivals the best UK restaurants! 🍛🌶️🇬🇧