Hi All,
Have really enjoyed reading through a lot of these posts and cannot wait to get started with a good base mix and make either a vindaloo or a madras. My mouth is watering already.
I did see a couple of post's about the Pataks Madras Curry Paste Medium Hot Jar 283g, my wife and I have been having curry nights for years and for the past few months have used the Pataks Madras Curry paste for a quick and simple curry.
It's expensive to buy but has a unique taste, quite hot.
I would rather make my own paste's etc, so I will have to stock up on my spices and herbs and get stuck in, making proper curry's.
You can try my Pataks Madras Curry Paste recipe if you like:-

You'll need:
1 Pataks Madras Curry Paste Medium Hot Jar 283g
1 or 2 tin's of tomatoes (chopped)
1 large red pepper (chopped)
2 large chicken breasts diced (marinated in the paste if you have time)
2 0r 3 medium onions chopped
Good pile of Crushed Garlic
2 tbl spoons of vege oil
Half a tube of tomato puree
1 tin of coconut milk
Water or cream or milk just to even out the consistency
Optional fresh chilli (chopped)

Method:-
Heat oil, cook onions, pepper until soft add garlic (optional chilli?s). Sometimes I add the marinated chicken into a well and fry the chicken to seal it, or sometimes I cook it in another pan. Seal it and then add it to the cooking vege. I make this curry in a few ways depending on time. Ideally I would marinade the chicken and fry separately.
Once the chicken is browned/sealed I add it to the cooking vegetables, mix it and then add the tin tomatoes and the tomato puree.
Cook for 5 to 10 minutes and then pour in the coconut milk and stir and simmer for 20 min?s. If it?s too thick I?ll add some water or milk but that?s about it. I do add mushrooms sometimes but this is a quick tasty HOT curry.

Been having this for a while now and we usually have enough for Friday and Saturday night?s. It always seems to taste better the next day.
I know there are some really nice recipes on here, so please don?t all scream at me for being a fake ?curry cook?. I can and do cook curry?s using only fresh herbs and spices etc (I even grow my own Chillies) but this is a simple quick tasty curry for a family man???(three kids, my youngest daughter of 5 eats this curry, just adding a little yogurt)
Thanks for reading.
Fandaz