Don't worry I'm not going to start singing!

In the last 8 years I feel I've tried every combination of base recipe, youtube video and ebook in the quest for that elusive taste, I've done traditional indian cookery classes, wasted not-inconsiderable sums of money on books and ingredients and still I'm coming up short with the humble madras.  To this end, I'm back to studying things in a more scientific way through compare and contrast.  I know some members have taken this approach before of reverse-engineering, but I really think with a combined effort we could get a bit closer.

Bear with me on this one, but I'm rather partial to the Asda supermarket ready meal curries such as http://groceries.asda.com/asda-webstore/landing/home.shtml?cmpid=soc-_-ghs-_-yourasda-_-chosenbyme-_-socialhub&utm_source=yourasda&utm_medium=sco&utm_term=socialhub&utm_content=chosenbyme&utm_campaign=ghs&#/product/910001051790this one.  I've tried them all, both the main players like Sharwoods and Pataks, curry pastes, cook-in sauces, ready meals and the Asda range seems to be the closest out of the lot to BIR (to my tastes anyway).  The ingredients list states:

Water , Cooked Marinated Beef (25%) [Beef (88%), Onions, Spices, Rapeseed Oil, Salt] , Onions , Onion Pur

Some interesting ideas here sp. About the mix, I guess many of them individual spices in the ingredients list are their equivalent, and the base itself is really just onions, whatever else goes in at different stages. E.g., have you noticed how many trad. style curries say, in their first stages, fry some onions until milky (taking say 40 mins), and then start on the actual curry- often throwing in chopped tomatos at this point? Bingo- that's the original 'melting' onion flavour that the 'fast-food' BIR style is replicating. All I'm saying is, even a factory made box-thing will probably need simila ingredients to a BIR although forced to be done in a diferent way.

This is a great thread- possibly even a myth-busting one! Now, about that 5%...    

Comparing Korma, Madras, Rogan Josh and Vindaloo comes up with the following small list of common ingredients, standard stuff  ::

• Water
• Salt
• Sugar
• Garlic Puree
• Onion
• Tomatoes
• Coriander
• Ginger Puree
• Tomato Puree
• Chilli Powder

I see tamarind is in the list of ingredients.

Quote from: emin-j on November 09, 2014, 08:25 PM
I see tamarind is in the list of ingredients.

yeah, it's in the asda madras but not in their rogan josh, korma or vindaloo.  i haven't looked at the others yet:

http://groceries.asda.com/asda-webstore/landing/home.shtml?cmpid=ahc-_-ghs-sna1-_-asdacom-dsk-_-hp#/promotion/ls83640

SP

I'm usually in favour of such detailed analysis. I'll have to try and keep my blinkers off for this one.

Ive tasted 2 BIR base . Very different. One I tried to replicate in the basic base post. The other is deluxe. 

At the deluxe place had conflicting views from the staff. The manager - the secret to it all which could not be produced at home. The chef - a means of adding water.

For me there is threshold. A lot of base on this site meet the threshold.

Mix powder is something I've not explored and intend to do at some point.

Both mix and base change the taste of the finished dish but they don't alone make BIR.

Everything has to be in place. For example I read in a post that tower puree was nothing special. Often you won't see a difference unless all other pieces are in place. The difference of each only being small and only the collective sum equalling BIR.

Quote from: emin-j on November 09, 2014, 08:25 PM
I see tamarind is in the list of ingredients.

Tamarind is a regular show in many pre-made curry pastes and sauces, however rarely seen in recipes.

I too have observed the ingredient listings on propriety products and what surprises me is the amount of water, considering that one of the most destructive things in preserved foods is water.

Stocked up on provisions for research purposes...

When making red masala sauce I use a teaspoon of tamarind paste, it gives a nice sour along with the sweet and salty.

i've tried tamarind sauce, wasn't too keen, but i'm willing to be converted so i've ordered tamarind paste