Have been a big fan of this Eastern Tandoori dish for a few years and was thrilled to find this recipe. I do enjoy cooking and do it a lot but I'm a complete dilettante really and, although I have spent time bothering Indian food chefs in Ireland and India with questions, I have no real expertise in the area.

So after discovering this recipe last week (with Dave's help), I've had two gos at it. First time round I stuck rigidly to the recipe but mistakenly under buttered it. The second time I followed the recipe as is but added a bit of chicken stock to the base and cardamoms to the main gravy. I left out the food colouring in both.

Here's what I found: Both dishes were delicious. I haven't actually eaten a Patala for years because I don't live in Ireland anymore but my memory of the dish is still pretty sharp. My second attempt definitely got close to my memory of a Patala but not quite there.

3 things to say about this though: firstly my lack of expertise could well have been a factor. Secondly the end product may very well be even nicer than a patala. Thirdly, sight undeniably influences taste so the colour (or lack thereof) could well have influenced my opinion.

The reason I added cardamoms to the gravy is that I remember fishing these out of my patala on a number of occasions in Eastern Tandoori. After hassling the owner a few years ago (who also has a spice shop in town) he sold me a sachet of spice mix which he says they use in their patala. I tried to look this up again recently - it was made by laziza, came in a silver packet and was called something like hot and sweet chicken - but couldn't find it.

Just want to say thanks a million for posting this. This is an absolutely delicious dish and by far the nicest curry I've ever made.

this looks brill - must try it.

Quote from: curryhell on November 29, 2015, 08:01 PM
An unfamiliar dish to many I am guessing, but found regularly on the menus of a growing number of curry houses now found across Southern Ireland. It most likely has its roots here and probably goes by a different name and could easily be related to butter or makhani chicken or even the Punjabi masala.  The menu descriptions:

Another post that appears to have lost the bulk of its content.
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** Phil.

Yes, assuming that  « Last Edit: December 01, 2015, 10:04 AM by curryhell » wasn't CH removing his own recipe two days after posting! 

But, seriously, it just would be the first, most important post, wouldn't it?!

I can retype the recipe from my screenshot if that would help?

Nice one, BAJ-if t's not too much trouble. I could then insert it into the first post?

Eastern Tandoori Chicken Patala

Ingredients:

- Portion of cooked Chicken Tikka
- 350 ml portion of heated curry base
- 2 Tbsp Oil
- 2 knobs of butter (each approx 1 Tbsp when melted)
- Rounded Tbsp finely chopped Onion
- 2 Tsp Garlic (ginger) paste
- 0.5 Tsp Meethi leaves
- 0.25 Tsp Salt
- 2 Tsp Tandoori Masala powder
- 1 Tsp Mix powder
- 0.5 Tsp Chilli powder or to taste
- 1 Tbsp Tomato paste already diluted 1 part paste to 2 parts water
- 2 rounded Tbsp ground Almond (or Almond powder)
- 1 level Tsp of Coconut powder or dessicated coconut
- 1.5 Tsp Sugar
- 2 Tsp Tomato Ketchup
- 1 Tsp Lemon juice
- Half a Tomato cut into quarters
- 3 Tbsp single Cream
- 0.25 Red Food Colouring
- 1 Tbsp chopped fresh Coriander

Method:

- Add 2 Tbsp spoon of oil to your curry pan and place on medium heat
- Add the finely chopped onion and first knob of butter and fry till they start to take on a little colour
- Add pureed garlic/ginger and fry until the sizzling from the puree subsides, about 30 to 40 seconds
- Add the meethi leaves, salt, tandoori masala, mix and chilli powders, pre-diluted tomato paste and fry for 30 to 45 seconds mixing well with the pan contents – DO NOT BURN
- Add 2 chef spoons of the heated curry base and stir in well and fry for 30 to 45 seconds
- Add half of the remaining curry gravy, almond and coconut powders followed by the sugar
- Give the pan a good stir ensuring all ingredients are well mixed
- Add the chicken tikka and stir
- Leave for 3 to 4 minutes to cook, checking occasionally, do not let it burn
- Add the remaining curry gravy, tomato ketchup, tomato quarters, lemon juice, stir and cook for 2 minutes
- Add the cream and food colouring and stir through the curry
- Reduce heat and leave to thicken to a normal curry consistency
- Add the coriander stirring it through the curry
- Add the knob of butter folding it in to the curry until it has melted
- Garnish with a sprinkle of fresh coriander




Tandoori Masala Ingredients:

3 Tablespoons Ground Coriander
3 Tablespoons Ground Cumin
3 Tablespoons Garlic Powder
3 Tablespoons Paprika
5 Teaspoons Ground Ginger
5 Teaspoons Mango Powder
5 Teaspoons Dried Mint
3 Teaspoons Chilli Powder
1 Teaspoon Red Food Colouring Powder


@Onions: I had already typed it up but not printed it for some reason.  There are some Capitalisations that are not in the original and I had put it into a standard format I like to use but the qty's are all correct.  I have some scribbles on my screen print, where I have used 1 Tbsp of Food colouring in the Ingredients to get the brilliant red colour in CH's original photo's.   I hope this helps.

Thanks, Bob-A-Job! I've done that, and I'll leave your post here too, for background.

Quote from: Bob-A-Job on October 10, 2021, 10:01 PM
I have some scribbles on my screen print, where I have used 1 Tbsp of Food colouring in the Ingredients to get the brilliant red colour in CH's original photo's.

Ah — there were photographs.  I don't suppose that by any chance you downloaded and saved those too ?
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** Phil.

I should think that 1 TBSP of food colouring would indeed impart quite a vibrant colour on a single portion curry.  The Chinese spy satellites would love it.  CCP Red.  I think I normally use about the equivalent of 1 matchhead or 1/8 tsp and I still manage to stain everything in sight.  That Tandoori Orange is a bugger. 

We used to use about 1 tablespoon in a few litres of water to use as a non-toxic wood stain in high school woodwork classes.  We had lots of complaints from the local McDonalds for sending kids to work after school shifts with multi-coloured hands.  Apparently the customers were a bit put off by it.  Can't imagine why!!!