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I'd agree, the level of spices in a base has to be matched to the main recipe or its not going to work. For example Admin's base is strongly spiced and you need very little in the main recipe. The KD base has very little spice in it and so the main recipe needs a lot more.

But I think Admin's base wasn't really a base, originally, it was the final curry sauce for a lamb and spinach curry (and hence the substantial spicing)?

To my mind, any "decent" curry base should be very mildly spiced to allow maximum versatility in cooking the whole gambit of curries from Korma to Phal.

Essentially, therefore, a "decent" curry base is much of a muchness.  

It boils down (excuse the pun!  ) to loads of onions, usually some tomatoes (of some sort), some garlic, minimal spicing and maybe a little ginger.....with variations involving one or two other ingredients in minimal quantities.  This is why I maintain that most "decent" curry base can be used with most main recipes.

Of course, if a "curry base" deviates significantly from this norm (and some do) then main course recipes will have to reflect it.  

This is an interesting topic worthy of a new thread which I'll start!

Quote from: Cory Ander on December 08, 2007, 10:50 PM
Yes, that's the one Bobby 

Used to be able to get a copy on the download section here too....don't know if you still can?

That's actually the second base I ever made. Lol, I didn't have a coffee grinder, so I ground the Garam Masala by putting all the ingredients into a pepper mill and twisting it back and forth for about an hour. I found that by following his recipe to the mark, the base was extremely thin.

I've using the KD base for some time with what I think are good results, although to be fair I have not tried others so I'm not really in a position to comment!

I use use his base with a recipe based loosely on several that I've read about; plus what I'ce seen done in the Kitchen of the 'Gatwick Tandoori' (now the 'Zari') in Ifield (Crawley, West Sussex).

For years I loved their Madras/Vindaloo, and when I finally got to see it made I was surprised by some of the ingredients!

The Chef had a 'stock-pot' of base on the cooker, and it looked very like KDs in colour and consistancy, This is how he did it:  First he 'swirled' a oil arround a small frying pan and put it on the hob to heat, next he added a small amount of the base (I'm guesing, it was a long time ago but 3/4 tbs-ish), next he added some 'curry powder' (looked pretty much like Bruce Edward's 'mark 2', the stuff that contains commercial basaar) plus some sugar (!!) and some chillie powder.  After that cooked for a few moments he added the remainder of the base necessary, cooked it for 5mins or som added some chopped corriander leaf and, interestingly, a few 'shakes' of Lee & Perins Worchester Sauce!

I was very interested to see that the chef only had 2 spice mixes for ALL of his dishes: the curry podwer I mentioned above, and also Chat Masalla; so it just goes to show that in inteesting variety of dishes can't just depend on spicing alone!

As for his method, I assume the initial small addition of base was to provide an enviromment for the hot oil to extract the flavour from the spice mix, without the risk of burning the spices.  The water in the base sauce will prevent the tempreture climbing above 100 C (unless all the water is boiled off!) The relatively small amount of base allows the relative excess of oil to to do its job.  I've tried adding spices later in the process but in almost all cases the result is not as good! In my humble experience the only spices that benefit from being added later are: cummin and the mix known as 'Garam Masalla' both of which burn easily and/or lose flavour if over cooked.

To continue, this is how I cook my version:-

I heat 4 tbs of ground nut oil in a large frying pan 'till hot, then I add 5tbs of KD base quickly followed by 1 level tbs Bruce Edward's 'mark 2' curry powder, a whole sachet of chillie powder (the stuff by Schartz, 2 x sachets per box - about 2 lev tbs/sachet), 3/4 of a lev tps dark brown sugar, 1/2 lev tps salt, 1/4 lev tps ground dried fenugreek leaf.  I give this a good mix a cook on a high heat for aprox one minute, untill it gets that rich toffee-ish smell.  Then I add the reaminder of the KD base (total original quantity was 450 ml) some precooked main ingredient ( I use chicken cut fairly small -so it does not need pre-cooking- and just extend the total cooking time to 15 mins), cook for a few mins till it starts to thicken, add (exactly) 1/2 lev tps of Worchester sauce (I've tried using more, it becomes too obvious and detracts form the flavour) and some chopped coriander leaf.  Cook few a minute or so and serve.....

wonderfull!

The think the Worchester sauce acts as the souring agent to counterpoint the chillie heat.  BUT unlike adding tamarind (which I've also tried!), it also adds a bit of extra richness. I've also experimented with small amounts of of lime juice / lemon juice / cider vinegar, good but not AS good!

The sugar is added at a point where it may actually partially caramalise, so result is not obviously sweet.

Quote from: adriandavidb on December 10, 2007, 05:36 PM
To continue, this is how I cook my version:-

Adrian

Many thanks for your most interesting posts. Your observations sound interesting and I can't wait to try the same approach myself.

Is that Crawley BIR still good?

Regards
George