Unless you intend to use the oil from the curry gravy in your fnished curry I don't think there is any need to use oil in making the gravy at all. With no oil in the base, you can then add as much as you like when you make the curry. Try it without oil if you haven't already, I can't tell the difference in the finished curry between using oil and not using oil in the base. When I make a curry base I do blend it with the oil, if I'm using oil, but I also always leave the curry base at least a day before using it and then some of the oil comes out of the sauce when I reheat it for 15-20 mins. In the end I think the amount of oil you like in your curry is down to personal preference and what your used to from your local curry house.

Hi Grimmo,

I don't know if it is a generall thing all over the country, but I find that BIR curries these days tend to have much less oil floating on the top than they once did.

The other point I would make is that I have learnt recently that the pre cooking of meat / vegetables is sometimes done in large batches in a seperate "curry sauce" that isn't blended and therefore has seperated oil and a certain amount of different curry sauce which is added to the base sauce in the final preparation of the dish. ?I'm not sure if this going to help us get closer or just put another spanner in the works, but I know that it is correct at some restaurants. ?The seperate curry that the meat is cooked in is sometimes recommended for children although it is not a true curry but it is mild and very tasty.

Hope this helps and not hinders our collective progress,

Cheers,

Blondie

I have also thought of leaving the oil out in the first stage base mix, glad I'm not the only one.
It doesn't seem to serve any purpose in the Curry Gravy & it would also work out cheaper for a Take-away & i suppose it doesn't make the Curry taste any different,anyone tried this ?

Quote from: Blondie on July 04, 2005, 02:36 PM
Hope this helps and not hinders our collective progress,

It will help if you can share a recipe for the separate curry sauce with us.? ?

Blondie perhaps the meat is cooked in a Resteraunt Masala mix of some kind.

Hi all,

Yes Darth it is a simple curry made from the usual garlic ginger onions tomatoes and as you say a restaurant specific masala, which as we know can be a mix of the usual spices in equal quantities.

Cheers all,

Blondie

The meat from my local is always a golden colour indicating Turmeric for the colour as one of the main spices , i think also Paprika judging by its flavor.

Hi Darth,

No paprika as far as I know and differing amounts of salt depending on the main ingredient.

Cheers,

Blondie

Salt OR MSG ?
As i think my local uses MSG to give the final taste i have not been able to capture ( Yep Ive got a bag on its way ! ;D).

Hi Darth,

I was told salt, but haven't we all.  I don't want to get into the secret ingredient thing again but I suspect msg may be used by many places.  Bearing in mind they may just call it flavour enhancer as this is what Rajah (spice brand) and the like choose to call it.

cheers,

Blondie