Hey Yellow Fingers Ive got 28 bags of  Curry Base ( you were right  ;D )
Curry King i agree there is enough info on this site to produce a standard quality Take-away style Curry, now that Ive been to more Take-away`s ( I'm surprised how low the average standard is & if you follow many recipes here you will be making really nice quality curries).
My chicken is better than any Bir i have ever visited.
But we all have different tastes & preferences .
I will be honest i 100% prefer my latest Curry ( many colleagues at my workplace offer to pay for me to cook them a curry to bring in to work to eat, that for me speaks volumes !!) . & i will honestly say i love my Curries !!.

I`m in Curry heaven  DARTHPHALL........ ;D

Quote from: Yellow Fingers on September 07, 2005, 08:43 AM
I use a far simpler test. When I make a curry I put one portion in the fridge and the next day I open it up and sniff. Every curry I have ever had from a restaurant always has the distinct smell the next day even when cold..

That's it exactly.
I have smelt my "successful" curries the next day and that's when I knew they weren't quite right.
They smell too vegetably, too like a stew.
Restauraunt curry still has that wonderful aroma.
And it's this we are all chasing.

I've done the flambeing quite well
Big flames.
But no real difference to taste
It really stinks the house out though and smells VERY restaurant like.
I have seen demos where they produce curries, without flames, that had the taste

What I want to do is create that incredibly strong restaurant smell
Maybe working in desertspoons of spices isn't enough
Restaurants use far more
When you are adding bags full at a time, it must create a far more intense aroma, even if it is for a much larger quantity of sauce.

What we still need is a witnessed "start to finish" of the full scale base

I remember curries from over 20 years ago tasting fantastic and I've not managed to replicate some of these historic favorites of mine. I reckon I've had more success recently as many BIRs tend to be very similar in my opinion - I suspect there is more consistency now that chefs/recipes move around from place to place.

I'm totally convinced we are using all the right ingredients already, but we're using the wrong quantity or method.

Another thing Ive noticed is how quickly my spices lose that fresh smell, a Take-away will always be using up its spices perhaps this  play`s a small part in the extra strong smell/flavor.
I`ve had my extra hot Chilli powder for 4 months & i would consider it time to throw it away, i will definitely be buying in smaller amounts even if it costs a little extra.

Tend to agree with Darthphall...check out this info -

It's a fact that the fresher the spices and seasonings are, the more aromatic and flavorful your meals and baked treats will be. But just how do you know if your spices and herbs are fresh?

1) Sight - Check to see that the color of your spices and herbs is vibrant. If the color has faded, chances are the flavor has too.

2) Smell - Rub or crush the spice or herb in your hand. If the aroma is weak, it's time to replace it.

3) Taste - Rub or crush the spice or herb in your hand. If the flavor isn't apparent, it's time to replace it.

After purchasing fresh and flavorful spices and herbs from your grocery store, proper storage will prolong their freshness. Here are some suggested storage and usage tips:

Keep them away from heat, moisture, and direct sunlight. This means avoid storing spices and herbs over the stove, dishwasher, sink or near a window.

* Keep spices and herbs stored in tightly closed bottles after each use.

*Instead of sprinkling spices and herbs directly from the bottle over a steaming pot, measure spices into a bowl or cup and then add them to the pot. Sprinkling spices and herbs over a steaming pot will hasten flavor loss and could result in caking.

* Be sure to use a completely dry measuring spoon when dipping it into a spice bottle, as moisture will make the contents deteriorate.

* Members of the red pepper family, including paprika and chili powder, will retain their color and remain fresher when stored in the refrigerator.

If you store your spice products properly, here's a guideline of how long they may last.

SPICES
Ground Spices    2-3 years
Whole Spices    3-4 years
HERBS                    1-3 years
SEEDS                    3-4 years
SEASONING BLENDS    1-2 years
EXTRACTS    4 years


One handy way to monitor the age of your spices and herbs is to take a felt tip pen and put the date on the label or lid when you first open the bottle.

I have not had a BIR curry but have been reading how everyone is missing that special taste/smell.  I wonder if they reuse the oil that they fry with.  Has anyone seen if they use fresh oil or if it could be oil that pokodas or other appetizers could have been fried in and rebottled? After deep frying, I use up the oil in my cooking rather than refrying in it.  I notice my food has a different taste in it - especially if I fried something that had garlic or onion in it.  It gave my food a very "heavy" taste that reminded me of an indian restaurant.  I am probably the last person to try to find the secret as I have not eaten a "curry" here in the UK but am trying to think what in indian cooking may help in giving a restaurant type flavor and smell.  I am intrigued that this idea of duplicating a restaurant recipe has turned out to be such a mystery.  I may just have to go eat a "curry" to see what you are all talking about ;D

Payal

Quote from: blade1212 on September 07, 2005, 08:56 PM
I remember curries from over 20 years ago tasting fantastic and I've not managed to replicate some of these historic favorites of mine.

Now there's a funny thing! I thought I was the only one to think curries years ago were somehow different to what we get nowadays. It is hard to describe but my recollection was they were extremely rich, very deep flavouring, all different and I could never finish a whole dish as it was too "heavy" for me. Perhaps this sounds odd but what we get now is much blander, sauces with a very mild taste and most dishes tasting like all the others. So what's happened then???
There was just one restaurant not far from me that served me up a Vindaloo that took me back to the seventies. I should have grilled them what their "secret" was but didn't. Ah well, never mind.

Quote from: paast10 on September 08, 2005, 08:37 AM
I may just have to go eat a "curry" to see what you are all talking about ; Payal

Yes, get yourself down to your local curry house and explore their menu. I think you will be surprised at what you taste and understand what we are all banging on about!
Just another thought has come to me. I was wondering if anyone roasts and grinds their spices?
Some recipe books insist this is the best way to handle spices. Most of us would perhaps use them straight from a manufactured packet but Indian Chef's have their own special spice mixes and roast them first. Maybe this would add to the overall flavour and taste? I personally buy whole spices and grind them in a coffee grinder but don't roast them first. The aroma is so fresh compared with ready ground stuff. If I have ever roasted them first it is obvious it radically changes the aroma and makes the spice more "pungent"
Any thought's on this ??

Ray

Oh, the taste and aromas are so different when you dry roast the spices!!  It is a must I feel.  I read somewhere that some spices, like fenugreek seeds, are so hard that by dry roasting them, it makes them easier to grind.  I dont make my own garam masala but roast and grind my own coriander powder, fenugreek powder and cumin powder.  I always roast them on the stove until they turn a shade darker and start giving off their aromas - cool them - and then grind them.  Cumin is perhaps the most important one in that when they call for roast cumin powder, it means to roast the cumin until it turns a deep shade of brown and then grinded.  Other spices are not deepened in color like cumin is.  The taste is 100% different when cumin seed is browned and ground!  This weekend, I accidentally roasted the coriander seed too much and it turned brown but when ground, it gave off a totally different taste! But it is not meant to be browned because the classic coriander taste was lost when I did that.  Give it a try and see what happens.

Payal

Quote from: raygraham on September 08, 2005, 08:52 AM

Quote from: blade1212 on September 07, 2005, 08:56 PM
I remember curries from over 20 years ago tasting fantastic and I've not managed to replicate some of these historic favorites of mine.

This is EXACTLY what my Dad says. He got hooked on curries in the 70s, and now he is 100% certain that BIR curries these days lack the magic and depth of flavour that they used to. I know what he means to a degree, when I started on curries back in the 80s as a kid, there did seem to be a much richer taste than you get in 95% of BIR places now.

TBH, I only really know of 2 BIRs that I enjoy eating at these days. The vast majority are bland, more tomatoey than anything vaguely Indian.

When it comes to making BIR food at home, it's hard as most BIR food these days is pretty bad, and I'm really trying to copy the specific flavour from 2 places. I'm pretty much like everyone else here. I get 95% of the way there 95% of the time, and every now and then hit jackpot - but then can't repeat it.

I cook more trad Indian food anyway these days, Madhur Jaffrey type stuff.