Hi Stephen,

QuoteI think it a fairly sophisticated recipe (meant as a compliment Razor) that includes garlic ginger paste, chopped tomato and chopped onion.

No offence taken mate, tis true, I am a very sophisticated Northerner :

QuoteRazor also adds some sugar.

Yes, I did many moons ago but I would say that, if using Chewys base, there really is no need to add the sugar as it is sweet enough on it's own.

The tomato is there just to make it less bland and the onion for flavour and texture.  The chilli powder, if using, just gives the right amount of heat that lets you know that you are eating a curry but not something that's going to blow your head off.

The medium curry is, as CA suggests, the curry that really relies on good technique and good ingredients and does provide the foundation for every other curry that follows.  Some would even say that it is the first stage in "formula" curries, me included, which for me, is perfectly fine.

I would also like to add that using the Taz base in the way that you have Stephen, ensures that nothing gets ruined.  It's a great base and perfect for the reduction method as that first reduction contains enough oil to give the spices a good cooking.

Nice post Stephen.

Ray

Good post SL, I haven't ventured much further than Madras & basic curry for exactly the reasons you've mentioned. It's a test of this Maillard reaction/caramelisation, wok hei, or just plain singe/quench, which we now know to be crucial in achieving the taste. I'm not sure too many chefs would really understand exactly whats going on here either as it not something visual. I'm sure the hot pans have an effect on not just the oil /spice/GG/tomato, but the gravy also, & not by just plain reduction. The flavour changes I can get now & again over just a few seconds really are strange.

Although bland in comparison to the rest of the menu, the basic curry from my local has the taste in abundance, so using this as the control I've been attempting to replicate it.
I can't detect tomato at all, as in their bhuna which has plenty. The colour is almost the same as any base I've made, maybe even going towards yellow, which again may hint at no tomato paste. Ginger I'm not entirely sure, but definitely garlic, salt & methi.The exact spice mix is unknown. Coriander garnish. No other visible ingredients. I've also been trying out GM in place of MP, with tomato paste & methi, with some decent results

"rectum wrecker"  ;D, I remember someone on here saying they "cut the chilli amount in half as they had work the next day"  ;D That made me laugh, although I'm not sure it was a joke 

Regards
ELW

Quote from: 976bar on March 10, 2012, 01:03 PM
Hi Stephen,

Nice Post

Can you give us the quantities for the chilli powder and spic mix again please as this forum doesn't seem to support fractions that well.

976bar the fractions appear to be showing correctly to me using Google Chrome but for info it is one tsp spice mix, quarter tsp chilli powder and quarter tsp salt.

I think "rectum wrecker" should qualify for the phrase of the week on the forum!

Thanks Stephen

I switch between Google Chrome and Firefox, depending on which one works best on the day

Quote from: Stephen Lindsay on March 10, 2012, 03:34 PM
I think "rectum wrecker" should qualify for the phrase of the week on the forum!

"rectum wrecker"...phrase of the week...lol...you gotta lafff eh

Quote from: curryhell on March 10, 2012, 12:10 PM
Think you've about summed up a medium curry SL.  The only thing you missed out on was the  picture . It may only be a humble medium curry but i think it still warrants a snap in the post 

sorted!

Quote from: Razor on March 10, 2012, 08:57 AM
Hi CCL,

Here's my version of a Restaurant Medium Chicken curry https://curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=5148.0

Use Chewy's base and whatever mixed powder that you have to hand.  Let me know how you get on but you should be fine, it's quite basic.

All the best,

Ray

Hi Ray, thanks for that. Made it last night except only just caught up with cro today and as it goes I made it without the sugar & tomato. I must admit I said to the wife that next time I make it ie tonight I will add sugar. After just posting my first attempt of a photo I really do need to learn how to re size them before hand. As you may see form the other forum "any thing new", it takes up the whole of the screen!!

Stephen L

Looking good my friend...no...not you...the curry. lol

gotta try this one for my chilli hating friends

looks great SL