Twice this week I have tried to re-create a 60s/70s bhuna, and whilst I am 100% certain that methi leaves, together with onion and capsicum slivers, are key ingredients, my attempts have been little short of dismal failures (I certainly would not have served them to anyone else).  So, does anyone ("of a certain age") have a recipe for Bhuna Chicken that, in their opinion, is about as authentic a re-creation of a 60s/70s Bhuna Chicken as one can get ?

** Phil.

Quote from: Phil [Chaa006] on July 30, 2013, 06:43 PM
Twice this week I have tried to re-create a 60s/70s bhuna, and whilst I am 100% certain that methi leaves, together with onion and capsicum slivers, are key ingredients, my attempts have been little short of dismal failures (I certainly would not have served them to anyone else).  So, does anyone ("of a certain age") have a recipe for Bhuna Chicken that, in their opinion, is about as authentic a re-creation of a 60s/70s Bhuna Chicken as one can get ?

** Phil.

Hi Phil,

I am an avid lover of Bhuna and after cutting my teeth on Korma back in the late 70's, Bhuna was next on my list which was and probably still is my favourite dish when done right.

I seem to remember lots of onions, not big chunks but small maybe even pureed, I would imagine slow cooked for quite a while with Garlic and Ginger, Methi played a big part, but I also remember an abundance of fresh coriander, a hint of tomato (maybe fresh, maybe puree) but all reduced down to a thick sauce, with fresh coriander on top.

Lamb seemed to bring out the best flavour of a Bhuna, maybe it was the juices from slow cooked lamb added to the sauce which gave it the finale as it were... good seasoning and it would be there...

I don't think you would go much wrong in this approach

According to a few chefs I've talked to a 60's bhuna was definitely cooked in a handi, with lots of bone marrow.  Be interesting to know thoughts on what ingredients were not available to chefs in those days, to eliminate them from the recipe. For example, I don't remember green peppers as commonplace at the grocers back then? Fresh coriander. No chance.

Rob       

Quote from: Bengali Bob on July 30, 2013, 07:42 PM
According to a few chefs I've talked to a 60's bhuna was definitely cooked in a handi, with lots of bone marrow.  Be interesting to know thoughts on what ingredients were not available to chefs in those days, to eliminate them from the recipe. For example, I don't remember green peppers as commonplace at the grocers back then? Fresh coriander. No chance.

Rob     

I was quoting late 70's, I doubt you even had chefs in those days!! lol

Mid to late 70's was I think my first experience of curry.  There wasn't much fresh coriander then either.  Would be good to get to the bottom of how things were though, and how BIR has developed.  So many questions remain unanswered. Do we actually know when pan cooking took over from handi?  I only have bits and pieces of info.  Mainly anecdotal. 

For example, most recently, I spoke to an older chef who reckoned the big change came with demand for more variety. So (add quotation marks to the following), once one chef needed to make 4 or 5 curries.  Nowadays, a chef has to be able to make upwards of 80 different dishes.  Can't do this handi.  Problem is that pan cooking is too quick.  10 mins.  Flavour cannot develop.  Spices (powdered) poorer these days; cut with stuff, and not fresh.  Everything's all mixed up.  A lot of the young so called chefs these days don't even know bagar.  They are not chefs they are what we call gravy chefs (kitchen porters or tandoori chefs with less than 6 years experience, or a real chef who just can't be bothered any more).  Too many short-cuts today; pastes, garlic/ginger (only garlic paste is needed to start a curry, G/G paste will ruin the curry), spicy oil bull shit.

Rob 

The Victor Meldrew of curry chefs!!! Cheers mate cool story

Thats fascinating reading Rob. I once asked someone what the main differences were between old school (to me thats late 70's early 80's) and curries today. I was told that they used to cook the chickens whole in the gravy - which makes sense to me (as long as the veggies don't find out). I know I have read about this elsewhere on the forum, so its not exactly ground breaking news. That could be why chicken curries had the option of "breast or off the bone" back then. To be honest; I didn't even know about Handis until you just mentioned them...Well you learn something new every day!!

Regards

Mick

Quote from: Bengali Bob on July 30, 2013, 09:53 PM.  Too many short-cuts today; pastes, garlic/ginger (only garlic paste is needed to start a curry, G/G paste will ruin the curry), spicy oil bull shit.

Rob 

Totally agree with you Bob, All the years I've been cooking curry's, I've never used ginger paste, Don't like the stuff at all, brings nothing to the dish either, IMO. As for spiced oil!, say no more.

Les