Another curry base sample

[gary]

Managed to get a small carton full of curry base tonight  friends GF went to the takeaway, so I asked her to get a carton of curry sauce with no extra spices etc. That's just what I got! Straight from the big pot!

No pictures unfortunately, but what I can say is, that it smells a bit like Muttley's base sauce - it's YELLOW, it's got bits in it, presumably ginger & garlic - it smells oniony/vegetably - and, the wierdest thing: it's got a vague Picalilli aftertaste to it - kind of sweet but sharp.

No green bits in it, no oil floating on the top (been resting for a few hours now) but by gum it tastes nice  ;D

Gary

[Ashes]

Would you say it had "the taste" Gary? Couldnt that sharp taste be some kind of curry paste? All curry pastes I know of, use vinegar as a preservative. Which is one of the reasons I dont like using them. Picalilli uses those small onions (what they called?) and some kind of cabbage, although not sure about that, havent tasted it in years.

Good work!!

[pete]

Managed to get a small carton full of curry base tonight? friends GF went to the takeaway, so I asked her to get a carton of curry sauce with no extra spices etc.
No green bits in it, no oil floating on the top (been resting for a few hours now) but by gum it tastes nice? ;D
Gary

It's fantastic, isn't it?
I have made hundreds of curry gravies
Some have been really excellent, but the real thing is so good, it takes the mick!!
How do they get that extra taste about it?

[gary]

Yes it had the taste definately, though I think it was a very fresh batch (having bought it on a Sunday) - indeed it looked very fresh.

Picallili: I think that may have been my eyes playing tricks on my tast buds, as it did basically look like thinned down Picallili, but without all the bits of veg in it. However it did have a distinctive aftertase of pickled onions to it, one of the main ingrediants of Picallili.

Curry paste? I can't really seeing that being economically viable for producing huge pots of curry base? Considering what you pay at a Pakistani grocers for the powdered spices.

Anyway, it was lovely, you could have used it 'as is' as a dip or sauce, with nothing extra added.

I made up a batch of Madras sauce with it tonight, with the following recipie:

2 TBSP veg oil
1 desert spoon tomato puree
1 tsp restaurant masala
1tsp basaar masala (instead of chilli powder)
Splash of lime juice
1 tsp asoor methi (rubbed between hands)
1tsp salt
Palmful of chopped coriander leaf
Small tub (about 3" tall, of takeaway curry gravy)

It's nice, but wether it has the taste or not I dunno.

I think if as many of us can try to get samples of curry gravy - then cook our recipies using the authentic bought gravy, then maybe we can narrow things down a bit?

I'm finding my method of being a bit disingenuous when askink for 'plain curry' is working quite well

I'm sure if I'd have walked in there demanding they give me a sample of curry gravy would have reaised a few eyebrows among the propriertors.

Hope this helps.

Kindest Regards,

Gary