Latif explains old school base gravy

[livo]

In this New Year's video Latif has his cousin prepare and old school (non vegetarian / vegan) base gravy, cook a saffron chicken biryani and then also use the gravy to make bhuna chicken. Well worth watching and may be the trick for those looking to recreate the curry of memories. Link provided to show his dads mixed powder as well.  The proportions are in the description. Nothing surprising there.

https://youtu.be/XHJg0JJY70g?si=3t9YjGQhCILpvfEP

https://youtu.be/mdzuPutmIPQ?si=_ILGeS3ZXzmCTttv

[Robbo141]

Happy New Year everyone. I watched this just this morning. Makes me wonder if that adding a chicken to the base gravy is the missing link back to curry of old? No recipes I see do that and would seem possibly an easy cost saving to just not include? Well I know what I'm doing with my next batch.


Robbo

[livo]

I've done it before and Chewy used to mention it as being old usual practice. It makes good gravy.  I think I'm due for a curry.

[Peripatetic Phil]

Excellent info., Livo — many thanks.
--
** Phil.

[livo]

I have a base gravy on the cooker right now. Not vegetarian, which doesn't matter because I'll be making a Lamb curry as soon as it's done.


Edit:
The thing is that there really is nothing different here, however, it has inspired to me to make a New Years Curry Dinner.  The Mixed powder is nothing extraordinary. Unless we know the brand and type of curry powder in it, it is anybody's guess.  The Base Gravy is simply a version from the days when chicken (or carcase) was added.  I've done all of this before and I'm sure most of you have as well.  Does it make good curry? Sure does.  Is it reminiscent of 1960s or 70s BIR.  I have no idea from over here having never tried anything other than what I've been able to replicate from this site and others.

Curry on chaps, and ladies if there are any still around.

[Peripatetic Phil]

Back in the days when I was still fascinated by BIR cooking (last night's dinner was egg-and-anchovy sandwiches — that shows you how far I have fallen !), I commented on this forum that "back in the good old days" one could tell a good BIR from a bad one by ordering a lamb curry — if the lamb curry came with a lamb-flavoured curry sauce, it was a good one — if it came with a generic or chicken-flavoured curry sauce, it was less so.  I don't think that that observation any any way refutes the suggestion that "in the good old days", a chicken carcase would be added to the base, but I think that in the "better" BIRs they might instead have put lamb (more likely mutton or goat) bones in the base intended for lamb curries ...

[Kashmiri Bob]

As livo says nothing really new. Seem to recall Chef Din's account was more informative. I think in his video (or Facebook page) he mentioned that broiler (hard) chicken was used, but he couldn't get one for the video. Makes sense using on-the-bone chicken will lift a chicken curry. Not convinced it's the answer in relation to acquiring "old school" quality though. I wonder if we may have become too engrossed (and reliant) on following Kris Dhillon style recipes/method (as used by Bangladeshi chefs).

It was nice to see the excess oil going back into the stock pot. "Saucy bhuna though?" What?

I made a Malay chicken biryani/pilaf (Shan) with saffron last week. It was very tasty.

Rob