How Base Gravy is made in a Indian Takeaway Video.

[haldi]

this new ebook offers a final end to the search
All it takes is one "original" change to the recipe and we are there
Chris knows and a lot of us are dying to find out

How are you so sure?

Call it a gut feeling to a certain extent
But I have been in takeaways where they add old spiced oil to the curry gravy, when they are making it
And it suddenly and completely changes in aroma and flavour
I've seen this three times closely

All the gravies , up to that point , were just a load of boiled onions
Nothing special

What Chris does in his video looks very similar to what I've seen
He really has got my attention
I don't think he's going to let me down

[jb]

I just watched the video again.The mystery ingredient looks very much like the onion paste pictured on page 9 from CBM's first book.However,Chris said that it contains no onions.It's not a bhagar either,so It's a complete mystery to me.

Thinking back,a few years ago I spent a whole evening in the kitchen of one of my local take-aways.I was free to roam about and study their shelves and fridge etc.Now what they had in one of the tubs in the fridge looked remarkably like the ingredient in Chris' video.I asked the manager what it was and he was really cagey,he mumbled something about gravy and 'paste' but wouldn't really elaborate,as If I'd stumbled onto something he didn't want to talk about.Could this be the final piece of the jigsaw??  I really hope so.

[Kashmiri Bob]

Got to be a bit of bagar in there somewhere, surely.  Could be for the spiced oil or/and the pre-cooks.  Hopefully asian bay and a few other whole spices will be making an appearance.  Chris, I hope the stuff you're adding is to everyone's liking.  You obviously rate your TA very highly, but how does the food compare to other places you've been to?

Rob 

[h4ppy-chris]

Okey How do you make a Baghar?

[Secret Santa]

Forget the terminology it's just confuddling the issue. What your magic addition is Chris is some mix of tomato/onion/garlic/ginger and spices, ground and whole, all fried down nicely together. There's nothing new about that and it's no magic secret. Kris dhillon, for instance, cooks down tinned tomatoes, turmeric and paprika and adds it just like you do. Many other bases add similar fried "mixes" and so do I.

[h4ppy-chris]

Forget the terminology it's just confuddling the issue. What your magic addition is Chris is some mix of tomato/onion/garlic/ginger and spices, ground and whole, all fried down nicely together. There's nothing new about that and it's no magic secret. Kris dhillon, for instance, cooks down tinned tomatoes, turmeric and paprika and adds it just like you do. Many other bases add similar fried "mixes" and so do I.

Well good for you and KD but, don't tell me what i am making when you have not got a clue.

[Secret Santa]

Forget the terminology it's just confuddling the issue. What your magic addition is Chris is some mix of tomato/onion/garlic/ginger and spices, ground and whole, all fried down nicely together. There's nothing new about that and it's no magic secret. Kris dhillon, for instance, cooks down tinned tomatoes, turmeric and paprika and adds it just like you do. Many other bases add similar fried "mixes" and so do I.

Well good for you and KD but, don't tell me what i am making when you have not got a clue.

We'll see (maybe, if you ever get the book out!).  ;D

[Kashmiri Bob]

Okey How do you make a Baghar?

I'll have a quick go at some point (nothing particularly new mind) but come on Chris, how good is this TA of yours?  Seems popular from the vids you made, plenty of orders coming in, but how does it shape up against the local competition?  I know it's all highly subjective but you must have eaten loads of curries from different places and have a fair idea of quality.  Also, are you able to reproduce this level of quality in your own kitchen?

Rob 

[sp]

I asked the co-owner of my local favourite BIR for her opinion on this vid, specifically the mystery ingredient - she had this to say:

"I don

[Secret Santa]

It could be a regional thing

Quite possibly. Just because something is a "secret ingredient" in one locality doesn't mean it will be in any other part of the country. Even if Chris has come up with something new (and I doubt he has) it doesn't mean it'll satisy everyone.