Topic: Combining a Gravy with Patak Kashmiri Masala Paste

[jiffage]

Hi,

I'm planning on making a curry tomorrow with Pataks Kashmiri Masala paste. In addition to the paste, I'll be adding sliced peppers, cashew nuts, raisins, and yogurt.

Last night I impulse bought the Curry-to-Go ebook and have made up one of the base gravies. I'm wondering how (and whether I should!) I could combine this gravy with the Pataks paste to produce something nicer than paste alone.

How would you suggest I do this? The Pataks recipie is here:
http://www.pataks.co.uk/recipes/kashmiri-chicken-(kashmiri-murgh).aspx

Based on the quantities in the linked recipie I'd probably adjust as follows if left to my own devices:
- Reduce the onion to 25g (since there is lots of onion in the gravy)
- Substitute the 75g water with 75g gravy (not sure if this will make it too rich/thick - but I do like curries on the thicker side anyway).
- Maybe reduce the tomato a bit.

What do you think about the above?

At what stage would you mix in the gravy?

Any help much appreciated

[Peripatetic Phil]

I think your instincts are good, Jiff, but whether you can really cook the rawness out of the Kashmiri masala in just two minutes I am less sure.  I am cooking a lamb mince with Kashmiri masala as I speak, but I am frying the spices (gently) for at least 20 minutes at a modest heat to ensure that all the rawness is cooked out of them.  Then I will add the mince and cook until ready to serve.  If I were planning to add base (which I am not; this will be a dry keema curry to be eaten wrapped in chapati), I would add it after the mince had been properly seared all over but long before it is properly cooked, and I would add it in stages, each time reducing to to quite a thick paste before diluting it again, except for the last addition which I would then simply reduce to my desired consistency.  And on a purely personal note I would omit the sultanas from the Patak's recipe; with sultanas it would remind me of a British "curry" from the 50's, which is not a pleasant thought ...

** Phil.

[jiffage]

Thanks for the tips.

I'll try as you suggest - long, gentle fry of the paste; meat in; then adding the gravy little by little after that.

Yes, dried fruit may well be a bit retro, I'll need to find myself a nice Vientta for desert at this rate

Assuming the gravy and the Pataks paste are locked in, is there anything you would add/do? Or might this be a case of less is more.

A curry place I really like says they use passion fruit in their kashmiri curry. I'm tempted to chuck one of those in!

Cheers

[Peripatetic Phil]

I would add other things, but if this is your first time with Kashmiri masala I would recommend keeping it simple so you learn exactly what to expect from Kashmiri masala alone, and then try other things (e.g., Bassar curry masala, pickling masala, extra chillies/cumin/fenugreek) to gain experience of the effect of each.  For this very first attempt, maybe some chopped coriander stalks added very shortly before serving.

** Phil.

[loveitspicy]

Hi jiffage

Dont substitute anything with the Pataks pastes - cook the spices in 100 ml of water until all the water has evaporated then add the base and carryon... from a P. chef


Hope it helps

best, Rich

[jiffage]

Thanks all again.

I've used the Pataks Kashmiri paste a few times before - just not for a couple of years so certainly am not experienced enough yet to fly by taste alone.

Rich: So you'd just put extra base gravy in and keep to the original recipie? How much gravy would you suggest?

Cheers X