Topic: Ali's Indian Restaurant Cooking Base Revisited.

[littlechilie]

Thought I would remake Ali's gravy today as it's been a long time since I cooked the sauce,
Having learned a lot over the past years, so I'm hoping to get a better understanding of the cooking process.
I followed the large scale base posted on Ali's youtube sight, not the scaled down version he posted.

Thanks to Ali for posting the video it gives a great insight in to BIR restaurant cooking.
 
http://youtu.be/eAQe42FnVks

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The first stage was as advised 1 hour 30 on a hight heat, using very little water! This can only be achieved in a heavy cast pot with a thick base.

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I added the evaporated milk after this image, the base was then cooked for another 30 mins.


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Creamy spicy just as Ali describes in the video.


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Finished sauce, taste is wonderful I'm going to cook up madras tonight and give my final opinion, but as far as base tasting goes this is up there with the best.

Mix powder was also Ali's to give fair opinion.

I'm thinking it just comes down to technique and experience to getting the desired results.

Thanks LC. 

Would be interesting to know other members opinions on the Base also.
 

[Stu-pot]

Littlechilie.    So true, it does....  Great video and information.   Just what I like!

I noticed he said:  1 1/2 tablespoons of Salt...    I know why, and fully understand and support why, but it was clearly 1 1/2 Chefs spoons!  Which is my recent post, "SALT IS KEY". 

His Garaby looked fantastic and made me realise 'I need a 'real big boy BLENDER'  to achieve the desired results considering I always make 15 litres of base at a time!

Hey. Everything is 'key'.  How do we cope ?

[haldi]

I can't find it
what is ali's spice mix?

[Onions]

Me neither, but going back twelve pages tere's loads of old bases. Some of which are much the same, others which seem to have been reinvented-

[Gav Iscon]

I can't find it
what is ali's spice mix?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IPnNs6GAuuI

[littlechilie]

Ok, just cooked and eaten so I can review this base properly.

Madras for the wife and a vindaloo for myself, all cooked using Ali's base and mix powder  the vegetable pilau is my own recipe also my mix powder, I'm not looking to change it.

White wine  is a Soave, chili pickle and lime.
Vegetable Pilau
 
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Chicken Madras

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Chicken Vindaloo

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Result, my opinion this was all restaurant quality Indian, the base worked a treat and that BIR flavour was clear clean.

Fantastic dinner and I still have some sauce left for later ;D

Thanks LC

[Naga]

That spread looks exceptionally fine indeed! I wouldn't mind a seat at that table!

You said above that you used condensed milk in the base. Is that right? The thick sugary stuff? I use that for tablet and fudge, but I'd never have thought of putting it into a base gravy.

I use evaporated milk in loveitspicy's Chicken Chasni.

[Micky Tikka]

I think it was put In the little India video by CBM if I'm correct
I've tried it for me it's obviously there for sweetening
Like the  coconut cream

[littlechilie]

That spread looks exceptionally fine indeed! I wouldn't mind a seat at that table!

You said above that you used condensed milk in the base. Is that right?
I use evaporated milk in loveitspicy's Chicken Chasni.

Correction made Naga it's evaporated milk, no coconut,
Thanks for pointing my typo out

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[Garp]

Can evaporated/condensed be considered a 'typo' ?