Topic: MBC's Retro Madras

[MonsieurBadgerCheese]

Good Evening,

I've been working on this for a while and, just now, before posting looked at my last Madras recipe. On one hand, I was a little disappointed that not all that much had changed (memory is going), but on the other hand I was pleased to think that I (at least in my own mind) was barking vaguely up the right tree the first time.

I believe that the few changes (omissions), as subtle as they are, go some way further towards creating the dish that I've been chasing.

Chicken; I'm still going for few, but large pieces of chicken. Now I pre-cook the chicken in the Base Gravy which I later use to produce the dish. I simmer a whole breast for 40 mins or so (a long time, I know, but stick with me - gives the Retro texture that I remember) and then cut it into three or four pieces. I reckon that BIR's had whole chickens/pieces of chicken 'sitting around' in sauce/gravy for hours/days at a time. The chicken, cooked like this, remains moist, still tastes of chicken, and can be broken up by hand, with Roti, in the sauce to achieve the desired combination of meat and sauce.

Tomato paste; Increasingly, I believe that little or none was used. This based purely on my memory of the colour of these dishes in days gone by.

Oil; More rather than less. That 'Old School' sheen on the sauce.

Fresh Coriander; Don't think it was used at this time, so omitted.

Onion Powder; I think this is an important one. Not saying it was used necessarily, but I think it gives a flavour as close as possible to the 'used' Onion Bhaji oil which a lot of us suspect was used in Base Gravy and in the 'fry' stage. Don't skimp on it.

Garlic Powder; As above, but to a lesser extent.

Methi Powder; Just a personal thing, but I believe it's one of the overpowering tastes/smells from BIR of the past.

All Purpose Seasoning; It just makes things taste better. My opinion. Yes, it has MSG in it.

Salt; I will omit it from the list of ingredients, but please do not omit it from the dish. Such a personal thing, and so crucial. Please taste and season before serving, but be aware that the 'All Purpose Seasoning' already has some saltiness.

Technique; I call it the LITFA technique (the first two, and last letters stand for 'Leave, It, Alone' - fill in the blanks). That is, the first ladle of Gravy goes in after the dry ingredients, to quench. The rest goes in in a oner, and the pan is left alone on a medium (that is, on a high-output gas burner) pretty much until the dish is ready (oil separation craters). My Base is thin. I aim to have no sticking to the base of the pan, just a nice caramelised crust around the edge which is stirred in before serving. The addition of the bulk of the Gravy in one go is aiming to produce a lot of fairly 'runny' sauce in the finished dish.


Ingredients

2 CHSP Oil (preferably seasoned)
Good Pinch of Methi Leaves (crumbled between fingers)

Half CHSP Garlic/Ginger Paste
1/3 CHSP Tomato Paste (mine is 1:3 Tom:Water)

Dry Ingredients (Collect together beforehand, in a bowl, for simplicity)

Teaspoons are heaped (rsh)

2 x Mixed Powder
1 x Onion Powder
Half x Garlic Powder
Half x Rajah All Purpose Seasoning
2/3rds of Extra Hot Chilli Powder
Half Methi Powder
Good Pinch of Garam Masala

Pre-cooked chicken, as described above.

Base Gravy. I'm going to say 400ml (otherwise someone will make me pick a number), but really it depends upon how thick you like to use your Base, and how much/what texture of sauce you would like to have in the finished dish.

Method

Standard really, bearing in mind the LITFA tip above.

Medium heat, warm oil. Add Methi Leaf. Stir for a few seconds. Add G/G Paste. Stir for a few seconds. Do not brown. Add dry ingredients. Stir to cook-off spice, but at any sign of catching/browning (or after 30s or so) add tomato paste. Add meat. Stir to coat. Add first ladle of Base to quench. As soon as base is beginning to caramelise, add the rest in one go. Turn up the heat to get a vigorous boil (fry). Stir it in, but then try to leave it until the dish is ready. This is messy. It will spit. I'm banned from the house. Do it outside. Try to resist the temptation to stir/generally mess with it all the time. As the sauce thickens, reduce the heat again. Medium, then low. When you see the 'oil cratering/caramelisation around the edges', stir it in. Check/adjust seasoning. Remove from heat.

Be sure to let this dish significantly cool down before eating. I believe it all tastes better when it's not straight from the cooker.

[MonsieurBadgerCheese]

.........photo's to come, whem I work out how to do them on this Forum, thanks.

[MonsieurBadgerCheese]

This recipe may make little sense on it's own. It is my recipe, but from CA's Forum (from which I, along with many others have been banned).

My quest is to find the Madras (retro) from the late 70's/early 80's - effectively the 'golden years' of BIR cookery.

Any feedback/suggestions would, of course, be most welcome.

MBC.

[Peripatetic Phil]

All seems good to me, especially the need for ground fenugreek ('though I would personally dress with fresh coriander at the end, simply because I love the effect) but what does this part mean ?

The rest goes in in a oner

** Phil.

[Unclefrank]

Made this last night, followed recipe to the letter.
While cooking i tasted it after reducing the last ladle base and i wasn't impressed at all, any way placed in a dish and finished my other half's Chicken Tikka Masala, served with naan and Basmati rice,, the Madras was sitting on my food tray for 10 around  minutes, sat down and teared a bit of naan bread off and dipped into the Madras sauce and WOW what a lovely and flavour some dish, the chicken was absolutely superb, finished the lot and have made another one this morning to have later on tonight for tea.
Thank you very much for this recipe, an absolutely wonderful tasting dish.

[Onions]

Uncle Frank, so it was the ten minute rest that made all the difference you think?

[Unclefrank]

Whether it was my technique cooking the dish that resulted in the confusing flavour for me, but that extra 10 minutes to let the dish stand made this dish a cracker, the flavour is wonderful, that tingle on the lips, the heat in the mouth also, excellent.
I forgot to add that i did add 1/4 tsp sugar but that is my tastes, can't wait to try the one i cooked this morning to try tonight, also my kitchen smells divine.

[littlechilie]

Hi, welcome to CRO forum, i had a read of the recipe. It looks apears to me there is way to much spice for a madras, after using 1/2 a chef spoon of G+G why would you add garlic powdered and onion powder? Also 2x tsp of mixpowder is going to overpower the madras..
Do you have a base sauce to use with the Madras? As i could only see a pure onion base with no added spice working here.
Lots of great Madras recipies on here Chewy Tikka has a classic madras video that is as good as it gets. I find Madras sauce facinating because of its simplicity!
Sorry just to many flavors going on here.....
Thanks Lc.

[loveitspicy]

HI MBC

How was India? Sounds as if you had in well and truly tasted.....

Nice to see you on here along with the rest of the banned.

Will give this ago in a couple of days at the weekend - UF enjoyed it

best, Rich

[pete]

Hi, welcome to CRO forum, i had a read of the recipe. It looks apears to me there is way to much spice for a madras, after using 1/2 a chef spoon of G+G why would you add garlic powdered and onion powder? Also 2x tsp of mixpowder is going to overpower the madras..
Do you have a base sauce to use with the Madras? As i could only see a pure onion base with no added spice working here.
Lots of great Madras recipies on here Chewy Tikka has a classic madras video that is as good as it gets. I find Madras sauce facinating because of its simplicity!
Sorry just to many flavors going on here.....
Thanks Lc.

this is not a modern madras though , it's a totally different flavour MBC is trying to create