Topic: Cracked it!

[vindalooelvis]

Have been a lurker on here for some time now, have spent a good few years trying to recreate that perfect curry dish with no success until last night!

Spent months trying to coax my local Indian Restaurants into giving me snippets of info which ive been piecing together like a jigsaw for clues to the base and dishes etc, there very tight lipped in my area.

Trying to sneak glimpses of their kitchens for clues, always thinking that special flavour must be coming from their Patak's pastes.or years of cooking knowledge so they tell me handed down from generation to generation

Anyway last night I made what I consider to be the closest to a restaurant vindaloo that ive ever made.... the secret? now I know this is just a myth.

[haldi]

Ok, I'll bite!

Please tell me

[vindalooelvis]

OK Haldi, just for you!!!

Probably not as exciting as you were hoping, however...

I have found that how you cook the curry is just as important as what goes into it.

My journey trying to replicate a BIR Vindaloo has been a challenging one to say the least.

My mistakes have been plentiful, but what I found is that simplicity is the key,

Having the best pan or spoon or super hot gas hob is not needed in my eyes as I have neithenone of those

So whats the secret? my ebook which is available ( just kidding! )

I have tried alot of the recipes on here with all their ingredients and again Ive just ended up with overspiced dishes in my eyes.

I understand that every persons tastes are different, for me a Vindaloo should taste quite natural, not too rich and lots of well blended undertones that all come together to make it a taste sensation.

So what do I do... my ebook is available for.... ( is it funnier the second time around?)

Ok well quite simply I took everything back to is simplest form.

Kris Dillons Base Gravy

This is so simple and I really didnt think it was going to work, all I did was throw a green pepper into the ingredients, however for me this worked out to be the perfect base.. it gives a very natural base, full of the underlying garlic and ginger flavours  for you to add the ingredients to later when cooking the main dish.
,
Vindaloo

Again really simple, I will be experimenting adding other spices to this dish, now I know I have a good base gravy that works and a good vindaloo to build on.

Oil
Salt and Pepper
Chilli Powder
Cumin
Corriander Powder
Garram massala
Tomato Paste
Base Gravy
Chopped fresh Corriander

Simple as that.

I use a ceramic pan and cook on an electric camping stove as im renovating my kitchen at the moment so nothing special there.

It looked and smelled and tasted just like the real thing.

My biggest mistakes, having the base gravy too thick, I now use it like milk consistancy

Overspicing the main dishes trying to get that BIR Flavour, biggest mistake ever, less is really more on this one.

Hope that may help some people as ive got alot from this site and just wanted to give a bit back

[madpower]

I also cracked it recently,a takeaway owner gave me some of their mixed powder in return for me knocking a fair chunk off the bill for the work i had done for them ,i made about ten curries with it and they were all delicious so look no further,i also did manage to get further info from one of the young workers,when i asked what it is they put in the mixed powder,he said its the root of a plant its boiled and blended to a paste then mixed with the spices,he would not tell me what it was,but he did say a lot of places grow their own plants as you dont need a lot because its very strong,i swear you dont need to look any were else take it or leave it its up to you,but i dont bother making my own curries at home hoping that i have a eureka moment cause i know that im going to be missing a vital ingredient that even the worse chef you know could make a decent curry with it.

[vindalooelvis]

I also cracked it recently,a takeaway owner gave me some of their mixed powder in return for me knocking a fair chunk off the bill for the work i had done for them ,i made about ten curries with it and they were all delicious so look no further,i also did manage to get further info from one of the young workers,when i asked what it is they put in the mixed powder,he said its the root of a plant its boiled and blended to a paste then mixed with the spices,he would not tell me what it was,but he did say a lot of places grow their own plants as you dont need a lot because its very strong,i swear you dont need to look any were else take it or leave it its up to you,but i dont bother making my own curries at home hoping that i have a eureka moment cause i know that im going to be missing a vital ingredient that even the worse chef you know could make a decent curry with it.

Very interesting Madpower,

All I can say is that ive had my Eureka moment! my Vindaloo tastes better than most of the ones ive had from a BIR and there is no magic root in mine, apart from ginger.

Could it possible be that he misunderstood your question... it sounds to me like he is explaining the way in which you boil the ginger and then blend it into the base gravy, just like I did?

I really dont believe these stories from the restaurants, I think they are just told to put us off making them ourselvers, ive been told allsorts... however like you have said take it or leave it,

[sotonowl]

Makes you wonder why he's on here then if there's no solution to be found.

[vindalooelvis]

Its a shame Madpower has been put off trying to make a curry by this Takeaway, I could easily have been put off by my previous unsuccessful attempts at making a curry and the stories of secret recipes and generations of cooking to perfect the perfect BIR curry..
Pah utter boll**ks!

[Peripatetic Phil]

I have found that how you cook the curry is just as important as what goes into it ... Kris Dhillon's Base Gravy ... (fairly standard spice list) ... overspicing the main dishes trying to get that BIR Flavour, biggest mistake ever, less is really more on this one ...

A very fair summary of my own views, Elvis; I think that you and I are as one on this.
** Phil.

[vindalooelvis]

Just made another 2 portions tonight and turned out excellent again. have taken a few photos to upload tomorrow all being well.

[redman1212]

So VE can provide some more information (quantities, addition times etc) so we can give your version of vindaloo a try