Topic: Latif's Indian Restaurant Base

[Secret Santa]

When filling the smaller balti dish to approx the same level as in the video and then measuring the liquid.it equates to virtually 400ml.

Which is closer to two cups than one. And it's always better to use too much than too little so i'd say 2 cups or approximately half a litre is the right amount to use.

Also he's only cooking the base for an hour and a half at most which isn't long enough to bring out the full natural sweetness of the onions. I think that's why he uses what is a relatively large amount of carrot to add the sweetness that will be missing. And the cream will add sweetness on top of that.

[Stephen Lindsay]

Thanks for your comments guys.

[Secret Santa]

2. In the video (3:03) he states that he is adding 1 cup of tomato puree to the pot, but he adds it from a small Balti dish that is almost full.  I equate this to more like just over 2 cups of puree.  Although he calls it tomato puree it is very liquid and therefore I think it has been diluted to a ratio of perhaps 1:3 or even 1:4 puree:water.

Additionally he says it's been cooked down with "garlic, oil and so on...so it's not got a sour taste to it". So it's not straight diluted puree, which will be important to the final flavour of the base sauce. It might be worth amending your recipe so that people don't use straight, uncooked puree and therefore deviate from his intended version.

Edit: I just saw in the comments he says ..."I just fry garlic, some spices in oil then I add the tomato puree & water". Doesn't say what the spices are but says he'll show how to make it if there are enough requests.

Oh, and he uses East End spices so maybe that should be mentioned somewhere as well.

[Bob-A-Job]

2. In the video (3:03) he states that he is adding 1 cup of tomato puree to the pot, but he adds it from a small Balti dish that is almost full.  I equate this to more like just over 2 cups of puree.  Although he calls it tomato puree it is very liquid and therefore I think it has been diluted to a ratio of perhaps 1:3 or even 1:4 puree:water.

Additionally he says it's been cooked down with "garlic, oil and so on...so it's not got a sour taste to it". So it's not straight diluted puree, which will be important to the final flavour of the base sauce. It might be worth amending your recipe so that people don't use straight, uncooked puree and therefore deviate from his intended version.

Edit: I just saw in the comments he says ..."I just fry garlic, some spices in oil then I add the tomato puree & water". Doesn't say what the spices are but says he'll show how to make it if there are enough requests.

Hi SS,

I haven't looked at those comments but I did mention this in the original thread.  At (3:03) he is just making the base and says it is tomato puree, but it is steaming.
When he makes the curry at the end, he states he is adding tomato puree that he has cooked down with garlic, etc (14:20).
Does he say that they are the same or different?  I was going to make the base today but ended up making a prawn dish for a pescy(ky) wife.  Results later.

Thanks.
BAJ.

[Secret Santa]

Does he say that they are the same or different?

He doesn't say but I thought it was reasonable to assume they were the same. We still don't know exactly what spices he's putting in there though. But Kris Dhillon prepares a tomato sauce along the same lines to add to her base sauce and she uses turmeric and paprika. Doesn't mean he does but until we know what he does use it might be a good starting point.

[livo]

I made this base yesterday, using replicated measurements from the video  . I did it a day before the Tomato puree video emerged so that part is my own best guess.

This is not a "neutral" base. As the chef says a few times, it is a flavoursome base gravy. It is strongly spiced in comparison to any other base I've used and the addition of chilli is very noticeable.  I can easily agree with it being used for a Madras, Vindaloo or a RJ, but for me anyway, it is too spicy for extra mild curry like korma. I certainly would not use it for Mango Chicken.

I'll make a dish or two today using it. I expect them to be nice and very well spiced.

[Unclefrank]

This base recipe is very close to a Balti Base recipe i have, the one i have adds cauliflower, also tomato puree with a touch of Balti Spice MIx and water, not too sure but with the added bay leaf he seems to add to nearly every dish may calm some of the spices down when cooking the dishes, may be wrong.
Will hopefully make this base in the next few days and try the bay leaf thing.

[livo]

I may have been a bit heavy handed with the powdered spices and G&G paste  (using Latif Inspired tsp measure  ) and I really gave the whole spices and G&G a solid cook in the oil. 
Note the use of standardised measuring Balti Pans.  ;D

[chewytikka]

What was your balti bowl cup size then  and do you have any 17oz cups in the kitchen ;D

[livo]

I have both sizes CT. Big and little.  The only 17oz container in my house is my whiskey glass, but it is very unreliable.  In this heat the ice melts too fast and I think it has a big hole in the top because it keeps losing it's contents.