Topic: Supermarket curries v. BIRs

[Kashmiri Bob]

In the Morrison's range I think the Madras is also very good for a ready-made Phil.  It's not really a Madras; it would be called a Ceylon hereabouts.  Plenty coconut.  There are some curry leaves in it as well, which is not a bad thing.

Must get the pans out at home though, it's been a while.

Rob

[Garp]

Must get the pans out at home though, it's been a while.

Rob

Yes it has - get the finger out man 

[chewytikka]

How sad, comparing supermarket curry, to anything BIR quality is a joke.
especially the cheap meat, dry, overcooked and tasteless.
But if you dont like cooking or are challenged, it

[Peripatetic Phil]

Tried yet another Cornish BIR last night, this one having opened only a month ago.  Friends who had tried it said that the food was good but the service awful, so I opted for a take-away.  Mixed kebab, lamb biryani, chicken Madras, pulao rice.  In the mixed kebab, the seekh kebab lacked flavour but the other elements were OK.  The lamb biryani was beef, with 100% certainty.  The chicken Madras had an odd off-centre taste that I couldn't identify.  The pulao rice was good.  Based on the two main courses, I will not be going there again. 

So this evening I tried yet another supermarket curry with my usual tweaks (fry in mixed garlic-infused & chilli-infused rapeseed oils, sprinkle with GM and fresh coriander, add salt to taste); this time it was an Aldi "specially selected" king prawn bhuna served with the remains of last night's pulao rice.  Once again, a very acceptable curry, with lashings of king prawns, and certainly far better than either of last night's two "real" BIR main courses. 

** Phil.

[Peripatetic Phil]

Yet another supermarket winner : Hungry Elephant Gunpowder Chilli Garlic marinade + sauce.  Marinade the chicken (I used four thighs, chopped across the bone into three), leave overnight in the 'fridge (I left for three days), fry until cooked (I fried in a mixture of garlic-infused and chilli-infused rapeseed oils), add the sauce and cook for around ten minutes (I added some coriander stalks and some fresh green chilli).  I finished off with black kala namak, Mrs Balbir's garam masala and some coriander leaves.  Once again a supermarket curry that would not disgrace any BIR (even allowing for the cornflour content) and better than anything I can get in a BIR or T/A within half an hour of Bodmin.

** Phil.

P.S.

[George]

How sad, comparing supermarket curry, to anything BIR quality is a joke.

I couldn't disagree more. As Phil says, some supermarket curries are very good indeed.

I recommended a couple of supermarket curries (now sadly discontinued) here a few years ago and came up against a barrage of disbelievers back then, too.

[mickyp]

I agree, i have had both good and bad, overall they have improved over the years.
my only gripe is clearly they have to weigh in the content of chicken so thats put in and they squirt the sauce on leaving some uncovered which doesn't look good, also it must affect marination.

[livo]

How very sad. I think I'll duck down to the shops and buy a supermarket curry. Obviously this forum isn't about actually cooking them any more.

[mickyp]

You are incorrect there, the forum is about cooking BIR. the thread isn't.

[George]

How very sad. I think I'll duck down to the shops and buy a supermarket curry. Obviously this forum isn't about actually cooking them any more.

Isn't that a bit of an over-reaction? SOME (UK) supermarket curries are superb, as are SOME BIR dishes, although the latter cost around 3x more. There's plenty of room for both.