Topic: Indian Hotel Style Gravies.

[livo]

First of all, what does this remind you of?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Y2g342s7P8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eiLYdc5hkyc

Here's the Tomato Gravy used in place of Base Gravy.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c09Zoi8CK9U

Anyway, I've watched a few videos lately on 3 Indian Curry Gravies and then 5 Indian Curry Gravies, being what they appear to call Mother Gravies.  The 3 Gravy principle reminds me very much of Masala Mark's 3 paste Aussie IR method. Tomato, Nut and Onion.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VLPkTGPo1XQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CUccE4U8TCw&t=549s

Then today I found a couple specifically on Hotel Style Yellow Gravy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hk5um1pvZZY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uHJ3sU0PFGQ

Of course one thing leads to another (youtube click frenzy) and then I stumbled upon this page which has 14 different Hotel Style gravies.  I found it very interesting and something I intend to explore a bit further.
https://setupmyhotel.com/train-my-hotel-staff/chef-training/707-basic-indian-gravy-standard-recipe.html

I'll be cooking Chef Abdul's BIR Base Gravy and Chicken dish tonight, using boneless thigh fillets as I don't have enough pieces on the bone.

[Sverige]

Very likely the genesis of the BIR method, and possibly a good explanation for why many remember restaurant curries from the 1970s and 1980s being far more differentiated from one another, than the identikit brown curries of today (which of course all originate from a single base sauce.)

[Peripatetic Phil]

I stumbled upon this page which has 14 different Hotel Style gravies.  I found it very interesting and something I intend to explore a bit further.
https://setupmyhotel.com/train-my-hotel-staff/chef-training/707-basic-indian-gravy-standard-recipe.html

Absolutely fascinating, and given the occasional non-native-speaker turn of phrase (e.g., "whisk well the curd") quite possibly written by someone from the sub-continent.  14 different base gravies elevates it to the level of haute cuisine and "fine dining" (Cracknell & Kaufmann, Escoffier, etc) without a doubt.  What also intrigued me was the line of butlers-in-training, all of whom had that certain je na sais quoi in their eyes and their bearing on which I would immediately home in when observing hotel or restaurant staff.  Well spotted, Livo.

** Phil.

[SomeCurryFan]

More links to research:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NpIVJ3b-y_k
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c7wpQ5rz2fM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gcWaCjnr1mE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QYVzQacDQW4
https://www.tarladalal.com/top-10-north-indian-gravies,-veg-gravies-130
http://www.yourarticlelibrary.com/home-science/cooking-home-science/4-main-gravies-used-in-indian-cooking/86847
https://www.tutorialspoint.com/food_production_operations/food_production_operations_indian_masalas_gravies.htm

Very intrigued to try this type of cooking soon

[livo]

The Setup my hotel site has all sorts of great info now that I've had a little explore. Check the Kebab Masala on the Masala and Paste page Phil.

My biggest problem now appears to be my family once again being curried out. I can't wait to get going.

Plenty of interesting gravies there SCF. I've been to the Tarladalal site before.

A few years ago I came across Magaz (melon seed) in a recipe. I have been unable to find any but it features quite a bit in many of these gravies.

[Peripatetic Phil]

[reply moved to "How to make Kebab-house seekh kebabs"]

[chonk]

Great sites and resources, livo and SCF! I'm also interested in experimenting with additional gravies, to re-create north-indian restaurant dishes. I'm under the impression that punjabi restaurants in the UK use at least one additional gravy, judged by the videos I've seen so far. This being red gravy, which is either some tomato-onion-sauce or Makhani sauce. These places will also often use garam masala instead of mix powder.

Not sure if this is the regular application of the three-pot-method, but here's some chef who is mixing all three sauces together: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eEp6_fry41s

In my experience, most punjabi dishes made with pre-made sauce or base gravy, seperately, will miss something. So it just makes sense to me to combine them and it's a small revelation to see that this is actually being done. I was somehow aware of the hotel style but never connected the dots. Will try out combining some base gravy and Makhani gravy first and will report back.

More interesting videos out of indian restaurants on this channel - https://www.youtube.com/user/Moksha786/

There's also chef360 - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAcmiy1DdpQM5-8bPAwOoDg

Will go through the Bombay Palace Cookbook soon and will post their gravy recipes, if there's interest? Interestingly, they include different gravies and pastes but the recipes for the individul dishes don't disclose how to use them. They tell you that their Makhani sauce is the base for many dishes like e.g. Matter Paneer, but the recipe will tell you how to cook it from scratch instead!

[livo]

Thanks Chonk. There are some interesting stuff there.