Topic: Who believes there is a secret ingredient to the curry base?

[pete]

I don't think the flavour can be reproduced at home.
I can't do it, that's for sure.
I just spent another two days holiday trying (the house smells like a restaurant again)
This argument will run forever.
I think the best you can do is add a substitute.
Stock cubes, marmite,bovril, worcestershire sauce, tomato sauce, brown sauce, garlic powder or soups are a few ideas.
Try adding a bit when you next make a batch.
In fact, I think I saw some brown sauce on a takeaway shelf, once
Hmmmmmmmmmm!

[Mark J]

In fact, I think I saw some brown sauce on a takeaway shelf, once
Hmmmmmmmmmm!

Was it marked "that taste" ?  ;D ;D ;D ;D

[joe2]

There is NO secret ingredient in restaurant curry. There should be no further debate on this even.
In St Marks Road, Bristol, the CASH n CARRY, used by most of the restaurants in the South West  of England has its doors open to the public every day of the week.
You can go in and buy whatever you like, you can also see the assistants constantly loading sack trucks to take to vans belonging to the restuarants. You can inspect whats in their load. Its just all the stuff we already use. I,ve done it many times.
BUT, there is still a secret of tequnique or something else maybe. - Because I,ve been trying for over 20 years and still CANNOT make a curry that TRUELY tastes like a good restaurant or take away. 

[George]

One question I have here (and most of my previous questions have gone unanswered!) is to question whether we're all talking about the same special taste. We can't be sure, of course.

Another question: what percentage of all the places you've ever been to have that taste? i.e. out of all the UK Indian restaurant and take-aways you've ever been to. I'd say 90% in my case, but not 100%, after excluding up-market places which serve 'real' Indian food, e.g. Chutney Mary or the Red Fort in London. Perhaps the other 10% of the curry houses don't have the right connections/spices/method, like we don't appear to have (yet). I still reckon I could distinguish between a supermaket chilled curry and a curry house curry in most cases. The supermarket manufacturers (run mainly by Indians I believe) don't create that taste, either, perhaps because they're not allowed to use so much oil and salt.

[Yellow Fingers]

There is NO secret ingredient in restaurant curry. There should be no further debate on this even.

Your statement would carry more weight if you had eye witnessed the whole of the base sauce preparation, which you then see being used in the curries that they serve. Why don't you get back to us when you have done so.

[Yellow Fingers]

One question I have here (and most of my previous questions have gone unanswered!) is to question whether we're all talking about the same special taste. We can't be sure, of course.

It's a good point George, and I think the answer is that we are not. I've been trying this restaurant curry lark for about 20 years now (not bragging there, actually I'm quite embarassed about it), and I've yet to achieve the taste and odour I associate with every restaurant curry I have ever had. This includes the curry recipes in this forum which are if the posters are to be believed from real reastaurants. So yes, I conclude that one persons' missing taste is different to that of another person.

? Another question: what percentage of all the places you've ever been to have that taste?

In my case 100%.? There are good places and mediocre, but without fail at every place I've been to, and over the years I've been to many, has always had the taste and odour that I can not achieve at home.

This is borne out, for me at least, when I see recipes posted and the author says, 'yes this is it, it has that taste', but it doesn't when I make it, despite using every conceivable restaurant style technique.

Short of getting everyone together for a taste test, this will forever be a problem.

[Curry King]

It's a good point George, and I think the answer is that we are not. I've been trying this restaurant curry lark for about 20 years now (not bragging there, actually I'm quite embarassed about it), and I've yet to achieve the taste and odour I associate with every restaurant curry I have ever had. This includes the curry recipes in this forum which are if the posters are to be believed from real reastaurants.

In 20 years of trying you must have seen inside a kitchen or had some recipes of a chef?? What gravy recipe do you use?

[slimboyfat]

I still think something is missing, when you walk by a restaurant of an evening there is a strong smell in the air find out what this is and you will find the missing taste

[Yellow Fingers]

In 20 years of trying you must have seen inside a kitchen or had some recipes of a chef??

Yes you'd think so wouldn't you, but I'm not a particularly outgoing sort of person, so I've never really had the gumption to ask for a recipe, believing that there would be no way they would tell me. Even at my peak of eating curry at restaurants, sometimes twice a day, it never crossed my mind to dare to ask to see inside the kitchen as I thought they would take this the wrong way. Most of the info I got was in snippets talking to the waiters.

That said I managed to sneak a look inside two kitchens a few years ago (my friend asked!), but all I saw was what has already been mentioned here: big pot of base sauce, curries cooked in frying pans at full heat, 10 or 15 pots of ingredients next to the range, lot's of flame coming from the pans, etc. I would have fessed up if I knew anything that had not already been mentioned here.

What gravy recipe do you use?

It would be easier to ask which one I haven't used. Currently I have a batch of Bruce Edwards' and this is definitely the best I have used so far. It differs only in the use of carrot and pepper from my previous best, but this is clearly the way to go.

What I find satisfying and yet also frustrating at the same time is that I haven't really learned anything new, yet, from this site. I would have been quite miffed if someone who had only been doing this for five minutes suddenly put my years of effort to waste. But I will still try anything that looks potentially promising, no matter who or where it comes from.

A defining point for me will be when someone posts, 'I have seen a restaurant base sauce cooked from raw ingredients to finished curry, it has that taste, and no unusual ingredients were used'. That's when I'll stop searching, because I still believe either some ingredient or technique is still missing from the base sauces that have been posted so far and if there isn't I would have to give up.

[Curry King]

Well im pleased I have my curry as good as I can get it with the information I know, theres always room for improvement and im always trying new things but?if I were to whip up a quick curry now and you to try it I would be failry sure that you would be impressed with the result.   Now thats not to say that I think you couldn't tell the difference between mine and a first class restaurant dish but an average, "not curry every night" joe of the street couldnt, that im sure of.