Topic: Had a restaurant chef round my house!

[George]

Curry King

I stand by my original comments. I doubt if I would find any restaurant chefs that will tell me how it's done. It's their secret and livelihood. You say "how come what I was shown was almost identical to what Pete was shown a year or so ago?" The gap in our understanding may be quite small, like the exact blend of garam masala, where any spice mix is possible. Yes, I think you have been lied to, in the nicest possible way. But it's like in Parliament, they're not allowed to use the word 'lie'.

You make a very good point about every single restaurant chef in the country being sworn to some pact to take "the curry secret" to there graves. This is the biggest mystery for me; why nobody has made money from a genuine Curry Secret book which really works, or from cooking lessons which enable us to produce curries identical to the best of a curry house.

[Curry King]

I can tell you now I wasn't lied to, for one the guy that showed me doesn't even work in an indian restaurant anymore he said he might go back to it one day when hes kids are older but why does he care if I know how to make up a similar curry to him at home?? Its not he's livelihood and im certainly not going to stop him earning money from it in the future!??

Another reason I know the bloke is genuine is why would he offer to come round my house and show me!? Why not just fob me of with some half baked gravy and vindaloo recipe and then go laughing to all his chef mates??? He gave up hes time to come round and show me, why?

why nobody has made money from a genuine Curry Secret book which really works, or from cooking lessons which enable us to produce curries identical to the best of a curry house.

As said before, you can't without actually setting up and running a full on indian restaurant out of your kitchen!!?

[George]

I can tell you now I wasn't lied to, for one the guy that showed me doesn't even work in an indian restaurant anymore...

Curry King

I must say this does sound pretty genuine. You are very lucky to have such a contact. Perhaps, as others have suggested, these guys don't even know the 'secret' (if there is one) themselves! But one would hope that when he tasted the (presumably inadequate) curry which he made round your house, he would have expressed disappointment and, moreover, been able to pin point what went wrong. Or did his ex restaurant owner or head chef bring in a secret blend of spices so he never knew the full strory?

I would have expected the people down Brick Lane to have expressed disappointment as well, if it was 100% genuine - to have acknowledged that the end result lacked 'that taste' and to know and explain exactly why.

Your point about restaurant volumes might be right as well, but only if it is to do with re-using pints and pints of oil. This would indeed be hard to replicate at home. But if we can prove it's that, there might be a work around, to synthesise the effect of used oil skimmed off lots of different curries, e.g. a pinch each of various pastes and spices, a real hotch-potch.

Regards
George

[Curry King]

He didn't bring anything with him when he came round I told what I had and he said thats fine, as I said in my original post he even used my spice saying that'll do.? He didn't go into detail as to why we can't reproduce it at home but I'm gonna ask him next time I speak to him.?

The curry he made when he was round, as Ive said before the first taste wasn't there but I put this down to it just being made, second and third tastes definitely had a hint of "the taste".? I do think a lot of it is down to technique, he knew exactly what to put in from sight alone, he didn't measure anything, this to me rules out the fact that were a small amount out of anything.

Have you tried making the base and curry that I posted?

[pete]

Have you tried making the base and curry that I posted?

I made the base and used your recipe for a veg vindaloo today.
It looks great.
I have spiced out my taste buds so I'm eating it tonight
Thanks CK

[Curry King]

Thats the one looks fantastic 

[joe2]

Pete, Looking at your pics, I have to say "Madhur Jaffrey, eat your heart out" 

Seriously, they absolutely look the business, well done. If you felt that they had the TASTE, then it would be game, set and match.

[pete]

Hey Curry King!!
They've named a place after you!!!

[curryqueen]

Hi Pete,

Have been waiting to hear with baited breath whether the vegetable vindaloo tasted the biz?  Please post and let us know.

[pete]

Have been waiting to hear with baited breath whether the vegetable vindaloo tasted the biz? Please post and let us know.

The veg vindaloo was very good.
It didn't have the taste though.
I made a veg vindaloo using a curry base (with salvaged oil from about eight curries) and I also added the chicken jelly.
That was the closest I have ever been.
Very very good.
I hated making it, but I will be doing the chicken jelly stock again.