Topic: Best Base to Date

[DARTHPHALL]

Below is the curry base witch i have had the best results from.
       I believe its simplicity makes it so successful a curry gravy.
       It comes from "The Curry Secret" by Kris Dhillon.Yes allot of you have read it but some may have not.i have made slight alterations with method,but have no effect
       on the end result.

                And its about time i started to contribute to this forum,by the way it is the best !!!!
   INGREDIENTS.
   2LB (900g) COOKING ONIONS.
   2oz (50g) GREEN GINGER.
   2oz (50g) FRESH GARLIC CLOVES.
   2.75 PINT (1 LITRE 570ml) WATER.
   1 TEASPOON SALT.
   1 TIN (400 g ) TOMATOES.
   8 TABLESPOONS VEG OIL.
   1 TEASPOON TOMATOE PUREE.
   1 TEASPOON TURMERIC.
   1 TEASPOON PAPRIKA.
   
   METHOD.
   1. peel & roughly chop onions, ginger & garlic.
   2. blend until smooth ginger & garlic in 0.5 pint (275 ml ) water.
   3. put onions ,blended garlic & ginger in large saucepan & remaining water.
   4. add salt bring to the boil, turn down heat to a low simmer for 40-45 minutes ,leave lid on.
   5. when time is up leave to cool.
   6. blend all the curry base until completely smooooooth !!
   7. blend until smooooth the tin of tomatoes (yes take them out of the tin first !!)
   8. put the oil, tomtoe puree, turmeric, paprika & blended tomtoes in large saucepan, bring to boil,turn down heat & cook for ten minutes.then add to blended
   onion mix,  bring to the boil again,turn down heat allow to simmer on a heat that allows you to skim sauce without it splattering everywhere,
   you will know that fine line on your own cookers as it varies.
   9. as it simmers away you`ll notice a froth rising to the surface,you need to skim this of & keep doing so for 20-25 minutes,keep stirring as to stop sauce sticking
   to pan.
   10. leave to cool .
   11.you can now freeze . split into 425ml (0.75 pint) portions. I double everything & end up with 8 portions.each portion is capable of making 4 Indian
   take-away size portions.or 2 for me !!
   i have tried all the bases on this forum but have had best results with this.
   I ve got a very good result last night & will post the curry itself later.

[DARTHPHALL]

OK HERE`S THE CURRY & RESULT(Ive eaten it all so none for you Ghanna ).
? Makes good copy of vindalloo/tindallo(down here in Cornwall )
 INGREDIENTS.
 1. 1 PORTION CURRY BASE(0.75 PINT 425ML).
 2. 2 LARGE SPANISH ONIONS.
 3. 1 MEDIUM CARROT(6"? ).
 4. 1 WHOLE GARLIC BULB.
 5. 1 0Z / 25G FRESH GINGER.
 6.? 500 ML VEG.. OIL.
 7. 400G TIN TOMATOES.
 8. TABLESPOON TOMATOE KETCHUP.
 9. TABLESPOON TOMATOE PUREE.
 10.BIRDS EYE CHILLIES(BETWEEN 12 / 15) TOO MANY CAN CHANGE THE FLAVOUR.
 11. HALF TEASPOON FENUGREEK.
 12. 3 DESERT SPOONS EXTRA HOT CHILLI POWDER.(MUST NOT BE THE BROWN CRAP YOU GET FROM SUPERMARKETS AS ITS NOT HOT &
? ? ? EFFECTS THE OVERALL FLAVOUR, USE BRIGHT RED/ORANGE FROM GOOD SHOP =SPICEOLOGY ON EBAY IS VERY GOOD.)
 13. HALF TEASPOON SALT.
 14. 3 LARGE CHICKEN BREASTS(HE SAID BREASTS !!? )
 15. 1 TEASPOON GROUND CUMIN.
 16. 1 TEASPOON GROUND CORIANDER.
 17. 1 TEASPOON OF GOOD QUALITY GROUND GARAM MASALA.(SPICEOLOGY AGAIN? !!)
 18. 2 WHOLE STAR ANISE.
 19. FRESH CORIANDER.
 20. HALF TEASPOON TURMERIC.
 METHOD.
 1.Roughly chop onions,garlic, ginger,chillies & carrot.(keep separate).
 2. Fry onions in 500ml oil (until BROWN not golden now they`re bloody sweet? ).
 3. Add to onions chillies, garlic, ginger, carrot,tin tomatoess, tomatoe ketchup & tomatoe puree.
 4. Bring to boil then cook low 10 minutes.Whilst adding a mug of hot water & 1 portion base mix.
 5. Allow to cool then puree till smoooooth? !!!!
 6. Now add the 2 Star Anise,Cumin,Coriander,Chillie powder,Garam Masala & Fenugreek.
 7. Bring to boil then turn down heat to simmer, the oil will now start to separate again.
 8. Keep simmering for about 10/15 minutes.Add tablespoon fresh Coriander ,allow to cool.
?
? IMPORTANT= EAT NEXT DAY!!(It has been touched on in this forum & i have to 100% agree ,with all the cooking spices ect.. your ability to
? taste is greatly impaired.

 CHICKEN.
 1.Dice chicken breasts put in pan of boiling water add turmeric turn down heat & cook until cooked right through, then drain & put in above curry
. ;D ;D.
? RICE.
? No one has mentioned about the bed of fragrant(& sweet ) rice there curries rest on i think it is important to capture "that taste"
? i have tried with & without & with is a whole lot more nicer & (sweeter) in the rice are Cardamom pods,Cassia bark,Cloves,Star Anise, Bay leaves
? & a Little coconut.I have bought a curry & had it without rice & find it ok but amazing when combined with the rice & since coming to this
 conclusion have been very successfull in emulating my local take-away`s.
?
? RESULT.Of above recipe last night.
 This tasted just like my local take-aways but oddly did not smell exactly the same ,i`ve had this before (not this recipe,but one very similar)
? were its smelled exactly
? the same but not tasted ,i have that recipe in my curry log , I'm going to experiment & combine both & see if have the holy grail,will post next
? weekend the result of my work.
? Again bear with me i have never contributed to a forum so i am new to it all so go easy on the criticism, we all want the same thing & by
? collating all information i am positive we`ll get it right & soon !!
   
   
? ?

[Curry King]

10.BIRDS EYE CHILLIES(BETWEEN 12 / 15) TOO MANY CAN CHANGE THE FLAVOUR.
 

Too many can cause you breathing problems, ive been there  :

[DARTHPHALL]

Ive made a Phall with 25 Birds eye chillies, 2 Scotch Bonnets & half a tub of extra hot Vindallo powder was able to breath but.Eating it was much like burrowing through the earths core scooping a mouthfull of hot Magma chewing it 20 times? then nailing your mouth to a salty hot plate !!
And no i do not make them that hot it was a one off.Bit like the time i ate a raw scotch bonnet "BLOODY HELL".The early years of a young
DARTHPHALL were arduous & painfull .But now i am the master.As DarthVader said " your Vindallo powders are weak old man ". ;D ;D

[Curry King]

Belive me, I love a really hot curry but given I eat so much of it I find that having the skin taken of the back of my throat every night a bit of a chore.  Plus the fact if its too hot I can't taste how perfect my sauce is 

[DARTHPHALL]

I have to agree with you Curry King.
         And in answer to a question we all ask "why does it taste hot after Ive eaten it" ?

[Yellow Fingers]

This tasted just like my local take-aways but oddly did not smell exactly the same ,i`ve had this before (not this recipe,but one very similar)
? were its smelled exactly
? the same but not tasted ,i have that recipe in my curry log , I'm going to experiment & combine both & see if have the holy grail,will post next
? weekend the result of my work.

? ?
Darth can you post the recipe that you think gives you the right curry smell please.

[ghanna]

hi, Darthphal
i liked your curry i printed it out and i am going to try it.
it is very origanal and true curry
you used two kinds of gravy , boiled onion gravy and fried onion gravy, i wonder how do you get to know it.
please tell us of any other curry recipes you do have, i am very interested.
please see my post to yellowfingers about gravies.
thank you in advance
waiting for more curry recipes
ghanna

[DARTHPHALL]

OK Ghanna & all on the forum
 hear is my " bloody hell it smells just like my take-away " curry.
  Make the base as indicated at top of this thread.(BEST BASE TO DATE ).
 INGREDIENTS.FOR THE ACTUAL CURRY.
 1. 2 LARGE SPANISH ONIONS
 2. 1 WHOLE GARLIC BULB.
 3. 1oz 25g FRESH GINGER.
 4. 14oz 400g TIN CHOPPED TOMATOES.
 5. 1 TABLESPOON TOMATOE KETCHUP.
 6. 1 TABLESPOON TOMATOE PUREE.
 7. 12 BIRDSEYE CHILIES.
 8. 2 WHOLE STAR ANISE.
 9. 1 TEASPOON GROUND CUMIN.
 10. 1 TEASPOON GROUND CORIANDER.
 11. 3 DESERT SPOON EXTRA HOT CHILLIER POWDER ( ORANGE/BRIGHT RED ) NOT BROWN RUBBISH.
 12. 1 TEASPOON FENGREEK.
 13. 1 TEASPOON GARAM MASALA.
 
 METHOD.
   
 Finely chop 2 large Spanish onions , Garlic & Ginger.
 Heat 600ml of veg oil in large pan(i use a very large stew pot so i can heat it up really hot & have no oil spitting all over my brilliant white kitchen ;D ;D)
 This heating at high temp i believe gives the right smell as you have changed the properties of the oil,this is were i agree that if you use the oil from a previous
  batch to start another you get that taste & smell ,
 cook/fry the onions till they just start to go brown ( they are really sweet now !! )
 Add Ginger & Garlic cook until onions are browning all over turn down heat (medium).
 Add all spices ( not star anise ) cook for about 5 minutes.
 Add tin tomatoes,ketchup,puree & chillies bring to boil then turn down cook for approximately 10 minutes ( medium).
 Allow to cool then puree all ingredients add Star Anise cook medium 10 minutes. 
 Chop finely some coriander & stir into curry gravy.
 leave till next day.you will notice how sweet it has become & smells really nice ( can ya smell it ??)
 I COOK ALL MY CHICKEN THE SAME WAY  .3 breasts diced.put in pan, boil kettle put into pan with chicken & half teaspoon Turmeric & cook until cooked right through.
 I believe my success is due to my recipe`s being simple in spice content (if you had a take-away what would you do ?)
 I hope this is of use to you all. ALL THE BEST DARTHPHALL.
 p.s Ever eaten too many phall`s !!! ;D ;D ;D ;D

[ghanna]

Hi , Darthphall
it is another very good curry ,i will try it as well.
you are so funny and simple.
thanks
ghanna