Topic: New Base Sauce Recipe -

[IanR]

I have just made this base sauce as we have people coming around for a curry later. Has been simmering away for a couple of hours but I cant believe how bitter the taste is. Seriously thinking about binning it while I still have time to use some other bases that I have got frozen.
Has anyone else found the taste to be like this or have I mucked it up somewhere?

regards
Ian

[Curry King]

It was really sweet for me Ian no bitterness at all so somethings gone wrong along the line.

Don't know if theres a lot you can do with it if it's that bad 

[lorrydoo]

I have now made this base and it is excellent, the best Ive tried up to now and Ive tried a few, including Darths and ifindforu.  It beats them both hands down, particularly were the authentic BIR taste is concerned.  I made Curry Kings Bhuna with it and it was brilliant. 

Lorrydoo.

[Cory Ander]

.....I cant believe how bitter the taste is. Seriously thinking about binning it while I still have time to use some other bases that I have got frozen.
Has anyone else found the taste to be like this or have I mucked it up somewhere?

I found this too Ian   

I usually find this when I fry the onions rather than boil them.  I generally boil the onions (in the base) accordingly.  It seems to me that onions can also be particularly bitter if they are a little green/unripe.

I also find that tinned tomatoes make the base bitter.  I generally don't use tinned tomatoes accordingly.

You might try cooking the base for longer (it will go darker too).  This may remove some of the bitterness. 

You might also find this thread helful: http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=1907.0

....Ive tried a few, including Darths and ifindforu. It beats them both hands down, particularly were the authentic BIR taste is concerned

It's great that you've tried this base and found it so much to your liking LD!

However, I've found that Darth's and Ifindforu's curry bases are significantly better than this one 

[haldi]

I have made the base and froze it (ran out of time)
I found it lacked sweetness, too
This could be down to the onions
Perhaps I didn't cook them long enough (20 minutes)
Or the onions had a particular bitterness about them
One chef, I spoke to, said he sometimes needed to add sugar to the base, so why shouldn't we?
The other option could be, too much spice
Spices are bitter and there are a lot in it
Stew's base seems good, though
I will post when I have used it
I compared it with two other bases I had to hand
If you look at the picture
1 is an experiment base (no good, no subtlety)
2 is Stew's base
3 is a bought base from my favourite takeaway (note different colour)

Bases do come in all colours, it has no reflection on their taste
However,I must say, that the bought base is so much better than anything I can make.
Once again, it is this extra flavour
So frustrating
To be specific, the flavour and smell seems like "poppadoms" (which I love)
I have experimented with using oil that poppadoms were cooked in
I have also added ground cooked poppadoms to the base
No luck!
Maybe it really is just the intense heat of their cookers

[haldi]

Here is another picture of Stews base at two stages
Left is just after pureeing the onion with tomato,garlic etc
Right is after an hours simmering
It actually went even darker after that

[windsor]

Hi Guys,

Being a relative newcomer to the site and having read through the numerous posts re base sauces on here am going to have a go at this one today. Will report back and let you know how I get on.  Keep everything crossed for me,lol.

windsor

[lorrydoo]

This is Admins excellent base that I made yesterday, I let it simmer for 2 hours and blended with an hand blender, keeping it submerged in the sauce at all times so as not to let in any air.

[lorrydoo]

This is a finished lamb Bhuna using Curry Kings recipe, I have found that it is very close to the real thing.

[Domi]

If your onions are bitter it's better to add salt rather than sugar

I've made 3 lots of this base this week and not had any bitterness, the only difference between the three batches was the heat (I made one hot, one medium and one very mild, all excellent