Why we cannot produce that missing taste ?

[mike travis]

Hi spiceman,  welcome to the family. Look forward to hearing more from you soon. Hope your curry turns out well..  ;D

[Cory Ander]

....Is it some primal urge? ;D LOL

....I seem to find that the "primal urge" generally comes the following morning! 

[Cory Ander]

...It got me thinking, I'm a lover of Darth's base, which does use typical stew ingredients (excepting turnip/swede/parsnip) and now I'm wondering if that's the missing sweetness I could be searching for...

Hi Domi,

I think you'll find that all curry bases use "typical stew (no, I don't mean Admin!) ingredients" Domi, being based primarily on onions, garlic and ginger (plus spices), with some combination of tomatoes, carrots, celery, potatoes, etc, thrown in for good measure.

Some bases also use mooli (chinese white radish) and celeriac (a member of the celery family).  I've also seen some discussions on using swedes, parsnips and turnips that you refer to. 

I used to roast these ingredients (to make a curry base) in much the same way as my wife makes vegetable or pumpkin soup. I've also used pumpkin! 

For me, the main characteristic missing is that inherent "rich, savouriness" of a good BIR curry.  This is why I'm playing around with stocks.  The "sweetness", that you refer to, is also missing, to a lesser extent, too. 

To my mind, there is no question of what the "taste" and the "smell" of a good (albeit from days of old) BIR curry are.  There is no missing it!  It aint subtle, it's very marked and dramatic!  In my humble opinion, only, of course.  Though I do agree that others do not seem to know what they are (for whatever reason)

[Domi]

Hi Cory

I think we kinda make the same point, albeit differently....For me, the missing taste that I'm looking for is that sweetness, I seem to get the rich, savoury flavour that I think you describe but as with everything it's a matter of personal taste.

I've seen plenty of posts from people saying that they get the smoky taste,and just as many from ppl saying that they don't even though they've used the same bases, recipes etc. I doubt that anyone will ever make a base or curry that suits everyone's tastes simply because we each have a different idea of what the perfect curry is, yet we are all in search of the perfect curry.

To my mind, there is no question of what the "taste" and the "smell" of a good (albeit from days of old) BIR curry are.

Now I've had bad curries which have had the "taste and smell" but still been a crap curry I've opened many a take-away carton to be blown away by the heady aromas yet when I've put some in my mouth they've been awful

I'll bet most of us have served up curries to friends/family who say that they are exactly like a restaurant/take-away curry and we smile and say thanks for the compliments but we still feel that something is missing. lol when I made your madras, the hubby swore it was spot on, but that slight sweetness was missing for me, but it's a bloody good curry, certainly on a par with BIR's round our way (in fact it's a damn sight better than quite a few ;D ).

I think before we can all decide on what the perfect recipe is, we'd have to reach a consensus on what the perfect taste is (maybe a 500-member-strong curry-crawl is needed lol ;D )

If I never find the answer to my quest, I'm having fun hunting ;D

[Swampy61]

D,

You've got it absolutely right.

We're all looking for the same thing but at the same time something different, because we have different tastes.

Sweetness, savouriness, smokiness, different sides of the same quest.

I've had plenty of compliments (or is that complaints?)too about my curries being just like a restaurant / takaway curry but still felt them not to be quite right to my taste.

Heaven forbid that we ever find the answer, cos then there'd be no more forum and no more fun!

Swampy

[Domi]

lol thanks to the Admin here I've completely changed my mind....His new base sauce covers all flavours IMO for very few ingredients, it's far and away better than any base I've tried (and I never thought I'd find one to top Darth's) so my stew theory is wrong lol ;D

I stand very happily corrected

[magpie]

I for one think that 20 years ago curries ie vindaloo's and madras', were better than they are now.

I would love to find this missing taste, sort of hot and sour, that I used to get in vindaloo, and I've been trying to do it for all these years.

Nowadays, I just think that restaurants make hot curries which are nothing other than curries with chilli powder.

Consequently, I don't go to restaurants so much. And like the previous poster, if I did find how to cook the curry I like, it still wouldn't stop me going to a restaurant and take away, I would simply get something else for a change such as a Dhansak or a Jalfrezi if the vindaloo wasn't as good as my own.

[Domi]

Hi magpie (that name reminds me of Mick Robertson <blushes>....sheesh that takes me back )

I love a jalfrezi, I usually get them from one of two places, one cooks to what I'd call an "older" recipe, the other to a more modern recipe or taste, both are excellent curries but are totally different in colour, flavour and texture (also one uses egg and the other doesn't lol)

[haldi]

I would love to find this missing taste, sort of hot and sour, that I used to get in vindaloo, and I've been trying to do it for all these years.

There is only one place I know that still does old style curries
They are absolutely fantastic
It's called BOMBAY STYLE (it used to be called the Bombay Bicyle Centre)
It's on the junction of Gregory Boulevard and Alfreton Road, Nottingham
The curries are never short of fantastic
The chef is called Mamood with 30 plus years cooking experience
He's given me loads of cooking tips, but no way can anyone equal his curries

[lorrydoo]

One for sorrow, two for joy, three for a girl four for a boy, Mah aha haaag...Pie.  Yes that takes back bit too Greg.   Anyway back to the topic, has anyone been on the real secret curry recipe sight that Andy has set up?