Topic: You're not going to like this

[Keith]

Would this flavour not be easily obtainable form  stock cubes .A lot less prone to bacteria 
Worth a try i know but not too sure .will be interested to hear how you get on though Pete
Keith

[CurryCanuck]

I concur with Dylan's comments...the chicken stock would not impart a a dramatic change in taste but rather give the gravy a little more body .

[George]

This sounds like a very common practice for making chicken stock, e.g. for western cooking, albeit with different herbs and spices. I also expect that 'fine dining' (proper) Indian restaurants would use chicken stock when making certain 'up-market' curries but I'm surprised to hear that curry houses would add chicken stock to a base sauce which would be used to make 'vegetarian' dishes, not that I have much time for vegetarian attitudes.

'Proper' chicken stock has an infinitely better flavour to stock cubes. The latter might give an idea of potential, but I'd stick with the real thing if that's how some curry houses might do it.

Overall, it wouldn't surprise me if this is one of the 'secrets'.

[pete]

the chefs were doing exactly this boiling down the bones and creating a stock. they eat the chicken that came off the bones in a curry.
They said they were making the stock for the next day.

Maybe I'm on the right track then.
I will post results

[curryqueen]

Just a thought!  I remembered in one of Pat Chapman's books a stock recipe called "Akhni Stock".  Here are the ingredients:-

3 pints water
2 spanish onions peeled and chopped
1 teaspoon garlic puree
1 teaspoon ginger puree
1 tablespoon ghee
2 teaspoons salt

spices whole
10 cloves
10 green cardamoms
6 pieces cassia bark
6 bay leaves

Put all in water, bring to boil and then simmer for 1 hour, by this time stock shuld have reduced by half.  Strain and discard the solids.  If you like, use 8oz meat off-cuts and bones when simmering for 1 hour.

Make what you want of that!  I'm scepticle, but, who knows!!

[Blondie]

Hi Curryqueen,

I looked into this Akhni stock before but never used it after asking at my local takeaway and they told me that they had not heard of it and didn't use a stock other than the base sauce, but having said that they have been very unhelpful (except for the owner) all along.

Cheers,

Blondie

[ghanna]

hi,Pete
thank you
i am going to try it.
thanks
ghanna

[merrybaker]

Just a thought!? I remembered in one of Pat Chapman's books a stock recipe called "Akhni Stock".?

What did Pat Chapman use it for?? Did he put it in a base sauce??

If chicken "jelly" is the answer, it certainly would compromise vegetarian curries.? That could explain why chefs won't confess doing it.?

[pete]

What did Pat Chapman use it for?  Did he put it in a base sauce? 

He said it could be used instead of curry gravy
Pat saw a lot of things, but I don't think he understood what was going on, before he wrote about it.
Regarding "the taste"
I know some people, who I made curries for, and they think they are exactly the same as a takeaway.
They are not.
These people cannot recognise "the taste"
I wondered if Pat might be one of these people.
I think he genuinely believes he has informed everyone correctly

[joe2]

With great respect Pete, I almost hope this is not going to work?

Although i'm not a veggie, I can't stand handling meat(as you also said recently). I don't even like its presence around me in the kitchen. One of the great attractions of the restaurant style curry made at home, is how the whole process is meatless until the very end, and if you use chicken breasts all the time, its bearly like handling real meat at all.
However, if it gives us the taste, i'll be doing it.
Keep up the good work.