Topic: New Base Gravy from visit to Saffron

[Secret Santa]

  It's quite unlike you to be so diplomatic SS!  ;D

Oh it must be all this lovely summer sun some of us are getting. Makes me feel right sociable it does.   

[Sami]

Last week I tested 3 sauces from this board with small batch and liked results from Saffron sauce.  I have up to now used a very basic onion ginger garlic tomato based sauce and used the final cooking stage to adjust flavour.  I have tried to duplicate the Saffron taste in the final cooking stage using my own base sauce but can?t get that appealing sweet and small sharpness created from cooking down carrot and green pepper.
Defeated, today I made a big batch of Saffron sauce with 1.8kg prepped onion and increased ingredients to suit. Made one small change and increased garlic + ginger by about 40%.
I recovered quite a lot of oil after about 40 minutes at the final stage. For those unable to recover oil from a sauce; you might be simmering too hard in the final minutes which is keeping oil at suspension. Also if your sauce is a little too thick the oil will be slow rising to surface.

I made this large batch on high pressure Wok cooker at rear of friend?s restaurant. Good choice for me because this curry sauce process can be messy and stain everything it hits.

Tested final sauce with quick chicken curry with fresh red chilli for heat and it tasted very very good  .  Gave guy from UK a sample and he wanted lots more.
This sauce has a lovely sweet very pleasing taste with little background tang which is sure the carrot and green pepper combination. Not sure what the potato is doing other than giving body to sauce. I used a baking type potato in my ingredients.

Tried to load photo on this board but got reject ? to long loading. Here are photos on image shack.

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[JerryM]

Sami,

you clearly know your stuff. i well like the pics.

in general for bases i've recently upped the garlic (x2) and find it better. i don't feel the ginger works the same though and would be careful not to increase further.

i too have wrestled with the need for the potato. in the end i think it's optional but find with this base i find it better with than without. i too now use normal potato.

i know that with this base it's important to get the oil to release as the base itself only needs to retain ~100ml of oil to get it tasting at it's best.

ps like your stove and surprised to see u don't use it to cook on.

[Sami]

Sami,

you clearly know your stuff. i well like the pics.

in general for bases i've recently upped the garlic (x2) and find it better. i don't feel the ginger works the same though and would be careful not to increase further.

i too have wrestled with the need for the potato. in the end i think it's optional but find with this base i find it better with than without. i too now use normal potato.

i know that with this base it's important to get the oil to release as the base itself only needs to retain ~100ml of oil to get it tasting at it's best.

ps like your stove and surprised to see u don't use it to cook on.

I think I know my stuff when cooking Asian food in a Wok but this curry business can be frustrating and waste much time if you make errors  . When stirring at the Wok I can taste and adjust in the few minutes it takes to prepare food but with curry preparation so much changes over long time period.
I have a good Chinese Chef in family; he is not much help with curry but a great help with understanding ingredients.

The cooker you see is made for a Wok and gives lots of heat power very quickly. I find it great for making large batches of soup and stuff because you can put stink outside and get stuff boiling fast. Its not so good for gentle cooking because it is a real fuss to set a low flame.

As you can see from one of my freezer areas this curry cooking is starting take over.

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[JerryM]

Sami,

this is not wok cooking for sure.

the freezer is not good for me. i like to cook fresh and use it all up before making base again. i know a lot on the site use freezing but i am sure it affects the taste (albeit you can live with it).

you should be able to cut the errors (expect them, nothing wrong just inevitable) by asking the members and searching on the web site - just post new what you need to know. my errors are now down to trying different ideas in the final dish. the base and technique is sorted (of which i include the saffron). you will be able to achieve the same.

i think you could make more of your stove for cooking dishes. my stove is not quite as good (i think) but does delivers heat very quickly ~8.8kw. as long as the base is very thin (more water) then no problems. the flames on mine lap around the "frying" pan which i think is important. i cook dishes on full heat. http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=1851.0
http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=1283.0

[Deadman]

Thanks SnS. Just making this now. It smells yummy!

Lamb bhuna on the menu tonight! 

[Deadman]

Well I can honestly say after trying 4 bases previously, this one is very moreish in it's basic form. The missus and kids thinks it's like liquid gold!
Can't wait for my bhuna tonight 

[Madrasass]

Hi Folks,
I'm new here and have a query. I am going to try SnS's base today. Can you point me in the right direction for recipes that will suit this base, for example bhuna, madras jalfrezi?
Many thanks
JJ

[Cory Ander]

I'm new here and have a query....can you point me in the right direction for recipes that will suit this base, for example bhuna, madras jalfrezi?

Hi JJ and welcome to the forum.

SnS has posted his new and improved curry base recipe here:
http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=2757.msg24503#msg24503

Madras:  SnS has also posted his madras recipe to go with it here: http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=2757.msg24504#msg24504

Bhuna:  CurryKings's bhuna seems to get good reviews here: http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=1914.0

Jalfrezi:  Admin's Jalfrezi seems to get good reviews here: http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=2664.0

Just be aware that SnS's base is quite tomatoey and you might want to compensate for that on the final curry

Or stick with this version of his base if you wish, it doesn't really matter too much, they are all much of a muchness

[Madrasass]

Hi CA
I'll have a look at the newer base version. I'll take onboard your advise re tomato in the final curry's. Boy I'm gonna have fun.
Once again thanks for your help.

JJ