Topic: SnS's simple Madras style curry

[SnS]

This recipe is simple and precise. It is a good introduction to cooking using the base gravy method, while also producing a reasonable curry.

This is for use with the Saffron base which is fairly thin and bland. If you're using another base then the results may differ. Do avoid using 'spicy' bases for this recipe.

Regards
SnS  ;D

.......................

1 tsp - 5 ml, 1 tbsp = 15 ml

Makes 1 portion of Prawn Madras style curry (it is better to cook each portion separately)
 
0.5 medium cooking onion, finely chopped (do not use Spanish)
0.5 tsp ginger paste
1 tsp garlic paste
1 tsp tomato paste
3 tbsp vegetable oil (do not reduce this)

200 ml of base gravy (or more, if you want to use instead of water - see below)
1 tsp mango chutney (to sweeten - adjust to taste - or omit)
1 tbsp chopped coriander (leaves & stems - adjust to taste - or omit)

Handful of defrosted prawns

Spice mix

1.25 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp chilli powder (or more for chilli-heads)
0.5 tsp turmeric powder
1 tbsp methi (dried fenugreek leaves) - this is optional, but will improve both flavour and aroma

Heat oil in a medium size frying pan low/medium heat (based on a large 3 kW burner*)

Add chopped onion and stir to coat with oil. Stir regularly to avoid burning smaller pieces.

The aim here is to gently fry the onion for about 5 minutes until sweet and translucent, without browning. Before moving on to next stage, taste the onion to ensure there is no bitterness remaining.

Add ginger, garlic and tomato paste and stir into onions. Fry on medium heat for 2-3 minutes stirring regularly (uncooked meat pieces can be added here, stir for another 1 minute).

On medium heat, add spice mix and stir constantly for about 30 - 40 seconds mixing well.

Increase to high heat. Using a ladle, add about 50ml (1/4) of the base gravy (should sizzle profusely as water evaporates), mix in well, after a few seconds add another ladle, mix ... keep going until all 200 ml of the gravy has been used (adding gravy in stages ensures contents of pan remain hot and sizzling).

DO NOT BURN SPICES as this will cause the curry to taste bitter. This part takes practice. The spices should darken a few shades and give off a toffee-like aroma. If the spices look black - start again. Mixing spice powders with a little water to form a thick paste can help prevent burning at the learning stage.

Turn down heat to medium/low. Some oil should now have separated. When the the curry thickens (which it will), the oil is re-adsorbed. Add a little hot water (or more base gravy for a richer taste).

Add chopped coriander and mango chutney. Simmer for 10 minutes, maintaining a 'fluid' consistency by adding more water or base gravy as necessary.

Add prawns and heat through (optionally add cooked meats, fried mushroom, pieces of boiled potato, sliced tomato, etc). Add salt (to taste).

* Heat settings may vary between cookers. A domestic 'wok' burner is about 3.0 to 3.6 kW.

[Bobby Bhuna]

SnS, your cooking methods are very different to mine! All this softening and simmering - what's that all about then. Low heat? Goodness! You are an associate member of FAGS aren't you ;D

I'd take those ingredients, get the oil as hot as hell, put in the onion, garlic and ginger, fry for about 30 seconds, take it off the heat while adding the tomato paste and spice mix and methi (about half as much), get it back on the heat, stir it like a maniac pushing the spices into the pan, wait for the toffee.... "MMMmmmm!!!", whack in a bit of base sauce and evaporate it off, do that again, add the meat, get the rest of the base sauce in bit by bit, throw in the coriander, put the Mango Chutney back in the jar and serve. Cooking time - about 4 or 5 minutes.

I really don't understand how anyone could burn the spices. All you have to do is stir and not cook them for that long...

All that said, this is a good post for those starting out on their first attempt. The cooking at high heat on short timescales really does mean that you have to know what your doing - there's no time to consult your recipe book. However I wouldn't anticipate that this method would turn out as good a curry as the more standard one.

[Bobby Bhuna]

I assume from what you've said that you think flash frying the onions makes them bitter? I don't do it until they're brown, just until they look like they will start to brown. I've done it the slow way in the past and you don't get the same smell from the garlic and ginger paste. When you blast the hell out of them you get this lovely toasty garlicy gingery aroma that is far different that just the smell of the uncooked paste.

[SnS]

Like I mentioned Bobby, it's really meant to be an introduction to using the base gravy method, so exprimenting with whacking up the heat to 2000C can come later. We all know how easy (and demoralising) it can be to burn the onion, garlic or spices (previous posts) and end with a bitter tasting curry.

SnS 

[Bobby Bhuna]

Like I mentioned Bobby, it's really meant to be an introduction to using the base gravy method, so exprimenting with whacking up the heat to 2000C can come later.

Just as I was hoping SnS! Perhaps I've been a little too quick to judge :

[Bobby Bhuna]

I don't think I've ever used quite so much Methi for one serving - infact I'm sure I haven't. That's a whole tablespoon right? I'm going to have to give that a shot!

[SnS]

As long as you're not pregnant Bobby it should be okay. Long live Methi!

BTW Bobby, that is 1 x tbsp of Methi as it comes out of the box (not fine crumbled)

[Bobby Bhuna]

With the weekend upon me, it was time again to find a CR0 recipe that I was interested in, do a spot of shopping, then get back to the chopping board.

So here it is, SnS's simple Madras style curry.

At first I didn't have great hopes for this recipe. All this namby pamby simmering and medium heat nonsense. However I was very pleasantly surprised!

Here are my ingredients.



So firstly I cooking the 1/2 onion for around 5 minutes until translucent.



The tomato paste, garlic paste and ginger paste were then added and cooked for a few minutes. At this point I noted how much of a reddish colour the oil took on. Much more than when I fry hot and fast. I looked a lot like the oil I get from the top of a takeaway carton.



I then added the spice mix (which I was a bit dubious about - seemed like a lot of spice mix for not much curry) and the methi (again, this seemed like A LOT of methi). I noted here that the recipe said nothing of crumbling in the Methi but knowing that this is the correct practise, I crumbled away. I was surprised that at this temperature, I still got the toffee smell / chocking, albeit less fiercely.



So I got the pan hotter (still not that hot but hot enough) and added the first splash of base. It didn't explode as it would usually do but still evaporated quite quickly. I got another unexpected waft of sweet toffee smell here.



10 minutes on, and several small additions of hot water later, the sauce was done. Notice the oil separation, even though I was stirring often.



I put in the handful and king prawns and heated them through.



Here's the finished product served with my own pilau rice made using the tea caddy whole spice removal technique (based on the UB muslin bag technique), garnished with a coriander leaf and bird eye chili.



Result, delicious. Far better than any of my expectations. It tasted very sweet despite the fact that I didn't add any Mango chutney, which I put down to the cooking of the onions in stage 1.

The spice mix was great aswell with the coriander seed and cumin seed coming through just right. I think that using UBs base really complemented the spice mix, since the aromatic spices were there in the background and so no one spice was overly dominant.

The methi was fine too, I didn't feel that it was too much. Despite my initial fears, I really enjoyed this curry and award it 8.5 / 10, and great for a novice to try out.

I now conclude that the heat I have been trying to use doesn't make any difference - it just makes it easier to burn things. Perhaps the maximum heat that my hob can produce just isn't enough to make that difference, and if so, I may aswell stop trying because this way is easier and far less messy. If I am to go back to using high heat, I will still fry the onion gently until translucent, as the resulting sweetness is top notch.

I highly recommend trying this curry - and UB, if you get a chance, try this one with your base and report back, I think you too will be pleasantly surprised.

[SnS]

Hi Bobby

Thank you for trying this. I'm pleased it turned out okay ... especially as you were a little sceptical regarding the cooking/frying temperatures.

Regards
SnS

[Bobby Bhuna]

I'm pleased it turned out okay ...

Okay? I said it was really good! Some people eh! Never bloody happy! ;D