Topic: SnS's Base Gravy June 2008

[PaulP]

I'll be making my 3rd batch of this base tomorrow. I really like this one although it is the first one I have ever tried. Even when I used the wrong onions (didn't check the label and they were medium/strong NZ ones) the base was fairly sweet.

The curries I have produced (normally madras/bhuna type) have had an excellent depth of flavour and nice after taste. Of course I'm still not 100% with regards to BIR aroma/flavour but I bought a chicken madras for comparison last Saturday night from my local TA (the Raj, Waterloo, Liverpool) and I think my efforts are better.

Once I've got my chest freezer installed in the garage I'll be trying many different base recipes but this one gives me great and immediate results - I don't mind the tomato flavour in a curry and don't think it dominates the flavour of this base too much.

Thanks again to SnS for your contributions on this excellent forum.

[Secret Santa]

Well I just made another small batch of this alongside a batch of the most recent Bruce Edward's base. My god these bases are different. Ok, first, I have to own up to adding a cube of Knorr vegetable stock to each base, and of course reducing the salt added to compensate. That aside however I made both as specified.

The SnS June base is, as far as I can tell, tomato soup. If you put it infront of me and told me to taste it without me knowing what it was I would say, mmmm yummy, spicy tomato soup. I could easily replicate this base without all the fuss by using a tin of tomato soup and a few extra spices. I do think the addition of the stock cube probably pushed it in that direction though, and I prefer it with than without. It's pleasant tasting just as it is, but then it would be, it's tomato soup!

The Bruce edward's base is of course the oppsite end of the scale. Very lightly spiced and with only a small addition of tomato. I really like it.

I'm going to make a couple of madrases some time to see which one "wins" when using the same spices.

[SnS]

mmmmm .. tomato soup, love it.

Perhaps I should sell the recipe to Heinz then? 

[PaulP]

Even more tomatoes (by ratio) in this one:

http://www.cuzza.com/recipes/brownstuff/

I haven't tried it myself and probably won't bother since finding this forum.

[Robbo1979]

I made this madras again Saturday and by golly it IS the best madras I've ever eaten.  Whatever people above say, I'm not having it, this IS as good/better than any restaurant madras I've had (and believe me I've had plenty!!)  ;D

[seekingcurry]

Just to add to this discussion, this base is now my base of choice, however I don't add the tin of tomatoes nor do I make back up any water lost to evaporation (besides the 500ml added in the last stage). After the ~90 mins total cooking I probably end up with about 2l of sauce and find it works perfectly for the dishes I'm trying to produce.

Cheers SnS

[Hargiwald]

It's mine too. Actually I still haven't tried any of the other base sauces several months after finding this place. Maybe that's a mistake but I find that this one works perfectly for all kinds of dishes, and if I want it to be a bit hotter to begin with I have on occassion thrown in different chilis and never with bad results.

I made a lovely vindaloo (for which I'm going to post a recipe in that section) with this just the other day, for example, and I've made good CTM's with it too, so it works fine with anything.

[Madrasass]

Hi SnS or any one who can help. Am I supposed to scoop off the froth from the base as it cooks in the latter stages?
Thanks
JJS

[Secret Santa]

however I don't add the tin of tomatoes

Very sensible!

[Secret Santa]

Hi SnS or any one who can help. Am I supposed to scoop off the froth from the base as it cooks in the latter stages?
Thanks
JJS

Hi Madrasass.

If you're the sort of cook who minces around his/her kitchen saying 'what a gay day' at every little turn of events, then yes scoop off that scum.

Otherwise if you are in any way normal, leave it in. It makes no difference to the taste!  :