Topic: pat chapman has a new curry book out

[woodpecker21]

hi again
i was in a bookshop today and saw a new book by pc i think it is called "quick curries" or "curries in a hurry". i only had a short time to browse through it, but there are a few good looking quick recipes all cooked in around 30 minutes. but i did see that there was the usual pc preparation.... : curry powder etc. i saw it in "ottakars" bookshop for a princely sum of ?9.99 but for all those folk that can get to either geerings bookshop or a sussex stationers it is a meager ?5.99 not bad. i hope to get one sometime this week will keep you all posted.
also whilst i am still here and on a roll pat chapman had a book out last year which preceeds the "new" curry bible it is called ......wait for it  "the modern indian restaurant cookbook"
it has a selection of recipes chosen by pc from a list of restaurants from the top 200 BIRs in the curryclub good curry guide. each recipe has a small description of background on the chosen dish and the restaurant and its address from where it comes from        
here is the recipe for curry masala gravy
1/2 pint(300ml) ghee or veg oil
5 tbsp garlic puree
4tbsp ginger puree
10x8oz spanish onions pureed
6 tbsp tomato puree
1tsp salt
spices
2 tbsp turmeric
4tbsp curry powder(his own 100yo recipe)
1-6 tsp chilli powder (to taste)
2 tbsp ground cummin seeds
2tbsp chopped fresh coriander
mix the spices with water to make a thick paste that has the approx consistency ot ketchup. let it stand whilst going on to stage 2
 heat the oil stirfry the garlic puree for 3 mins , then add ginger and cook for 3 more mins. add the spice mixture and sir-fry until the water has evaporated and the oil separates,about 5 mins. should it need it, add sufficient water to make it pourable.
ad the onion puree and stir-fry for a futher 10 mins. then add the tomato puree and stir-fry for a final 10 min. add the salt. no need to blend  but then there are various add-ons to make mild base, medium base, madras, vindaloo and phall.
this recipe comes from the "Viceroy of India 51 sun street, biggleswade ,Beds " and Balak 133 chanterlands ave, Hull. this recipe will make 10 curries for 4 persons as he states in the book.

hope you enjoy this post

regards gary

[Curry King]

mmm, interesting, has anyone tried this gravy before?

Cheers
cK

[Blondie]

Hi all,

I've tried this gravy and it was quite promising, but, once the spices are added to make the various curry bases they all seem over spiced to me, but I haven't given up on it yet.

cheers all,

Blondie

[Mark J]

This book is just a reprint of one of Pats 1980's books (still a good read though)

[thomashenry]

Its a total scam of a book. None of the recipies in there came from a real resturant. If they did, then he has magically found 50 or so Resturants that produce food nothing like the other thousands of BIRs in the country   Its all standard Pat Chapmman techniques (ie ones which result in curries nothing like a BIR curry)

I don't know how Pat Chapman sleeps at night, he should be done for selling good under false pretences.

[Mark J]

I think thats a bit harsh, bear in mind he produced all of these books in the eighties apart from a few early 90's and at that time there was nothing else even close to what he was trying to achieve.

His books do try and produce restaurant style dishes and he gives recipes for base sauces (the one above isn't that far away from many on this site).

The only thing to my mind that is slightly dodgy is reprinting 2 of his earlier books in such a way as to suggest they are new works (New Curry Bible & Modern Indian Restaurant cookbook)

[Blondie]

Hi Mark J,

You say that the PC book "The Modern Indian Restaurant cookbook"is a renamed reprint of an earlier book of his, do you know what the earliear book was called,

Cheers Mark J,

Blondie

[Mark J]

Its either Favourite Restaurant Curries or the Indian Restaurant Cookbook, cant remember which Im afraid as I own both, it is identical to one of them verbatim

[thomashenry]

I think thats a bit harsh, bear in mind he produced all of these books in the eighties apart from a few early 90's and at that time there was nothing else even close to what he was trying to achieve.

His books do try and produce restaurant style dishes and he gives recipes for base sauces (the one above isn't that far away from many on this site).

His 'Indian Resturant Cookbook' books are a joke. His standard curry technique involves cooking the curry, with meat, in  the oven, like a casserole for 45 mins!

Thats about as far away from resturant technique as you can get.

[DARTHPHALL]

None the less, cooking in an oven gives very good results, please try it if you haven't yet, the Phall one in his book is 100% like my take-away curries down here in Cornwall even though he i flogging a dead horse every time he brings out a "new " book. ;D ;D