Topic: pat chapman has a new curry book out

[thomashenry]

If you want BIR curries at home, then I suggest Dhillon sauce, followed by the techniques Mark J observed in his curry house. It will take a few goes before you learn to get the ratio's of spice/sauce right; its very easy to over spice, but you learn to do it intuitively.

I think Dhillon's sauce and gerneral recipes are way of the mark, you get something that resembles a restaurant curry but its miles off.?

In that case you are doing something wrong. Yes, Dhillon gravy is meant to be bland. Its designed to be versatile, to be a base with which you can make many dishes, The spices come later.

Dhillon's actual curry recipies beyond the base leave something to be desired. Thats what I now use Dhillon base, with MarkJs dish techniques. Honestly - it is spot on. I can't do it.

[thomashenry]

I tried the Dhillion gravy a while ago and thought it was very bland, I assumed that this was down to the fact that every recipe has garam masalla in to pep up the taste.? ?

Yeap, the gravy is bland. You combine it with oil, meat, veg, and spcies to make a dish. Don't follow Dhillon's dish recipies, they are crap. The base sauce however, is superb. Use Dhillon base, with MarkJ's dish recipies.

[Curry King]

Yeap, the gravy is bland. You combine it with oil, meat, veg, and spcies to make a dish.

Damn, I wondered why everyone looked at me funny when I served up 4 bowls of Dhillion gravy with oil, meat and veg in side dishes? ?:

[thomashenry]

Yeap, the gravy is bland. You combine it with oil, meat, veg, and spcies to make a dish.

Damn, I wondered why everyone looked at me funny when I served up 4 bowls of Dhillion gravy with oil, meat and veg in side dishes? ?:

Comic genius alert.

Look, you seemed to be complaining that the Dhillon sauce was bland, and that this was a problem with it. I was pointing out that it is meant to be bland, and that is is only an ingredient to a final dish. You add spices to it when cooking a dish. The final dish then ends up non bland. Westy and I have both had great success with it - if you haven't then you've been doing something wrong.

[merrybaker]

[I used Kris Dhillon's sauce and Mark J's techniques, and the restaurant curry I made was spot on.

If you want BIR curries at home, then I suggest Dhillon sauce, followed by the techniques Mark J observed in his curry house.

What about Pete's 600-ml-oil sauce?? Have you tried that??

[thomashenry]

Not yet. At the moment I am concentrating on making my success with my current methods into something repeatable, that I can do reliably, every time.

I've tasted plain Dhillon sauce in a BIR before btw, in Shemons, Oxford . It was the sauce making up the biryani side dish.

[stephen west]

What about Pete's 600-ml-oil sauce?  Have you tried that?

That's tomorrow night's plan, all going to plan. Lamb madras using Mark J's techniques, and a batch of Pete's 600ml sauce from the freezer I'm sure the result will be similar to using Kris Dhillon's sauce. I'll try to post the result soon.

Thanks,

Stephen

[Curry King]

Comic genius alert.

Thanks, I do try?

Westy and I have both had great success with it - if you haven't then you've been doing something wrong.

I wouldn't say I did anything wrong just that it wasn't as good as other bases ive used, ive had lots of success with other bases and I wouldnt rate Dhillions up there with the best of them.? I would suggest trying other bases before deciding that Dhillions is the holy grail thats all im saying.

[curryqueen]

Thomashenry,

If you are having such great results why don't you post some of the recipes that you are making - then we can see if you are the expert that you profess to be! 

[Mark J]

Ive had good results with Dhillon gravy also, its probably the best part of the book to be honest, however I think Pete's 600ml oil is the best I have tried so far but I havent tried ck's yet from the chef which I will be trying next.

Cooked a chicken keema balti last night for 4 and it was absolutely stunning, I say cooked last night I actually cooked it a day before and left it in the pot, when I say I have had good results in the oven that is purely reheating something cooked on the hob.