Topic: You beauty! I bought a portion of base!!!

[RobinB]

To get a decent BIR curry to compare our own with you really need to go for the take away, eating in I think mentally tricks you, all the pappadoms,chutneys, bottles of cobra and pan pipes certainly adds to that missing 5% somehow and lulls you into thinking anything tastes great,especially when you've had a few drinks.

A decent TA lamb Madras is the benchmark for me,maybe i've just been going to the wrong places but all the recent BIR's i've visited seem to be going away from the kind of curries I grew up loving and have gone really upmarket, I had a chicken patia the other day and it had shredded lime leaves in it and garnished with loads of spring onion,tasted a nice but a million miles from the usual BIR flavours/methods that i really enjoy.

[Panpot]

I started eating from BIRs in the 1970s in Glasgow's famous Gibson St. I agree something has changed over the years but don't know why either. In a previous post last year I felt and still do that letting the curry catch fire Is critical and why they always say we can't duplicate their work. in addition as we cook our nostrils become accustomed to the developing aroma and so we never actually smell and taste our efforts the way our guests will when they really compliment us yet we are always disappointed. This smelling thing is another reason for them saying we will never succeed.

Recently I have met a famous BIR owner and next time I intend to ask if I can get backstage or get some recipes from him.

As we all know it is great fun chasing this secret and long may we strive to get it right both pre and post 90s. cheers Panpot

[Bobby Bhuna]

Hey Panpot,

I know I wasn't here when you were last frequenting this place but I can see that you've got some good mates on the forum, so welcome back ;D

in addition as we cook our nostrils become accustomed to the developing aroma and so we never actually smell and taste our efforts the way our guests will when they really compliment us yet we are always disappointed. This smelling thing is another reason for them saying we will never succeed.

I was talking about cooking a curry with one of those white masks you use for sanding to see if there was a big difference. Do you reckon this would do the trick?

Cheers,

BB.

[Bobby Bhuna]

I would actually like to revisit this topic after the last base I made.

I used 4 large carrots to 6 large onions and yet still my base is not as carroty. I will double the carrots next time. Also I used about 300ml oil and it came nowhere near. I'm thinking the bought base had three times that.

Added to that I salted my base, and way over spiced it by comparison (I used 4 dsrt DD spice mix - which is really good btw). I think next time I will try 2.

[haldi]

I used 4 large carrots to 6 large onions and yet still my base is not as carroty. I will double the carrots next time. Also I used about 300ml oil and it came nowhere near. I'm thinking the bought base had three times that.
Added to that I salted my base, and way over spiced it by comparison (I used 4 dsrt DD spice mix - which is really good btw). I think next time I will try 2.

Hi BB
     It's crazy isn't it?
Maybe you will get what you're after doing this
But I've seen stages of the base prepared many times.
They don't use that much carrot
It's infuriately nearly all onion
I know one place that doesn't even have carrot in their base, but still produce amazing curries.
I think you've probably already produced a first class base, the only problem is that the oil you have used was fresh.
We are missing some of the oil "history" in our quest

I saw an old BIR chef friend, this week
He cooked me a curry and it was the best I have had for years
Very simple recipe
Base,a little spice, chilli powder,tomato puree, dried fenugreek and precooked ingredients.
He never even used garlic/ginger puree
(thinking about this, it sounds awfully like Kris Dhillons recipes)

The oil from this curry had an amazing flavour
I cooled a little of this curry to freeze
Even stone cold this curry tasted and smelt amazing!
(Is curry, before going to work, a good thing?)

When my curries are cold in the fridge they smell more like a spiced stew.
Not like this

[Panpot]

Bobby, Thanks for the nice compliment and forgive me for not responding quicker,I have been on the road and away for a while. I would welcome your further thoughts on my post above since you indicated you wanted to revisit something I had contributed. Haldi I wonder if the difference in the oil is that the chef used ghee rather than oil. I noticed when back in Glasgow rather large plastic tubs of the stuff in my favourite Asian Store. I am expecting to get backstage in the near future in one of Glasgow's BIRs and although I have given my word that I would not give away specifics I am sure generalities like oil and brands of basics wont betray their trust. I will post in due course.

[Bobby Bhuna]

I am expecting to get backstage in the near future in one of Glasgow's BIRs

Hey panpot, have you ever been to anarkali? Someone here said it was the best.

[Panpot]

No never heard of it Bobby,but if its in Glasgow then I will check it out next time I am back. What about your thinking above when you wanted to revisit something any further thoughts?