Topic: Bobby Bhunas latest base sauce goings on

[JerryM]

Adrian,

interesting whole spice spec. i use bay, cardamom, anis (4:4:1 off in 800g onion).

i'm not a fan of cloves. when i tried cassia i think i used too much - have u got it in balance with the rest and if so how much would the "some" be.

[Bobby Bhuna]

i feel my gap is now only down to recipe, spice mix & base oil.

I'm starting to think it's down to spice mix. I've only ever really used BE's for the vast majority of my curries. I would love to get my hands on some decent restaurant massala.

[haldi]

I would love to get my hands on some decent restaurant massala.

Try buying some, I have several times
As far as I can tell, takeaways will sell you anything they can make a profit on.
I saw some being made up the other day
They measured it by using whole bags at a time (except cummin which was half a bag)
Oddly they mix it by hand in a bowl (like a dough)

[JerryM]

Haldi/Bobby,

for restaurant massala do u mean spice mix (from Secret Santa defn: 'mix powder' I mean what you call the spice mix. That is the cumin, coriander, turmeric, paprika, curry powder mix).

if so does it produce a different taste to the mix powders we have on the site and or do u have any details on the proportions (is it for example what's listed as the Haldi TA).

i'd also appreciate any thoughts on what additional spices are used with it. i know for example coriander is used separately.

[Bobby Bhuna]

I saw some being made up the other day
They measured it by using whole bags at a time (except cummin which was half a bag)

How is that you get to see so many BIR goings on? I never have any luck.

[adriandavidb]

JerryM

I make enough base to produce about 12 or 13  x 450ml (roughly a pint, or just less)portions. Each produces a dish big enough to feed me and the wife (we're greedy!), in typical curry dishes like madras.  For thing like Bombay spud or bhuna I would use half a 450ml portion.

The proportions are roughly this (all prepared weights):-

1.8kg onion quatered
1 or 2 carrots
2 sticks celery
half a pepper (green or red, whatevers to hand)
50g garlic
20g ginger
1 Full size tin plum tomartos
1 tbs tomarto puree
1 'mug' (about 250ml) oil

1 lev Tbs Bruce Edward's spice mix
1 lev tbs paprika
1 lev tbs turmeric
1 or 2 lev tps garam masalla (CAs I think, from this site)

2 whole star anise
10 (ish) peppercorns
3 or 4 cloves ( I don't like too much of that)
2 or 3 bay leaves, dry or fresh from the bush
1 piece cinnamon bark (about 3 or 4" x half " wide)

First I make a chicken stock by boiling a roast chicken carcass (once most of the meat has been removed), and an uncooked chicken wing or two from the freezer, in several pints of water (britta-filtred in our area), for 2 or 3 hours on a slow simmer.  during the last hour or two ( so as not to boil away alll the flavour) I add the whole spices (nice aroma!).

After that as for Bruce Edward's:  Filter the stock through a fine kitchen seive or muslin into a big pot.  Add all the ingredients except spice mix and tom puree and simmer for an hour or so, add puree and spice cook 5 mins, stand 5 mins then cool pot by standing in sink of cold water.  Blitz.

If I have time I fry the chopped carrot pepper celery and two of the onions in all of the oil until soft and slightly coloured, then add it to the liquid and the rest of the quatered onion and continue as before.

I can't say what the volume of (watery) chicken stock I add is, but you should finish up with the 12 or 13 450ml portions, I just use my pot size as a guide.

This method has evolved from what started as KDs base, using stuff I've learnt from Cr0 since I've been here.  I very happy with it.  the spicing is lowish, so I make up for this when I make the final dishes (eg I add 3 or 4 lev Tbs of Bruce Edward's spice mix to a madras, using 450 ml portion of base, which is proabaly reduced in volume by 1/3 during cooking).

[adriandavidb]

Sorry forgot to mention:-

The veg (other than onion) is finely chopped.

If I've got any to hand chopped up stalks form a supermarket sized bunch of corriander goes in too.

The garlic and ginger is blitzed in some water before adding to the boiling veg.

[Derek Dansak]

wow that looks involved. i like it ! its making me tired just looking at all those steps. great effort  

[Bobby Bhuna]

I've tried going down the chicken stock route and didn't like it. I think this base that I have made is way too complex. It must be easier than this...

[adriandavidb]

Sorry found another howler:-

The last paragraph should say 3 or 4 Tps (not tbs) of spice mix to the madras. sorry!