PanPot's Ashoka Curry Base

[Panpot]

Hi Guys I stuck to the actual recipes and I can honestly say they are the best I have ever cooked and when they all come together in the Bhuna it was awesome.

I was like the chefs unable to reclaim oil from the base but added more oil to the Branston Pickled coloured Bunjara. I found it was too salty to my taste before cooking with it so added more tomato pulp ( incidental looks like Passata so maybe elsewhere like The Ashoka they just blitz tins of plum tomato ) and some sugar to counteract. It cooked up the best curry I have ever made though. Cheers Panpot

I will post Photos through Unclebuck.

[joshallen2k]

Panpot - how would you compare the Bhuna made with the recipe, to what they served you at the restaurant? I know you raved about it, and wondered if the home recipe delivered the same goods.

[JerryM]

and when they all come together in the Bhuna it was awesome.

Panpot - well pleased you've achieved the result u were after - u certainly deserve it.

Curryonregardless - the 1/3 scale will be fine - just use a measuring spoon instead of weight for the smaller ingredients ie the salt. don't worry too much on the sat fat for the 1st go (i'm pretty sure there is actually very little if any sat fat - it's all veg fat).

Haldi - on the

that pot looks so clean!

- simply i've been watching too much of rosemary's cooking school on itv http://www.itv.com/Lifestyle/Food/RosemaryShrager/default.html

mickdabass - spot on for me on your observation

I think having the oil at "frying temperature" for too long was an error

i've not made panpots version yet but when making the original onion paste i'd come to the conclusion to remove the oil frying step in future - the slow cook as u suggest is the way to go.

on the oil reclaim i've had a lot of practise and pretty much consider myself to be a master on the technique (more water, more boiling and less stirring)

[JerryM]

Panpot,

i do very much like the base and of course need to cook this week with it to finally decide how it rates.

u might be interested in the few tweaks i would adopt on making it next time (i fully expect this base to go into my top 3):
1) add the oil up front with the onion and cummin etc and cook for 2 hrs. this would make a real difference to the onions
2) reduce the salt slightly (by 1/3)
3) reduce the marg - not sure how much (by 1/3 to 1/2)
4) increase the onion (by 600g in the full batch)
5) tryout replacing the cumin with ground coriander
6) add some paprika

the above i feel to be very minor and more of a personal preference in the main with the exception of the earlier addition of the oil.

one other significant suprise for me is that there is no hint of solid fat on the base in the fridge. this means that i've been wrong in the past thinking that marg (ghee at the time) is not universally used. i now think it very likely is used widely.

a last by the way - just tasted the cold version in the fridge and the magic is still there - ummy.

[joshallen2k]

I'm not sure on completely replacing the cumin with coriander. I'd consider reducing the amount to about 75% of the current measure. I found the cumin a little overpowering.

[billycat]

Hi all,

Dont wanna be a grump ,

but why are we all trying to change what is after all a true BIR base.

Shouldnt we all just try and adjust our own spicing to suit rather than change a base, otherwise what is the point of someone taking the time to get us a recipe.

Once again not trying to pour scorn on your plans,

just my opinion.

[joshallen2k]

Billycat, it is a true BIR base, but it also is a scaled down recipe. Its hard to say how well this scales and how it tastes relative to the 60L base that they make at the Ashoka.

Having made it, I found the cumin to be overpowering, and a little too salty. Again, that could be personal taste, or could come from the scale factor.

[Cory Ander]

..i now think it (margarine) very likely is used widely.

On what do you base that conclusion please Jerry?  I have never seen one other curry base recipe, or any other reports, ever, of margarine being used in the curry base?

Maybe this is how trees obscure the woods and how myths are made Jerry? 

[JerryM]

Billycat,

please forget my earlier post on the changes - they were my own and i did not intend or expect anyone else to follow them - stick to the pukka recipe for sure.

CA,

i base the marge observation literally a simple observation - all TA's i ever have had the chance of putting in the fridge have never had any solid fat on them - from this i'd concluded that they could not contain ghee. the only base i've made previously with ghee did produce solid fat on the surface supporting my belief. the marg has not produced any indication of solid fat. this proves that my earlier observation does not necessarily hold on every occasion. the marg does add something in terms of taste that is an improvement on bases without.

i don't dispute your comment at all and well sure that a lot of BIR's don't use it. all i am saying is my analysis in the past has been wrong. there is every chance that marg could be present without it being visible. the malik's base has marg in and i now believe (knowing the taste it gives) that my local TA also uses it albeit in much smaller amount.

[mickdabass]

JerryM I agree with your observations about the cumin overpowering the Base. Looking down the list of other Ashoka recipes, I notice a distinct lack of coriander used. Had a second crack at the Bunjarra paste and I am really pleased with the end result. A tad salty - dont think I will need to add any extra salt to the finished curry