Topic: Result

[joshallen2k]

Hi Emin-J,

When he says "Chef's Special" my guess is that it is Spice Mix, not Curry Powder. Don't believe many BIRs bother to make their own when Rajah, East End seem so popular.

Will you ask to understand how he makes his base (tracking ingredients, measure, and technique)?

Hope he lets you!

[emin-j]

hi emin-j
the chef at the mouchak uses the oil from the top of the gravy only because it is there, but 1 minute before the end of cooking the dish he adds about 1tsp of melted butter ghee this gives the dish an extra lift imho. i do it and when i asked why he sad the british love their buuter so a little is added to most of the dishes. their curries are fab. and they have 3 other restaurants mouchak is the smallest, the raja of kent which i drive past to get to mouchak and is always packed! the raja of maidstone and they have 1 in dartford that seats 200 people! so they know there stuff.
regards for 2nite
gary

Hi gary,
When I think about it ,a few months ago I visited a place in Bristol called Flavourz,they do an all you can eat for a set price ( ?11.95 I think it was )they do Mexican ,Chinese,Italian,and Indian food all cooked in front of you it was great !
They had a lovely Indian Curry there not quite Madras hot but very tasty.
My daughter came back to the table with a shocked look on her face and said they had just topped up the Indian Curry ( cuz I ate most of it  ;D ) and they put about 1/2 a pack of Butter on the top of the Curry to melt into it 

[emin-j]

Hi Emin-J,

When he says "Chef's Special" my guess is that it is Spice Mix, not Curry Powder. Don't believe many BIRs bother to make their own when Rajah, East End seem so popular.

Will you ask to understand how he makes his base (tracking ingredients, measure, and technique)?

Hope he lets you!

Maybe ,but I think I had better tread a bit lightly 

[joshallen2k]

Emin-J,

I made this Madras tonight to the spec you provided (exactly). Although I made a liberty in assuming the chef's spice was spice mix, not curry powder.

Outstanding!

Not too dissimilar to a number of Madras recipes, but the ghee/oil, methi-first, 3T tomato, and two tsp chilli made it enough different to try. Lemon juice as well made it a to-try for me.

The problem is, that I can't exactly line up my last 20 Madras efforts to see where it really ranks. I can conclude that it was excellent.

I think the base though, is the key thing we are after. Since these guys use fresh oil (as do others as posted) the secret is in the base. I think it was Haldi who says they were able to recreate BIR at home when using bought base.

Tread as lightly as you think you need to, but GET THAT BASE RECIPE!

Thanks for all your efforts.

-- Josh

[emin-j]

Emin-J,

I made this Madras tonight to the spec you provided (exactly). Although I made a liberty in assuming the chef's spice was spice mix, not curry powder.

Outstanding!

Not too dissimilar to a number of Madras recipes, but the ghee/oil, methi-first, 3T tomato, and two tsp chilli made it enough different to try. Lemon juice as well made it a to-try for me.
The problem is, that I can't exactly line up my last 20 Madras efforts to see where it really ranks. I can conclude that it was excellent.

I think the base though, is the key thing we are after. Since these guys use fresh oil (as do others as posted) the secret is in the base. I think it was Haldi who says they were able to recreate BIR at home when using bought base.

Tread as lightly as you think you need to, but GET THAT BASE RECIPE!

Thanks for all your efforts.

-- Josh

Thank's for having ' faith ' Josh  ;D I think a lovely Madras can be made very simply but it is still down to personal taste I suppose ;)I will press them for the base recipe tho  ;)Did you remember the fresh Coriander 

[joshallen2k]

Always fresh coriander!

[adriandavidb]

Interesting reading emin-J !  I've being 'frying-in' dried methi at an early stage of the cooking process and am CONVINCED it works better than adding it at the end (or adding none for that matter!)

Keep up the good work!

[emin-j]

Interesting reading emin-J !  I've being 'frying-in' dried methi at an early stage of the cooking process and am CONVINCED it works better than adding it at the end (or adding none for that matter!)

Keep up the good work!

Hi adriandavidb ,I have just finished my Curry and it was very nice  ;D seconded by the Wife  and as yourself started with the frying of the Methi , also put about a tablespoon of Butter Ghee in with the Oil ,the aroma was very nice from the start !
Also adding the Lemon Juice seemed to ' smooth ' out the Curry,just need to sort the recipe for the Base now  :

[adriandavidb]

My method is similar, a hotch potch of my own ideas, together with the corpus of curry books (KD etc)available and some great ideas from CrO people:

I chuck a chopped chillie into a heavy based frying pan containing 3 tbs of oil, and when it is sizzlingI know the temp is high enough to cook the raw spices without burning them  (Bruce Edwards' idea this one!). I wait a further minute to allow any fried chillie flavour to develope, then I bung in  garlic puree followed by (diluted) tomarto puree and cook till moisture evaporated.  Next goes in spice mix, chillie powder, ground dried methi leaf (C.O. KD), salt and a tiny pinch of sugar ( most of which caramalizes in the hot oil).

After cooking the spice for a min or so, toffee aroma, then add base in stages bringing back to boil after each edition.

Instead of lemon juice I add blizzed tinned toms to sour, about 3 or 4  tbs, I believe CK (?) does this also, and a lot of chopped corriander just before serving, it does not need 'cooking-in' The finaly chopped stalks actually givce a much better flavour than the leaves ( I just use those to garnish) - slightly 'lemony' rather thatn 'candle wax'!

Might have one tomorrrow!!

[emin-j]

My method is similar, a hotch potch of my own ideas, together with the corpus of curry books (KD etc)available and some great ideas from CrO people:

I chuck a chopped chillie into a heavy based frying pan containing 3 tbs of oil, and when it is sizzlingI know the temp is high enough to cook the raw spices without burning them  (Bruce Edwards' idea this one!). I wait a further minute to allow any fried chillie flavour to develope, then I bung in  garlic puree followed by (diluted) tomarto puree and cook till moisture evaporated.  Next goes in spice mix, chillie powder, ground dried methi leaf (C.O. KD), salt and a tiny pinch of sugar ( most of which caramalizes in the hot oil).

After cooking the spice for a min or so, toffee aroma, then add base in stages bringing back to boil after each edition.

Instead of lemon juice I add blizzed tinned toms to sour, about 3 or 4  tbs, I believe CK (?) does this also, and a lot of chopped corriander just before serving, it does not need 'cooking-in' The finaly chopped stalks actually givce a much better flavour than the leaves ( I just use those to garnish) - slightly 'lemony' rather thatn 'candle wax'!

Might have one tomorrrow!!

Sounds like you have that well sorted  ;)I always make an extra portion and keep in the fridge for a day or so for a treat  ;D