Topic: Big Day !

[CurryCrazy]

Hi emin

Did they let you know what was in their spice mix?

I am sure that dry roasing and grinding fresh spices is key to any good curry. This as well as fresh ingredients has got to produce the best results..obvious really.

As per everyone else...surprised by the lack of base! I'm sure even Bruce Edwards says he makes two bases a week at home. I guess there is more than one way to achieve a good result. But what makes a good result great? Could it be a few beers first ;D ;D

[Cory Ander]

I am sure that dry roasing and grinding fresh spices is key to any good curry. This as well as fresh ingredients has got to produce the best results.

You might be correct CurryCrazy, but I doubt that is what most BIRs do!

As Emin suggests, most BIRs are trying to chuck out curries quickly, in volume, at low cost, and with minimal margin...hence why they can't do some of these more elaborate things.

[CurryCrazy]

Yep - agree CA.

As I've mentioned before, BIRs are a busness and at every step they would have to watch the bottom line.

To use the freshest "just made" ingredients would cost (produce and labour) but this restaurant has decided on a niche market (with deep pockets). Got to justify the extra cost somewhere.

I'm sure the food is excellent but probably not what this site is trying to acieve.

More cheap and cheerful than artsy fartsy. ;D

[George]

Irrespectively, I, for one, would certainly be interested in learning more specifics (e.g. recipes, etc) about how they produce their curries 

I agree. Me too! Emin's place sound slike it produces superior curries. If he can write up any recipes and they're in the same class as Madhur Jaffrey's recipes, then I'd be far more likely to serve those, than many BIR dishes, to be honest, at least for a dinner party.

[joshallen2k]

we are talking a QUALITY Curry here not your T/A mass produced stuff.

I don't doubt it for a minute. This place sounds top notch. I also don't doubt that they dry roast and grind their own spices, and catch their own baby squid!

But it really depends on what you (and I, and others on the forum) are trying to reproduce.

For me, that's traditional BIR fare. (Madras, CTM, Vindaloo...) And to me that means a base, cheap spices, and likely plenty of corners cut (oil, etc).

Where I live (Toronto), there are dozens of "nouveau" Indian restaurants. The food in most of these is excellent, and probably not dissimilar to the restaurant you got your lesson from. But I'd take a grubby Chicken Madras, pilao and naan from a high street BIR (that produces the taste) anyday!

[emin-j]

what we had was not what you would normally get from your usual ( although still very tasty ) Restaurant or T/A..all this put their Curry way above any Restaurant / T/A i have visited and that's a fair few...when I make one at home It will be a proper Curry.

Steady on Emin!    I'm sure this place produces exquisite curries, using more traditional Indian cooking methods.  Nevertheless, I think it's incorrect to say that these curries are any more "proper" than typical BIR curries cooked using typical BIR cooking methods. 

If these curries, cooked using these methods, floats your boat, great, stick with it.

However, many members here wish to replicate typical BIR curries using typical BIR cooking methods.

"Quality" is very much in the eye of the beholder.  You might determine "quality" to be curries provided by this restaurant, at their prices, and cooked by more traditional means, whereas others (me included) might determine "quality" to be curries, provided by typical BIRs, using typical BIR cooking methods, at half the price.  Neither is more correct, but both constitute "quality" (in the eye of the beholder)...i.e. the right product at the right price! 

Irrespectively, I, for one, would certainly be interested in learning more specifics (e.g. recipes, etc) about how they produce their curries 

Quite right CA,perhaps Authentic is a better word  ;D I will be receiving recipes from Amit the owner and I will find out the Ingredients of their Spice mix and their Garam Masala , they don't use Curry Powder by the way 
Your comments regarding prices I agree with on a commercial scale but as a home Curry Maker I cant see it breaking the Bank using fresh ingredients over Pastes and Puree.

[emin-j]

Hi emin

Did they let you know what was in their spice mix?

I am sure that dry roasing and grinding fresh spices is key to any good curry. This as well as fresh ingredients has got to produce the best results..obvious really.

As per everyone else...surprised by the lack of base! I'm sure even Bruce Edwards says he makes two bases a week at home. I guess there is more than one way to achieve a good result. But what makes a good result great? Could it be a few beers first ;D ;D

Like that one CC  ;D but did stay in control
You probably mean lack of pre made base ? yes I was also surprised and very sceptical at first until the Chef 'created' the base from fresh Onions ,fresh Tomatoes etc etc to make a sort of pulp then added some water and the fresh base was born  he then added Spice mix Chili powder salt then  the precooked Chicken ,fresh Coriander and a squirt of single cream and finished with a really nice CTM.

[emin-j]

Irrespectively, I, for one, would certainly be interested in learning more specifics (e.g. recipes, etc) about how they produce their curries 

I agree. Me too! Emin's place sound slike it produces superior curries. If he can write up any recipes and they're in the same class as Madhur Jaffrey's recipes, then I'd be far more likely to serve those, than many BIR dishes, to be honest, at least for a dinner party.

Thankyou George ,it's all in good fun at the end of the day 
But for meafter spending months over a hot stove  making this base and that base a bit o this and a bit o that and now shown by a 5* Authentic Indian Chef how to produce a fantastic Curry 'on the night' including a fresh made base every time ,Ive got to go with that.I will always follow the forum with interest but I think my Curry path has taken another direction and it doesn't include making any more premade bases 
I am expecting recipes in pdf format George I'll send them to you asap.

[George]

I'd take a grubby Chicken Madras, pilao and naan from a high street BIR (that produces the taste) anyday!

Like you, I still rate the best BIRs as producing tasty food although, in my opinion they are nearly always beaten for my palate, at least, by most 'top notch' Indian restaurants serving more 'authentic' food. It sounds like Emin's find might be in the latter category.

To repeat one para of a post I made on another thread here, today:

On Friday, I had another very disappointing meal in a BIR in another part of the UK, where I know there are loads of BIRs. My friends suggested going to their favourite but I'm sorry to say I didn't rate the food very highly at all. I know there are recipes on this site which produce better results than this typical, sad, average 2009 BIR junk.

[emin-j]

we are talking a QUALITY Curry here not your T/A mass produced stuff.

I don't doubt it for a minute. This place sounds top notch. I also don't doubt that they dry roast and grind their own spices, and catch their own baby squid!

But it really depends on what you (and I, and others on the forum) are trying to reproduce.

For me, that's traditional BIR fare. (Madras, CTM, Vindaloo...) And to me that means a base, cheap spices, and likely plenty of corners cut (oil, etc).

Where I live (Toronto), there are dozens of "nouveau" Indian restaurants. The food in most of these is excellent, and probably not dissimilar to the restaurant you got your lesson from. But I'd take a grubby Chicken Madras, pilao and naan from a high street BIR (that produces the taste) anyday!

Nice one joshallen2k  If you can find a Restaurant that will make you a Chicken Curry from scratch using all fresh ingredients you might be surprised to find there is Curry life outside of traditional BIR