Topic: Im doing something wrong. Pics included...

[pg89]

I am trying to replicate a BIR Dhansak or Madras (or any main dish really!), but I am doing something terribly wrong as the end result tastes disgusting!

I have never seen or tasted real BIR base gravy so I dont know if mine is completely wrong, although I have carefully followed a recipe called "melting base 3" from a different curry website which is pretty much the same as all the other bases I have made (I have tried several). The base itself tastes bland and watery, and I have diluted it to a thin consistency.

When I fry sugar, it eventually burns and sticks all around the sides of my frying pan or wok. I also get bits of skin forming around the sides of the pan, where it usually bubbles a lot as it is frying.

The end result always smells and tastes the same. Bland, watery (even though the consistency is right), burnt and flavourless.

I have tried cooking on a low heat as well on my domestic range, and although it doesn't stick as bad, its still pretty much the same.
I tried a madras afterward just to experiment as there is no sugar involved, and that turned out burnt and disgusting as well. 

I am guessing the problem lies in the base, although it seems fine when I make a Korma 

I have uploaded some pics to try and show what my attempts look like. The dhansak looks like it should but it doesn't taste anything like the real thing. Its barely edible! Any ideas what im doing wrong?

[pg89]

Base gravy

[pg89]

Madras setup

[Secret Santa]

dhansak looks like it should but it doesn't taste anything like the real thing. Its barely edible! Any ideas what im doing wrong?

Umm...

When I fry sugar, it eventually burns and sticks all around the sides of my frying pan or wok. I also get bits of skin forming around the sides of the pan, where it usually bubbles a lot as it is frying.

The end result always smells and tastes the same. Bland, watery (even though the consistency is right), burnt and flavourless.

This?

[JerryM]

pg89,

there's probably too much in this post to answer. cooking curry is like making a jigsaw each piece has to get into place before u can get the real benefit.

for me u need to step back and go at it a bit more slowly - i'd follow the BE post for base and madras. it's real good learning. http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=2815


it sounds like the base is turning out fine but as it's not one i've made or have knowledge on i can't be sure. u would have to post the full recipe. bland and watery would not be how i'd describe my fav bases - it'd be more a smooth watery soup with a depth of taste where no spice is out of balance and no one ingredient over powers the rest. i'd make the rajver, saffron or SNS2008 after trying out the BE base to get a good feel for different bases.

these were my observations when i tasted real BIR base:

Colour, yellow brown
Texture, quite coarse thickish consistency (will almost soft peak) yet runny
Vegetable taste, onion, carrot and possibly potato
Spice taste, minimal spice certainly nothing sticking out, a hint of chilli and possibly ground coriander.
Oil, very little oil with a little yellow coloured oil on the surface and a few specks
Taste, Very smooth, mainly of onion, not salty, sweet or sour
Smell, onion and a hint of spice

u would also need to list out how u are cooking the curry. this is a crucial part.

for the life of me i don't understand where frying sugar comes in - it's a recipe for disaster.
 

[PaulP]

Hi pg89,

I have seen the recipe for the Melting Base 3 gravy and it looks reasonable from the ingredients and your pictures of it look ok.

Why not try cooking a simpler curry - the Bhuna and Madras recipes look ok on RCR - why not try one of these instead? I agree with others on frying sugar - Not sure what this is trying to achieve other than a sticky burnt mess in your pan!

[pg89]

What I mean by frying sugar is....

dishes that contain a chefs spoon of sugar such as a korma, tikka masala, dhansak etc...

the sugar is always added first from what I have seen from real BIR kitchens along with the spices, tomato paste etc...

It is then flash fried for a few seconds before the base is added. The sugar starts to burn and stick though in the middle of the cooking process after everything has been added. I have noticed that most real BIR curries are cooked in what looks like a thin and flimsy aluminium pan and the sauce never seems to stick.

[Cory Ander]

I am trying to replicate a BIR Dhansak or Madras (or any main dish really!), but I am doing something terribly wrong as the end result tastes disgusting!

Frying sugar (in oil?) for a dhansak sounds peculiar to me.  Are you sure it's not salt?

What's the main dish recipe you're using pg89?  Perhaps you could spell it out so that people are more able to sensibly comment? 

[chriswg]

Hi All,

I'm still stuck on this cruise ship in the middle of the Mediterranean (no curries for 12 days and counting!).

PG - You really need a bit of thickness to your base. A watery base will usually mean a watery curry unless you reduce it down for a long time. In a BIR they can probably reduce it very quickly using a high heat, but at home this will take a long time and be very messy.

As Jerry mentioned, the base should be thick but runny almost able to form peaks. The one I now swear by (see My Madras Recipe in the madras recipes section) is thick, salty and quite spicy. You certainly wouldn't want to eat it as it is. Once you have finished the recipe it tastes amazing and cooks very quickly.

I think give up on that base recipe and start again with some from here. BIR's seem to taste different in different places around the country, the only way for you to find the taste you are looking for is to experiment and try as many options as you can before settling on your favourite.

[JerryM]

What I mean by frying sugar is....

the sugar is always added first from what I have seen from real BIR kitchens along with the spices, tomato paste etc...

It is then flash fried for a few seconds before the base is added. The sugar starts to burn and stick though in the middle of the cooking process after everything has been added.

pg89,

i've no experience of using sugar like this - u need Secret Santa's or George's help on Korma.

the nearest i've got is when using coconut flour. i add this after the base but it almost immediately dries the whole pan if i get the proportions wrong ie too much flour and too little base or the base was not thin enough to start with. i now keep a jug of water by the cooker and add when needed. i would do same as soon as the sticking starts.

as chriswg says the "thinness" of the base is not easy to convey in words. it looks very watery but there is actually a lot of onion in it which when fried gives the texture we know. u just need to experiment a bit. go too much thin if in doubt as u will then just have to cook longer to evap it off. go the other way and it's prone to burning and sticking.