Topic: CA's Curry Base (aka "gravy"/"sauce")

[Edwin Catflap]

Hi Cory

Had my first attempt last night at a Chicken Vindaloo and Prawn Korma using your base....... Great!! Mrs said it was the best Korma she'd ever had and my Vindaloo was spot on (although i added extra chillies at the end which weren't actually needed). By the way does celery ever get used in bases?

Edwin

[PaulP]

Hi Edwin,

I made a base once containing a stick of celery and have seen base sauce recipes including it.
To be honest it didn't seem to make much difference and I haven't used it again. For a savoury vegetable in my base sauces I'm quite happy with some cabbage.

Cheers,

Paul

[Cory Ander]

Hi Edwin,

Thanks for trying my recipes and reporting back.

Darth's base uses celery (celery seeds might be a viable option), and I can see why.  Celery, certainly, has a distinctive savoury smell and taste (i.e. BIR like), in my opinion.  I don't think it would be out of place in a BIR base.

Having said that, I have never seen a pukka BIR base that uses celery.....

[Currymonster3194]

And I am. massive fan of CA's base sauce and Vindaloo now on my 12 th CA base sauce curry Vindaloo and have to say best curry I have ever tasted and iVe been trying to get that taste for 30 odd years!

[colin grigson]

Couldn't agree more Currymonster ... I love his base and vindaloo ... quite possibly my favourite !!   

[Tommy Timebomb]

I'm in the process of making my first CA base.
I've looked all day for methi powder but no one has it.
I only now realise I could of bought seeds and crushed them.
Will the omitance of this ruin the outcome or wiil it still be resonable.

I am talking of the mix powder to be added.
TIA.
       Tom

[PaulP]

Hi Tommy, from memory there is some methi leaf powder in CA's base.
I wouldn't substitute the ground seeds for the ground leaves, I would just leave it out.

Normally I wouldn't put any methi in a base sauce and prefer to add it to the dishes if I want it in there.

Cheers,

Paul

[Tommy Timebomb]

That's whats confused me Paul, the powder mix contains both leaves and powder.
Seeing this is my first at CA's base I would of like to of done it to the letter for comparisons etc.

Never mind I'm just waiting for it to cool before I put it to blend so the job is as good as done now.
It smells great so I'm sure I won't be disappointed anyway.
I tracked down some Kashmiri chillies and although I want to do it to the letter as I said, I'm going to do a Madras and throw a couple in for good measure.
Cheers!

[Cory Ander]

I've looked all day for methi powder but no one has it.
I only now realise I could of bought seeds and crushed them.
Will the omitance of this ruin the outcome or wiil it still be resonable.

I am talking of the mix powder to be added.

Hi Tom,

Yes, you can buy fenugreek seeds and grind them to fenugreek powder (it's what I am currently doing). 

As Paul says, you can't substitute fenugreek seeds (or fenugreek powder) for dried fenugreek leaves.  They are different animals.

I wouldn't worry about not having added it to the spice mix used in the base; the effect of its omission will be subtle (you could grind some seeds and add a little when making your final curry e.g. madras, vindaloo, etc.....not too much though; maybe 0.25tsp a serving).

PS:  Thanks for attempting to reproduce my recipes in their entirety before embarking upon changes 

[Tommy Timebomb]

I can see why your recipes comes so highly recommended Cory.
The Madras was an absolute stunner infact the Leonard Cohen tune "Hallelujah" was running through my mind whilst I was eating it and I felt like breaking out into full song.

The only other ones I have tried is CBM's which was over a year ago and very recently C2go.
They all have there own merits but I was concerned about the 500ml of oil in Julians base as I presently live on my own and therefore don't have to concern myself about the "other half" and I can and sometimes will polish of a whole batch of something until it's all gone.
Not exactly a good idea when my cholesterol happens to be sky high.

I had garlic powder and also ginger powder in the cupboard and thought for once I have found something they go into "IE the mix" as since I have had them there's not been much call for their use.

Also I'm off out to get the coriander and cumin seeds as I did substitute them for powder instead as it was all I had at hand.
One confession, this amount fitted into my p/cooker spot on so I gave it a 30min blast in that on a very low flame but I don't believe it would of done it much harm... The base that is!

All in all I had a good evening on this project mate.
Thanks very much.