Topic: pleased with this one

[Nessa]

George I certainly wasn't knocking the 70's, I remember them too!  ;D  I should have said homemade curries from the 70's. Luckily my mum did a passable authentic style curry - complete with onion salad - but I remember the horrors produced at other people's tables..

[raygraham]

Homemade curries from the 70's, I remember the horrors produced at other people's tables!

I started my serious curry making in the 70's and there was certainly nothing like the recipes on this site. My first book was called Harvey Day's Curry Book, or something like that and was supposed to be the book of the "real thing".
What a disaster, there wasn't even a hint of the taste of curry in it so what I was doing wrong I don't know. It would take me another 20 years to even get close. I do remember how restaurant curries tasted so good in those days though!

And now 30 years down the line and I still haven't found the flippin answer!!

Ray

[Blondie]

Hi Ray,

I have a book somewhere by Harvey Day called the Complete Book Of Curries. Could this be the one that you had?

Way back then I tried many curries from that book, some good results and some bad but at the time I didn't know it was going to take 20 years to achieve my curry goal and hence didn't take many notes on what I was achieving.

If there were any recipes in the book that anyone would like I will gladly post them.

Cheers all,

Blondie

[George]

>And now 30 years down the line and I still haven't found the flippin answer!!


Ray

I'm sorry to hear you feel you've still not found "the flippin answer". Does that mean all the little successes reported on this site count for nothing and, in summary, we've moved forward very little?

Even the apparent favourite base sauce is the quite old Bruce Edwards version.

So many people have said they've cracked it, they have the taste, quest over or apparent words to that effect. I'm confused.

In a nutshell, where does everyone feel they've got to, and how much further work is there to do?

Regards
George

[blade1212]

I know what you mean George. At times I think I've cracked it 100%, then do another dish and find there is something lacking - making me unsure if my previous 100% version was really that good or was it down to the 10 pints of beer before I sat down to eat it

I think were are all very close and stumble upon a perfect one from time to time. Consistency is what we need.

Alcohol doesn't negatively impact curry making, it just affects your ability to remember what you did.

[Yellow Fingers]

In a nutshell, where does everyone feel they've got to, and how much further work is there to do?

George, I think I am where I was about twenty years ago, give or take a pepper and carrot in the base sauce. I haven't posted for a while (but have been reading the posts) because the forum seems to have turned to a discussion of more traditional indian style cooking. That's OK if that's your thing, but I like this forum for what it was set up to be, i.e. a discussion of Indian restaurant style curries.

I also get bored reading yet another version of a base sauce, when if you read the ingredients carefully they are rarely different, a few extra onions maybe, garam instead of curry mix, fresh toms or puree, blah blah.

Yeah I know I'm being negative again, but just look at some of the posts, they generally go like this: best curry ever, still missing the taste and the smell, but yes best curry ever. What is the point of any of this if we are still missing those two golden principles of Britsh curries, the unique taste and the unmistakable aroma of the British restaurant curry?

I will arrogantly state as a fact that no one on this forum can make a curry that would make me think it was from a restaurant. Now that's what I want. If you think you can, then post the recipe.

But back to the origional theme George, the biggest steps forward for me: some veggies in the base sauce, the curry massala mix, fried onions mixed in at the end of certain curries.

My positive contribution to this....well I don't have one. I am still where I was 20 years ago, more or less. But what I will say, is that this forum is where you will find the definitive British Indian restaurant style cooking, and thats no bad thing

[DARTHPHALL]

See my latest post, it is very good, done 16 Curries all goood mate same base slight different final recipe let me know what you think.It is better than 99% Take-aways Ive been in .
& a really blunt, honest friend likes it better than his favorite Take-away & thinks it the best Curry he`s ever tasted .http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=445.15.
PS i like it & for the first time will cook it for any critical friends ( lot of Curryheads down here). ;D

[George]

blade - you said: "Consistency is what we need." You're right. It might not be sufficient, but it's certainly necessary. For example, I could never run a cafe turning out great capuccinos. Sometimes I can foam the milk perfectly and (separately) the whole cup tastes great; other times, well. A curry is more complex so even more of a challenge.

yellow fingers - I agree with you: my preference is for this forum to concentrate on discussions of British Indian restaurant (BIR) style curries, and that the acid test is whether anyone has achieved "the two golden principles of Britsh curries, the unique taste and the unmistakable aroma of the British restaurant curry". Can anyone put their hand on their heart and say they have?

Darth - you said one or more of your curries were "better than 99% take-aways" you've been in . I'm sure they are. And some take aways are not very good at all. But most have the taste and aroma. When you say "better" do you mean just like one of the best examples of a BIR curry. I suggest the acid test here is whether it has the character of a BIR curry, AS WELL AS being a good curry in absolute terms.

Regards
George

[bryan@232]

       It is my belief that everything you need to know to produce the BIR curry is already on this site, and there are people using this site who are quite capable of doing it,you included Yellow Fingers, it's just that theyr're not convinced of it. Heres a clue; The lucky ones who have been invited into a restaurant kitchen to see their meal being prepared often comment that when they ate it, it didn't have the smell / flavour.
       The secret is a suitable base sauce plus a tarka of a small quantity of ground spices to produce the smell, which will be apparent to anyone not in the immediate vicinity of the kitchen. Why not try the " kitchen door test " I suggested some weeks ago? I have and I dont need convincing.
       Anyway, great site, keep those posts coming.

[DARTHPHALL]

Yes Ive been told my Curries are 100% take-away style ( as in pureed ingredients, smoooooooth etc..).
But my hypercritical friend also said they are better in flavor & if he had been served my Curry in A Bir he would be a very happy customer, he doesn't think they( Take-away) have that full, sweet yet savory taste & aromatic aroma( that my Curries do).
The friend in question is very honest & I'm extremely happy with my last 16 Curries ( & I'm hypercritical of myself when it comes to my own Curries aren't we all? ).
The only missing (smell is because my chicken is not marinated as it is in my local BIR).
This i will discover soon as the holiday season is coming to a close & i will be pressing for info or cooking lessons of some description.
Factors i believe are important to my step forward in Curry cooking.

The size the Garlic is chopped in the final dish ( Ive found larger shreds done by my cheese grater give better results).
 why ?
 When pureed i find the Garlic cooks well before the Onion & have found it produces a more savory slightly bitter taste, but when in larger shreds it cooks with the Onions & produces a very different sweeter taste.
I cook in larger batches ( 3 litres) giving margin for error to be bigger.
I'm cooking the final dish at lower heat & in much less time( i found cooking the hell out of spices made them lose their flavor & especially smell.
I cook with desert spoons of each spice.
I use Salt.
The Passata is much better 700grams.(with Tomato Ketchup & Puree i found to be getting huge amount of inconsistency) That is no more I'm glad to say? ?;D.
I use Paprika & Fenugreek leaves (i thought it was Coriander in my Vindalloo, done a taste test on my local & the amount of Coriander is quite low).
I use hardly any Oil yet it tastes better now than ever before !( less than 5 tablespoons for 10 curries).
The Kitchen door test is done in my home, i go out into the garden to taste as i cook & as i walk back , well you can imagine the smell mmmmmmm!!
I like many on this site doubt any that say they've got it nearly 100% ( no more) I'm too close.
And finally Ive been in many Bir`s & they are not all alike so i will say that for me personally that my quest is nearly at its conclusion. ( Ive cooked 16-20 Curries & they are 99.9% clones of my local, which i love).
To also conclude I am nearly at the stage were i will never be going to my local unless i am too busy & cant be bothered to cook, this for me speaks for itself.?
Please try the latest recipe i have posted & let me know how close it is to your local Bir ( as I'm interested to see how alike they really are across the UK.)
Here is the link? ?http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=445.15
I hope there is enough info here .

DARTHPHALL.......