Topic: Curry Base and Madras Recipes (from Spice as Nice)

[joshallen2k]

Nice One CM!

I guess you're an hour or so ahead of me!

So I guess it turned out pretty well.

How do you rate it compared to other bases/madras you've made from the site?

[currymonster]

Nice One CM!

I guess you're an hour or so ahead of me!

So I guess it turned out pretty well.

How do you rate it compared to other bases/madras you've made from the site?

I've made a few from site BE, Sns, Ashoka and my own which is very similar in ingredients and technique as Jerrys My Take base.

Those bases tasted more complex than this one but I like the idea of having a basic base and then changing the spicing in the final curry to achieve a certain dish.

It made a perfectly acceptable Madras and I would be happy paying 6 quid for it.

[jimmy2x]

that looks very good CM

be nice to see a few appraisals and pics from others, if seems so simple, but then maybe we all have just been trying to hard. I think i might give this a go once my present base is finished. That curry looks real nice.great pics too

[emin-j]

currymonster , don't mean to pee on yer bonfire mate but that Curry doesn't look to appetizing to me  It looks too thick and lumpy and I think a Madras Sauce should be smooth 

[currymonster]

currymonster , don't mean to pee on yer bonfire mate but that Curry doesn't look to appetizing to me  It looks too thick and lumpy and I think a Madras Sauce should be smooth 

No problem. It's how I like it  ;D

[joshallen2k]

Like CM, this was my project for this evening. I approached it a little differently to CM.

I too made a Madras (prawn), but decided for comparative purposes to use my tried and tested method (which is also one that's been described from a number of BIR kitchen visits).

I started with oil (about 6 tablespoons), added garlic and ginger (esp. since there was none in the base), added tom puree, spices (2tsp cori, 2tsp cumin, 1 tsp chilli, big pinch methi, salt). I fried the spices for a bit and then added a little base, gradually making my way up to 250 ml. I added a tsp of lemon juice, added the prawns, and reduced the sauce a little. Done. Unfortunately I had no fresh coriander 

So I followed the chef's spicing amount, but otherwise a usual Madras.

Observations:

- Like CM, I found this to be an absolutely acceptable Madras, though nothing a real departure from the norm
- The finished Madras was what I would recall from my BIR days as a "brown" Madras. This I'm sure is partly down to a very small amount of tomato in the base. I used 2 tsp in the curry, but the result was still very brown
- The Madras was definitely hotter than usual for a 1tsp chilli curry. I noticed the bite in the base when I blended it. I wonder if this base would work for a Korma
- No oil was to be seen in the finished curry, even though I used quite a lot. I kinda like to see a bit of oil around the edges.

My learning from this is that a dead simple base can produce perfectly acceptable and tasty curries. I'd even go as far as to say that I swear I've "had" this curry from a BIR, eaten it, been satisfied and moved on.

Will I adopt this base as my usual going forward? Probably not. I like (and now appreciate) the depth of flavour I get from more diverse bases (like BE, CA, SnS, etc.).

Having said that, I wonder if the missing link is in the base after all... 

Spice-as-Nice - I appreciate the work you've done to get the info and share it with the group. I look forward to seeing what else you come up with in your visits. Some specific recipes, etc would be highly appreciated. Curious to see how they adapt other recipes to fit this (quite different) base.

Cheers,
Josh

[Cory Ander]

This thread was originally about people interested in cooking at this BIR.  I have moved any posts about this to a new thread here:  http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=4056.msg36760#msg36760  The remainder of this thread is now about the recipes arising from the discussions.  I hope separating the two topics makes things clearer for all

Please post your comments in the most appropriate thread

Thanks

[Spice-as-Nice]

To, joshallen2k

Oh that looks nice. Very inviting . I want to taste it so much.
Well , I have full intention of going back to the shop on the invite. Iv'e had no takers so far.
It's very interesting to see how keen some of you are to have a go. Im'e impressed !
The level of dedication is very high.

My son went to the curry shop on Friday ( on his own ) and they talked about me being there a few days before.

My son said they told him, they were all having a bit of a laugh after I had gone as they saw me as an Anorac . ( apparently , they get them in from time to time )

I do hope that when I do try to make the invite , they take it for what it is and and not what they pre-conceive it is. We will see, but I will bring away whatever I can and share it with you.

[JerryM]

Spice as Nice,

i suppose to the rest of the world we do appear sad cases. my family are certainly not keen on me talking curry to them or anyone else.

anorac though - we don't even need such a thing.

i suspect that many places tell only part of the story truthfully - who can blame them. i've found the best approach is to pick off little chunks of knowledge. i still find however there comes a time when it's clear the questions are not for answering. i do think other than spice we have more than enough of the jigsaw to get there - albeit slowly.

best wishes,

[stevejet66]

Spice and nice as got this recipe correct, If i may add a few point's please, im only offering constructive idea's that may help with most replica curry base's
I find most curry base's are to complicated. To many ingrediant's, To many spice's and to many ways of cooking them, NOT PROFITABLE FOR THE TAKE AWAY!
fresh garlic send's curry dish's sour and sometimes not tasting right, as does ginger.

living in wolverhampton myself 10 years ago i searched for someone who could show me how to cook base sauce, luck struck and the recipe was exactly that of spice as nice as posted.(light smokey flavoured base)ive used it ever since.
Only very light spicing and fresh garlic are used in the last process of cooking.