This was original posted here (http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=4149.0) by Achmal and moved to the Main Dish Recipes section by CAMick's/Taz's Curry Base Gravy can be found here: http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=4163.0
Mick's/Taz's Mix Powder can be found here: http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=4164.0Now to tell you about a curry Taz cooked for us in the curry shed,
I asked him to do a Chicken Tikka Dopiaza (Madras hot)
Taz always cooks in small woks, just his preference,
As previously stated this method is very different to what I have seen in kitchens and what I have read on here,
1./ Firstly over a medium heat, add pre-fried onion chunks, just seconds in a deep fryer,
2./ Add base gravy about 200 ml
3./ While it boils add chopped raw onions and chopped raw garlic
4./ Then add about a tablespoon of mix powder
5./ Add half a teaspoon of salt
Now here is the crux for me, you now reduce the sauce, keep reducing until there is hardly any sauce left, the water will have gone and the oil in the base has come through, (hence the high level of oil in the base),
Whats left is frying well but not burning, some residue of the sauce will be browning on the side of the wok, this must be scraped down back into the mix,
Do this scraping down for a minute or so, You need to take the reducing further than you would think,
6./ Turn the heat down, This method proving you don't need huge burners Add more base, about another 200 ml, add the precooked meat then add the chilli powder to your taste
7./ Add coriander
8./ Add methi
Now reduce again over the lower heat, stirring occasionally until you reach your desired consistency,
Many of you would have thought as Graham and I did at the time that this method would have left a uncooked flour/spices texture in the curry , it certainly did when we tried to cook the same way but we realised we weren't letting the curry cook long enough, once we let the curry cook for longer, adding a little more base as required we cracked it,
It left us both standing there tasting the curry having one of those EUREKA moments, (without bathtubs)(and clothed) before anyone says anything..
I did say this was very different and I believe its not so much the recipes as the method he uses so I can't see why this would not work with other curry recipes ..
I have since asked Taz whether or not there is a point to adding the chilli powder with the second lot of gravy, he said it doesn't matter if the chilli goes in with the first reduction, it just shows the flexibility, as long as the curry is cooked out long enough,
This may not be the answer that many are looking for but if done correctly it does produce a cracking curry,
For information, for the amount of onion used,, Taz took 1 average sized onion and quartered it, 3 of the quarters were used for the deep fried onion chunks, the other quarter was finely chopped to go in with the first lot of gravy,
For this particular curry Taz did not add tomato paste, if you are using other curry recipes that use tomato paste then add it with the first lot of gravy,
Cheers
Mick