Topic: Mick's/Taz's Dopiaza (Madras Hot)

[PaulP]

Hi DD, I agree about the Korma not being a good test. Normally I make savoury madras type curries sometimes adding peppers and opions, sometimes not.

The Taz spice mix and base make a great combination. I can only recommend you try it - nothing to lose.

[Cory Ander]

Hi PaulP, easy to prepare hey, thats always nice to hear! whats the basic madras or dopiaiza like? does it really taste like a real TA? If not , whats missing? Korma is not a good way to assess a base in my opinion. did you make a madras or dopiaza?  was it top notch?

Hi DD,

I've used this technique to make a dopiaza (as specified) and a madras (me ad libbing).  I used the base and spice mix and technique as specified. 

I thought the base was OK but a little bland.

I thought the spice mix was much like Bruce Edward's and was OK (but nothing special)

I thought the curries were pretty good and I'm sure many people would be absolutely rapt with producing them.

However, does it get the more seasoned members closer to producing the taste of a typical BIR curry (particularly of yesteryear)?  Probably not (as Achmal readily professes).  But it produces simple, decent tasting BIR curries, nevertheless.

I think many members would be happy to consider this as their personal end point.

[PaulP]

Hi CA I agree the base is bland but would argue that maybe a base should be a little bland?

Anyway, your recipes are next for me - I would have tried sooner but had to send off for the cardamom powder. That bottle looks like something from a chemistry set!

I agree that for old timers like me the Taz recipes as they stand won't take you back to the 70s or 80s but I'm not sure anybody here has achieved that yet. I do think they are a welcome inclusion to cr0 and shouldn't be lightly overlooked.

I'll knock up your base recipe this weekend hopefully. You do post some of the clearest recipes on this web site and that makes the process so much easier to follow.

Paul.

[Cory Ander]

Hi CA I agree the base is bland but would argue that maybe a base should be a little bland?

Yes, perhaps.  But I STILL think all of our bases are missing something.......

That bottle looks like something from a chemistry set!

Bottle?   What bottle? 

I'm not sure anybody here has achieved that yet. I do think they are a welcome inclusion to cr0 and shouldn't be lightly overlooked

I agree whole heartedly PaulP! 

[PaulP]

The bottle I was referring to is a small plastic bottle containing the cardamon powder.

It is this one:

http://www.spicesofindia.co.uk/cgi-bin/sh000001.pl?REFPAGE=http%3a%2f%2fwww%2espicesofindia%2eco%2euk%2f&WD=powder%20cardamom&SHOP=%20&PN=Indian%2dFood%2dNiharti%2dCardamom%2dGround%2dElaichi%2dPowder%2ehtml%23aISG022#aISG022

I must admit I do associate the flavour of cardamom with the good old days of curry eating so I'm hopeful about trying your recipes.

Paul.

[Derek Dansak]

Hi PaulP, easy to prepare hey, thats always nice to hear! whats the basic madras or dopiaiza like? does it really taste like a real TA? If not , whats missing? Korma is not a good way to assess a base in my opinion. did you make a madras or dopiaza?  was it top notch?

  But it produces simple, decent tasting BIR curries, nevertheless.

I think many members would be happy to consider this as their personal end point.

Hi CA, I would not like to guess what most members want to achieve. it amazes me how few actually dare post comments. I would have thought many members dont want 100 ways to produce a "not quite right" version of a TA. which is basically what we have now. although there are some exceptions that break this rule, if you search hard enough and try enough recipies from this site. 

[joshallen2k]

This looks like a very interesting new line of enquiry ! however i am so dam close with the methods i already know

DD - I'm always weary of straying from what is working, but that always eventually gets cancelled out by "can I improve?". This is definitely worth a go.

Yes, perhaps.  But I STILL think all of our bases are missing something......

CA - have you tried this method with your base and/or spice mix? Curious to know how that turns out.

Hi DD, I agree about the Korma not being a good test. Normally I make savoury madras type curries sometimes adding peppers and opions, sometimes not.

Actually this brings up a good point on the Taz base when it comes to versatility. The spice level is fine, no problems there. Its the oil level I had a slight issue with. Since no oil is added at the start, the curries rely on the oil in the base. I tend to use very little oil (using the "regular" method) for CTM and Korma, mainly due to the amount of cream used, plus they are difficult curries to skim at the end, if they end up oil-heavy. I did find the Korma and CTM I made to be on the oily side. You can see it most clearly in the KP Masala pics. This is likely my own doing though, as I believe I added 550ml of oil to the base, instead of the 450 as specified.

[Cory Ander]

I would have thought many members dont want 100 ways to produce a "not quite right" version of a TA.

Hi DD,

What I'm trying to say is that I think many members will feel that Mick's/Taz's recipes and method produce (for them) a "quite right" version of a (their) BIR.  How many times have you anyway heard members say "I tried this last night...it was spot on...brilliant...as good as...better than....my local takeway...any BIR" etc, etc?  Often, I think?

I'm sure you're also right in that other members will, nevertheless, still feel them lacking.  We all have different expectations and end points after all.

[Cory Ander]

CA - have you tried this method with your base and/or spice mix? Curious to know how that turns out

No, but I will, to see if the method results in anything significantly different by comparison

[Unclebuck]

I've used this technique to make a dopiaza (as specified) and a madras (me ad libbing).  I used the base and spice mix and technique as specified. 

I thought the base was OK but a little bland.

I thought the spice mix was much like Bruce Edward's and was OK (but nothing special)

Spot on CA, my thoughts exactly, very similar to BE Curry's Ive made in the past, if id bought the curry i made i wouldn't be going back again, not to say it was awful just bland.

I'm not knocking Mick in anyway his efforts are outstanding and has my full respect, but i didn't think there where leaps in progress for me.