Topic: How do I Make a Curry Sauce from the Curry Base?

[scoobydoo]

after i have made curry base how do i make curry sauce from it.the other half doesnt like currys but likes curry sauce. the sauce should be medium to hot.anyone help thanks

[JerryM]

link should help http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=4076.msg37134#msg37134

[Cory Ander]

after i have made curry base how do i make curry sauce from it

Quite simply, you use the curry base to make a main dish curry scoobydoo.  The resultant "sauce" is your "curry sauce".

I don't quite understand, therefore, how your "other half" would not like "curries" but likes "curry sauce"?  Unless she like Chinese or fish and chips type curry sauce?

[JerryM]

CA,

it could be down to no meat. also a good plain curry sauce is somehow very hard to beat. it's the simplicity of the dish that brings out that moorish taste to the full. i guess what i'm saying is there is nothing to mask the real curry taste.

mind u it's got to be good - most are rubbish. i always have a portion of madras hot with keema naan as a starter. it sorts out the restaurants for sure in terms of how good they are.

the only thing u have to watch is that u don't get served with vegetable curry sauce. some would like this but for me it's not what u want for sure - the veg masks out the taste.

ps it's somewhere around 25% of the total dishes i make

[Cory Ander]

a good plain curry sauce is somehow very hard to beat

And therein lies your (and my) gap Jerry!  A plain curry sauce should be/is not much more than a curry base!  And hence why I believe the "missing" something is in the curry base.

[JerryM]

CA,

i've not discountred it for sure. i have spent a lot of time on base though. the trouble is my local TA really surprised me when then dolloped straight out of their pot and into a container. tasting it on the day i did not feel there was anything really that we don't know of. i then froze the rest in ice cubes and progressively used them to compare with made base. i really believe that base we can make is on par.

this "flavour" gap i think is either spice mix or ingredient related at frying stage. i can't rule out as u say base though. there could be something that u can't identify from just tasting the base. something that sort of comes to life during the frying down to itself or when collectively acting with another ingredient.

i've got a big list of things to try on the next base (fry cardamom, crushed red chilli, bunjarra at end, msg, onion seed, mustard seed, black salt, mustard oil, UHT milk). i am hoping these will cut down the possibilities.

your addition of garlic & ginger powder to the aka spice mix was definitely an improvement and given that my local TA chef won't talk spice mix i suspect it's something spice or herb related. i can't see an ingredient making the difference.

[Derek Dansak]

making a good curry sauce is where the fun starts. its taken me 2 years to be able to make a solid madras sauce with or without meat. (just the sauce)
a good sauce depends on:
1) cooking technique
2) how well prepared the base is.
3) getting the spice mix right
4) knowing when to add e.g some extra garlic, or chopped onion, or bell pepper
5) knowing how much to evaporate the base (reducing the sauce)
6) heat and oil content
7) fresh ingredients,
adding stock such as lamb stock
9) not burning anything at any stage (garlic, spices, )
10) practice!

even after 2 years i can ruin the sauce if just one step is wrong. if the base is slightly wrong , the rest will surely fail.

[Derek Dansak]

what base have you made?  making a sauce from that base, needs you to pick a recipe. The recipe you pick should be one which is proven to work with that particular base. eg. the sns base and sns madras work together, or CA's base and CA's vindaloo work together.

[Secret Santa]

i've got a big list of things to try on the next base (fry cardamom, crushed red chilli, bunjarra at end, msg, onion seed, mustard seed, black salt, mustard oil, UHT milk). i am hoping these will cut down the possibilities.

Jerry frying cardamom should be reserved for the final dish only, if you do it for the base any change will be so subtle as to be unnoticeable - unless you intend to add them by the handful! And, even then, I doubt it will make any huge improvement for you. Many years ago I often found a whole spice or three in my curry, but I never do these days, presumably because, as one BIR owner pointed out, 'the customers don't like to chew on whole spices in their curry'.

The bunjarra right at the end definitely makes a difference and I will be interested to see what you make of it.

MSG, hmmmm. I recently bought a pack to experiment with. I added right at the end of cooking and in large quantities to ensure that if there was an effect I really would taste it. Results - no big deal, made a marginal improvement to the savouriness but I wouldn't want to use it again for such a small improvement. Again it will be interesting to hear your thoughts.

Mustard oil and black salt! These are very dish specific, in my opinion, i.e. chicken chat and tikka. They are ingredients used in 'traditional' cooking, but I reckon their use in the BIR is very limited.

UHT milk? Why milk? They use UHT cream for certain (korma, CTM, pasanda), but milk? uh? 

[JerryM]

Secret Santa,

yes cardamom is for frying at the start of the dish. i already use in base and infuse or roast (can't make mind up which best). i too still remember the 1st cardamom i found in a curry - words can't describe. real potty but BIR's for sure do as u say.

on the msg it's got to be a very small amount. i would need to check my records but i think i used a 3 finger pinch onto palm and then a 2 finger pinch into the dish - this was more than enough - something like 2 granules. i too don't think the revisit will be great but i do always drink a lot of water after TA and msg can really only be the reason.

i'm thinking a little mustard oil in base and a little black salt in spice mix. i'm going for ashoka base next to do homage to the last recipe postings (Sir panpot).

the milk comes from not being able to find (in large qty) UHT cream in any Asian store i visit. i use carnation and have seen same tins in my local BIR. i see white liquid in malik hence the interest - it seems too watery for cream. could UHT full cream milk be what's really needed. i don't need what cream brings to my dishes unless i used a far smaller amount than malik. sums are just not adding up. hence i thought i'd give the milk a try.

i've got tarragon on the list too. how's u're dining skills.