Topic: Razor's Curry Base

[chewytikka]

Hi Ray
Pataks has a huge range of pastes and sauces these days, but I don't know of any BIR or TA
that buys in anything other than the four original pastes that they have always bought in. (That's going back at least 35 years)
1. Tandoori Paste
2. Kashmiri Masala Paste
3. Madras Kebab Paste
4. Balti Paste
Usually these are just used as ingredients for marinades and wet masalas.
These never go directly into a curry except the Balti.
When the Balti craze hit the Northeast. I remember nobody knew how to make it, then it was quickly dumbed down to a spoonful of Balti Paste in a Bhuna.

The kebab paste can be a bit confusing for the home cook, but I've just checked my little scribble recipe book (circa1981) and I wrote "Use Tikka paste instead of Kebab Paste (similar)" and this was because, they only made a commercial size kebab paste and its just the same today, why, only Pataks know.

I guess there maybe some BIR chefs, tempted to use other New Pataks Pastes,
like they did with Balti, but I've never seen it happen.

On the nostalgic curry taste thing, I think most people have a similar taste memory, that's a bit like an itch you just can't scratch.
Mine's Tandoori Chicken.
cheers Chewy

[Peripatetic Phil]

On the nostalgic curry taste thing, I think most people have a similar taste memory, that's a bit like an itch you just can't scratch.  Mine's Tandoori Chicken.

Oh don't : you bring back memories of "discovering" tandoori chicken at the Agra at Whitfield Street (London) and returning there weekend after weekend because it was so wonderful.  The Agra is also the only restaurant at which I have seen a /real/ biryani served, complete with gold and silver leaf ...

** Phil.