Topic: More heat needed for a madras

[Kashmiri Bob]

Had another TA last Sunday.  Home delivery this time.  Bangla Kitchen.  Highly rated.  Ordered from them before.  They do an amazing Saag Bhaji. Deep and complex.  Nothing like anything I have bought or made before.  No idea how it is put together.  The TA is about a 5 min drive from my house.  Was informed delivery would take 45-50 mins, arrived in under 20.  My order consisted of Chicken Madras, 2 x Saag Bhaji (side dish) and 2 chapatis.










Received 2 complementary popadoms, onion salad and mint dip.  The Saag Bhaji was on top form, although it did need heating up a little.  The chapatis were partly raw.  Oh well, easy enough to sort out.  But I cringe when TAs send out a madras looking like this.  Half cooked, at best.  I had to get my pan out to fix it, and then it was actually pretty good.

Will just order the Saag Bhaji from them in future.  Unsurprisingly, I was not tempted by the various balti dishes on the menu.  Bangladeshi TAs can (often) turn out a mean madras, and other good stuff, but not a proper balti, imo.  I was amazed at the description of the Chef's Special Stuffed Naan. "A medium strength balti stuffed in a naan and deep fried in oil".  My goodness.  This is no way to treat a balti!

Rob 

[Robbo141]

Complain all you like Rob, that madras looks good from here in Illinois! Thank your lucky stars you have at least the option to get TA.

Robbo

[Kashmiri Bob]

You have a good point there robbo.  We tend to miss things the most when they are not there.

I sometimes like a saucy madras, but more Manchester style as I remember it, made with blended plum tomatoes.  The typical TA offerings hereabouts are more like this one, made with tomato paste.  The chefs (or some of them anyway) have the knack of balancing the chilli heat with the paste, which I find far from straightforward, even in what is a relatively simple dish in terms of ingredients.

I am not used to these big portions anymore so had some leftover.  Popped it in the freezer along with the other (unopened) Saag Bhaji.  It will make a fine supper one evening.  One of the luxuries of GB life






Rob 

[Ghoulie]

I use Mrs Balbir Singh spice blends. Her Goan Vindaloo spice blend is ace - likewise her recipe for it - https://mrsbalbirsingh.com/blogs/recipes/mrs-balbir-singhs-goan-vindaloo.
I prefer chicken to pork - so straight swop. Even with 2 serrano green chillis about 3 inch long (scoville is only @ 10,000) the dish is fairly hot (too hot for my missus).
To bring the recipe down to Madras level heat, I added 250 ml chopped tinned tomatoes plus 4 large tbsps cream to the recipe - bang on madras sauce  ( Manchester BIR when they were good style!). Missus likes it too.
You can wind either recipe up or down as you like via chilli amount, seeds no seeds, or chilli heat type as you will know well.

I also do her Keema (peas) recipe and find this a perfect taste  companion to eat alongside the madras plus her Dhal.
Only variation to her excellent Keema recipe is single minced lamb - her recipe says double minced - I fine texture / feel all wrong

[Kashmiri Bob]

Had a look at the Mrs. Balbir Singh stuff ghoulie.  20 % off for Christmas.  I don't remember cream in a Manchester Madras though.  Guess down to when and where.

Rob

[Ghoulie]

The tomato & cream was added to mrs Balbirs Goan Vindaloo recipe to tone it down to a Madras strength curry - as good if not better than any Madras served in Manchester these days.