Topic: King of Curry (Bradford)

[Kashmiri Bob]

Should get this done next week.  The link below perhaps puts it more into context.  So King of Curry is a restaurant in Bradford.  Guess the chicken curry may be their signature dish.  Towards the end it's good to see the frying pan-to-plate service again.  I may try this as it will cut down on the washing up.  Someone in the video comments points out out he is a successful (business man) as only  0.5 kg chicken is used to serve 6 people.  They do look somewhat stingy portions, but fear not, at the end more pans arrive. The naans look spot on too.

https://youtu.be/FTYQIiFymwI?si=sYRM2v8A2XqwBUQL

Rob

[livo]

Are you going to cook it or visit the establishment Bob?  I watched the video and there is a big hole in between the initial pan and what appears to be a spiced curry near completion.  Once again, the 3 additions of tomatoes.  Cut fresh to begin, puree added and then whole skinned plum tomatoes "squished up" towards the end.

Once again it looks very similar to the repeated script of cook from scratch Chicken Balti.

It is a very impressive, clean and open spaced kitchen.  How good would it be to have a go in there?  I really do wish I could get a naan like that over here.

[Robbo141]

There’s an Akbar’s in Newcastle upon Tyne. I used to take customers there for dinner and remember those huge naans fondly. A bit more up-market than the standard curry house so a place to visit on the company’s dime….

Robbo

[Kashmiri Bob]

I will make it livo.  Yes, the tomato additions are starting to look like a reoccurring theme for Pakistani curry.  Was recalling the wonderful Manchester (tomatoey) madras from way back.  Misty's Shababs base gravy is also fully loaded with tomatoes.  Fascinating.  The chefs in the video do seem to be discussing the different flavours being provided by them.  The colour/richness of the curry though?  I am not sure.  I think olive oil was mentioned.

I would love a couple of those naan hangers.  They do so look the part.  I can imagine a fresh garlic naan, gently wafting near my nose.  Heavenly.  Could also hide behind the naan for some serious troughing.  I will look into them.  A concern is they won't have quite the same impact for me with a ready-made Asda naan.  I can still get those huge flatbreads from my local Iranian bakery though, which is an idea.

Rob

[livo]

I'll be interested to know what spices you are going to use Bob.  I can't glean even a hint from what I'm watching and listening to.  At around 5.30, when he first covers the pan, it has oil, onion, garlic, ginger, green chilli fresh tomato and salt.  At 7.00 when we return to the pan the fresh ingredients are completely broken down and the golden brown / yellow colour of a spiced masala sauce to which he adds chicken and cooks it again under cover.  It has completely changed under cover.  Following that when the chicken is cooked, we see more green chilli, tomato puree and the whole peeled tomatoes and then fresh coriander leaf immediately before flame out.

I think I heard the following spices mentioned throughout the video at different times, but you see nothing going into the pan.  Early you can clearly hear him say Chilli powder, and I think he says panch phoran. Later I think he says jeera, (I think).  I copied the Hindi transcript into a translator (interestingly hopeless) and the only spice captured is turmeric (that I could see anyway).

Part of the translation reads "The earth is just the first potato that ripens."  I didn't see any potatoes.

[Kashmiri Bob]

I'll be interested to know what spices you are going to use Bob.  I can't glean even a hint from what I'm watching and listening to.  At around 5.30, when he first covers the pan, it has oil, onion, garlic, ginger, green chilli fresh tomato and salt.  At 7.00 when we return to the pan the fresh ingredients are completely broken down and the golden brown / yellow colour of a spiced masala sauce to which he adds chicken and cooks it again under cover.  It has completely changed under cover.  Following that when the chicken is cooked, we see more green chilli, tomato puree and the whole peeled tomatoes and then fresh coriander leaf immediately before flame out.

Black pepper livo.  No other ground spices, but as a contingency may opt for a GM (as in the OP video).  From Robbo's post have realised it's actually Akbars: King of Curry.  They are not different places.  The  two entrances threw me.  This makes things much clearer.  Reckon the curry we are looking at is a Charsi chicken karahi.  Had a quick look through some recipes for it online last night.  Tomatoes, black pepper, olive oil, on/off the bone. Think I saw one recipe that also used a dry masala to cater for different tastes. It's also on Akbars menu. 

Felt this a good watch.  The best review of a curry restaurant I have seen in a long time.  It's a classic.  How they should be.  He even spots the floppy lamb chops; proper BIR!  Charsi chicken (and lamb) at the end.  Check out the presentation, once more. 


https://youtu.be/ARqEmFBC_Pg?si=LN0MbHIxktGnXITr


Rob

[Kashmiri Bob]

Found out/noticed some more things.  The visiting chef (Shabir) in the second video is the founder/owner of the Akbars chain.  At the start of the video he mentions Charsi karahi.  He also says Charsi chicken when starting to prep the curry.  Olive oil is mentioned twice, I think   I reckon the tomato puree is tinned chopped.  I also think this and the late squishy tomatoes are needed, in part, to add liquid.  In other vids I have watched (Lamb charsi) garlic water (garlic paste in a large volume of water) is added, sometimes gradually, throughout the prep.

Looking forward to making it.  Will go with on the bone chicken.  This will give probably give me a longer cooking time, which will a help first time around. The sauce appearance-wise? Well, I suppose it will look identical to this one.


https://youtube.com/shorts/etUk78S6jl4?si=FXTfouqQrW7uFV0d


Wish me luck! 


Rob

[Kashmiri Bob]

As luck would have it I am about a 5 min drive from Akbar's (Birmingham).  However,  checked their menu and glad I did.  No Charsi karahi.  Indeed, no karahi dishes whatsoever, none, zip.  Loads of balti dishes, but not a single karahi in sight.  They don't even do their hot & spicy masala chips!  So I ain't going there.  Will have to wait until I am up Bradford way.   

Anyway, had a couple of goes at making a Charsi.  Firstly with 500 g fresh chicken on-the bone (niblets).  Olive oil.  Freshly ground black pepper.  Other ingredients as per the Akbar's King of Curry video, but I splashed out on some Norfolk grown on-the-vine tomatoes.  Provine variety.  Awful, nasty, tasteless things. I won't buy these ever again.  Excellent curry though.  So light, but punchy, and a lovely fragrance.  Had another sachet supper.  The rest is still in the freezer.  These sachets are costing me a fortune. 



 



Next was with 400 g fresh breast.  Butter ghee.  Freshly ground black pepper, this time with 1/2 tsp turmeric and 1 tsp GM (Jalpur).







Good, but nowhere near as good as the first one.  Unbalanced and much less fragrant.  Still got plenty left in the freezer.  It won't go to waste.



Couldn't resist a comparison with a tomato-based balti.  Had some leftovers.  So this is full-on 10/10 BTS (MDB MKI).  Balti chicken (Rogan) with saffron rice.







Epic balti, as always.  Still, the fragrance of the Charsi is remarkable and merits further investigation.  Next time I will hand-pick some fresh tomatoes from a green grocer. Will have to take the plunge on a large bottle of olive oil.  The price of it these days is hilarious.


Found this karahi vid.  I have followed this chef for a while.  He is smugger than me making Mick's balti, and that is saying something.  Knows his stuff though.  Some interesting tips and history of different karahi dishes in this one.  The one he actually makes has no onions, garlic or ginger, or spices.  I will be sticking with black pepper.  There are of course loads of karahi varieties to try out.  It's quite an adventure.  Butt karahi next. 


Rob

[Kashmiri Bob]

No spice Karahi


https://youtu.be/gEL_wmP7uE8?si=1NEbNMhpv0dyO8QM



Rob