Topic: Rik's Roast Onion Paste/Base

[Kashmiri Bob]

Gave this a go last week.  No GM for the base/paste.  Added salt so it would keep in the fridge for longer.  No specific recipes for the dishes.  Finely chopped garlic to start. Hot madras curry powder and basic spicing.  Tomato puree in everything.  Fresh lemon or lime juice (and zest).  Fresh chicken/pre-cooked lamb.  Dry finish.  Super-hot dried chillies for the phal. Just for a trial run.


Roast Onion Paste/Base













Shown about half done in a combi oven.  I do have a lovely standard Smeg oven, but unfortunately it is busted.  Needs a new chip.  It's just for show now and of course very economical.  Blitzed later with a stick blender.  This could have got really messy.  Next purchase will be a jug blender.



Chicken madras







Lamb vindaloo








Chicken phal (Scorpion/Reaper)







Sachet supper (Chicken curry)

 






It's been ages since I have made these old favourites, as they seem to call them nowadays.  Recall these are as good as I have made in the past, possibly better (in terms of depth of flavour).  So simple.  I wonder if Rik has seen this base/paste in use by his local TAs/restaurants.  I like his style, not getting bogged down in the generic bases and the like.  Whilst I am most happy knocking out Mick's 10/10 baltis, a simple Madras, for example, is rather nice, now and then.  When I get a blender will have a go at an old school madras with Rik's base.  I remember it as a semi-dry dish, with a perfectly balanced (tomato/lemon/chilli) flavour profile, and a decent kick.  More sour than sweet.  Hot pan.  Flocked appearance.  Seasoned oil.  Plenty salt.  So, Mick's and Rik's it is for me.  With the various Karahi approaches on top, this should keep me busy for a while.

Rob         

[Peripatetic Phil]

Madras certainly isn't "semi-dry" for me — it has to be very rich in gravy (I seem to recall doubling Kris Dhillon's quantities).  And "Wahi Swad, naya andaaz" (वही स्वाद, नया अंदाज़) puzzled me, but I see that it just means "Same taste, new style" !
--
** Phil.

[Robbo141]

My onion base was very similar color but didn’t taste raw / undercooked in the slightest. I also left out the garam masala from the onion base. The resulting vindaloo was great yesterday and I’m about 4 hours away from trying the dish for dinner tonight.
Planned experiments with the vindaloo paste and onion paste / base.
1. Cook ahead and reheat 24 hours later (tonight)
2. Cook and eat immediately
3. Marinate the chicken in the vindaloo paste then cook

Next time will cook the onions longer to deepen the color of the final base.
Seems a good starting point. A very simple base to build upon.

Phal is pure evil. I grew Carolina Reapers when I lived in North Carolina some years back and they are killer. Stick to habaneros, Thai, bird eye, d’arbol these days.


Robbo

[livo]

I'm jumping onboard today (hopefully). I have to see what this vindaloo caper is all about.  I've done Rik's roasted onion base before with his Madras which I did enjoy, so I'll be doing that again.

Just out of interest, I'm going to do a side-by-side comparison of 2 vindaloos.  Yesterday, while looking through my Indian pantry, I found a 300g jar of Ashoka Vindaloo Paste and a jar of Sabrini Sauteed Onion Paste.  I must have bought these on one of my visits to Little India in Wentworthville, Sydney, but I don't remember when or why.  I also found I have a jar of Ashoka Madras Paste. 

I cooked a batch of bunjarra for my last curry fest and I've found a recipe that uses Ashoka Vindaloo Paste and fried onion gravy right here on the forum from 2010.  Masala Mark's Aussie IR lessons.  I've done his 3-paste method before and liked it so I'm going to compare Rik's vindaloo to an AIR vindaloo.

[Kashmiri Bob]

And "Wahi Swad, naya andaaz" (वही स्वाद, न
या अंदाज़) puzzled me, but I see that it just
means "Same taste, new style" !
--
** Phil.

To be honest Phil the sachets are useful to check the focus of my phone's camera.  It's the same for the fork.  If the detail on the fork handle is sharp, then so is my curry.  That's the idea anyway

The Swad lemon pickle is a good one though.  I will get a large jar of it when I can.

Rob

[livo]

My effort with Rik's Onions.  4 onions totalling about 600 g, oil and Garam Masala.

[Kashmiri Bob]

Looking good livo.  Nice colour.

Rob

[Robbo141]

Way better color than my effort.  Need to be more patient next time. I wonder if the garam masala helped the color any? I didn’t add it. Next time. Kitchen smelled wonderful while doing it though.

Robbo

[livo]

I don't know that the Garam Masala made a huge difference, but I deliberately cooked it until it was well done.

[Kashmiri Bob]

Second batch.  Really good stuff.  Absolutely fine basic curry making. So quick too.   



Rob