Topic: brief chat with new bir chef

[Derek Dansak]

the main points were...

1) add black cumin (not the standard cumin ) to garam masalla

2) to really make different dishes taste distinct, a separate base gravy should be used. They use 4 different base gravies, not one

3) He did not use much paprika , but favoured cumin and coriander. This i noticed in all the dishes i purchased. The other bir chef i know favours tumeric  (DD spice mix). Both restaurants produce very different tasting dishes. both superb though.

4) he commented that the base gravy is what distingushes one restaurant taste to another. its a chefs individual mark, and closely guarded ! Nothing new there then !

5) For madras style base, he felt ratio of onion to peppers should be about 5 onions to about half a red or green pepper, and a small amount of carrot.  The spicing for his madras gravy was currry powder and salt.

[Domi]

2) to really make different dishes taste distinct, a separate base gravy should be used. They use 4 different base gravies, not one

How many of us use different bases for different dishes? It's something I have always done, up until using Razor's base this past few months or more (though I am making the new BE base either later today or tomorrow).

Which base or bases do you use DD?

[Ramirez]

How many of us use different bases for different dishes? It's something I have always done, up until using Razor's base this past few months or more (though I am making the new BE base either later today or tomorrow).

Which base or bases do you use DD?

Prior to Razor's, which bases have you been using, Domi (and for what curries)? Must confess I've only ever used one base for everything.

[Razor]

four different base gravy's?

I've often thought that they use 2 but 4? wow!

So how does that work then?  I'm guessing one base for the creamy curries, one for the hot, one for the bhuna types and what else?

My local TA does have 2, one for his CTM and Korma's, and one for everything else!

DD, did the chef elaborate as to how he grouped which bases to use for which curries?

Ray

[jb]

I'm pretty sure most bog standard places have only one base sauce.If they can can get as many different sauces out of one sauce then economically it's good for them.When I watched my curry being made recently(http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=4808.0) they only had one sauce on the go.My chef teaching me at the moment is adamant that only one base sauce is used for everything.That is why the base sauce should be neither to hot or spicy so it can cover a range of different dishes.I used to go to a place called Monty's in Stanford-le-hope.Although the curries were good everything tasted very similar to each other I could tell they were all from one sauce.

[Derek Dansak]

Hi domi, i was a fan of safron base for 2 year, then moved to kd base for a few months, which was quick to make and quite good for madras, and good for general experimenting. Now i am in limbo, and going to try a new base with much more green pepper, much less onion, and a bit of carrot/tomato with minimal spicing. I endlessly experiment with new recipies and bases, and make a small amount of progress each year. It can be depressingly slow at times. 

Hi Ray, no info on the 4 bases. maybe next visit i can ask some more . The curries all tasted very different though.