Topic: Some posts from my lessons

[jb]

Just finished the last of my curry lessons so I'm starting to put together some posts.I thought it would be better to put them in their appropriate sections within this forum so I'll start with the base sauce recipe and the spice mix I was taught.Comments(both good and bad!!) are welcome,all I can say is that everything I was shown is EXACTLY how the chef does it in his resataurant(albeit on a much smaller scale).

 Overall it's been hugely enjoyable having an actual chef come into my house and teach me BIR cooking.If I'm honest some recipes(korma,balti,side dishes) were spot on whilst others seemed a bit lacking.However after doing so much cooking with various spices etc the aromas may have overloaded my senses somewhat.

 I was really hoping the chef was going to say 'Yeah this is the secret ingrediant that all the restaurants/take-aways use that they never tell you about...this is the closely guarded secret!!'

[jb]

I'm convinced that their is no secret,just similar techniques used by BIR restaurants up and down the country.I was surprised just how similar some of the recipes he gave me were to those already on this site,it just confirms that we were right all along.

I will be posting the base sauce today along with the spice mix,others will follow when I have time.All spices were Rajah brand and he uses Tower tomato puree in the restaurant(nothing added just puree).

Disappointments???  I guess the liberal use of Pataks pastes but then it didn't suprise me.I've seen them in just about every take away round here.He said before they were freely available most restaurants used to make up their own spice mixes(hence the old style flavour)but now it's all about money and time.

Some important points I asked him...

Oil
---

He did not use spiced oil in the base sauce(he was quite surprised at this idea),HOWEVER he said it was important to use the oil floating on top of the base when making curries,this is where the flavour is.

Heat/flames
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When making spicy dishes(madras,korai etc) always use a high heat ensuring the spices don't burn.Kormas etc should be cooked on a gentle heat

So there you so hopefully everyone should find something of interest in my posts.

JB

[jb]

Chicken Jalfrezi on the go

[emin-j]

I was enjoying your posts jb until Pataks was said to have been used  took the edge off it for me . But as long as you enjoyed it is all that matters 

[jb]

Yep i know what you mean jars of pre made pastes don't do a lot for me but like the chef said they're cheap and convenient and I bet you most places use them these days.