Topic: What Makes a decent BIR madras "the classics"

[JerryM]

Phil,

sold on the heat,

Only after we had trained our bodies to accommodate them did a Madras become comfortable

- sorts it for me.

glad you enjoyed your 1st trip and hope all turned out. even i can't understand quite a bit when i go home these days. quite a posh spot the agley road too.

[JerryM]

whilst we are considering the madras part of the 70's curry (and hopefully other dishes in time) it's sort of no good without a base to make it all work.

i'm thinking of starting with the CR02 base ingredients http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=4065.msg36792#msg36792

would appreciate thoughts on a similar basis on what makes a decent base. this is an area i feel i know a bit about but all thoughts on what could of existed at the time of the 70's would help refine ideas.

[moonster]

Jerry,

personally i would look no further than razors base.

Interestingly i have just been reading your posts on quantitys of oil at the cooking stage and the impact it has on the taste to the finished dish.

I believe that razor has developed a base which has the perfect quantity of oil to compliment a dish of this type.

the analogy that members use that perfecting BIR cooking is like a jigsaw is spot on, i believe that the experiance, feedback and input from other board members has helped me achieve at home what i percieve as a BIR indian curry and most importantly for me i am beginning to understand why it has suddenly all come together if that makes any sense. ;D

I cant thank the board contributers enough for there advice and feedback and that for me is what makes this excellent curry site the best.

Thanks

Alan ;D

[JerryM]

moonster,

appreciate the idea of using razors base - i have previously made razor's posted Kushi base which is very good and in no doubt on the merits of a "razor" base.

for this madras (and with time bhuna and vindaloo) i need to step back in time so to speak with the base as well as the dish.

the trouble is for me is that although i know exactly the dishes i'm after at the time ie 70's i had very little interest in cooking at the time - i never went near what i would call an Asian shop that i know today.

what i'm getting at is i need to strip out the base what ingredients were not readily available at that time. for example peppers.

what i'm thinking of doing is sort of combining KD1 base with the CR02 base - i know both really well having made them loads.

what i need help on from the members with good memory (and i may be asking too much ) is what veg was readily available in the 70's for curry ie fresh coriander as an example. i rate this as a must in base today but i think it may not have been used then. there was certainly no garish like there is today.

on the oil there is differing opinions. at one end is i think the Taz method which uses a lot of oil in the base. i keep it fairly low (~7% as a proportion of the original onion volume or 100ml in 800g onion, nb i actually add more oil and reclaim it just before blending). i need to keep the oil low in the base to enable as much oil to be used at frying stage as this makes the frying a lot easier. too much oil in total for me is no good - i don't like curry swimming in oil.

as you say looking at this BIR curry cooking as a jigsaw is without doubt the way to succeed. well pleased it's coming together. don't be put off when you get the inevitable setback too - i had quite a few but they are sometimes needed in order to progress.

best wishes,

[Peripatetic Phil]

what i need help on from the members with good memory (and i may be asking too much ) is what veg was readily available in the 70's for curry ie fresh coriander as an example. i rate this as a must in base today but i think it may not have been used then. there was certainly no garish like there is today.

I still have some recipe books (Indian, British published) dating back to then, so I may be able to fill in some gaps.  Certainly bhindi were ubiquitous, but I never acquired a taste for them !

** Phil.

[JerryM]

Phil,

please do.

I still have some recipe books (Indian, British published) dating back to then, so I may be able to fill in some gaps

[JerryM]

1st draft on the base for a sanity check by those with good memory.

aiming for 2.5L - 7 off portions:

veg oil 525ml (425ml reclaim before blending)
marg 10ml
onion 800g
garlic 30g
ginger 15g
tom puree 45ml
salt 17.5ml
paprika 15ml
turmeric 15ml
chilli pwdr 2.5ml (or 5ml if not the very hot stuff)
tin toms 400g
initial water 300ml
added water 600ml (after blending)
thinning water 600ml (at end)


spice ball:
cardamom 4 off (lightly crushed)
asian bay 4 off
anis 1 off

method: all in 2hrs simmer, reclaim oil, added water, blend, 2 hrs simmer, remove spice ball, add back cardamom, add thinning water

[commis]

Hi
JM, someone I know who ate curry in the Birmingham area in the 70's swears by KD1 especially the chana dal.
Regards

[JerryM]

swears by KD1 especially the chana dal.

Commis,

i made the KD1 base for ages until www - i really do rate the base. the only change i made was to x2 the tin toms - i never thought to try adding tom puree. i also thought i did not like turmeric and was not sold on it doing much - how wrong i was.

the recipes are more difficult (never just quite there) - i do use the book as my 1st port of call though.

i've never tried Chana (chickpeas) or lentils (dal i presume). i need to get to the Prashad in Bradford to find out what i've been missing.

[JerryM]

1st draft on the madras - again for sanity check by those with good memory.

oil 6 tbsp
cardamon pod 1 off (lightly crushed)
g/g paste 1 tsp

base 4 tbsp
tom puree 2 tbsp
bassar 1 tsp
bunjarra 1 tbsp
salt 0.25 tsp
chilli powder 1 tsp (std, 0.5 tsp the hot stuff)

base 300ml

nb from Chaa006 Bombay recipe