Topic: Not tried

[tempest63]

Here are a couple of recipes for a base sauce. I have not tried either of them and cannot tell you where they came from other than they were given to me many moons ago. If someone is brave enough to try them maybe they could advise on whether they are very good.

I must admit to trying very few restaurant style dishes with a base sauce etc, if memory serves me right I have tried the Kris Dillon without getting the restaurant flavour, and the Pat Chapman that proved to be an unmitigated disaster.

Base Curry Sauce 1
Ingredients

6 tablespoons sunflower oil
7 or 8 small cooking onions (slightly bigger than golf balls when peeled)
1 tbl Lazy Garlic
1 tbl Lazy Ginger
3 or 4 dried red chillies
1.5 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tin Campbell's condensed Tomato Soup
Water - 2 soup tins

Method
1. On medium, heat the oil in a pan then add the chopped onions and stir for a few minutes.
2. Add the ginger, garlic and chillies. Stir for a couple of minutes then turn the heat down very low.
3. Cook for 20 minutes stirring occasionally making sure it does not brown.
4. Add the turmeric, cumin and coriander and cook for a further 5 mins (very low).
5. Remove from the heat. Add the can of Campbell's soup and 1 can of water.
6. Blend either in the pot using a hand blender or transfer to a normal blender. Blend to the consistency of tomato ketchup adding the other can of water to get there. Ensure it is completely smooth.
7. Bring to the boil and cook the blended mixture on a very low heat for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. It will turn orangey brown.

Base Curry Sauce 2
Ingredients

3 tablespoons vegetable oil or ghee (clarified butter)
1 medium onion - finely chopped
4 cloves garlic - peeled and sliced
1.5 inch piece root ginger - peeled and thinly sliced (it should look about the same volume as the garlic)
(optional) 2 mild fleshy green chillies - de-seeded and veined then chopped
half teaspoon turmeric powder
half teaspoon ground cumin seed
half teaspoon ground coriander seed
5 tablespoons plain passata

Method
Heat the oil in a heavy pan then add the chopped onion and stir for a few minutes with the heat on high.
Add the ginger, garlic and green chilli (if using). Stir for 30 seconds then put the heat down to very low.
Cook for 15 minutes stirring from time to time making sure nothing browns or burns.
Add the turmeric, cumin and coriander and cook, still very gently, for a further 5 minutes. Don't burn the spices or the sauce will taste horrid - sprinkle on a few drops of water if you're worried.
Take off the heat and cool a little. Put 4 fl oz cold water in a blender, add the contents of the pan and whizz until very smooth. Add the passata and stir.
Put the pur?ed mixture back into the pan and cook for 20 - 30 minutes (the longer the better) over very low heat stirring occasionally. You can add a little hot water if it starts to catch on the pan but the idea is to gently "fry" the sauce which will darken in colour to an orangy brown. The final texture should be something like good tomato ketchup.