Topic: who believes future breakthroughs lie with recipe refinement ?? or new bases ?

[Cory Ander]

OK, it may be that I should reply in that thread, but let's continue it here for the time being.  Two comments :

1) The curry masala seems massive overkill for a base; my preferred base uses only turmeric and paprika.
2) I would not be able to justify (financially) complying with the "freshness" guidelines :

QED!  :-X

[Cory Ander]

Thought it would be interesting to hear other members views on  1) if future breakthroughs will come from some improved final curry recipes, or 2) improvements in the base, or 3) a combination of  both 1 and 2

To answer your original question, DD, I believe it is the curry bases that are mostly lacking and that is where any "breakthrough" will primarily occur (think stock, spice infused oil, other ingredients, other methods of preparation, etc).

[solarsplace]

[snip]I think it's all too difficult to reach any sort of consensus.

There is no way we will get universal consensus, even among the currently active members, but it may be that a sufficient number are both willing and sufficiently flexible to make the idea viable, even if the test group is relatively small (say, six people).

** Phil.

Agreed, I go along with these sentiments. I know there are going to be things personally that I would not 100% agree with, but am happy to compromise and go with the flow.

Edit:

Although it will almost certainly necessary to start with an unmodified base, I would still like to point out that with a few simple modifications, I am able to get CA's base to be sodding close to that of my local TA which does some great curry, so that is the reason why I maintain that CA's base would be a good candidate.

Cheers

[Cory Ander]

I'd be very willing to participate in testing using the spices we already own (they are, of course, stored in glass jars in a dark cupboard), but I could not justify to the family accountant (a.k.a. Le Khanh) the purchase of fresh spices to replace those that we currently use and find perfectly acceptable in use.

And therein lies another difficulty, people think they are doing the same thing (i.e. replicating a process/recipe) when they are not! 

There appear to be far too many variables in play for members to reproduce other members' results reliably and consistently.

[Peripatetic Phil]

And therein lies another difficulty, people think they are doing the same thing (i.e. replicating a process/recipe) when they are not! 

Sure, but bearing in mind that this is an exercise in culinary matters rather than (say) pharmacy, just how exact do we have to be in order for the results to be valid ? Even two batches of the same spice with the same expiry date but different batch numbers may not be identical, but I still think that with a little commonsense and goodwill we can get results that are meaningful but which wouldn't be acceptable to a scientific journal such as Nature.

**Phil.

[Peripatetic Phil]

Although it will almost certainly necessary to start with an unmodified base, I would still like to point out that with a few simple modifications, I am able to get CA's base to be sodding close to that of my local TA which does some great curry, so that is the reason why I maintain that CA's base would be a good candidate.

Could you post your "sodding close" variant in this thread so we can assess its complexity ?

** Phil.

[Cory Ander]

Sure, but bearing in mind that this is an exercise in culinary matters rather than (say) pharmacy, just how exact do we have to be in order for the results to be valid ?

If you're using "out of date" spices, Phil (amongst probably many other things), it's really a non-starter.....

[Peripatetic Phil]

If you're using "out of date" spices, Phil (amongst probably many other things), it's really a non-starter.....

It may be a non-starter for me to participate, but if there are sufficient members who keep their spices for no more than a couple of months before junking them, it is still viable.

** Phil (who was notorious when still at work for cutting the green mould off 1-month old liver pate and then eating what was left, and who still spoons the mould out of opened jars of apricot compote and then eats the remainder !).

[solarsplace]

Could you post your "sodding close" variant in this thread so we can assess its complexity ?

** Phil.

Hi Phil

Here is summary of my variant:

Spanish onions only.
Bruce Edwards or JB spice mix (Simple to produce, quite similar and hard to tell apart in base)
Add 1tsp chilli powder
Add some potato
1/2 the coriander
Nearly double the oil
Add 2 x Knorr chicken stock cubes

I have precise measurements for all additions, perhaps should post the whole variation somewhere if that is permitted as it is basically CA's recipe?

Cheers all

[Peripatetic Phil]

Here is summary of my variant:

Spanish onions only.
Bruce Edwards or JB spice mix (Simple to produce, quite similar and hard to tell apart in base)

OK, for Bruce Edwards I have found

SPICE MIXTURE. Coriander / Turmeric / Cumin / Curry Powder 8:7:5:4 parts by volume. When I say level spoons, that's what I mean, so use the back of a knife to be sure that it is level.

and for JB

• 100g Mild Madras curry powder
• 100g Paprika
• 200g Haldi (Turmeric)
• 100g Dhaniya (ground coriander)
• 100g Chilli powder
• 50g Jeera (cumin)
• 50g Gram Masala

although the last one looks dubious to me : "Gram flour" or "Garam masala" ?  I opt for the latter interpretation.

Add 1tsp chilli powder
Add some potato
1/2 the coriander
Nearly double the oil
Add 2 x Knorr chicken stock cubes

I have precise measurements for all additions, perhaps should post the whole variation somewhere if that is permitted as it is basically CA's recipe ?

I can't see that being a problem, so long as proper credit is given and you call it (e.g.) CA/SP's base rather than just CA's base.

Overall, it's more complex that KD1 (of course) but if you feel it as close to BIR as it is possible to get, then I'm not averse to trying it !  But I do still have reservations about

• 100g Mild Madras curry powder

 
and perhaps also

• 50g G[a]ram masala

What is the point of adding spices in combination (curry power, garam masala) when you are also going to add them individually, I always wonder.  And these days I would definitely go for Knorr Stock Pots (absolutely delicious) rather than cubes.

** Phil.