Topic: Taz's Base

[emin-j]

Hi all,
Making this Base on Friday and there seems a lot of positive comments about the Base on the Forum,just wondering what could make this Base any different from the others that have been tried and tested the ingredients or method don't seem anything special.

[PaulP]

Hi emin-j, I guess you'll have to make your own mind up after you've eaten it.

I've tried about 5 bases from this site and none of them have beaten the Taz base for the finished curries for me. What I like:

Simple to make
No carrots, potatoes, cabbage etc.
No fresh corriander or dried methi (I prefer to add these flavours when making the final curry)
Tastes quite nice on it's own
Simple balanced spicing

If you make it to spec be aware that the whole cumin and corriander seeds take some blending. I have tried it both with whole seeds and ground powder and find the whole seeds give the base a pleasant nutty flavour.

You can use any spice mix you like when making the final curry with this base as the base spicing is quite low.

Finally when cooking with it make sure you get the base nicely reduced, at least the first 200ml or so, as this creates the deep flavours in the curry.

One downside to this base is that if you are making a korma or CTM there is probably an excess of oil in this base. Not that these dishes don't work - it just piles up the calories.

Paul

[Peripatetic Phil]

Moved (wrong thread)

[Derek Dansak]

does the taz base have quite a strong spicy flavour, like eg ashoka base, or is it mild and soup like? 

[PaulP]

Hi DD Taz base is mild and soupy, not heavily spiced.

Cheers,

Paul

[emin-j]

Hi emin-j, I guess you'll have to make your own mind up after you've eaten it.

I've tried about 5 bases from this site and none of them have beaten the Taz base for the finished curries for me. What I like:

Simple to make
No carrots, potatoes, cabbage etc.
No fresh corriander or dried methi (I prefer to add these flavours when making the final curry)
Tastes quite nice on it's own
Simple balanced spicing

If you make it to spec be aware that the whole cumin and corriander seeds take some blending. I have tried it both with whole seeds and ground powder and find the whole seeds give the base a pleasant nutty flavour.

You can use any spice mix you like when making the final curry with this base as the base spicing is quite low.

Finally when cooking with it make sure you get the base nicely reduced, at least the first 200ml or so, as this creates the deep flavours in the curry.
One downside to this base is that if you are making a korma or CTM there is probably an excess of oil in this base. Not that these dishes don't work - it just piles up the calories.

Paul

Thanks' Paulp,
I wont be using the reduction method ( not doubting it works ) but prefer to use the more usual BIR method.

[PaulP]

Hi emin-j, the recipe for Taz calls for approx 400 ml of base per portion.

For the first 150 to 200 ml of base you add to the pan, if you don't reduce this down so there is virtually no water content, and the oil shows through, you will cook a very bland curry and probably write-off the base.

During the reduction the vegetables in the base get a chance to caramelise and you get that smokey flavour. Taz himself cooks in a small wok which I believe makes this process easy. So reduce and scrape back into the middle of pan.

I'm not saying don't pre-fry g/g and spices if that's your method but please follow the Taz instructions and get that first half of base reduced to nearly zero water content or it won't taste good.

Cheers,

Paul

[emin-j]

Hi emin-j, the recipe for Taz calls for approx 400 ml of base per portion.

For the first 150 to 200 ml of base you add to the pan, if you don't reduce this down so there is virtually no water content, and the oil shows through, you will cook a very bland curry and probably write-off the base.

During the reduction the vegetables in the base get a chance to caramelise and you get that smokey flavour. Taz himself cooks in a small wok which I believe makes this process easy. So reduce and scrape back into the middle of pan.

I'm not saying don't pre-fry g/g and spices if that's your method but please follow the Taz instructions and get that first half of base reduced to nearly zero water content or it won't taste good.

Cheers,

Paul

Thanks' again Paulp,
If the success of this Base is by following Taz's method of cooking a Curry ( reduction method ) then it's not for me  This 'reduction method' is not the method I have experienced when I have been in local T/A kitchens and I would prefer to follow their method and one local T/A makes the best tasting T/A Curry I have tasted. Personally I need to master the T/A Curry using local T/A methods and to produce a very nice tasting Curry any other way is just not the same 

Thinking about it it seems Taz's ' Reduction Method ' should be receiving all the praise not the Base 

[PaulP]

Maybe we are talking at cross purposes, but on all the TA videos I've watched the first lot of base is cooked under high heat and bubbles away for a few minutes - surely that is reduction?

I would say if you don't cook it like Taz it will taste bland.

Good luck whatever you decide to do

[emin-j]

Maybe we are talking at cross purposes, but on all the TA videos I've watched the first lot of base is cooked under high heat and bubbles away for a few minutes - surely that is reduction?

I would say if you don't cook it like Taz it will taste bland.

Good luck whatever you decide to do

Could be Paulp  is the G/Ginger ,Tomato Puree, and Spices Fried in Oil first before the first ladle of Base goes in ?