Topic: Zeera Restaurant Madras

[haldi]

I made this too
It was very good
I know it's definitely wrong to do this, but I tried some leftovers, after a week in the fridge
It had improved, beyond all recognition
Absolutely amazing
I think there is something very "old" in most of the BIR's round here
Because that's a flavour I'm chasing!!

[Salvador Dhali]

I made this too
It was very good
I know it's definitely wrong to do this, but I tried some leftovers, after a week in the fridge
It had improved, beyond all recognition
Absolutely amazing
I think there is something very "old" in most of the BIR's round here
Because that's a flavour I'm chasing!!

I'm very much with you on that, haldi - although I must admit to not having pushed it to a week!

Usually it's the next morning or night, and sometimes the day after, but always, always, the flavours have intensified, and sometimes unbelievably so.

Last week I was in heaven, as the result of an experiment using some of CBM's onion paste (p. 20 of his book) in a Chewytikka Madras took me straight back to Glasgow in the early 80s. It was the most incredibly intense curry I have ever made, and had sooo much depth. The waves of flavour layers just kept coming and coming.

Don't get me wrong - it had been good on the night, but the next day it literally blew me away.

There's obviously some science going on here, but I have no idea what it is.

I like it though!

[ELW]

agreed, there's definitely some strange things going regarding the bir taste. The "Glasgow taste" comes right out of nowhere & seems to start as the dish cools. I'm still not 100% settled on what exactly is going on & whether the cooking of the garlic plays a bigger part than I thought. Adding a duff curry back to a pan with another small touch of GG/spice always hits the mark 2nd time around for me

The Ashoka Banjarra paste, although a pain in the a**e to make, adds even more weirdness when a dish is cooked correctly, I can't recommend any higher

ELW

[Stephen Lindsay]

I can't agree more - the Ashoka bunjarra, and indeed the Ashoka posts would be on my desert island recipes.

[Salvador Dhali]

I can't agree more - the Ashoka bunjarra, and indeed the Ashoka posts would be on my desert island recipes.

In full agreement there. I've now made both the Ashoka bunjara and CBM's. Both are excellent, though for me the extra spicing in CBM's just edges it.

Both pastes are similar, except there's tandoori masala in CBM's and no tomato. (As the curries I add the paste to already contain a good chef spoon of diluted tomato puree, I don't feel the need to add any more.)

I'm not sure if CBM has posted his here, as I got the recipe from his book, but the Ashoka recipe is here for those that haven't come across it yet: http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=3921.0

My plan (whenever possible) from now is to try to make my main dish curries a day in advance and incorporate bunjara paste.

It may not be the way that BIRs do it, but the results are so amazing that I'm going to find it hard to go back to (relative) blandsville.

A word of caution about making good bunjara paste. It's a right bastard to get right, and never takes less than an hour to make it properly. Do not, under any circumstances, use a hefty copper-bottomed pan (or any thick-based, heat-retentive pan) when caramelising those onions. They WILL burn! You need a pan that dumps heat the INSTANT you take it off the hob/burner.

On Friday I ruined a batch in this way. The onions were beautifully caramelised, I took the pan off the heat, went to answer the front door, and when I returned two minutes later I was greeted by a blackened mess in the pan, which had continued to cook the onions in the residual heat.

Once those onions reach the right level of caramelisation, you have mere seconds to play with!

[curryhell]

    I bet this was accompanied by a few chef Gordon Ramsay terms ;D.  Very sound advice indeed and a lesson hard learnt

[haldi]

Last week I was in heaven, as the result of an experiment using some of CBM's onion paste (p. 20 of his book) in a Chewytikka Madras took me straight back to Glasgow in the early 80s.There's obviously some science going on here, but I have no idea what it is.

I've got the pdf book, but not tried that
I can only do this curry cooking, at the weekends
I'll definitely try this but it will have to wait, until next week end
,
BTW the week old curry was vegetables
I wouldn't try meat
I had food poisoning from eggs, three years ago

Absolute misery for days

[ELW]

On the subject of madras, my local's version(same as chewtikka's), has a hint of sourness down to the lemon, a day old the sourness has gone & it smells of lemon & tastes more like lemon flavouring. The tomato tastes more tangy also, very odd 
When the taste magically appears, I can't help but swagger about the kitchen a bit, anybody comes in I'll point to it & say "taste that" out of the corner of my mouth. It's quite an achievement  ;D

Got a flambe yesterday up there with chriswg, nearly singed the coving & downlighter, lots of swearing  . I'd be more comfortable dealing with a chip pan fire!

[natterjak]

Hi Ray
Keep at it mate, you'll crack it.
Jerry
I'm using Maggie Tamerina sauce, its a really good blend, great on its own as a dip
or thinned and added to a curry.Well worth a try.

http://osem.co.uk/products/maggi-tamarina-sauce

Hi CT. Thanks for putting me onto Tamarina - I used a tbs of it in CH's North Indian Special tonight and it provided a delicious counterbalance to the mango chutney in that recipe. Having tasted some on its own it's like an Indian version of HP sauce, which is not a bad thing at all will look to use it in some other recipes.

[Edwin Catflap]

Hi Chewy

I've lost my copy of the pdf, is it still available?

Cheers

Ed