Topic: Curryheads "Madras 2011"

[PaulP]

Not so bad Hotstuff - 2 people have found madras heaven. Quite a few others have been pleasantly surprised by the Taz recipe/method. One member didn't like it at all.

Paul

[parker21]

hi guys the oil ,Veg oil comes in huge tins/barrels normally with a tap on some or with the screw top they use recycled ghee tins so they so they can make your curries more healthy! ;D could you imagine the glug of oil each time they poured from the barrel into the frying pan.LOL

they use them to contain enough oil for the nights cooking simple as that. you will also find another ghee pot on the back of their cookers containing the chef spoons this is a possible cause of the flavour or cross contamination thereof it will be filled with clean water so as to sort of clean the spoons each time but i have personally witnessed the chef also scoop excess oil from the curry cooking and transferred to the same pot! btw it also had more than 1 chefspoon in.

will try to post my mouchak base sauce recipe and some recipes for you all to bitch at and critsise and alter beyond recognition from the original lol. it 2 is very simple. gary

[Stephen Lindsay]

What to do now then? Has everybody who wanted to tried this and reported back?

Well I have tried it and reported back in a pretty positive way about the base and Madras recipes. I guess that I would fall into the "pleasantly surprised" category that Paul mentions. I'm not one for trying a base once then moving on quickly. I like to work at it for a few months. Of course the Madras was the dish we agreed to cook and that's fine but there must be more to be gained from this base than one dish.

So what I intend doing is making another batch of base tomorrow and making some curries on Friday - a Madras, and maybe having a go at a Jalfrezi and/or adapting my Pathia recipe for this base.  I remember a post a while back that thought the challenge of our ability to cook a curry should be to produce a basic, medium curry so that might be worth a shot for me also.

I'll report back if this thread is still alive.

[Razor]

Stephen,

I totally agree.  I'm happy to give another base a go, if the group decided that, that is the way forward but I would much rather try this base to make other curries.  Taz himself has a Dupiaza recipe, courtesy of Mick, maybe that one next?

Also, shouldn't we give some of the creamier curries a go?  I'm not a fan of korma or CTM but to see the versatility of this base, it should really be tested across the BIR menu.

Just my two penneth on the oil level, I didn't find my Madras swimming in oil at all.  The level of oil was pretty much as my local TA's madras. 

I've eaten at some great restaurants, and quite a lot of rank ones too.  I can honestly say that if this madras had been served to me in a restaurant, I'd have happily paid a tenner for it, no problem!  I know my photo's weren't great but Mick confirms that it looks like I did everything to spec, so can I ask, did everybody elses efforts progress the same as mine at each stage?  I mean, did we all reduce it down to the same level as I'd done?

Ray

[Willyeckerslike]

I have used this base & method for a while now & today I made Micks Madras for lunch & very very nice it was too, thanks Mick





Although it was not as good as my favourite restaurant (I never really expected it to be because I was cooking it  ;D) it was much better than some of the others I have been to that are pretty good.  I love the method of this, it is so easy as long as you reduce it to the right level (see Rays pictures earlier in the thread) which is pretty much what I aim for.  I also tonight did chewytikkas madras for dinner & also this was pretty good, but as usual doing 3 curries, 1 CTM, 1 Korma & my Madras, poppadoms, rice etc etc it was probably not cooked as well as I did for my lunchtime snack.

cheers

Will

[madstwatter]

For me personally, I have finally found a base and madras recipe which looks good, is full of flavour and most importantly just as good if not better than my closest TA.

I will now move on with this and replace my Sainsbury's own chilli powder with Deggi Mirch, use a proper lemon dressing, make the mix powder with freshly ground spices and generally try to lift the taste in a step by step manner.

I feel I have chopped and changed bases and recipes far too much and have missed out on improving the dish with subtle changes and/or technique.

I'll document any changes I'll make to the dish and base and compare those changes with a side by side comparison.

Nick

[peterandjen]

Yep i liked the base, and will be using the other four pots i have in different curries, starting with a Biryani on Saturday.
I also will be knocking up the Dupiaza, and im a brummie so gotta be a Balti there too
That leaves one portion which i'll be happy to use to try a Korma or something.
Its a good simple tasty base thats purpose made for differing dishes imo, ie no over the top flavour that wont work with certain dishes.

[Stephen Lindsay]

I can honestly say that if this madras had been served to me in a restaurant, I'd have happily paid a tenner for it, no problem!

Ray I am with you on this one, I can't really fault this Madras in any major way.

[Cory Ander]

Ist point...possibly correct but who would know if the method had been followed correctly?

Yes, a million dollar question Mick.  I guess you never would know (unless you stood over their shoulder and watched).  I am often astounded by how widely some people deviate from posted recipes (with consequently good, bad, or indifferent, results).

2nd point...absolutely understood already and feeling just a little patronised..

Apologies Mick, I didn't mean for you to feel a little patronised.  I was simply trying to point out another possibility, which you hadn't mentioned.  I can clearly see that you have spent considerable time and effort in the pursuit of BIR curry cooking excellence 

[Cory Ander]

i removed and saved a fair whack of oil from the finished base before starting the fry-up.

Unless I am very much mistaken (which wouldn't surprise me), isn't the whole point of Taz's base to specifically leave ALL of the oil in the base (for release in the "reduction" step when cooking the main dish)?  If so, won't removing it affect the result?