Topic: Mouchak curry base sauce

[parker21]

i guys i feel that the base i posted eons ago from my local restaurant Mouchak is being overlooked as it has recipe for mixed powder and a whole spiced water recipe as well i feel it is current news:)!
also are the recipes for madras and vindaloo, will post recipe for chicken tikka and masala:0
Mouchak base sauce recipe

1 kg onions sliced or diced

1 carrot grated/ or sliced

1/2 green pepper sliced

100 ml veg oil

1 tbsp salt

just enough hot water to cover veggies

1 dsp garlic ginger puree

200ml tomato passatta/ tomato puree(50/50 mixed with water)

coconut milk(optional) or coconut powder

put in a pot bring to boil and simmer  with lid on until the onions change colour 1-2hrs the liquid will reduce down as well. once done allow to cool down  alittle add the coconut milk 1/2-3/4 of a tin. get another big pot and or saucepan put in 100ml veg oil and fry 1tbsp garlic and ginger puree until starting to go golden brown then add 200ml passata or blended tomatoes or watered down tomato puree and then 1dsp spoon of the following spices



Mouchak mixed powder

1 dsp mixed powder( 6pts curry powder,4pts turmeric,2pts coriander, 1pt cummin, 1pt chilli powder)

1 dsp turmeric

1 dsp coriander

1 dsp cummin

1 dsp chilli powder



add them to the pot and mix well stirring to stop the spices sticking cook for a couple of mins until the oil rises (it will make a mess but smells lovely)

then pour into the onion pot and mix well,  then blend adding hot water to help with blending and blend until smooth, water down until you have a runny soup like consistency. then put back on the heat and bring to a rolling boil. boil for 10 mins and then reduce too a simmer cook until the oil rises. when the sauce is boiling the will be a froth that floats to the top mix it back in as that is the oil bubbles and you will see it disappear as you simmer. you can use straight away but it is better once cooled and refridgerated and used then next day as this allows the spices to mellow and the onion to sweeten.

method 2(without coconut milk)

alternatively put the veggies in the pot add the oil and stir to ensure that all veggies are coated then add the garlic and ginger puree/salt/passata or tomato puree and then cover with the water and bring to the boil then add then add the spices mix well and simmer with lid on until the carrots can be slice with your chef spoon and you will see the oil will have risen to the top. then remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly before adding hot water and blending to a runny soup consistency. then place back on the heat and bring to a rolling boil. boil for about 10 mins the turn the heat off and place the lid on and let in cool on the residual heat from the hob/cooker and the oil will rise to the top. the curry base sauce is now ready to be used in any of you favourite curries

mouchak madras

8 pieces pre-cooked chicken/lamb or whatever veg or prawns

1 dsp garlic puree

1 chefs spoon veg oil  ( or from the top of your curry base)

1 dsp tomato paste/ puree (mixed with water 50/50)

1 dsp mixed powder

1 dsp chilli powder

300-400ml curry base sauce

1 dsp lemon juice/dressing or 1/4 wedge lemon

1 tsp butter ghee

2 tbsp fresh coriander ( some too add to the dish whilst cooking and some for garnish)



heat the oil in a frying pan medium heat, then add the garlic puree mix well until you smell of the garlic change (ie does not smell raw) remove pan from heat

then add the mixed powder and chilli  and tomato puree mix well, back on the heat turn up high mixing as the spices start to foam  until you should smell a toffee like aroma then add a ladle of base sauce mix well and reduce down a little until the oil rises add your main ingredient (precooked chicken/prawns/veg/lamb) and the lemon and mix well add a pinch of the coriander and the rest of the curry base sauce and cook until you have the right consistency approx 5-7mins ,scoop off any excess oil then add the butter ghee just before the end of cooking and mix well . remove from the heat, garnish with coriander and serve.



as you will have cooked it you need to go outside and clear your nose or you will not appreciate your cooking. if you have a lid for your frying pan put that on and put in a warm oven this is the time that you would be coming home with the curry in foil containers from the takeaway and will alow the spices to settle.

mouchak vindaloo

8 pieces pre-cooked chicken/lamb or whatever veg or prawns

half of medium size precooked potato

1 dsp garlic puree

1 chefs spoon veg oil  ( or from the top of your curry base)

1 tbsp tomato paste/ puree (mixed with water 50/50)

1 tbsp mixed powder

1 rounded tbsp chilli powder

300-400ml curry base sauce

1 dsp clear vinegar

1 tsp butter ghee

2 tbsp fresh coriander ( some too add to the dish whilst cooking and some for garnish)



heat the oil in a frying pan medium heat, then add the garlic puree mix well until you smell of the garlic change (ie does not smell raw) remove pan from heat

then add the mixed powder and chilli  and tomato puree mix well, back on the heat turn up high mixing as the spices start to foam  until you should smell a toffee like aroma then add a ladle of base sauce mix well and reduce down a little until the oil rises add your main ingredient (precooked chicken/prawns/veg/lamb) and the vinegar (allow the vinegar smell disperse) and mix well add a pinch of the coriander and the rest of the curry base sauce and cook until you have the right consistency approx 5-7mins ,scoop off any excess oil then add the butter ghee just before the end of cooking and mix well . remove from the heat, garnish with coriander and serve.


regards
gary

[CardiffCurrylad]

Hi Gary,
As it goes I have run out of base so will give this one a go in the very near future and give feedback, many thanks for your efforts

[natterjak]

Thanks for posting or reposting this Gary. The base sauce has the same structure as the Zaal or Chewytikka bases which is the initial boil of onions et al, then a frying stage of spices and tomato then blending and re-boil the combined sauce till the oil rises. In your version above the fried Tom mix is added before blending, in others it's added after. Not having tried every base I should be wary of making sweeping statements but this boil fry blend boil again (or boil blend fry boil again) structure seems indicative of a good base and it's how I prepared my last batch of base which has brought my own cooking on in leaps and bounds.

Thanks for the madras and vindaloo recipes, will give them a try too.  How much difference do you notice to the perceived flavour after you rest the dish in the oven and clear your nostrils versus eating it as soon as you finish cooking?

[CardiffCurrylad]

Hi Gary, I made up a batch of your base and to be honest I could not taste the coconut milk. Is the purpose to thicken or just add more body to the finished base? Will definitely make again, oh and the madras went down a treat 

[JerryM]

CardiffCurrylad,

i make parker21's earlier version "rajver" which is very similar to this and uses a tin of coconut milk. i can't taste the coconut either and feel sure this is how it's meant to be. it's certainly not to thicken.

i can't put my finger on what it does but there is no other base that i've come across that produces the finished taste quite like it. bases without the coconut milk certainly produce very good results ie saffron

i guess it's down to personal preference.

http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php/topic,2041.0.html

[Salvador Dhali]

Thanks for posting or reposting this Gary. The base sauce has the same structure as the Zaal or Chewytikka bases which is the initial boil of onions et al, then a frying stage of spices and tomato then blending and re-boil the combined sauce till the oil rises. In your version above the fried Tom mix is added before blending, in others it's added after. Not having tried every base I should be wary of making sweeping statements but this boil fry blend boil again (or boil blend fry boil again) structure seems indicative of a good base and it's how I prepared my last batch of base which has brought my own cooking on in leaps and bounds.

Having made a hell of a lot of base over the years - (and to the power of 10 since I discovered this site!) - I can only concur that this method does indeed produce excellent and consistent results. Not only that, but there's something about it that 'feels' right.

These days, whatever base recipe I'm using, the technique goes:

Oil in pot, followed by raw ingredients (onions, carrot, garlic/ginger, etc, etc).

Bring slowly up to temp to get things going, then add the salt, stir and lid on and heat down low. If I add any water, it will only be a cup or two, depending on the quantity of base being made.

Once the onions are properly cooked (soft, melting and translucent - I don't time it), I do the fry stage with the spices, blended tomatoes, and some extra garlic/ginger paste, add to the pot, and cook for a further 15 minutes or so.

Next, I blend to a smooth consistency (adding water to thin down), add some whole spices (cassia bark, cardamoms, Asian bay) and bring to a gentle simmer until the oil rises to the surface. (Time for this varies depending on the quantity of base.)

This, for me, produces the best results.

I used to be a chuck it in and boil man*, but thanks to the efforts of too many people to mention on this site I've picked up incredibly useful information and been able to develop something that puts a smile on my face every time.

So, thanks to all - and keep up the great work!


*Not saying that 'chuck in and boil' doesn't produce good results. I've just found the above better for me.   

[natterjak]

Well you must be doing something right because the photo you posted of your CT Madras looks spot on, with a gorgeous 'flocked' texture which I rarely achieve and find hard to reproduce again following such an unusual success. Would be interested in your thoughts on how to consistently get this 'look and feel' to a finished curry.

Do you sieve your base btw? I've really appreciated the improvement this brought to my base so am more or less converted now.

[Salvador Dhali]

Well you must be doing something right because the photo you posted of your CT Madras looks spot on, with a gorgeous 'flocked' texture which I rarely achieve and find hard to reproduce again following such an unusual success. Would be interested in your thoughts on how to consistently get this 'look and feel' to a finished curry.

Do you sieve your base btw? I've really appreciated the improvement this brought to my base so am more or less converted now.

That's very kind of you to say so, Natterjack.

As to my thoughts on how to consistently get this 'look and feel' to a finished curry, I have to admit I haven't really thought about it. It just happens (though I'd be the first to admit it doesn't happen every time!).

But for what it's worth, my best results always come when I get the texture of the base right (i.e. not too thick. I look for something that's closer to full fat milk than, say, a puree).  The base, after all, comprises 90% of the dish, so as far as I'm concerned it is the king here.

This was one of those seemingly small things that made a big difference to my curries. In the late 80s, when Pat Chapman described the base gravy found in restaurants as being "...pale orangey gold, quite thick in texture, like apple puree", that was what I was aiming for. Though I have much respect for Pat, it wasn't until I managed to get myself in a few kitchens that I discovered how wrong he was. 

I have sieved my base before, but don't normally bother unless I've made a bad job of the blending stage. Also, I pre-blend the ginger/garlic (or use ginger/garlic paste if I have any already made up), and don't always add coriander stalks to my base. (From my experience, whole ginger and coriander stalks are the most fibrous components of a base.)

Apart from that, I don't know what else to suggest. Maybe someone else has a 'flocking theory' they could throw into the mix?





 

[natterjak]

mouchak vindaloo

8 pieces pre-cooked chicken/lamb or whatever veg or prawns

half of medium size precooked potato

1 dsp garlic puree

1 chefs spoon veg oil  ( or from the top of your curry base)

1 tbsp tomato paste/ puree (mixed with water 50/50)

1 tbsp mixed powder

1 rounded tbsp chilli powder

300-400ml curry base sauce

1 dsp clear vinegar

1 tsp butter ghee

2 tbsp fresh coriander ( some too add to the dish whilst cooking and some for garnish)



heat the oil in a frying pan medium heat, then add the garlic puree mix well until you smell of the garlic change (ie does not smell raw) remove pan from heat

then add the mixed powder and chilli  and tomato puree mix well, back on the heat turn up high mixing as the spices start to foam  until you should smell a toffee like aroma then add a ladle of base sauce mix well and reduce down a little until the oil rises add your main ingredient (precooked chicken/prawns/veg/lamb) and the vinegar (allow the vinegar smell disperse) and mix well add a pinch of the coriander and the rest of the curry base sauce and cook until you have the right consistency approx 5-7mins ,scoop off any excess oil then add the butter ghee just before the end of cooking and mix well . remove from the heat, garnish with coriander and serve.

Hi Gary - I got around to trying this vindaloo tonight... Very very nice indeed but damn hot!  ;D  I took the "rounded tablespoon" of chilli powder to be equivalent to 2 level TBS, maybe I overestimated.  The ghee flavour came through strongly, not sure I would include it next time but that's personal taste. Definately a recipe I'll be trying again though.

By the way, I had a bit of a hunt to find where I'd read this. I was looking in the vindaloo main dishes section of the forum but it doesn't seem to be there. You might want to post it there so it's not missed by people.

[parker21]

hi natterjack i've posted it here http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=8159.0
great to hear you have tried it at last by all means tinker to suit your taste buds! LOL
ps did you take any piccys?
regards
gary