Topic: Madras Sauce Video Recipe

[Graeme]

I remember this chewy but sadly my local stopped doing this
as it filled the room up with smoke !!
So I stopped going after 20 odd years as that?s when it started to go downhill.

I used to love scraping the bottom of the cast iron dish 
and burning my hands ha ha.

[StoneCut]

Well, I made this Madras last night for me and the wife. I put fresh chicken in around the 2 minute mark. Unfortunately, it was a desaster but this is down to my own incompetence. First I made chewytikka's 3hr base (and mixed powder) and the wife gave me a helping hand. It was pretty easy to do but took longer than 3hrs of cooking. I guess I also put in too much fresh coriander because the base has a quite strong coriander flavour which I'm not too fond of, really. I also used a red capsicum instead of a green one but that shouldn't pose a problem
I then proceeded to make the curry itself. Unfortunately, I can't get get Kashmiri chili powder anywhere so I proceeded with one tablespoon og the stuff I bought instead, which happened to be extra hot chili powder ..
Well, the results was ... breath-taking, so to say. I immediately had to pour in about 150ml of cream thinking the wife would kill me otherwise. It was still VERY hot afterwards, but edible.
So, I serve this meal to my wife (with some sloppily made rice, need to work in this), who had unfortunately developed a tooth ache by this time, and that was the end of a nice evening. From there on, well, you can guess.
Did *I* like the curry? Well, yes, but it was much too hot because I used the wrong chili powder. But I only tasted the non-diluted version once so I can't really say much.
A lesson to learned for all newbies like me: Go easy on the chili powder, no matter what the recipe says, if you don't have the exact same ingredients. Always ask your partners how hot they can handle, preferably while making the curry. And never serve hot food to people who are in pain!
I'm quite sad about this because I had my wife excited about Indian food for a while and I may have seriously damaged her trust in my minimal skills at the same time, too.

BTW: Thanks for all the extra-info about lemon dressing. I just used some lemon juice from half a lemon. Oh, and I didn't take any pictures because I ahd to put cream in. It simply wouldn't do it justice. The curry looked great before.

[PaulP]

Hi Stonecut, sorry to hear it went wrong. The different coloured capsicum won't make much difference to the base.
Hopefully you will be able to get some more suitable chilli powder for next time.

I'm sure you will regain the trust of your wife after the next curry and after she has been to the dentist.

Cheers

Paul

[harley]

Hi Chewy,

Just watched this again (for probably the 200th time)  I can't get enough of it, absolutely brilliant, clear videoing.

I'm going on a bit of a 'Madras' quest this coming week, as I'm off work.  My local TA's Madras is to die for.  It's tangy, spicy, smooth and not too oily but, there is a flavour that keeps coming through that has eluded me.  I made CWG bhajis last night but in the absence of aniseed, I used fennel seeds instead and BOOM, there it was.  The taste that I keep getting a hint of in my local TA's madras, was present in CWG's bhajis.

Chewy, have you ever heard of ground fennel seeds going into a madras?

It also has a hint of mulligatawny to it, which I believe could come from tamarind?  I have tried the Maggi tamarina sauce in the madras but it just doesn't do it for me.  I've also added Worcestershire sauce like in your recipe, again, I didn't quite get the tang that I'm after?

My TA owner is a smashing bloke but he will simply just not give anything away. There are 7 Indian TA's on our main road, so I can understanding him not giving too much away.  It's hard enough competing with the others without losing custom by giving away his secrets.

Any thoughts mate?

Ray

Same with my fav fairly local TA, tangy, spicy smooth and not oily like other TA's. This tangy taste is really what I'd love to replicate. I'll try out some aniseed and  fennel seeds. I've tried tamarind, mango or loads of lemon in looking to get the special tang and thought I was onto something with tamarind but the next few tries I didn't get that taste. The after taste was to die for at my fav TA  but I doubt he'll reveal everything. It's in the south east manchester area. Another reason I want to replicate is since around 2010 they must've stopped going all out on the curries to keep the prices the same and they went down hill slightly. Even the head guy told me how they're afraid of losing customers by putting prices up when I told them they're quite cheap compared to others in passing conversation a year before they went off.

I went there for 15 years, it was a league above most others and the Indian chef has been there all this time, he talked highly and shown me the basic fresh stuff like chilies they use and is real proud of what they produce over that time between 1995 and 2010 that I went. After around 2010 it went to average curry that he often scoffed at over that 15 years. He tells me any problems I should tell them or phone them up but I just stopped going. Since then its been making my own, not as good but this is offset by lots more chicken and lower cost overall to boot, the cost of petrol has risen quite a lot over 2000 and 2012 and my earnings haven't. Since I'm counting pennies now it just makes sense to make my own.

I wish I asked him more becasue I got quite friendly with him but throughout the time going I never considered making my own and was in teens to early twenties most of that time and proper cooking wasn't on my radar, just great taste. Used to think nothing of getting a curry once or twice a week and driving that extra mile or two come wind or snow.

The second best TA near me has a different take and perhaps some major sieving goes on. Its very finely textured sauce and they leave in half a fresh tomato. Its quite unique and they even peel their own spuds for chips and seem old school to me so maybe they do the sieving.

[sp]

Have you tried Star Anise ground or whole?  To my palate it gives a more aniseedy licqourice type taste than fennel

[curryhell]

Hi Harley and welcome to the site. You could try adding just a touch of Mr Naga pickle, or maybe a tsp of red masala paste (as per Chewytikka's recipe) or maybe even a tamarind sauce such as Tamarina if the star anise or fennel doesn't give the desired result.  Hope you find the taste you're looking for.  Great first post by the way. Shame you didn't develop the relationship.  He may have eventually started to reveal some pearls of wisdom

[harley]

Thanks for the welcome and recommendations, I'll try those out stephen and curryhell.

I'll probably go back sometime and try to pick his brain

[harley]

Tried Mr Naga and while nice it wasn't for me or anything like I've tasted in Madras or Vindaloo. Seems more like something in side dishes or more new trendy orders. Interesting how even a quarter teaspoon had taken it in another direction. Didn't overpower thankfully but not the route I was looking for or been on eating curries. Perhaps some TA BIR do use this and its certainly distinctive so if they do you certainly need this.

Interestingly I was watching Julian from c2go, he's got video on it and many others but get the feeling he's on about a certain type of takeaway that I don't go to.

[Salvador Dhali]

Tried Mr Naga and while nice it wasn't for me or anything like I've tasted in Madras or Vindaloo. Seems more like something in side dishes or more new trendy orders. Interesting how even a quarter teaspoon had taken it in another direction. Didn't overpower thankfully but not the route I was looking for or been on eating curries. Perhaps some TA BIR do use this and its certainly distinctive so if they do you certainly need this.

Interestingly I was watching Julian from c2go, he's got video on it and many others but get the feeling he's on about a certain type of takeaway that I don't go to.

You're dead right, it does take a dish in a different direction - gorgeously so, in my view. You need to be careful though, as it's one of those things your tastebuds embrace with time and regular exposure, until the day comes when you realise that you can no longer live without your daily fix. 

In fact, over the past few years I've become hopelessly addicted to the stuff, adding it to pretty much everything I eat. It gives a lift to literally any dish. It's gorgeous in dhals, egg sarnies, salad dressings, soups, stews... To the horror of all in the household I even added some to a spag bol the other night - much to the benefit of the spag bol, I may add. (Though I can't see Spag Bol Naga ever becoming a restaurant staple somehow...  ;D)

It is the crack cocaine of the chilli world.

You have been warned!

[chewytikka]

Totally agree SD
I've been an Mr.Naga addict for over twenty years.

But nothing to do with my Madras Recipe.

Harley, Make it to my spec and as instructed and you will have a Madras.

Use any chilli powder if you like, the Kashmiri Mirch is just my favourite chilli powder and gives a distinct flavour.

High heat on the stove is the key to flavour.(put a lid on it!)
cheers Chewy
Watch this one with a bit chicken added - https://vimeo.com/33663388