Topic: Chicken Tikka Massala Group Test

[Unclefrank]

I have made the Kushi Masala Sauce (a few times now) and it is fantastic, well worth the effort, has for the ingredients it wasnt really a problem for me (live very close to a couple of towns with fruit and veg stalls also alot of Asian shops as well), the stirring bit of recipe isnt that bad either (just dont walk away from it for to long) just stir to your favourite CD album  ;D
My other half is the CTM taster for me and she loves it alot more depth in the flavour and the  consistency and texture is excellent.

[chriswg]

So far for testers I have:

Chriswg
Stephen Lindsay
Ramirez
Solar
Bamble

Any other takers?

Looks like this is the final list of participants. We ready to get this started?

Hi Ramirez

You are right we should get this show on the road. Does everyone have the recipes? I suggest we stick to the 5 you posted:

CA's - http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=3999.0
Mick's (CBM) - http://cbm-mick.blogspot.com/2009/10/chicken-tikka-masala.html
Dip's - http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=4488.0
Chris' - yet to be posted
Lorrydoo's - http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=1823.0

Im thinking we could possibly drop Lorrydoo's and just do 4 recipes as they are all quite involved. With the ketchup and heinz tomato soup I can imagine what the result will taste like and I can't see it being great.

If any of the testers need my recipe let me know and I'll PM it to you.

If anyone wants to be a tester let me know and I'll add you to the list.

Cheers
Chris

[Unclefrank]

Think people would be missing out if you did drop Lorrydoo's recipe, having made a quite a few from this site the Lorrydoo recipe is really close to a BIR CTM taste and it makes alot of sauce as well, doesnt really take that much time to make and ingredients are easy to get hold of, just my opinion really it would be a shame if it was left out.
Thanks.

[Peripatetic Phil]

Think people would be missing out if you did drop Lorrydoo's recipe, having made a quite a few from this site the Lorrydoo recipe is really close to a BIR CTM taste and it makes alot of sauce as well, doesnt really take that much time to make and ingredients are easy to get hold of, just my opinion really it would be a shame if it was left out.

I'm not planning to participate in this test (never eat CTM !), so really I should keep my mouth shut, but I do support Unclefrank here : there are widespread reports that the original CTM recipe used ketchup and/or tomato soup, so if UF reckons it tastes like the real thing, I believe it could be worth keeping it in.

Incidentally, I would make a plea for re-visiting the whole Group Test approach.  I personally find making half a dozen variants of the same dish both onerous and wasteful, and would far prefer it if we could agree to simply all cook just one variant for each test.  I genuinely believe this would attract far wider participation.

** Phil.

[coogan]

Here, here! Much to much for me. It would help it you could use the same base sauce and tikka recipe for all of them perhaps.

[Ramirez]

If any of the testers need my recipe let me know and I'll PM it to you.

Are you going to post or just PM it?

Not fussed if we go with Lorrydoos or not, but perhaps we should include it given Unclefrank's recommendation.

Incidentally, I would make a plea for re-visiting the whole Group Test approach.  I personally find making half a dozen variants of the same dish both onerous and wasteful, and would far prefer it if we could agree to simply all cook just one variant for each test.  I genuinely believe this would attract far wider participation.

Do you mean in a similar vein to the to the "Curryheads "Madras 2011" test? If so, I am more than happy to go down this route if others are willing. The trouble is, as a format,  it is far less encompassing than other group tests as only one recipe is being reviewed at a time. However, you could argue that a) it would receive more participation, and b) it would be more of more value (based on the assumption we would be following the recipe exactly - using the specified base, spice mix, pre-cooked meat, etc.).

How would this work do you think? For example, say we wanted to test CTM. Would we only test one or would we define a set of recipes and, one by one, work through them as a group (e.g. review a different CTM recipe every 2/3 weeks)?

[Stephen Lindsay]

I don't mind what we do, I am happy to do what the majority want, as long as we are clear about what we are doing and we are doing it. At this point I'm a bit confused as to how many recipes we are doing and if we are doing them as written or adapting them specifically for the test.

[Peripatetic Phil]

Do you mean in a similar vein to the to the "Curryheads "Madras 2011" test?

Well, "sort of".  The problem with Madras 2011 was  that it lacked structure; we all tended to go off on vaguely divergent paths, as a result of which I am not even sure whether the exercise has formally ended.  I was more thinking along the lines of the existing GTs, but with only one variant being cooked at a time.  And rather than have (say) six tests of different Sag Aloo variants on each of six consecutive weeks, I thought we might do (say) a Sag Aloo on week 1, a Chicken Madras on week 2, a Lamb Biryani on week three and so on.  That gives people (a) something different to look forward to each week, and (b) reduces the magnitude of the task to such a level that we might reasonably expect a dozen or more participants rather than the bare half-dozen that we get at the moment.

If so, I am more than happy to go down this route if others are willing. The trouble is, as a format,  it is far less encompassing than other group tests as only one recipe is being reviewed at a time.

I agree.  But with only one dish to comment on, the participants could afford to go into their critiques in considerably more detail.

However, you could argue that a) it would receive more participation, and b) it would be more of more value (based on the assumption we would be following the recipe exactly - using the specified base, spice mix, pre-cooked meat, etc.).

Yes, I see those as real benefits/plusses.

How would this work do you think? For example, say we wanted to test CTM. Would we only test one or would we define a set of recipes and, one by one, work through them as a group (e.g. review a different CTM recipe every 2/3 weeks)?

See above : I think that most would enjoy looking forward to a completely different dish each week, rather than simply a variant of something they may well have been preparing for five weeks on the trot !

Incidentally, when I speak of "a week", this isn't cast in stone; the actual interval between tests would be agreed by mutual consent, as would the dishes to be tested.

** Phil.

[gazman1976]

i think if this test goes aHEAD THEN LORRY DOOS VERSION HAS TO BE INCLUDED AS ITS MEANT TO BE A TRUE CLONE

[Unclefrank]

A dish a week is sounds excellent gives people enough time to get all the stuff for said recipes, i would be interested in that.
It might get more people involved as well because of other commitments they might have.
Not really important but i would not mark recipe on cheapness just taste, texture and ease of making.