Topic: ZingFast Base - Taking curry to another level

[bickerton]

OK - I wanted to develop a base that had a bit of a 'ZING' to it rather than the traditional base that tends to be pretty tasteless (on its own). I know the purists will be recoiling in horror but this is what experimentation is all about. I should say that the main base that I normally use is the one from Cory Ander's 100% clone of my local BIR http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=674.0 which is excellent, and this one is based very loosly on it. Like Cory Ander's I also wanted a base that was fairly quick and easy to make.

Ingredients :

700ml Vegetable oil
1 bulb of Garlic
2" Ginger
3 tbs Madras curry powder
3 tbs Turmeric
1 tbs Extra Hot Chili Powder
1 tbs Salt
2 dsp Garam Masala
2 Kg brown Onions
1/2 Cabbage
750g Carrots
1 Red Green and Yellow Pepper (3 total)
1 full Celery plant (approx 12 sticks)
25g coriander stalks
1kg Pasata
3 liters water

Method:

Put oil in large pan or stock pot (with lid), bigger than a pressure cooker
separate the individual cloves of garlic and crush each one 'Jamie Oliver' style - add to pan with skins still ondont do this -peel them
slice the ginger into 1mm slices with skin still on, add to pandont do this peel and grate it
get your spices ready on a saucer
Peel the onions and chop into quarters
heat the oil on a fairly high heat to brown the ginger and garlic. when it starts to turn golden brown, add the spices and stir.
after about 30 seconds slowly start to add 500ml water. Stir well initially as it starts to boil and spit but once the most of the water is in it will calm down.
add the salt
add the onions
chop each carrot into 1" chunks and add to the pot
chop the cabbage into 1" squares and ad to the pot
chop the celery into 2" lengths and add to the pot
add the coriander stalks
de-seed the peppers and rip into chunks, add to the pot
add the pasata and 1.5L water
Stir
Bring to the boil and then simmer for 1 hour with the lid on.
liquidize all ingredients using a hand blender - stir well to check the veg has all been pulped
add 1L Water and cook again for 30 mins with the lid on.
Allow to cool overnight
Strain half through a sieve (no need to do this now) into a smaller pot using a desert spoon to press through then pour into 300ml containers or food bags
do the same with the other half
freeze - each 300ml of the ZingFast base added to a recipe using approx 300g of meat will make two portions of curry.
This makes 17 300ml portions and has the consistency of thick tomato soup

[Peripatetic Phil]

OK - I wanted to develop a base that had a bit of a 'ZING' to it rather than the traditional base that tends to be pretty tasteless (on its own). I know the purists will be recoiling in horror but this is what experimentation is all about. I should say that the main base that I normally use is the one from Cory Ander's 100% clone of my local BIR http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=674.0 which is excellent, and this one is based very loosly on it. Like Cory Ander's I also wanted a base that was fairly quick and easy to make.

But how are the curries that this produces, Bick ?  A base is just a base : a curry is what we eat !

** Phil.

[bickerton]

I'll be trying it out on a Madras this weekend, possibly a Jalfrezi too so I'll let you know. What Im hoping for is real depth of flavour, not changing the recipies too much but enhancing the flavours overall. Like I say taking curry to another level!

[Peripatetic Phil]

I'll be trying it out on a Madras this weekend, possibly a Jalfrezi too so I'll let you know. What Im hoping for is real depth of flavour, not changing the recipies too much but enhancing the flavours overall. Like I say taking curry to another level!

OK, so not yet tried and tested : in that case I will hold off replicating it until the first batch of results are in !

** Phil.

[976bar]

Some pictures would be good!!!

[bickerton]

OK so here's the photos.
I decided to use CA's chicken jalfrezi with my ZingFast Base. I followed his recipe exactly except I used vegetable oil fresh out the bottle and 1 teaspoon of both salt and sugar.
I am very very pleased with the result. I think this is one of the best Jalfrezi's Ive ever made and Mrs Bickerton said it was the best ever! praise indeed.
For me the end result was not dramatic but thats exactly what I wanted, just a very good tasting curry that took my previous versions to a new high in terms of flavour.

Let me know what you think.

[bickerton]

CHANGE OF PLAN
Just spent an hour trying to sieve the bits of Garlic and ginger out and that was using a collander rather than a sieve. Nightmare. Went back and modified the original recipe.

The final portion count was 17 X 300ml

Top tip - open a sandwich bag and place it into a pint glass. fill with 4 soup ladles (or as many as yours takes to measure out 300ml). Roll the top down and tie in a double knot.
Presto - no washing up when you use the base in a curry.

[Cory Ander]

I should say that the main base that I normally use is the one from Cory Ander's 100% clone of my local BIR http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=674.0 which is excellent

I think you meant to say "Darthphall's 100% Clone of...." curry base bickerton?

[bickerton]

I did indeed - too much haste.

PS I have since made a Patia http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=4341.0 , and a vindaloo http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=3953.0 using the ZingFast base all with excellent results.

I would now be interested in comments from other posters.

Cheers