Topic: A couple of changes to Kris Dhillon's madras

[missy]

Hi everyone

This is Kris Dhillon's recipe for chicken madras. Just to make it a little better by adding more flavour I decided to add 2 tablespoons of lemon juice at the start and a teaspoon of curry powder mixed in with the cummin and garam masala at the end. It tasted pretty good to me, would anyone out there agree with me, and do you have any other suggestions I could add to it?

I am in Thailand so some of the ingredients that are ready available for you in the UK aren't always as easy to find here or are too expensive, like pataks masala paste or any other pataks products are very expensive here. I couldn't even find single cream anywhere here so I used whipped cream for the CTM and Korma.
So, I have to keep the ingredients pretty basic. And Kris dhillon's recipes are fairly basic but perhaps not the best.

Kris Dhillon's madras

5 tablespoon of vegetable oil
? pint (425ml) curry sauce (page 20)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon chilli powder
1 lb (450g) chicken cooked as on page 52
1 level teaspoon of garam masala
? level teaspoon ground cummin
Pinch of ground fenugreek
? tomato thinly sliced
1 tablespoon finely chopped green coriander

[Razor]

Hi Missy,

Personally, I would move away from using Garam Masala in such quantities.  It is very pungent and has a tendency to over power dishes.  If I do use it, I use only a little pinch at the very end of the cooking, and stir it through.

I realise that Khris doesn't really use a "spice mix" as such, aka; Spice blend, curry masala, mix powder but maybe you could replace the Garam masala, and ground cumin with 2 tsp of spice mix.

Try a side by side comparison and see what you think.

As for the use of Pataks products, there a many good recipes on here that don't require them, and indeed, some members actively avoid using paste's.

Ray

[missy]

Cheers for that Ray

In kris's curry base there's no garam masala added, so I guess that's probably why there's more than usual in the initial main dishes. But, I have been looking at your base and I think i'll give it try next time I make a batch.

 Your spice mix looks good but not sure if the Mild Madras Curry Powder will be so easy to find here.
Also, I have been looking at your recipes and they all look very good but I know that most of the ingredients you use for the masala sauce, etc will be very expensive or not available here. That's why I like Kris's book because she doesn't have tons of ingredients in her recipes. But, I'm sure her dishes aren't half as good as most of the recipes on this website.
If I make your base and spice mix (but might have to change the mild madras curry powder) how can I change Kris's recipe to use both your base and spice mix but not your masala sauce, etc?

I have made some pretty decent curry's from Kris's book, but I'm sure they can be better. So, I really appreciate your help and obvious expertise on this.

Kris's recipe for CTM

4 tablespoon vegetable oil
? pint (425ml or three cups) curry sauce (recipe page 20)
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon salt
1 level teaspoon chilli powder
pinch red food colouring
1 teaspoon garam masala
? teaspoon ground cummin
3 chicken fillets freshly made into chicken tikka (page 30)
6 tablespoon single cream
1 tablespoon finely chopped green coriander

Heat the oil in a large deep frying pan, add the curry sauce, and bring to the boil.
Without reducing the heat and the paprika, salt, chilli powder, and food colouring. Cook for five minutes stirring frequently, or until the sauce thickens.

Turn down the heat and put in the garam masala and cummin powder. Stir, cook for three minutes.

Cut each piece of chicken tikka into two smaller pieces, stir them in, with the cream, into the sauce and simmer for a further 2-3 minutes.
Serve sprinkled with the coriander.

[Razor]

Hi Missy,

If you want to use my base sauce and spice blend, then simply replace Khris' base for mine, and where she asks for 1 tsp of Garam Masala and 0.5 tsp of cumin, replace with 2 tsp of my spice mix.

I'm not quite sure of which masala sauce that you mention?  I don't think that I've published on yet? lol

As for Madras curry powder, use what you have available.  It may taste different but will possibly be quite familiar to the Thai tastebuds.

Just a word of warning, when using my base in the final dish, it will release it's oil quite a bit.  The level of oil is consistant with that of BIR curries but I'm not sure how oily Thai's like their curries.

Hope that helps,

Ray

[missy]

Hi Missy,

If you want to use my base sauce and spice blend, then simply replace Khris' base for mine, and where she asks for 1 tsp of Garam Masala and 0.5 tsp of cumin, replace with 2 tsp of my spice mix.

I'm not quite sure of which masala sauce that you mention?  I don't think that I've published on yet? lol

As for Madras curry powder, use what you have available.  It may taste different but will possibly be quite familiar to the Thai tastebuds.

Just a word of warning, when using my base in the final dish, it will release it's oil quite a bit.  The level of oil is consistant with that of BIR curries but I'm not sure how oily Thai's like their curries.

Hope that helps,

Ray

Cheers for that, I will give it a try.

As for the masala sauce I'm talking about it's the one you put in the Kushi chicken tikka masala. http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=4495.0

And the curries will be mainly eaten by westerners, and most of them being brits. Thai people don't really like indian food or most dishes that don't use a bucket load of fish sauce in everything 

Cheers

Phil

[Peripatetic Phil]

You might like to try one of these two, Phil : both are KD1-derived.
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http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=5223.msg51468#msg51468
http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=5672.0

[Razor]

Hi Phil,

I see, yes I've put a few recipes on from the Kushi Restaurant (Authentic Balti Curry cookbook) and I agree, their masala sauce is quite elaborate.

Well, if your cafe/restaurant is aimed at westerners, then I'm confident that my spice blend and base sauce will be familiar to them with regards to taste.

Ray

[Stephen Lindsay]

what about adding your lemon juice at the end and that way you will get the maximum flavour from it because it won't cook out.

[missy]

You might like to try one of these two, Phil : both are KD1-derived.
--------
http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=5223.msg51468#msg51468
http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=5672.0

Thanks for that Phil.

I will keep my eye out for the bassar curry masala next time I go spice shopping and try the out the first link.

[missy]

what about adding your lemon juice at the end and that way you will get the maximum flavour from it because it won't cook out.

Ok, I will also try that. I thought I would add it from the start after looking at chewy tikka's website and he puts it in hot oil before adding the curry base. http://bir-recipes.org.uk/CR0/ChewyTikka/Zeera-Restaurant-Madras.pdf

Cheers

Phil