Topic: WHATS THE MOST TRIED AND TESTED BASE CURRY?

[andymac]

Hi All

I am about to do a new batch of base curry, who recommends what sauce!!!!!!, i think this may be an interesting POST?

Regards
Andy

[Yakmandoo]

From my very limited experience id go for Dipurajas, ive changed a few things from the original , like a level dessert spoon of sugar added and a resimmer after the initial blending for around 20/30mins skimmiing scum off the top not froth.
    Ive made this base 4 times now so i have a good idea about what i like i also add around a pint of water after simmering the second time around (just a side note i use a pan with the little steam hole in ) after all of this i get around 3 Litres of base.
  Ive used this base with :- Dips Chicken tikka Balti,Dips tikka massala,Razors Chiken tikka Jalfrezi and Chewys Lunch Madras, all have turned out better than expected
   Hope this helps you in your choice.

[madmatt]

In my opinion you won't go wrong using coryanders base recipe. I've personally made most of the 'popular' bases on this forum, and CA's is very hard to beat.

Everyone has different tastes though, so you may prefer a different one, so I suggest making a few to soba comparison
Remember, they all freeze very well!

Matt

[spiceyokooko]

It's difficult to answer such an open ended question - the answer depends on what you want to achieve and how experienced you are in cooking this type of food.

Everyone here will have tried plenty of base sauces and will have their own personal favourites - that's not to say they are the most 'tried and tested' or even the 'best' as everyone's taste buds and level of expectancy is different.

For new or inexperienced cooks to this style of cooking, I'd highly recommend Cory Anders (CA's) suite of base gravy, mix powder and recipes. They're all well thought out, don't use exotic or hard to find ingredients or complex cooking techniques and most importantly the recipes are well written, unambiguous and easy to follow. There's also a good variety of different dishes to cook from the same basic set of ingredients.

I'm a firm believer (and I know there are those here who may not agree with this) that consistent and repeatable results are a direct result of using basic techniques with a recipe designed to work together with it's constituent components. In other words, use the base gravy, mix powder and recipe that are designed to work together and not take one base from one person, match it with a mix powder from another and use a recipe from someone else. The results from doing that will unreliable and unpredictable.

[curryhell]

Everyone here will have tried plenty of base sauces and will have their own personal favourites - that's not to say they are the most 'tried and tested' or even the 'best' as everyone's taste buds and level of expectancy is different.

This has to be borne in mind, what suits one definitely does not suit all.

For new or inexperienced cooks to this style of cooking, I'd highly recommend Cory Anders (CA's) suite of base gravy, mix powder and recipes. They're all well thought out, don't use exotic or hard to find ingredients or complex cooking techniques and most importantly the recipes are well written, unambiguous and easy to follow. There's also a good variety of different dishes to cook from the same basic set of ingredients.

Could not agree more.  For someone new to this game CA's suite is an excellent place to start, and no doubt some may never want to go any further as these fully satisfy their requirements.  That again depends on the individual.  However, many of us, once we get started, there's just no pleasing us and we go on searching and experimenting

I'm a firm believer (and I know there are those here who may not agree with this) that consistent and repeatable results are a direct result of using basic techniques with a recipe designed to work together with its constituent components. In other words, use the base gravy, mix powder and recipe that are designed to work together and not take one base from one person, match it with a mix powder from another and use a recipe from someone else. The results from doing that will unreliable and unpredictable.

And that's where we'll disagree.   With few exception, many of the gravies here contain virtually the same ingredients, and in very very similar proportions. The technique varies little in cooking most of them either.  Many , but not all, of the spice mixes again contain exactly the same ingredients.  The only difference being the proportions or ratio of one spice to another.  And when you break some of the popular ones down, you will be surprised at how little difference there is between some of them.  However, a few mixes contain very small proportions of other spices not contained in some of the others. The choosing of these is down to the chef and HIS tastes and HIS perception.
As for the matching of base to spice mix to recipe, in the majority of cases they are only matched in the sense of their origin, the chef who posted them and according to his taste buds. Cooking for most isn't science unless your names Blumenthal, it's a pastime and interest.   What each person looks to get out of it, other than good BIR food, varies, in some cases considerably.  That isn't to say that one shouldn't try to understand what you are doing or why, that is of course if you want to.  For many, all they simply want to do is create good tasting BIR food. They don't want or need to understand, are  happy  to simply follow a recipe and get a result from it.  If they are consistent in their approach and technique, they are more likely to get a consistent result.  But again we're not all the same and many of us look for explanations, reasons, commonalities, differences etc.etc.  Above all a consistent good technique is a must.  This will only be learnt by practice and judged by the results.  Without it you will never achieve consistent results, even with identical ingredients, timings etc.  and  this is probably one of the hardest things to master.  To say that if I take Chewy's gravy, use CA's spice mix and Abdul's recipe my result is going to unreliable and unpredictable is absolute twaddle.  Yes, the result will be different than that had I used a gravy, spice mix and recipe all from the same author. Providing the combination does not result in overspicing, which obviously needs to be recognised and corrected, done on a regular basis, the result will be just as predictable and reliable.  The only difference will be the taste.  But to the person doing it, that taste may far better than that experienced from the "matched" components.  And no doubt you will disagree further Spicey.  But I personally do agree that to understand why there is a difference to the result can be intellectually challenging and for some an empirical exercise.  But not all people are bothered about that.  Again, down to an individual's own expectations and what they want themselves from this type of cooking.  Just because you or I may understand all the theory behind this method of cooking (not that I do for one moment) it won't make my madras any better using the same ingredients than that of Jo Bloggs who has a sound technique and a good recipe .
To get back to the original question,  two other bases worthy of mention which I have had very good results from are Chewytikka

[parker21]

hi andy you could also try bruces edwards curryhouse cookery base and recipes 2 start off you wont be disappointed. or my mouchak base?!

regards
gary

[Razor]

Hi Andy,

I am about to do a new batch of base curry, who recommends what sauce!!!!!!, i think this may be an interesting POST?

I alternate between 4 different bases, and yes, it gives me varied results.  Not a one of them are bad though and I kind of use the analogy that, it's just like ordering from 4 different TA's.

My preferred bases;

Chewytikka's
Razors
CA's
The Taz Base.

My favourite is Chewy's, but I can't really make a call between the other 3.

The Taz base requires you to use a completely different method when cooking your main dish but this method is great for beginners as it's virtually impossible to burn your spices.

With regards to Spicey's thoughts on matching the correct base recipe to the correct spice mix, to the correct recipe, yeah, I agree to a certain extent.  CA, has developed his spice mix with his base gravy in my (or vice versa) and gets pretty frustrated (understandably so) if members make his recipes and offer a critique of that recipe, but then go on to say, "I used Chewy's base and Abduls 8 spice"  It's no longer CA's recipe !

My view is this, always try a recipe to exact spec, for the first time at the very least.  Try to use full recipes where possible (for the first time at least) ie; base, spice mix, and other supplementary ingredients.  Then, experiment with other recipes (if you feel the need), and if that means 'mix 'n' match' fair enough.  I mostly use Chewy's base but my spice mix, which I think complement each other very well, but that's just my opinion.!

Ray

[madstwatter]

Chewytikka 3 hour base is hard to beat. Have made it a few times now and gives great results no matter what dish I cook.

[emin-j]

After watching my curry being cooked at my favourite T/A I was asking about their base gravy and the ingredients was no different to many of the gravy's on the forum but what he said has stuck in my mind '' If your gravy is not right your curry will not be '' make of this what you will but to me this seems quite an important statement.

[ELW]

After watching my curry being cooked at my favourite T/A I was asking about their base gravy and the ingredients was no different to many of the gravy's on the forum but what he said has stuck in my mind '' If your gravy is not right your curry will not be '' make of this what you will but to me this seems quite an important statement.

Hi emin-j, have you ever tasted your local's base on it's own, in the kitchen? I've settled on that very statement  a while ago...in fact i posted it about 1/2 an hour ago somewhere

ELW