Topic: Anyone tried Julian's base yet?

[Kashmiri Bob]

Hi chaps, please bear in mind this section of the forum is specifically for posting recipes for curry base sauce, not for discussion threads about base sauce. There is a forum section for discussions about base sauce recipes, it is here: http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?board=82.0

Keeping threads separated like this helps us all find stuff more easily in the future. Thanks very much.

Good point.  The c2go base recipe is not on here. Is it possible for a mod/admin to move this thread into the correct section?

Rob 

[pete]

reposted

[haldi]

Hi martin. no not getting mixed up with the final dish taste, but i can asure you that the base gravy i tryed tasted exactley like a final dish, the madina takeaway and the rose of bengal gave me the opportunity to try the base gravy, as the chef cooked my chicken curry takeaway he added base sauce to an pan, simmered for 5 mins, added the chicken/corriander simmered again topped up with more base gravy and finished with gara masala, nothing else was added, for bhuna/madras i know they do add the addition of garlic/g pepper/chilli etc. so what i had from the gravy pot was it. this is what im trying to achieve. as we would cook a stew we dont add it to another pan and throw all we can in it to make it better!.
steve

I'm so glad someone else has seen this
I was having the best curries of my life, at one place
It's now closed
But their curries were just base with a few minor things added to change them to all the different curries on the menu
You know, add a bit of chilli for a vindaloo, more chilli for a madras or add some fried garlic paste & peppers to make a rhogan josh
The base on it's own was an absolute knockout
This is the 70's & 80's style curries I am talking about
The secret?
Well, it's been well covered and it's very controversial
But it's the oil used in the base
It's deeply flavoured by everything that's been cooked in it

The base is really just onions and water, but with this amazing oil
I have been there, when it's been prepared
The onions are boiled with water, a little spice and salt for a couple of hours
Then the oil is added and it's cooked for another couple of hours
And Wow!
You should smell this cooking when the oil is added
It's an immedate effect
It's the aroma that fills your car, when you are driving home with your takeaway
It's the smell that's on the takeaway bag
Wonderfull stuff
They scoop off oil as much as possible, after cooking and this is kept back for frying curries
And the boiled onions are blended to make the finished onion gravy
And it tastes absolutely amazing
If I could make that, I would die a happy man
This is why so many of us here, have struggled to find the "missing" flavour
We've all tried the "adding spices" idea, and all that will do is take you further away from what you want
It is so simple and impossible to copy without cooking huge volumes of fried foods
It CAN'T be done at home
And I have really tried
All this new style BIR food is made with fresh oil
And let's face it, that's a really good idea
It's a lot healthier, but unfortunately tasteless

[Peripatetic Phil]

You know, add a bit of chilli for a vindaloo, more chilli for a madras

Are you sure you have that in the right order, Haldi ?!
** Phil.

[stevejet66]

LOL it is early phil, yes i agree with the oil bit, i have know them use oil from frying onion bharjees, but as i say go to any takeaway and ask for a sauce nothing added,  youll find that bir currys have always been cooked like this, what they have cooked in that pan is it,,,with the addition of peppers/chilli/puree/g masala to make a paticular dish.

[curryhell]

Rather than continue the oil debate here I suggest we do so in a more appropriate area of the forum.  This thread has become  a little bit de-railed since it's meant to be about discussing Julian's base.  An ideal place for continuing this I would suggest is
http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=8347.0
It's a very interesting read but alas, no conclusions as yet

[haldi]

You know, add a bit of chilli for a vindaloo, more chilli for a madras

Are you sure you have that in the right order, Haldi ?!
** Phil.

Yes
Weird I know
But round here, a Vindaloo is a standard mild curry
NOT hot
On the other hand, a Madras will take your head off!!

[Peripatetic Phil]

Yes, Weird I know, But round here, a Vindaloo is a standard mild curry, NOT hot, On the other hand, a Madras will take your head off!!

Wow, I had better take care if I visit your town !  Where do you live, Haldi ?
** Phil.

[dodgy99]

Hi all,
Now I am quite new here and I am getting quite quite confussed. I have never made Julians base, though I was considering it untill I read the negative comments here. Different bases seem to be so vastly different. I have been using KD base for a number of years and have mostly been pleased with the resultant curries, would there realy be a big differents in my curries if I changed to one of the multitude of bases out there? I am cooking for friends at weekend and will be using recipes from KD, CBM and C2G. I can not wait to the responses to this one!
Roger. 

[curryhell]

I have been using KD base for a number of years and have mostly been pleased with the resultant curries, would there realy be a big differents in my curries if I changed to one of the multitude of bases out there? I am cooking for friends at weekend and will be using recipes from KD, CBM and C2G. I can not wait to the responses to this one!
Roger.

Sorry I can't give a definitive answer Roger.  The only person that can do that is yourself.  We all have our own opinions on KD, C2G and several other bases and we all have our own preferred (and sometimes adapted) bases.  It is very  much what works for the individual and that tends to be based on the results obtained. What i will say though is if you try another base, your curries will not be poorer for the change from KD, IMHO   CBM's recipes are very good and C2G's have received some good feedback, probably more than his gravy in fact.  Let us know what you decide on and how it all turns out mate