Topic: CBM Little India Base Gravy

[Cory Ander]

Great video Mick 

Before I try this  base, please would you be good enough to clarify:

a)  Is that the remainder of the Akhni stock that he adds at 11.42?  If not, what is it please (it looks like some form of stock)?
b)  Is it actually moong dhal that he adds?  The moong (mung) beans I have are green whereas his seemed to be distinctly yellow?  Is it precooked or raw?
c)  Do they use this base for all of their (base containing) curries, including their hottest (and non-creamy and non-coconutty) curries?

Thanks for sharing Mick 

[loveitspicy]

CA - the beans are green until you peel the shells off - then they are yellow inside and they tend to split into two halves
They dont need any pre soaking they are just like the red lentils in Australia that i buy here - mind you the next lot of Dhansak i make will have the yellow in to compliment the pineapple

Try and buy them shelled already mate

best, Rich

[Aussie Mick]

CA.... Prime Indian supermarkets sell Mung Dhal already split.

[Curry Barking Mad]

Great video Mick 

Before I try this  base, please would you be good enough to clarify:

a)  Is that the remainder of the Akhni stock that he adds at 11.42?  If not, what is it please (it looks like some form of stock)?
b)  Is it actually moong dhal that he adds?  The moong (mung) beans I have are green whereas his seemed to be distinctly yellow?  Is it precooked or raw?
c)  Do they use this base for all of their (base containing) curries, including their hottest (and non-creamy and non-coconutty) curries?

Thanks for sharing Mick 

Thank you CA,

a. It was only extra water in the pot that the gravy had been blended in so as not to waste any gravy.

b. It is moong dhal. Like this image I found.


c. Yes it is the same base for all curries, given the quantities of coconut and Carnation added, these flavours do not stand out on their own.

Cheers,
Mick

[natterjak]

East End also sell moong Dahl but theirs seem To be a mix of green and yellow lentils.

[Cory Ander]

Thanks for the helpful replies guys 

I realised, after my post, that my moong beans are un-shelled (and are, therefore, green) 

Thanks for clarifying the later addition of water (rather than Ahkni stock).  It still seems such as small addition of Akhni stock, considering they make so much of it?  What do they do with the rest of the stock?

Anyway, I made this today (Mick's 20 onion version) to the letter (including the spice mix).

I have to say, base wise, I was quite disappointed.  The base had bitter undertones (which I have always found when using tinned tomatoes).  So, given that I now have many litres of it, I was not so impressed 

However, I have just knocked up a chicken vindaloo (using chicken stripped from a precooked whole chicken) and minimal spicing (just the Little India spice mix, plus extra hot chili powder, plus ground black pepper, plus garlic/ginger paste, plus blended toms, plus dried fenugreek leaves, plus salt, plus fresh coriander) and it was very tasty and moorish!

So far, for me, the jury is out still.  I will have a better idea when I have cooked more curries with this base.  But the underlying bitterness, so far, bothers me.  I don't know where it is coming from (apart from the tinned toms)?

[Curry Barking Mad]

CA,

I also was surprised how little of the Akhni stock he used. He knows what he is doing so he obviously thinks it's worth putting that amount in.
The remainder was used in the chef's Masala Sauce that he was making at the same time as the base.
I will eventually get round to editing that video. You may be surprised at some of the ingredients used in that...I certainly was....

I cannot explain why you are getting bitter undertones, the full base has no bitterness at all. If anything I wondered if it was too sweet.

Maybe the base doesn't down scale well....
Or maybe there is something different with the tinned tomatoes you use...
Or maybe me simply quartering the ingredients doesn't work....ties in with the first point...
Or maybe you have done something wrong.
I am open to other possibilities..........

I will discount the last point as you are very accomplished.

I have not managed to try the scaled down base as the curry shed is out of commission at the moment but as soon as I can I will give it a go.

Mick

[Cory Ander]

Hi Mick,

Thanks for your reply.

I don't doubt that he knows what he's doing.  It's just that, so far, I'm a bit  disappointed with the result I've obtained. 

It is interesting to note how little he uses of the Akhni stock, evaporated milk and creamed coconut.  I reckon each will/should introduce a nice subtlety to the base.

I use tinned, whole, Italian, plum tomatoes (of whichever make is cheapest at the time).

I tasted the oil/garlic/ginger/tomato/spice mix fry, before adding it to the onion base, and it didn't taste bitter.  Otherwise, I would have suspected that I burnt the garlic/ginger and/or spice mix.

I think the underlying bitterness is in the onion base.  I suspect it is due to the tinned tomatoes in that (which is what I've often found and is why I use tomato paste instead).  Otherwise, I cooked the base for 2 to 3 hours in total.

It is quite possible that I am doing something wrong (it would be pretty arrogant of me to exclude this possibility!  ), but I can't think what, if I am 

But, as I said, the vindaloo I made from it was very tasty and moorish. 

I need to reserve my final judgement until I have made several more, and a range of, curries from it.

Look forward to seeing (and trying) the chefs masala sauce 

Once again, thanks for sharing Mick, I appreciate it 

[Madrasass]

I made this base gravy last week using approx 750g of onion and downscaled the other ingredients to what I thought best to match this amount of onion. I was most impressed with the gravy, it was slightly sweet with absolutely no hint of bitterness at all. I made several different curries for my family who all gave them the thumbs up. I intend making another batch next week.
I will post the quantities I used later which worked well for me.
Cheers

Jim

[Cory Ander]

with absolutely no hint of bitterness at all

Bizarre.  I wonder what we did differently then (besides the scale)?