Topic: Another sample from my local restaurant

[jb]

I was in my favourite local restaurant last night,it's the place where last week I managed to get hold of some base gravy and naan bread dough.Anyway the friendly staff asked how my curry cooking went last Saturday and I told them it went well and showed them my photographs(they couldn't believe I actually had a tandoori oven)

Anyway we started talking about different things and they mentioned the fact that the chef puts an onion paste in his 'special' dishes such as balti,jalfrezi and North Indian special.I know these 'bunjarras' have been discussed before on here and(like spiced oil) have generally been dismissed as a red herring and not widely used in BIR restaurants.I asked one of the guys how it was made(his dad is the owner and has come up with most of the recipes used in the restaurant).He didn't know so I cheekily asked if I could have a sample.Initially he didn't want to,he said his dad would go mad as it was one of his 'secret' things he uses to give his dishes flavour.Anyway I asked again and he gave me some to take away.....



It's very thick but really really tasty.The first think that come to me was Pataks,not tandoori or tikka but possibly just a mild Patak's curry paste(or could it be the madras kebab paste that's just appeared-I've no idea what this tastes like but it's a possibility).Next week I'm going to try and get some of his massala paste-I've told him I'm just working through all his ingredients one by one!! So these bunjarras,or whatever they're called may not be used by every BIR but this one certainly does,and(as Curryhell can confirm) they make some fine tasty curries.

[Aussie Mick]

Very interesting JB.

It'll be extremely interesting if you managed to get the actual contents from him!!??

It seems as though the onions aren't quite as finely chopped as we have been led to believe we need to do.

Thanks for sharing, and good look with the masala paste.

[curryhell]

Well done jb.  Can really see alot from the pic as it's a little blurred.  Any sight of spicey onions in there, or will that be in the masala sauce I wonder :  Maybe you'll be able to discect it some more and draw some conclusions.  I'll see what i can get out of them on my next visit which will be very shortly

So these bunjarras,or whatever they're called may not be used by every BIR but this one certainly does,and(as Curryhell can confirm) they make some fine tasty curries.

And I can sure testify to that mate ;D Got an ordinary chicken madras from the Elaichi last night in addition to the NIS.  Will be trying this versus CT's madras tomorrow night.  That'll be interesting :

[jb]

Haven't got the best camera in the world that's why it's a bit blurry.Definitely no spicy onions,just onions and green pepper in a very thick sauce,the consistency of lime pickle.I can detect just a subtle hint of Cinnamon or maybee cassia bark,but you can tell there is Patak's in there somewhere.I can now recognize this paste in another dish they do in this restaurant called tawa chicken,it comes up on a sizzling tawa and has an awsome flavour.

[jb]

Well done jb.  Can really see alot from the pic as it's a little blurred.  Any sight of spicey onions in there, or will that be in the masala sauce I wonder :  Maybe you'll be able to discect it some more and draw some conclusions.  I'll see what i can get out of them on my next visit which will be very shortly

So these bunjarras,or whatever they're called may not be used by every BIR but this one certainly does,and(as Curryhell can confirm) they make some fine tasty curries.

And I can sure testify to that mate ;D Got an ordinary chicken madras from the Elaichi last night in addition to the NIS.  Will be trying this versus CT's madras tomorrow night.  That'll be interesting :

When you're in there ask for a portion of gravy and some of this onion paste,they'll remember I had some I'm sure they won't mind,tell them about your cooking skills and your attempts at the north indian special dish,they're genuinely impressed.I'd be interested to see what you make of the gravy and especially the onion paste,it's the first time I've come across this stuff in an actual BIR kitchen.

[beachbum]

Julian posted a tour of Manzil's and came across an onion precooked "paste"  at 2.23 min. BIR kitchen ingredients

[JerryM]

the picture looks like bunjarra to me which i see as essential in most dishes (10 out of 14 mains).

the video 2:20 mins looks like the curry2go "onion sauce". i still have this to make and think it will sit well in balti for example where bunjarra would not work.