Topic: A Good Curry Base

[ifindforu]

  CURRY BASE
 
 
CUT EIGHT ONIONS 1 GREEN PEPPER AND BOIL.WHEN STARTING TO BOIL ADD A  QUATER TEASPOON OF bicarbonate soda AND HALF CUP OF OIL (more flavour is had by boiling about 5 potatoes and removing when boild
AND 1 TEASPOON OF TERMARIC A  HALF TEASPOON OF SALT,BOIL  FOR ABOUT 5 MINS THEN SIMMER FOR ABOUT 10 MINS THEN LEAVE STAND FOR 10 MINS  THEN LIQIDIZE WITHOUT STRAINING THEM,THEN LEAVE TO STAND
 IN A SAUCEPAN PUT 1 MUG OF OIL FRY 4 DESERTSPOONS OF GARLIC PASTE,HOME MADE OR BOUGHT AND 2 DESERTSPOONS Of GINGER PASTE AFTER FRYING FOR 2 MINS UNTIL A LITTLE GOLD BROWN, ADD THIS PASTE (1 MUG OF WATER 1 DESERTSPOON OF RAJAH GOLD MADRAS AS WHAT MOST B.I.R. RESTAURANTS USE .2 DESERTSPOONS OF TURMARIC,HALF A DESERTSPOON OF CUMMIN,1 DESERTSPOON OF CORIANDER,1 TEASPOON OS GARA MASALA, 1 TEASPOON OF CHILLI POWDER OR LESS. FRY FOR A FUTHER 3-4 MINS MOVING ABOUT IN THE SAUCEPAN NOT TO BURN.NOW ADD ABOUT 2 HEAPED TABLSPOONS OF DOUBLE CONCENTRATED TOMATO PASTE AND FRY FOR ABOUT 3 MINS ADDING A MUG OF WATER TO STOP BURNING.ADD ANOTHER MUG OF WATER AND FRY FOR ANOTHER 3-4 MINS,ADD A TEASPOON OF ADJOWAN SEEDS,ADD ANOTHER MUG OF WATER AND COOK FOR A FUTHER 5 MINS. NOW ADD TO THE MIXTURE THE ONIONS THAT WERE BLENDED IN THE BEGINING AND MIX ALL TOGETHER.ADD 1 FULL BLOCK OF CREAMED COCONUT AND 1 Tablespoon sugar Plus  half teaspoon salt plus 2 chicken stock cubes THATS YOUR BASE  To make vindaloo just use chilli powder and squirt of lemon TERRY when making your curry dish PS
I use all purpose seasoning instead of chicken cubes SPRINKLE IN UNTIL YOU ARE HAPPY WITH THE TASTE .as this is what they use in the take aways or retaurants please note,more salt and suger will enhance the taste

[DARTHPHALL]

I will look at having a go at this, i will be honest in saying i will not be surprised if it doesn't taste much different from mine, but i will cook with an open mind as always matey  ;D

[pete]

Hi Terry
           Thanks for this
I don't think it will realised, but this is genuine
It's a case of too much information, on this site
I wish I had had this recipe 15 years ago
Vindaloo is a very very simple dish,Thanks as you desribed
The adding water to oil and spices is right too
This brings out the full flavour
I recently have seen quite a bit of restaurant cooking, and the methods you use are nearly identical
I haven't seen bicarb of soda used
Does it go in anything else in BIR cooking?
Were you a BIR chef, then?

[George]

ifindforyou

Many thanks for your recipe, which I look forward to trying. Some people prefer UPPER CASE wording but I'm from the old school. So I've typed it out afresh, in order to be able to use it when I try your recipe.  I hope this is OK. For anyone else who prefers lower case letters, paragraphs, line breaks, etc - here's my interpretation:

HEAVILY MODIFIED 16 June 2006 to reflect Terry's move from tablespoon-sized measures to dessertspoon measures for many spices and pastes. I use "dsrt" as the abbreviation for dessertspoon although I'm sure it's not right.

Ingredients for paste ?A?:
1 mug of water
1 dsrt Rajah Gold Madras (as it?s what most BIR restaurants use)
2 dsrt turmeric
0.5 dsrt ground cummin
1 dsrt ground coriander
1 tsp garam masala (brand or mix not specified)
1 tsp (or less) chilli powder (brand and heat level not specified)

Other ingredients:
8 onions, roughly chopped
5 cloves garlic
1 green pepper, roughly chopped
3 pints water
0.5 tsp bicarbonate of soda
0.5 cup of oil
5 potatoes (adds more flavour)
1 tsp turmeric
0.5 tsp salt

0.5 cup + 1 mug of vegetable oil (need to clarify mug size in ml.)
5 dsrt garlic paste (home made or bought)
2 dsrt ginger paste (home made or bought)

2 heaped tbls ?double concentrate? tomato paste
Another two or three mugs of water
1 tsp adjowan seeds
1 full block (assume 200 grams) creamed coconut
1 tsp concentrated tamarind
1 tbls sugar
0.5 tsp salt
Plus: Rajah ?All Purpose Seasoning? - added to taste


Method

A. Make paste ?A?

Add all the ingredients together and mix to a paste. Set aside.


B. Make the base sauce

1. Roughly chop the 8 onions, 5 cloves garlic and 1 green pepper. Cover with 3 pints of water and bring to the boil.
2. Add 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda, 0.5 cup vegetable oil, 5 potatoes, 1 tsp turmeric and 0.5 tsp salt.
3. Boil for 5 minutes then reduce heat and simmer for a further 10 minutes.
4. Remove the potatoes with a slotted spoon.
5. Liquidize the remaining mix until very smooth.  Set aside.

6. In a clean saucepan place 1 mug of vegetable oil, 5 dsrt garlic paste and 2 dsrt ginger paste.
7. Fry for about 2 mins until a ?little? golden brown
8. Add paste ?A? and fry for another 3-4 mins. Keep strirring. Avoid burning.
9.. Add 2 heaped tbls double concentrate tomato puree and fry for another 3 mins
10. Add 1 tsp adjowan seeds and a further mug of water. Cook for another 5 mins.
11. Add back the puree from stage 5, together with a 200g block of creamed coconut, 1 tbls sugar, 1 tsp concentrated tamarind, 0.5 tsp salt and Rajah 'General Purpose Seasoning' added to taste, a teaspoon at a time (5ml), up to a suggested absolute max of 2 tbls (30 ml).

[ifindforu]

Hi Pete the bicarb is to bring out more taste in the onions and make them softer I forgot to mention that about 5 cloves of garlic can be added to the onions when boiling,sorry

[ifindforu]

Thanks George, for putting it down more neatly well done.It just the older you go the less pride one takes in their typing or spelling.Keep up the good work TERRY PS. the amount of water for the onions is about3 pints

[ifindforu]

Pete I was not a BIR chef,but have worked in Indian take away and a restaurant for 4 years .You have to be a silent watcher and not show much interest as it will not be revealed to you TERRY

[extrahotchillie]

The bicarb is used to soften the water

[curryqueen]

Thanks for the base recipe.  I will have a  go at this probably tomorrow as I am out of my base gravy.  The all purpose seasoning, which make do I buy and does it really make so much difference to when you use chicken stock cubes?

[George]

The bicarb is used to soften the water

I think its likely to neutralise the acid in the onions.

I just read it can be used to tenderise meat as well. What a great tip, thanks to ifindforyou.

Please see:
http://frugalliving.about.com/od/bakingsodapages/a/bscooking.htm

Regards
George