I thought I'd try something different from  the usual chicken whilst testing my new improved base recipe. The perfect 'scoopable' texture for naans and so moreish. A new one added to my list of favourites.

I went to a new curry house on Saturday night. It was quiet at the end of the night and before asking for the bill I asked the waiter if I could buy a portion of base gravy. (This is my new standard thing when going for a curry. Not asking is a wasted learning opportunity in my book!). Anyway, he was a bit surprised so I explained a bit about my fascination with restaurant style curry and we got chatting... Anyway to cut a long story short, after a lengthy bit of banter I got a bit more cheeky and asked him if it was also possible to get a bit of mix powder to try which he agreed to. He didn't even end up charging me any extra for them! 

Anyway I got my treasures home for analysis and although there are probably no major game changers to some, I thought I'd share my findings anyhow.

The base is quite watery with a small amount of oil on top. The flavour of onions is obviously there but it's not as dominate as you'd think. It's more "vegetably" than "oniony". A flavour a bit like a vegetable soup stock which I was surprised by, and well seasoned with salt. The spicing was also very light, the only discernible flavour being cumin.

Also they didn't seem too thorough about the blending. Loads of whole capsicum seeds, veg fibres, bits of carrot, odd bit of rice etc.

No base recipe I've ever tried has had that level of "veggie" flavour. It's something I'm going to work on to try to recreate at some point.

The mix powder was very standard in smell and appearance. The dominant aroma, again being cumin, but very similar to most. Although quite red compared to some of mine.

I've froze the base as I'm saving it for best lol. Can't wait to putting it and the powder through its paces. There was certainly nothing wrong with the murgh capsila and biryani sauce we ordered that was made from it!

Can anybody else relate to the veggie stock flavour I'm talking about?

MM

Did a lovely chicken madras tonight. Following a discussion with Stephen Lindsey I decided to try the Taz base. Twice the oil that I'm used to using but it makes an absolutely superb curry. Cheers Stephen!

The missus and I went on a bit of a road trip to deepest Kent yesterday to pick up my new toy. A portable propane tandoor which I got off eBay for ?60. Not a bad buy I thought but I think it needs a little work doing to it before use.

The main problem is it is a little rusty, notably on the inside where it is fine and powdery - not good for sticking naans to!

I'm thinking (unless there is something more suitable?) of buying some fire clay as used in homemade pizza ovens and lining the inside with it - to maybe 1/2" - 1" thickness. Hopefully this will also increase its heat retention properties and thus save on gas. Not sure whether I need to prime the surface in any way to form a 'key' for the clay to stick to?

I'm just wondering, do I need to put clay balls in the bottom of it or even charcoal for that fabled smokey flavour?

I know there's one or two people on here who have refurbished tandoors. Any hints and tips would be gratefully received. 

MM

I've just bought a little yellow jar of the heavily adulterated Vandevi asafoetida for a batata vada recipe then realised the pure resin is available on eBay - damn! 

The side of the jar states that it is for export only and not for sale in India. Is this because of some purity laws? If so, it just goes to show what Indians think of it...

Has anybody ever used the pure stuff?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/172178884703

Mushroom Mike Chicken Vindaloo

1 chefspoon Seasoned Oil
1 tsp Garlic & Ginger Paste
1 1/2 tsp Mix Powder
1 level tsp Methi
1 tbsp Extra Hot Chilli Powder
1 tsp Tomato Paste (mixed with approx. 1-2 tbsp of water)
6 pieces Glasgow Pre-Cooked Chicken plus some sauce
Juice of 1/3 of a Lime
3rd tsp Ground Cardamom Seed
1/2 tsp Black Pepper
1/2 tsp Salt
250-300ml Garabi
1 tbsp Chopped Coriander

Method

Start off with a chefspoon of the oil skimmed off the top of the pre-cooked chicken and gently fry the garlic and ginger followed by the mix powder. Cook well but do not burn.

Add methi, chilli powder, ground cardamom, black pepper, salt and tomato paste and fry gently until the water from the tomato paste has mostly evaporated.

Add the first ladel of Garabi and turn up the heat. Stir in the chicken and a small amount of its cooking sauce.

When reduced by half add the second ladel of base. Stir in half of the coriander and squeeze in the lime juice.

Now cook rapidly until the sauce is at the consistency you desire.

Serve and garnish with remaining coriander.

Ok confession time, this recipe had its similarities with one or two other vindaloo recipes you may have seen but this is my simplified version. In conjunction with my takeaway replica base this has now become my go-to curry. Absolutely superb moreish flavour. Please give it a whirl!

Notes:

The ground cardamom seed contains no husk. I remove the seeds from whole cardamoms and whizz them up in the electric spice grinder with the black pepper. Use only the freshest cardamoms as stale ones have no flavour!

The mix powder I am currently using is the IFFU recipe but I'm sure any decent version will give equally good results.

Mushroom Mike Garabi

1200g Spanish Onions - Sliced
1 Small Green Pepper - Sliced
100g White Cabbage - Sliced
75g Carrot - Sliced
20g Coriander Stalks - Chopped
1 1/2 tsp Turmeric
1/2 tsp Garam Masala (Jalpur)
1 tbsp Salt
1.5 litres Boiling Water

Baghaar

200ml Veg/Sunflower Oil
50g Garlic & Ginger Paste (50/50)
300g (approx. 3) Fresh Vine Tomatoes - Blended
1 level tbsp Mix Powder (IFFU)
1 tsp Sugar

Method

Heat oil in a saucepan and gently fry the garlic & ginger followed by the mix powder, sugar and tomatoes. Continue to cook for 5-10 minutes or until the tomatoes have darkened.

Add the remaining ingredients and stir well. Bring to the boil, cover and simmer on the lowest heat for 3 1/2 hours.

After the 3 1/2 hours, blend until smooth and simmer for a further 1/2 hour until the oil separates.

Use.

This recipe came about after I ordered a portion of base from a local takeaway. After tasting it and using it to make a madras (which was far more BIR than most other curries I'd made) I realised what it was about the base that was different to many recipes I'd tried in the past. The main difference being the fact that the taste was so smooth and rounded so I set about creating something to rival it. This is what I came up with.

Most of the ingredients at lower levels except garlic and ginger and slightly elevated levels of onions to offset the other ingredients further.

With the lovely mild Spanish onions and slightly longer than average cooking time you end up with something that has all the key elements but toned down a notch.

Also slightly against the norm I have made the baghaar at the start rather than at the end. Thereby the garlic and ginger and mix powder all have a chance to mellow during the simmering process.

I've made some superb curries with this including a vindaloo which I will upload shortly in the appropriate section. I hope you will try the base and let me know what you think.

The weights of onions and carrots are peeled.

Has anybody got any experience of using these for naans? https://www.ebay.co.uk/ulk/itm/252341582083

http://www.tandoor-i.com/# 

And I thought base gravy was solely a BIR thing...

Indian street food video. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=0dWGGpYT1x4

Check out the chapatti 'furnace'!

Do you ever make your favourite base you've made it 100 times before, you follow the recipe exactly, cook it for the required amount of time, blend it etc etc but it just tastes wrong? Bitter and harsh but no reason why? You persevere and make a curry with it regardless and it just tastes bloody awful!

I'm sure somebody here knows what I'm talking about. What do you put it down to and how do you salvage such disasters?

Cheers

A question to those members fortunate enough to have been in BIR/TA kitchens.. What do they do with left over base at the end of a service. Do they bin it, reheat and use it as is, or add it to the new base the following day?

Thanks

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/the-curry-crunch-/261922447780?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item3cfbcb61a4

If so is it worth buying?

Cheers

MM

Hi all

Quick poll for you.

What is your favourite brand?

Or do you make your own?

Many thanks

MM

Having watched numerous videos on YouTube it seems a lot of chefs including H4ppy's mate Sam seem to favour ghee instead of oil. I've only ever used oil in the finished dish. Does anybody think ghee makes a better curry. Also what type of ghee - vegetable or butter?

Cheers

Mike

Hi all

Have been asked to do some gluten free samosas for a coeliac for her 40th birthday party. Just wondering if anyone has done them before and what did you use as a flour substitute?

Cheers

MM

Having trouble finding this but can get ever other pickle. This is to go in a curry rather than as a dip. Could I use something else?

Cheers

I'm looking for a recipe for these tasty keema filled pastries. Has anybody made them?

Would anyone be able to recommend a decent recipe?

Thanks

MM

As someone who prefers to buy British produce it pains me to say this but.. Is it just me or as anyone else noticed that Dutch onions (like those supplied in orange nets in Asian supermarkets) make a far better base and therefore a better/more authentic tasting finished dish than when made using English? I suppose it's no real coincidence that these are what the restaurants seem to use.

What do you think? Do you swear by them? Or do you think they make no difference whatsoever?

Cheers

Mike