Hi all,

Have just got back from Goa where I befriended a chef at a local restaurant called Dekram who let me cook Tandoori, Tikka and Naan Bread in his blistering hot Tandoor Oven, so hot it burns the hair off your arm!
I also had the chance to visit the kitchen and watch the staff cook and took some photo's of them at work.
Originally from Nepal Dekram's food was stunning and he only earns ?80 a month so a fiver tip from me ensured I was his best friend for the week.

The recipe doesn't use Tandoori Powder but pre-made Massala's that can be bought in boxes fairly easily from the asian supermarket or some I found in Asda.

It is the best Tandoori I have ever tasted and it cooks just as well in a conventional oven the same as in the Tandoor.

It is extremely quick and easy to prepare and heavenly to eat!! Try it, you won't be disappointed.


Tandoori Chicken


8 Large Chicken Drumsticks, skinned

250 mls Plain Yoghurt

1 Tbsp Ginger/Garlic Paste

1 Tbsp Garam Massala ( I use Everest Brand, same as the chef )

1/2 Tbsp Chicken Massala ( Everest Brand )

1 Tbsp Kitchen King Massala (Everest Brand or MDH Brand )

1 Tsp Salt

1/2 Tsp Chilie Powder

2 Tbsps Veg Oil

1/2 Tsp Red Food Colouring ( optional )

Juice of 1 Lime


Method


Make 2 slashes on each drumstick and rub well with the Lime Juice

Mix all the other ingredients together in a bowl and coat the drumsticks well.

Cover and leave in the marinade overnight.

Pre-heat the oven to it's highest setting.

Shake off excess marinade and place drumsticks on a wire rack over a drip tray

Cook chicken for 25-30 mins or until cooked and starting to blacken


Chicken Tikka uses exactly the same mix but use cubed Chicken Breast instead and cook on skewer.

I can thoroughly recommend this version of Kurzi Chicken which I made with Turkey.

It is a Pat Chapman recipe and works with Lamb, Chicken or Turkey equally as well.

Ray

Kurzi Murghi,

Raan of Turkey, Chicken, Lamb

3 ? lb Leg of Lamb on the Bone or 1 x Large Chicken or Turkey.

4 fl ozs Milk

Marinade

150 gm?s Natural Yoghurt
2 Tbsp?s Sunflower Oil
2 Tbsp?s Fresh Lemon Juice
3-4 Garlic Cloves, Chopped
1? Cube Fresh Ginger, Chopped
2-3 Fresh red Chillies, Chopped
1 Tbsp fresh Coriander, Chopped
4 Tbsp?s Dried Onion Flakes
2 Tbsp?s Ground Almonds

? Tsp aromatic Salt, see below

Aromatic Salt :-

100gms Coarse Sea Salt, 1 Tsp ground Allspice, 1 Tsp Ground Cinnamon

Spicier Aromatic Salt:- ? I used this one!

1 Quantity Spiced Aromatic salt, 1 Tsp Dried Mint, ? Tsp Ground Fenugreek, 1 Tsp ground Almonds, ? Tsp Turmeric

Masala

2 Tbsp?s Coriander Seeds
1 Tbsp Allspice Berries
1 Tsp Green Cardamom Pods
1 Tsp Fennel Seeds

Method
Roast and Grind Masala Ingredient?s.
Put Marinade ingredients and the Ground Masala in a blender and blend to a puree gradually adding the milk. It will be easy to pour.

Skin the meat and stab all over with a knife.
Place in a non-metallic bowl and pour over the marinade.
Leave in the fridge for 24-60 hours. I left mine the full 60 hours.

Stuff the Chicken, Turkey with Keema or Rice.

Pre-heat oven to 180 C, Gas 4.

For the Lamb, slow roast for about 3 hours. Leave to rest for 30 min?s in a low oven.

For the Turkey, slow roast for an initial 40 min?s plus 20 min?s per pound.

Serve.

Have just made the Chicken Patia recipe from the "100 Best" book. It is well worth the effort.

I used the "Rolls Royce" base and followed the recipe exactly.

Give it a try, it's great!

Ray

Chicken Patia Balti

‎Serves 4

‎4 Chicken Breasts, Pre-Cooked (see Pre-cooking page)
7 TBSP Vegetable Oil
‎1 1/2 " Cube Fresh Ginger, Grated
6 Cloves Garlic, crushed
‎2 Onions, Chopped
‎2 FRESH Green Chillis, chopped
2 Green Peppers, Diced
‎2 Tsp Dried Methi
5 Tsp Balti Spice Mix
‎4 Tomatoes, Chopped
‎2 Heaped Tsp Tomato Puree
2 TBSP Lemon Juice
‎1 TBSP Sugar
‎2 Tsp Fresh coriander, Chopped
3/4Tsp Salt
‎5 Ladles Balti Sauce
‎Method
‎Heat oil in a wok and stir-fry Onions until golden.
‎Add Ginger and Garlic and stir-fry for 1 minute.
‎Add Chillies, Green Peppers and Salt.
‎Add Balti Spice Mix, Tomatoes, Tomato Puree, Lemon Juice, Sugar and 5 Ladles of Balti Sauce.
‎Add Chicken and Methi and cook for a further 4 minutes.
‎Add Coriander and serve.

Hi Folks,

After a superb Raan of Turkey at Christmas and some inspiration from Curryqueen I finally got round to making it for myself.

So here's a photo of the full spread I made.

The Raan was made to the Pat Chapman recipe and although a few of us don't have too much faith in his general recipes I can thoroughly reccomend this one. It is superb! He gives the recipe for Lamb but also says it adapts to Chicken or Turkey which it certainly does.
I marinated it for the full 60 hours and cooked it uncovered and breast side down for the prescribed time. It needed covering with foil about half way through as otherwise I feel it might have burned. The skin is removed at the start so I think it more important to protect the meat from drying out.
However, the resulting meat was beautifully moist and so flavorful I can't praise this dish enough.

Clockwise from the left is:- Raan of Turkey, Chicken Patia, Bombay Potatoes, Tandoori Chicken drumsticks, Pakora's and vegetable Samosa's. The dish at the back which is harder to see was Tikka chicken wings. Apart from the Samosa's and Pakora's which I bought ( cheat ) the rest was home made.
The two curry dishes were made using the "100 Best Balti" base which is quite superb.

Hope this gives you some inspiration to get cooking and for you George this photo was taken on the new camera, and for you Darth it's time to put your hand in your pocket and get your missus one, after all you can always borrow it for your galactic missions!

Regards

Ray

Did anyone see the program "Joy of Curry" this afternoon on Sky's UK TV Food channel?

It was narrated by Neil Morrisey and was a fairly entertaining hour of Curry history, how it came to Britain, how the BIR method of cooking evolved and how more Indian Restaurants are now moving away from the red carpet, flock wallpaper traditions we have all been used to. As well as a few interviews with personalities and well known British chefs it was informative and brought back a few good memories of days gone by in my local curry houses.

They discussed the CTM as being the number one curry favourite and showed a chef part way preparing one in a restaurant kitchen in which he was adding.....................Heinz Tomato Soup!!!
One or two being interviewed recalled their CTM tasting just like Tomato soup!! Can think of nothing worse.

Anyway for those of you wanting to see it they are repeating it at Midnight tonight, same channel.

Ray

Hi Folks,

I have just made the 100 Best Balti's Rolls Royce base today and am a bit bewildered as it seems a bit on the thick side.

I made it directly from the recipe book but it has turned out just like wallpaper paste.
The taste is just as it should be so I can't figure out if I have done something wrong or if this base is meant to be like that. I haven't made it for a while and can't remember if it was like this?

Anyway, the taste is good and I agree with Pete is one of the better bases on the site worth a try.
I will probably water it down slightly before making the final dish.

But what dish should I make from it? Any suggestions would be appreciated, chicken or lamb please!

I have taken a photo so you can see the end result and thanks to the welcome advice from George have re-sized it (I hope) to fit the site page a bit better.

Regards

Ray

Hi All,

I knew I had seen a recipe for Raan of Lamb somewhere...........................Pat Chapman!
I can hear the groan!

Anyway first a comment on his seemingly new book.
My wife ( bless her! ) bought me "The New Curry Bible, The Ultimate Modern Curry House Recipe Book" for Christmas and although I am not a great Pat Chapman fan I opened the book in anticipation of some new revelations on the BIR front.

To my amazement apart from a different cover it is an exact copy of his "Curry Bible" book of a few years ago which I have also got!!

Every recipe is the same and every picture identical. Pat doesn't look a day older, that's cos he isn't!

It should be called "The ultimate rip-off!!!

How can he get away with that? To me it contravenes the trades description act as it isn't The New Curry Bible at all, just the old one in a different wrapper. Anyway my old copy went to a good home and this one goes back on the shelf to gather some dust.

In the meantime after Curryqueen mentioned Kursi Chicken which it seems I had at a restaurant this Christmas I have uncovered a recipe for the equivalent Lamb dish "Raan of Lamb". and here it is.

Ingredients

3 1/2 lb leg of Lamb on the bone
110 mls Milk

Marinade

150 gms Natural Yoghurt
2 Tbsps Sunflower Oil
2 Tbsps Lemon Juice
3-4 cloves Garlic, crushed
1" cube fresh Ginger, crushed
2-3 fresh Chillies, chopped
1 Tbsp fresh Coriander, chopped
4 Tbsps dried Onion Flakes?? odd!
2 Tbsps Ground Almonds
1/2 Tsp Aromatic Salt....which is 100 gms Coarse Sea Salt, 1 Tsp Ground Cinnamon, 1 Tsp Ground Allspice all mixed together.

Masala

2 Tbsps Coriander Seeds
1 Tbsp Allspice Berries
1 Tsp Green Cardamom Pods
1 Tsp Fennel Seeds

Method

Lightly roast and grind the Masala spices
Put the Marinade ingredients and ground Masala spices into a blender or processor and pulse adding the milk until you have a pourable? puree.
Take all the fat and skin membrane from the meat. Stab all over with the point of a knife. Good therapy if you are feeling wound up that day!
Pour over marinade and cover. Leave in the fridge for 24-60 hours..........blimey!

Pre-heat the oven to 180 C or Gas 4 and transfer the lamb to a roasting tin and slow roast for about 3 hours. Leave to rest for 30 mins in a warm oven. The flesh should fall off the bone.

He also says this can be made using Chicken for a festive Kurzi Murghi
Just skin the bird and stuff with Keema and/or Rice and coat with the marinade as above.
Bake in the oven at 180 C or Gas 4 for an initial 40 mins plus 20 minutes per pound weight of the stuffed bird. This sounds just like we had at Xmas and it was delightful.

But if you are not highly delighted then please send your complaint to:-

Pat Chapman
The house with the Rolls Royce Outside
Sittinpretty
The Tax Haven
Rippemoff
Fakingham

Enjoy!

Ray

Hi All,

Especially Pete who I believe aked a question about the use of Basaar Mix. I wrote to the Kushi Restaurant and asked if the chef used it and if so what for and have just recieved this answer:-

"Dear Mr. Graham,

Happy new year!? I've had chance to ask Mr. Haydor about your query.? Here are some of his thoughts:

As you probably know (because you have the mix yourself) - it's a very powerful ingredient - more often than not made from chillies, peppercorns and various other spices depending on the manufacturer.? It can also be fine or coarse.

It's not something he uses in his restaurant, as the potency and flavour completely overpowers any other flavour you've included - essentially "cancelling out" the more aromatic spices like curry powder or cumin etc.? The main function is to give heat - but there is a word of warning:? Mr. Haydor described to me the heat it produces as "unpleasant" - and if not used correctly can lead to severe indigestion!? I get the impression that it's one of those things you either love or hate, but there's no harm trying it in your favourite dish to see what result you get.?

Its use is not widespread in restaurants - and, as you say is more used in the home.? But it can be used in certain types of kebab (like Sheekh kebab etc) - although he chooses not to.

It's also occasionally used in deep-fried spicy dishes - one example he knows of is in foods like southern fried chicken, to give it that extra "boost".

Anyway, I hope that helps - and that you have fun experimenting with it.

Kind regards, and thanks for getting in touch,
Andy"

My own opinion is to agree with what he says in that this powdered spice is very powerful and should be treated with caution rather like one would handle Garam Masala.
I think it smells fantastic but just a very small amount is very feiry and can obliterate other flavours through it's intensity. It is just too hot for me but perhaps the brand I have bought is meant to be and others may be milder. I think I could relate to Mr Haydors warning of severe indigestion as it seems to have the potency of gunpowder, paint-stripper or drain cleaner.
Speaking to a couple of asian women who use it at home they tell me only about a teaspoon or two is used in a family pot of curry along with the Onions, Garlic and Ginger. Nothing else seems to be added spice-wise so gives a graphic example how potent it is.

I don't think it has much use in the BIR setting generally although it is a quality curry powder mix and I am sure will add a certain something to many dishes if used with caution. I know a few on the site have had some success with it and the fact it exists means it is certainly used in some applications of asian cooking but I don't think the BIR setting is the place it is used most.

Ray

Hi All,

Inspired by the new years resolution to get fit not fat I decided to make some healthy Tandoori Chicken today but made it whole for a change and took the inspiration from the Xmas Curry I recently had which I have described elsewhere.
It has turned out so good and so close to the BIR taste I felt I had to share the results.

This is what I did.

Washed and dried a 3 1/2 lb Chicken

200 mls Plain Yogurt ( about two small pots thick greek )
3 level Tbsps Tandoori Powder ( East End ), more if you like it spicy.
3 Tbsps Lemon Juice
1 level Tbsp Ginger/Garlic Puree
1 level tsp salt

With the exception of the salt none of the above amounts are that critical for success.

Method

Mix the Yogurt, Tandoori Powder and Ginger/Garlic Puree together and set aside.

Poke your fingers under the skin at the rear of the chicken and gently break the skin free from the breast and legs so the skin makes a loose covering and the marinade can be smothered underneath the skin directly onto the meat.
With a thin small knife make three slashes on each exposed breast and one on the outer part of each leg. It is a bit fiddly as the skin gets in the way so be careful you don't leave any fingers behind!

Lift the skin and sprinkle the salt evenly over the exposed breast and legs. Massage the Lemon Juice? over the meat as far as you can.
Massage about 1/3rd the Yogurt/Tandoori mix in the same way covering every part of the exposed meat then rub the rest fairly thickly over the outer skin covering the whole of the outside. Cover in cling wrap and refrigerate for at least a few hours or overnight. Your hands will stink and turn orange but it's all going to be worth it. Wear some Marigolds if you don't want smelly fingers.

Pre-heat the oven to high ( 220 C)

Place Chicken UNCOVERED in a roasting dish, breast side down and cook for 30 mins. Turn it over and cook for a further 30 mins basting with the resulting juices.
At this point it should be fairly dark and crispy with a few scorch marks on the skin.
Turn the oven down a little, cover loosely with foil ( or it may burn ) and cook for a further 45 mins or until a knife pierces it and the juices run clear.

It should be perfect by this time with succulent moist meat and a dry slightly crisp skin, just like the BIR version

Ray

Hello folks,

And a happy new year to you all and hope you all had a lovely Christmas.

As I was working over Christmas and didn't have the usual Turkey dinner we booked into a local BIR for a family Xmas Curry on boxing day.

The restaurant called Lazeez, near Keighley is not the best around, just a small restaurant that seat?s about 30 but the food is usually very acceptable and the service second to none.

When we made the booking they asked us if they could make all 12 of us an Indian meal with a "Christmas" theme rather than choose from the standard menu.
We didn't know what we were going to get, instead trusting to luck and they charged us ?18 per head, which was not bad for what they gave us.

We started with the usual variety of plain and spiced Poppadums and Pickles then a variety of mixed starters,Turkey Pakora's, Onion Bhaji's, Sheek Kebabs, Chicken and Prawn Samosa's, Prawn Butterflie's, Raita?s etc etc. Nothing too unusual about that but there was just tons and tons of it.
In fact by the time we had finished this never ending procession of starters we were pretty much stuffed and wondered whether to cancel the rest and scarper!!

They had got us a crate of complimentary Stella even though they don?t sell alcohol so that was a nice touch.

The main course was???. surprise, surprise...........Turkey!

Not just one but TWO massive birds (or were they Ostriches?? ) that had been marinated then slow cooked to what I can only say was perfection. They both came garnished with a variety of things that made the presentation a joy to behold.
They were carved at the table and presented with two curries, Chicken Makhani, a rather rich creamy and buttery dish which complimented the Turkey very well. The other curry was to all intents just a slightly spiced base sauce but reminded me so much of the K.D. base it was a bit uncanny!

There was a third suprise curry which oddly materialised from the rear end of the birds and was spooned onto our plates. This I was told was a special vegetable curry par cooked before hand and finished off inside the bird rather like a wet stuffing. It was beautifully spiced with flavours of Cardamom and Cloves and was warming and aromatic and the vegetables still a bit crunchy??..lovely!!.

The spicing on the outside of the Turkey was similar to Tandoori but rather a brown colour instead of red and the taste was different too. The skin had been removed prior to cooking. It was more aromatic than Tandoori and gave me a feeling this was a more ?home made? recipe than a BIR creation.
The meat was so moist I have never had Turkey like it.

It came with two variety?s of Naan Bread, Chappatti?s, Roti?s and a heap of special rice.
By this time my trousers were creaking fit to burst and I wished I had been born with two stomachs.

It is a shame the beer kicked in so soon as I would have liked half an hour to chat with the chef but we get regular take-aways delivered and I will try to find out what the special spicing was on the Turkey as it was commendable.

We finished with Kulfi or Gulabjamon which I haven?t had for years. They were sweet, warm and sticky and just about finished me off!
There was a choice of Lassi and the usual Coffee and mints just to make sure the indigestion would be garunteed.

The whole experience was fabulous and I would thoroughly recommend it as a change to the usual Turkey Roast at Xmas time.
What we had for the money was just superb and the service they gave commendable.

I must say if we had gone out for an English meal at a local pub it would have been three times the price and not half as enjoyable.

Having to work my Christmas has certainly paid off this year with a feast a Maharaja would be proud of!!
And if that wasn't enough I took home a doggy bag as big as Santa's sack for a re-run the next day at work............sheer luxury!!

Ray

Hi all,

Just as a matter of interest this is supposed to be the biggest curry house in the world.

http://www.aakashrestaurant.com

It is not far from me in Cleckheaton near Bradford.
It really is massive, built in an old chapel it can seat hundreds. Not a place for a romantic evening.

I have never been but a few people I know say it is very good, although a bit on the pricey side ( ?15 for an all you can eat buffet ).

Ray

Hi All,

Seeing as I work for the ambulance service and am working all over Christmas ( all say Aaaaahhhh!!! ) and don't have a chance of the traditional Turkey dinner ( Boooo!! )? I have decided to cook all my colleagues a nice Curry instead ( all say Yessssss!!! ).

So here's the dinner menu for all 20 workers who are gonna be grafting at Keighley Ambulance Station while you lot are getting full of Xmas pud and Xmas cheer.

Popadoms and Pickles ( Rajah )
Onion Bhaji's ( Mridula Balkejar )
Meat Samosa's ( Co-op ) they are? not bad actually!
Chicken Tikka Masala ( Balti Kitchen ) simple and very tasty
Chicken Madras ( Darth Phall ) can't go wrong with this one
Dabari Rice ( Darth Phall ) as George say's, the best rice ever
Paratha's ( Payal ) takes me back to my teenage years
Naan Bread ( Maddhur Jaffrey? )
Coffee ( Nescafe )
Mints ( After Eight )
Afternoon Nap ( Slumberdown )

I think we are going to be in heaven on Christmas Day, don't you!!!


So what are you all having???

Have a good one!

Ray G

Hi Folks,

Here is a recipe for Parathas from Mridula Baljekars "Complete Indian Cookbook".

325 gms / 12 ozs Chapatti? Flour ( Atta ) plus a little for dusting
1/2 tsp Salt
125 gms / 5 ozs Softened Ghee or Unsalted Butter
125-150 mls / 4-5 fl ozs Warm Water

Method

Makes Four

Sift Flour and Salt together
Rub in 50 gms / 2 ozs Ghee / Butter into flour and mix thoroughly
Gradually add Water and knead to a soft, pliable dough
Divide into 4 equal balls and flatten them between the palms of your hands
Dust each portion and roll out to 8" diameter
Spread on top with 1 tsp Ghee / Butter
Roll up the dough into a tube shape then roll this tube into a coil shape
Roll out again into an 8" disc

Spread on top again with 1 tsp Ghee / Butter
Roll into a tube and coil again, dust with flour and roll into an 8" disc

Heat a Tava or Frying Pan on medium heat
Dry Fry for about 30 seconds then flip over and brush with Softened Ghee / Butter
After a further 30 secs flip and spread 1 TBSP of Ghee / Butter on the top side and flip again
Turn heat down
Press down with a spatula and spread a further 1 TBSP Ghee / Butter on this side
After a minute flip again and repeat the pressing action
Cook for a further minute
Continue to cook and flip over frequently until both sides are uniformly light brown

Ray

Hi All,

Mumtaz Karahi Chicken

A few years ago I watched a B.B.C. Food and Drink program that went to the famous Mumtaz Restaurant in Bradford.

The chef was filmed showing how to make a simple Chicken Karahi, which I have made on a number of occasions with a great deal of success.
I now realise he was not necessarily giving the restaurant secret away as base sauce was never mentioned.
It was not a B.I.R. style curry as such yet in taste it was very similar to what we would expect from a restaurant type curry.
It doesn?t have that smokey taste yet receives favourable ?which take-away was this from? comments from those that try it.
I would assume this isn't seen on the Mumtaz menu as it takes a bit long to cook from scratch for a busy restaurant unless perhaps they pre-cook it ahead of time.

Just as a bit of interest the Mumtaz sells? it's currys by weight! You order either 1/2 lb or a 1 lb portion. Bet you can't guess what weight I go for!?

The odd thing about this Karahi dish is it?s made in a large wok and all the ingredients are put in uncooked at the start. This very uninteresting ?soup? is simply boiled until the liquid reduces to a thick sauce???voila!
It doesn?t look as if it will produce a restaurant style curry but strangely it does. In about 45 minutes you are ready to serve. That?s all there is to it.

The only powdered spices used were Curry Powder which I assume now is ?restaurant spice? such as Bruce Edwards and some Garam Masala.

Nowadays, for convienience I tend to cheat a little and use a third of a jar of Patak?s Madras Curry Paste instead of powdered spices. It really does make a great tasting curry and also works well with Lamb.

This is how the chef did it.

Serves 3-4

1 lb Chicken Breast, diced into large chunks
1 large Tin Chopped Tomatoes
1 Large Onion (or two small ), finely sliced
1? Cube Fresh Ginger, Grated
2 Cloves Garlic, Crushed
200 mls Water
4 Fresh Tomatoes, quartered
Either 2 tsp Curry Powder and 1 tsp garam Masala
or 1/3 rd Jar Patak?s Madras Paste
4 Tbsps Chopped Coriander
50 mls Veg Oil ( you could use re-claimed )

Method.Put all the ingredients in a wok except fresh tomatoes and coriander. There is NO pre-cooking of anything.
Bring to the boil. Reduce heat but let it bubble and leave it uncovered, it has to evaporate
It looks like an unappetising mess and you will wonder what you have let yourself in for. But have faith.
After about 30-40 minutes it will have reduced and the onions, chicken etc will be cooked. Make sure the sauce is thickish, if not reduce a bit further.
At this point add the fresh Tomatoes and Coriander. Cook for a further 5 minutes and serve.

Regards

Ray

Hi all,

Couldn't resist this. Nothing to do with Curry but a laugh just the same!
Get Santa drunk but mind he doesn't step on the electric railway line!

It's one for the kids............................big kids too!!

http://www.banditos.info/speles/sobersanta2.swf

Ray

Hi All,

I contacted the Kushi Restaurant via e-mail about the question of the use of re-claimed oil in the final curry dish.

I have asked a number of questions since recieving the book and each and every one so far has been very promptly answered so I can only say "Thank's Kushi" for that!!
I also sent them a photo of the finished dishes I made which I also posted here and they have added them to their website.

My latest question has been about the use of re-claimed oil in the final dish and they have written their answer below. I think it makes an interesting read so have included all they have written to me.

My original e-mail said...................


Hi Andy and Mohammed,

I have just seen my Balti and Patia photo in your help and support section and it looks great, thank-you for using it.

I do have a further question which I hope you may answer.

It is " when you cook in the restaurant do you use fresh oil in each dish or do you use oil that has been taken from previously cooked dishes that has the flavours of the curry infused in the oil?
I have heard that oil added from previously cooked dishes gives a more authentic restaurant style flavour and wonder if I save some oil back from a previously cooked meal or from the base sauce this might enhance the flavours of the next dish I make. Can you offer any advice for me? I am going to try another two recipes from the book this weekend.

Regards

Ray Graham

Keighley, West Yorkshire

The reply was..................


Dear Mr. Graham,

Thanks for your email - and thanks again for the photo, which is great!

In terms of the 're-using oil' question, we've had a couple of other queries about this - as it's clearly a technique used by some curry restaurants.? However, it's not a technique Mr. Haydor uses in his restaurant due of customer demand.? One of the hotly-debated differences between Balti and traditional curry cookery is the issue of Baltis being "fresher" - and using 'clean' oil gives that end result.? (Although there are, no doubt, Balti restaurants, which DO use re-use oil.)? Below, I have copied part of a reply which we sent to another reader who asked just the same question about oil re-use, which I hope is useful to you.?

Having said that, there's nothing wrong with trying it yourself (using extra oil in the base sauce or finished dishes), and keeping some back for future dishes.? You may find it makes the result even better for your particular taste.?

I know that's not the most complete reply in the world, but I will look into this more over the coming months, and I'll let you know what I find out.

I hope that helps - (to a certain extent!)

All the very best, and good luck with future dishes.

Kind regards,

Andy Holmes
Authentic Balti Curry


This is the extract from a separate query about using extra oil to re-use in future dishes..............

"The technique of using a lot of oil in base sauce is not one which Mr. Haydor uses in his restaurant, simply because of customer demand, and that?s what we?ve tried to reflect in the book. It?s also a technique which rather pre-dates the Balti culture, which is a comparatively new restaurant cookery technique.
From personal experience the use of this technique varies from restaurant to restaurant, and in various parts of the country. Because of the fact Mr. Haydor doesn?t use this technique in his restaurant, it wouldn?t be right for him to recommend how to do it ? but what we would recommend is that you experiment with it ? just to satisfy your own curiosity.
It sounds like you?re quite a confident cook, and it?s the best way of learning!"

So there you have it folks. Hope this sheds a little more light on things for us all.

I don't know who this last reply was sent to but I wouldn't mind betting it was one of us from the cr0 site!

Anyway, I have sent a thank-you to the Kushi for their advice who seem on the face of it to be fairly willing to offer some help and advice.

I think it now perhaps clarifies for us that re-claimed oil is certainly used as a "taste enhancer" in some restaurants. It also clarifies that "Balti" varies in tastes and techniques from the "BIR" methods and should now be accepted as having it's own deserved? place in the recipe books in it's own right.
The Kushi Book is a "Balti Book" and as such has differences to the taste's we want to achieve.
It suggests there are variations in taste dependant on style and location so our site members may all be experiencing different tastes to one another which make's the task of finding the answer even harder, if indeed a general answer exists.!

But whatever the answers are it is clear that the curries we all enjoy are so very diverse in their preparation, methods, techniques and tastes that we have all got such a lot of information to go at and a lot more to come before we are all satisfied we have reached that ultimate goal!

Definately "food for thought" !


Regards

Ray G

Hi All,

I contacted the Kushi Restaurant via e-mail about the question of the use of re-claimed oil in the final curry dish.

I have asked a number of questions since recieving the book and each and every one so far has been very promptly answered so I can only say "Thank's Kushi" for that!!
I also sent them a photo of the finished dishes I made which I also posted here and they have added them to their website.

My latest question has been about the use of re-claimed oil in the final dish and they have written their answer below. I think it makes an interesting read so have included all they have written to me.

My original e-mail said...................


Hi Andy and Mohammed,

I have just seen my Balti and Patia photo in your help and support section and it looks great, thank-you for using it.

I do have a further question which I hope you may answer.

It is " when you cook in the restaurant do you use fresh oil in each dish or do you use oil that has been taken from previously cooked dishes that has the flavours of the curry infused in the oil?
I have heard that oil added from previously cooked dishes gives a more authentic restaurant style flavour and wonder if I save some oil back from a previously cooked meal or from the base sauce this might enhance the flavours of the next dish I make. Can you offer any advice for me? I am going to try another two recipes from the book this weekend.

Regards

Ray Graham

Keighley, West Yorkshire

The reply was..................


Dear Mr. Graham,

Thanks for your email - and thanks again for the photo, which is great!

In terms of the 're-using oil' question, we've had a couple of other queries about this - as it's clearly a technique used by some curry restaurants.? However, it's not a technique Mr. Haydor uses in his restaurant due of customer demand.? One of the hotly-debated differences between Balti and traditional curry cookery is the issue of Baltis being "fresher" - and using 'clean' oil gives that end result.? (Although there are, no doubt, Balti restaurants, which DO use re-use oil.)? Below, I have copied part of a reply which we sent to another reader who asked just the same question about oil re-use, which I hope is useful to you.?

Having said that, there's nothing wrong with trying it yourself (using extra oil in the base sauce or finished dishes), and keeping some back for future dishes.? You may find it makes the result even better for your particular taste.?

I know that's not the most complete reply in the world, but I will look into this more over the coming months, and I'll let you know what I find out.

I hope that helps - (to a certain extent!)

All the very best, and good luck with future dishes.

Kind regards,

Andy Holmes
Authentic Balti Curry


This is the extract from a separate query about using extra oil to re-use in future dishes..............

"The technique of using a lot of oil in base sauce is not one which Mr. Haydor uses in his restaurant, simply because of customer demand, and that?s what we?ve tried to reflect in the book. It?s also a technique which rather pre-dates the Balti culture, which is a comparatively new restaurant cookery technique.
From personal experience the use of this technique varies from restaurant to restaurant, and in various parts of the country. Because of the fact Mr. Haydor doesn?t use this technique in his restaurant, it wouldn?t be right for him to recommend how to do it ? but what we would recommend is that you experiment with it ? just to satisfy your own curiosity.
It sounds like you?re quite a confident cook, and it?s the best way of learning!"

So there you have it folks. Hope this sheds a little more light on things for us all.

I don't know who this last reply was sent to but I wouldn't mind betting it was one of us from the cr0 site!

Anyway, I have sent a thank-you to the Kushi for their advice who seem on the face of it to be fairly willing to offer some help and advice.

I think it now perhaps clarifies for us that re-claimed oil is certainly used as a "taste enhancer" in some restaurants. It also clarifies that "Balti" varies in tastes and techniques from the "BIR" methods and should now be accepted as having it's own deserved? place in the recipe books in it's own right.
The Kushi Book is a "Balti Book" and as such has differences to the taste's we want to achieve.
It suggests there are variations in taste dependant on style and location so our site members may all be experiencing different tastes to one another which make's the task of finding the answer even harder, if indeed a general answer exists.!

But whatever the answers are it is clear that the curries we all enjoy are so very diverse in their preparation, methods, techniques and tastes that we have all got such a lot of information to go at and a lot more to come before we are all satisfied we have reached that ultimate goal!

Definately "food for thought" !


Regards

Ray G

Hi All,

Just trying out attaching photo's through Imageshack as I can't seem to get any luck sending pictures along with my postings.

Here is a photo of three dishes prepared last weekend.

http://img528.imageshack.us/img528/5628/kushifinisheddishes8gd.th.jpg

On the left is the Basic Balti Chicken from the Kushi Book. At the top is the King Prawn Patia.

The dish to the right is the Balti Kitchen Chicken Tikka Masala.

All three turned out really well, particularly the CTM. The two dishes from the Kushi book were very nice, the wife loved the King Prawn Patia but I have to say I agree with many comments on the site they are not instantly recognisable as having that BIR taste which will be dissapointing to some. They do claim to be "Balti" dishes so as such should be set apart from the BIR type we all enjoy.

However, I have had success with them and think they must be judged in their own right. As Pete has pointed out while there are some dissapointments in this book there are also some very good hint's, tips, ideas and other useful bits of info.

Hope you all get the picture!!......................literally!

Ray

Hi All,

As an experiment today I decided to make a batch of re-claimed oil using the base sauce from the Balti Kitchen Video.
I have had a bit of trouble getting sufficient oil from a standard base so thought of using an amount of cooked base and an amount of oil to generate spicy oil specifically for use.
As you are probably aware I quite like the Balti Kitch recipes and have had a lot of success with them but wanted to see if anything could be added with the use of re-claimed oil. It does miss that elusive taste but don't they all!
Perhaps this is a way of injecting the missing ingredient into the sauce!

I made the base as per the recipe below.

STAGE ONE

2 ? Lbs Onions, peeled and roughly chopped
1 Bulb Garlic, peeled and separated into cloves
1 Dessertspoon Salt
2 ozs Ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
2 Tbsps Vegetable Oil
2 ? Pts Water

METHOD

Put Ginger and Garlic Cloves into a blender with 1 cup of the water.
Blend for 30 secs.
Put Onions in a large heavy pan. Add Garlic, Ginger puree.
Add the Oil, Salt and remaining water.
Bring to the boil, cover and simmer for 40 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Remove from the heat and allow to cool.
When cool blend a little at a time until it is a smooth creamy texture (important!).
Ladle off TWO cupfuls and set to one side. ( Used in pre-cooking method ).

STAGE TWO

INGREDIENTS

1 Small Tin ChoppedTomatoes (200 gms)
1 Cup Vegetable Oil
1 Tbsp Tomato Puree
1 Dessertspoon Paprika
1 Tbsp Turmeric
1 Teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
1 Dessertspoon Garam Masala

METHOD

Into the Onion Mix add the Tomatoes, Oil, Turmeric and Tomato Puree.
Place back on heat and bring to the boil. Add Paprika, Black Pepper and Garam Masala.
Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 20 minutes.
Remove any residue that rises to the surface and stir frequently.

........................The resultant sauce is a little more spicy than most with Garam Masala and Pepper so felt it would produce an oil with an equally spicy depth.

I ladled about 400 mls of sauce into a wide frying pan along with a handful of fresh chopped Coriander. To this was added an equal amount of Vegetable Oil and the resulting mix simmered and stirred for about 15 mins.

The oil was easy to spoon off if you tilted the frying pan and became dark, sweet and smokey tasting.
It's smell was an instant reminder of how a BIR smells as you first walk through the door so I knew I had got somewhere near what I was after.
The taste of the oil on it's own is spicy, smokey but with a sweetness ( maybe the Garlic ) that is hard to describe.

I then used this oil as per the recipes to make a CTM and a Chicken Balti and the results were remarkable to say the least.

The only difference to what I would normally do is the addition of the re-claimed oil in place of the fresh Veg oil the recipe demands, everything else being the same.
The difference in taste is so marked it is hard to believe that just this alteration can make such a difference to a dish but it does.

I discarded the base sauce I had used but felt if I added more oil to it I could easily have made a further supply of oil from the same pan of sauce.
I ended up with about 300 mls of clear dark oil without too much base in it as it was very easily separated.

I had some pics to show but don't know how to get them onto the site any more! Any ideas?

Having read a few postings where folk have experimented in re-claimed oil I can now back up their claims with my own findings.

This oil I am sure is a key in the search for the elusive taste of the BIR curry. I have tasted some pretty uneventful dishes in my time but the ones with the "taste" stand out a mile and I believe these are the ones from restaurants using re-claimed oil.

Maybe they generate the oil from using the mild base sauce as the catalyst ( just guessing! ), so this way any curry mild or hot can be made from it.

One thing I am now more sure of I shall be using this method again as the difference is so remarkable and that much nearer to the taste we all strive to achieve. It may not give an exact replica of the taste we want but I am so pleased I tried this as I am that much nearer to the goal and can only recommend others give it a go.

Regards

Ray

Hi all,

I don't know if this has been posted on the site before but I came across it in my curry file.

I think I got it from the internet so can't confirm where the source came from.

It is called the Curry Guzzler Base Sauce.

CURRY GUZZLER SAUCE

"This is the basis for nearly all Indian restaurant curries and most restaurants will have a huge pot of curry sauce simmering away. It forms the body of all the curry sauces to which is added the additional spices, chilli, meat and vegetables to create the finished dish. Curry sauce is exceptionally easy to make and if you wish you can make up more than you need and either freeze it in portions or keep it refrigerated for up to 5 days".

? 2lb/900g Large Onions sliced into thick chunks
? 1 Large tin Chopped tomatoes (400g)
? 1 Tablespoon Tomato Puree
? 10 Cloves of garlic, crushed
? 4" piece of root ginger, skin removed
? 1 Teaspoon curry powder
? 1 Teaspoon garam massalla
? 1 Tablespoon Turmeric
? Juice of 1 whole lemon (interesting)
? 3 Pints water
? 1 Teaspoon salt
? 10 Tablespoons vegetable oil

Bring the water to boil in a large saucepan with the salt.
Add the sliced onions ,garlic and ginger into the pan and bring back to the boil. When it has boiled, reduce the heat to allow the contents to simmer, cover and leave for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile mix the curry powder, garam massalla, Turmeric with the lemon juice and tomato puree to create a thick paste (add a little water if necessary). Pour the tinned tomatoes into a food processor and puree for 3 minutes to a smooth sauce. Empty into a container and wash and dry the food processor.
When the onions have simmered for 30 minutes drain off the liquid using a sieve into a container for use later.
Place the remaining onions, garlic and ginger mixture into a food processor and puree for 2 minutes (You may need to do this in batches depending on the size of the food processor).
Wash and dry the pan that the onions were cooked in and put in the oil and bring up to a medium high heat.
Once the oil is hot stir fry the thick paste for 1 minute and then add the pureed tomatoes and bring to the boil. Once boiling add the pureed onions and mix the contents well together.
Bring back to the boil and then simmer on low for 30 minutes skimming off any froth on the surface every couple of minutes.
You can now use the curry sauce immediately or freeze or refrigerate it.

Regards

Ray G