Tried a new base the other day. just messing about
350ml oil
8 large white onions
1 carrot chopped
half small medium cabbage chopped

fry in onil 10-15 mins

2 teaspoon garlic ginger paste

fry out

2 teaspoons of salt

1 and a half teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon coriander
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon madras hot curry powder
1 large pinch methi powder

add spices fry out

1 table spoon tomato puree mixed with 1 pint hot water

1 fresh tomato quartered , add to pan, stir through

add 3 more pints of hot water

1 inch square of cocoanut block

cook it all 30mins

1 large can of evaporated milk/

cook for another 30 mins

Blend.

Anyways it came out really well, I remember old school curry where the chicken breast had been cooked on the bone, it was always very soft.

Thoughts on above gravy and what about cooking a whole chicken in base. or evaporated milk/milk.

Cheers,

James



cook out 30 mins till oil rises

I've been asked to cook some food up for a party, about 60 guests.,

Im doing  a curry and a chiili.

I have two 10 litre soup kettles, the plan is heat the chilli  and curry at least 72 degrees for 5 mins until really hot, pop it in the food kettle and transport to location where it will be plugged and put on hot hold til ready to serve.

Location about 10 mins away.

Rice..... This is the bit im struggling with.

Thinking about 3.5 kiols uncooked basmati.

I usually soak my rice for an hour or two. Then pan of water to boiling, dump drained rice and cook til just al dente. I drain it pop it back in the pan and leave until im ready to servce.. No more than half hour. I've never been ill off it.

In this instance, ill probably split the rice cooking into two batches.

Cook it as above, drain and store in large container.

Then repeat and add to container, transport to location and serve.

Will this be ok.

Another option I've considered, just dumping it all in a sterilised cool box big enough to hold this volume of rice,

Thoughts would be appreciated. Or any tried and tested methods.

Thanks.

So for a long time since 2006 I think I've been a member of this site, I first found it whilst living in Bristol, now I've moved back home to sunny South Shields in the north east. I had a wonder down ocean road, chewy I'm sure you know it well. I just want to post saying thank you Chewy, it was cabbage that was always missing in my base. Also thanks to curry barking mad Mick Crawford for your e-book and everyone else who has contributed towards this site. I'm about 95% happy with my curry's now.
Still a few things to learn but basically the base I use is Chewys pressure cooker one, and the recipes are kind of my own take with all the tips and pointers on this site. Its been a canny quest like. Still love it. So curry's, Rogan,  added a touch of yogurt. Dhansak, a little less sugar and the same for Korma, I like to use single cream only a little, a touch of milk and knob of butter. This site has been amazing! Thank you.

Been on this site for a good few years now. Really great stuff, I find if I cook a curry and leave it until the next day, it comes out even better!
Thanks for all the help. Really lovely stuff!

Onion pilau aswell!

Chicken Chilli Balti, currys are getting better all of the time!

Thanks to CBM Mick he really helped me out, also, thanks to all who post. I'm still quietly cooking the curry!

Tikka, by blade! Lovely!

Chicken Korma

2 ladles of curry base. (New curry base)
1 and a half ladles of coconut milk.

2 Tablespoon of coconut powder.
2 Tablespoon of ground almonds
1 Pinch of garam massala
1 Pinch of ground cumin. 1 Pinch of ground coriander.
1 Teaspoon of Jaggery (you can adjust according to your preffered sweetness)

1.Heat base sauce and add chicken and simmer with a lid on for about 8 mins or until just cooked. Stir every 2 minutes just so it doesn?t stick. It shouldn?t because of the oil in the base.

2. Add coconut milk and re simmer.

3. Add cocounut powder ground almonds and the jaggey. Add garam massala and a pinch of cumin/coriander and simmer for another 2 mins stirring all the time.

Add 3 Tablespoons of double cream and stir through simmer for another 2 mins.

Serve with Rice and Nan.

This again is as close as I have got to to my fav korma... I might add that I have tried this twice. Regarding the new base the 2nd time I made it I only added half a tablespoon of chilli powder and half the paprika.

Please give it a go.. I'd appreciate any feed back.

Chicken Jalfarazi / Lamb Jalfarazi

3 ladles of base sauce (New base sauce recipe) I found this to be exellent!

I might add that I have tried this base twice now. Regarding the new base the 2nd time I made it I only added half a tablespoon of chilli powder and half the paprika.


1 Large chicken breast cut into 12 pieces
3 quarters of an onion cut into quarters
1 Green pepper de seed and cut into 8.
1 Red pepper deseeded and cut into 8.
4 green chillies spilt.

2 Cloves of garlic, bashed up with a half teaspoon of salt. 1/2 table spoon of garlic puree.

1 Teaspoon of spice mix
1/2 Teaspoon of coriander powder
1/2 Teaspoon of Ginger powder
1/2 Teaspoon chilli powder. Adjust to taste.
1/2 Teaspoon cayenne. Adjust to taste.

Mix the above spices and set to one side.

2 Teaspoonfuls of dry methi.
1 Handful fresh chopped coriander

1 Tomato cut into 8 pieces.

1.   Heat base sauce and then add chicken and simmer with a lid on for about 8 mins or until just cooked. Stir every 2 minutes just so it doesn?t stick. It shouldn?t because of the oil in the base.
2.   Remove chicken and keep to one side.
3.   Heat 2 table spoons of vegetable oil. When hot add three quarters of the onion. Stir fry for a minute or so then add 4 pieces of green pepper and 4 pieces of red pepper. Add the fresh green chilli's and stir fry for a min or so.
4.   Add garlic puree. Stir fry for 1 minute
5.   Now add the spice mix and stir fry for a min or two stir frying all of the time.
6.   Add ladle of base sauce and evaporate off.
7.   Add ladle of base sauce and evaporate off.
8.   Add pre cooked chicken, then the fresh chopped coriander and methi and stir through.
9.   Add the chopped tomatoes.
10.   Add the final ladle of base sauce and cook on medium heart for about 3-4 minutes.

Lamb Jalfrezi

To make a lamb Jalfrezi I use exactly the same method above however I cook diced leg of lamb covered with water in a pressure cooker for about 20 minutes with two cloves of crushed garlic and half a teaspoon of salt. I also reserve the lamb stock.

At step one 1 just heat the base sauce. At step 8, I just add the pre cooked lamb. I also add just touch of lamb stock.

If you want to make chicken Tikka Jalfrezi then pre cook chicken tikka and add at step 8.

Serve with Rice Nan and some fresh chopped coriander on top of the curry.

Please give it a try it I brought some into work today and everyone was very very impressed!

Has anyone added vanilla pod/stick, just a little to a base sauce before or whilst cooking a final curry maybe a korma, pathia? I was talking with my uncle and he said it's tip from an old indian?

Base Sauce

Many thanks to Darth, Ray Graham and all who post on this web site. This base is cross between Darth?s base and the ?Balti kitchen? base.

I have documented my curry cooking events from Saturday the 11th February until Monday the 13th.
I made this base on Saturday afternoon. I cooked a korma and Jalfrezi on Sunday night; I was very hung-over on Sunday! I froze the rest bar enough base sauce for one portion. Both curries on Sunday tasted very good but both did not have the taste or smell. I did not add any fenugreek to Sundays Jalfrezi.

Monday lunchtime. I made Chicken Jalfrezi. Wow! Fantastic, it had the taste, the smell everything. I wish I had used tikka but couldn?t be bothered to make any on Saturday or Sunday.

I am so thankful to everyone on this site, without your ideas and knowledge I don?t think I could have created what I would class as a true restaurant curry in my own home. (I could make a curry but never attempted restaurant curries until November 05)

I have been a keen cook for a number of years. Over this time I have realized that control of the stove is perhaps one of the key factors whilst cooking. For example knowing exactly when to increase or to decrease the heat. When to move pans away from the heat all together and when to return. When you add spices the pan is very hot. I would quickly take the pan away from the heat stir them in and then return. I guess we all do this? Trying to document exactly what we do is difficult however I have tried my very best.   
The question I must ask myself is will it work again? On the following pages I have documented my efforts.

Base sauce Stage 1

2 ? pound?s of onion peeled and roughly chopped.
1 Bulb of garlic.
2 Ounces of ginger.
2 Green Peppers de-seeded and roughly chopped.
2 Carrots roughly chopped.
3 sticks of celery
125ml of vegetable oil
1 Tablespoon of salt.
1 Bunch of fresh coriander. Save some for final curry.
2 litres of water (Next time I will only use 1.5 litres of water) I blended all the mix however felt there was too much liquid left so chucked about a pint.

1. Blend garlic and ginger together with some of the water.

2. Add chopped onion, carrot and celery to a large pan.

3. Add blended garlic & ginger mixture, oil salt and remainder of water to pan. (Shown below)

Well since my 1st curry post I have realised that cooking curry....? it is not the curry powder, this is an art form. I was na?ve, young and foolish.. It did make a bloody good curry mind.

I wish I could crack it I so want to make Indian curry?s at home. I woke up the other morning and thought I need to get a job in a restraunt work for free and learn.

I have tried the KD base now, and made an ok balti, not like a take away though. I?ve tried a korma a few times and it?s getting there.

Anyone live in Bristol and want to help teach me make good curry? I had a take away last night.... my god; it was so good in comparison. Does anyone want to post a recipe that shows from scratch, best base sauce they use and how to create curry from that base? Yes maybe lazy but trawling through this site? I?ve been on for ages, its difficult putting the best ideas into practice there all so good.

Im thinking Pete! Darth! Mark J Ray? Anyone want to create a really a nice document ;o)

Ray I was reading the post about the balti kitchen; I have yet to try the base but will do this weekend. I was thinking about adding about 100ml of oil at the beginning.

One thing I have noticed is that when I have made the base and I create the curry, I never seem to get any oil floating on the surface, any one else have these problems? Maybe I should add more oil?

Curry Kings and Queens, please do keep up the good work, this is one of the best sites I have ever come across, I have been pickled with paprika and need more and more chilli,,,, so help me god if this is the last thing I do,,,, I will create a curry with the taste at home!!!!

4lbs of onions. I cut them it to quarters then half the lot. Put into two pan ( I don?t have a massive pan, I just got three, I use the biggest to put it all together, I put the onion puree into another bowl until ready to use ) with a lug of water and simmer for about 30-35 mins until soft.

Once this has been completed I blend in two batches to form a smooth paste.

Then heat about half a quarter of a pint of ghee, not too hot mind. I add 1 garlic bulb peeled split in into there cloves and add them to ghee, keep taking it off the heat so not to burn.

Then I add 50 gram of curry powder and 1 level tsp of chilli powder. Stir it in and and keep moving on and off heat not to burn for bout 5-6 mins. If you do burn, start again.

(As for the curry powder I get mine from a scoop shop and it's labelled medium curry powder, I guess you could use madras)

Then I add 50 gram of tomato puree, stir this in and cook out for 5-8 mins.

I then add again about a half a quarter of a pint of milk, semi skimmed and let it all come together 1-2 mins

I then add about 4 cardamom?s pods and 1 star anise.

Then add a can of chopped tomatoes (plus one chicken stock cube). Stir through building the heat now.

Then add the onion mix. I then turn the heat down and simmer for about 35-40 mins. Keep checking so it doesn?t catch on the bottom.

I add about 1 lemon, Juice of to finish it.

You can add some pineapple chunks too.

You can use straight away or leave for a day, I think this improver?s the flavour

As for the chicken, I just poach with a chicken stock cube medium heat for about 25 mins. I then cut into chunks, I add this to smaller pan with main sauce and freeze the rest (when its cold).

Any thoughts? Taste good? I know it does 

This site is the best! Good fun, really interesting and I just love the ideas. I'm from South Shields but living in Bristol. Where I used to live in Shields, anyone herd of Ocean Road? Loads of curry shops and spent some much time visiting them all. Well at least every weekend and mid week for a take away. The secret, its the curry powder, thats all, no parika no tumeric. Just ghee, garlic,onion, curry powder milk and tomato puree.
The curry powder, you need to get the best, I found mine in scoop shop, mild curry powder. Thats it, the best taste I've ever made at home.

I'll post the recipie soon. Again good to join the forum, I want to crack this curry too!