I was intrigued by Latifs Inspired's youtube posts so thought I'd give it a go. I used a variety of recipes for the various components:

Latifs Inspired's "How To Make a Base Gravy Indian Restaurant Style" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RAyEdD8g5Pg

Latifs Inspired's "How to make tomato puree Indian Restaurant way @ Latifs Indian Restaurant" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MzgfyVwplV4

Fusion Inspired kitchen's "How to make Garlic and ginger paste ( extremely easy to make ) will last 3 to 4 months )" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rg8kyIoR75w

Curry Academy's "how to make mix powder used in indian restaurants" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-VO_QPz8ZQc

Straying from the recipe:

• I'm not putting dairy in base sauce. UHT cream, denied.


• I'm convinced Latifs is using his mix powder in the base but is not sharing the recipe. He says he uses the same amount of salt as mix powder but has no mix powder in the recipe. I replaced his dry spice mix for the equivalent amount of the mix powder linked above.


• I boiled the onions whole because that what he does in the restaurant batch and I've seen others on here experimenting with the concept.


• He's all over the place with water volume so I just boiled it up with enough water to cover it and topped up to the 4L yield specified. That was still way thicker than his, so I've been watering down at the curry stage.

Observations:

The base is difficult to blend. I tried with a stick blender but it wasn't smooth. Upgraded to a good jug blender and blended for 1 minute on full. Still not smooth. I never saw myself as a base siever yet here we are. I got the sieve out and that sorted things. I think the issue was the seeds from the 2 peppers.

The base smells very good. I'm putting this down to the whole spices fried at the start.

I'm not convinced by the tomato paste thing. A lot of effort for the addition of water, mix powder and methi you're going to get elsewhere anyway. I used a massive tin of White Tower so now have a kilo of the stuff.

End result

I used Latifs Inspired's "How to make Chicken Madras" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v6K-5uf3LDo as a basis and I learned a lot. Quantity of garlic/ginger paste, quantity of mix powder, quantity of base, cooking times and temperature. I think previously, I was getting elements of this wrong. The end result was excellent, it's up there with my best results.

It's that time of year again. All of my Tupperware boxes of spices are failing to deliver and it's obvious why. They've been there for around a year since the last binning session and their smell is next to nothing! It's affecting my curries. Time to bin it all and refresh I think. I feel bad doing it but it's a necessary evil of not being a BIR!

Does anyone else notice the drastic change one day, when that toffee aroma has gone and your curries are just less flavoursome? To be expected I suppose.

What are your procedures on discarding and replaces spices?

I've started this thread because I've taken the Malik's takeaway topic on a bit of a tangent.

So, here's my rice.



Here's Malik's rice (which looks similar to the rice I want to reproduce, and receive from most takeaways)



My colouring is far to vivid, unlike their subtle and occasional lightly coloured grain. I am suggesting using a dropper and diluted powdered colouring but cannot imagine BIRs doing this.

Does anyone know the technique that BIRs are using for their rice colouring?

Thanks

BB

See discussion from other thread below:

Quote from: Bobby Bhuna on May 16, 2010, 09:42 PM

Quote from: Razor on May 16, 2010, 09:28 PM
To achieve what I think it is that your after, you would literally have to do just one drop of each colour, then lock in the colour in the oven, I guess.

Hey Ray, thanks for your input. Those are my thoughts exactly. I somehow doubt that BIRs are using droppers though... Seems a little clinical.

Can someone ask their local who does similar rice? All my locals round here are crap.

I'm wandering off topic here. I'll start a new thread. Let's get back on track before an angry moderator throws their weight around

Quote from: Razor on May 16, 2010, 09:49 PM
Hi BB,

My local TA does do a similar looking rice, maybe just a tad more colourful, but not too much.

You dont think that they would do 2 smaller portions of coloured rice then add a spoonfull into the main rice do you?  I can't see them using a dropper either, they probably use a massive chef's spoon and just let one drop drip off it into the rice lol ;D

Ray ;D

Hey guys

As you probably know, I've been having epic results with CA's base, spice mix and recipes. My flatmate who has tried my attempt at just about every base / main on this site thinks my recent efforts are the best yet.

Last night I was in a rush. I didn't have too much in. I made an amazing curry. I don't know what you'd call it. Here's what happened:

I couldn't be bothered to pre cook meat so went with the frying option.

Ingredients:

4 tbsps sunflower oil
3 cloves finely chopped  garlic
1 tbsp finely chopped onion
1 tbsp finely chopped green capsicum
1 chicken breast cut into cubes
(No tomato puree in the house, which I usually would have used - and have missed in the past when omitted, but not this time)
1 heaped tsp Rajah hot Madras (I usually used rounded)
1 heaped tsp TRS extra hot chilli powder (it's not as hot as the label suggests)
1 heaped tsp CA's spice mix (I usually used rounded)
1/2 tsp salt

Method:

Put oil in pan and heat to medium. Add garlic and cook until just becoming golden. Add onion and capsicum and reduce heat - stir often. Cook for a minute or two. Put chicken in pan. Turn down heat further and let it cook gently until almost done, stirring so as to avoid burning the finely chopped garlic. Put in all spices and salt. Turn up heat to hot and stir like your life depends on it. It got dry. I added a slug of oil to lube things up and prevent the spices burning. 30 seconds later  and in with a little base, followed by the usual method of adding base and evaporating until the consistency was right. 

The result reminded me of a fantastic "chicken curry" I got in a takeaway in Shawlands, Glasgow and always wanted to reproduce. I think the added oil required to fry the spices given that the chicken breast was in there too was the reason for the better than usual result, coupled with the extra curry powder and spice mix, which had the oil as a medium. I'm going to be adding more oil, curry powder and spice mix in future. From takeaways's I've had, it's swimming in the  oil. I think they're using more than I am.

Cheers

BB.

Hey guys!

Looking at pictures of my curries makes me think that perhaps I make them too thick. Any opinions on that?

I notice certain members like their sauce substantially thinner E.g. CA and SnS, and others like their sauce thinner and in far greater abundance, E.g.  UB. who has more sauce in his curry images than most of us.

What in your eyes is the best consistency? Are the differences down to regional variation or personal preference?

I know I like my sauce to sort of sit on a fork, rather than be too runny, however I'm going to try changing to thinner sauce in future to see what I think.

Hi Guys

Tonight I made a custom 2 onion base, Madras and Pillau rice. It was very tasty indeed!







Cheers

BB.

Hey guys

It's dawned on me recently that I wasn't completely sure what members meant by spoonfuls in their recipes. I know in mls what each different spoon holds but I couldn't quite remember if that was that level, rounded, heaped or levelled with the back of a knife (as BE instructs in his most recent base recipe).

I was chatting with CA and for his recipes, he uses bog standard out of the cutlery drawer spoons, rounded if unspecified. This is what I do also. However I'm assured there is a wide variation in sizes of spoon.

So, I'm going to buy a set of proper measuring spoons. I recently bought scales (I previously just judged by eye). This has improved my results - I'm no doubt getting closer to the result intended by the recipe's author. I think measuring spoons could help too.

Is anyone currently using measuring spoons? I think it would be a good way to standardise our units.

Any thoughts appreciated.

Cheers

BB.

Hey guys

Did anyone else watch this? It's available on 4OD in this section http://www.channel4.com/food/on-tv/f-word/the-f-word-map/the-f-word-map-09-10-22_p_1.html.

I tuned in last night. Some interesting stuff. There are a couple of recipes for Samosas we can pinch. I was particularly interested in the way that the more traditional BIR made their spice paste in the big pan with some oil and gentle frying. It's well worth a watch.

Cheers

BB

Hey Guys

I tried the Ashoka base, Bunjara, garlic ginger paste etc. a long time ago, and photographed my attempts when the topic was new. I'm afraid to say that none of the results were even close to my favourites. I found the base lacking and the margarine,   well, just like adding a knob of marge to one of finished curries. Nasty.

I had high hopes for the Bunjara paste but it just tastes like a salty, oily, cinnamony paste that added nothing but a cinnamon flavour to my curry (along with oil and salt if I recall), which I could have done with the addition of cinnamon. The Ashoka recipes add too much salt, margarine and oil to the dish. I get far closer BIR results with the recipes I rate more highly on this site.

I've been to 2 Ashokas, one in Dundee, one in Glasgow. They were both rubbish.

What's all the hype about the Ashoka recipes? I think they are poor. What do you think?

Cheers

BB.

Hey guys,

Although my Pillau Rice comes out ok, it's just not the same as the BIR version. What method do they use to cook the rice.

It's always coated in what I think may often be a combination of veg and butter ghee (IMO butter ghee for the flavour, veg ghee to pad it out and keep the taste subtle, as well as saving money).  Are these added during the cooking process, or at the end. I was at my local BIR last night and I think the chef put some ghee in a pan and put the rice in and stirred / tossed it around briefly. Could they be pre cooking rice in their rice cooker with spices, then finishing it in the pan? I might try this.

I'm aware that some common whole spices in the rice are cassia, green cardomom, bay leaf, cumin seed, fennel seed etc. Which are essential and which are not? I always think green cardomom and cassia are the basics.

How do they get their grains so nice and separate? I've tried cooking the rice aldente then drying it off in the oven with colouring but it's not the same. I notice their food dye is always more subtle than with any method I use.

Thanks for your responses.

BB.

Been yet again. The nicest staff you will ever meet. They are happy to talk curry. I got a few tips tonight. Brilliant curry.

The wise looking chef I mentioned before was on again (head chef). Best chef in Edinburgh IMHO. I actually met a guy from my previous favourite takeaway the Shapla who outright told me this guy is the best chef in Edinburgh. I quite believe it.

They gave me some amazing lamb mice / spiced little fritters while I was waiting - they're trying it out as a starter. They were lovely. I could taste lamb, fresh chilli, mint, fenugreek seed, fresh coriander and I think lemon juice. I think they were coated in gram flour and deep fried. Awesome.

If you're in Edinburgh, try this takeaway! 10/10!

Hey guys,

Yesterday I got back to basics and made what for me was a really bare bones base sauce, which is giving me great results. I didn't add any whole spices, fresh coriander, coconut block and so on... All that went in veg wise was onions, garlic, tinned tomatoes, a carrot and a little green pepper I had left over.

It's left me thinking... When's the last time someone made a base with just onion tomatoes and garlic for example. What's the significance of the other veg. Would my base have been notably difference without 1 small carrot and a little green pepper? I feel my base sauces are getting more and more complex as I experiment and I'm sure I've lost something along the way!

So what do you think on the use of the following and which could / should be left out?

• Carrot
• Fresh Coriander
• Green or red pepper
• Coconut block
• Whole spices
• Ginger

(I'm assuming onion, garlic and tomato are rudimentary but feel free to question that - I seem to remember the Rajver has no garlic)

Hey guys,

Thanks to Jerry's gas hob related wisdom, I had a really good base attempt and final curry today. Delicious, and one of the closest yet. Other than managing not to burn my base on this foreign technology, the success was down to very minimal spicing.

In my base I just did very standard things, really cut down actually. I went for 6 medium white onions, 1 small carrot, 1/4 green pepper (all I had, but I think it was perfect), some oil, 1 tin tomatoes, salt and BE spice mix. Chucked it all in bar the tomatoes and spice mix, simmered for a half hour, put the toms and spice in and blended, then simmered very gently for 40 mins.

In my final curry I used all the usual jazz and only 1 sparse tsp BE spice mix. It really is the closest I've made to my locals. I think CK was really onto it when he talks about minimal spicing. I think over spicing has really been my downfall. A little spice goes a long way!

I'm ashamed to admit I don't own measuring spoons. Also when a recipe calls for level dsrt spoons or similar, I always round them a little since actually level has so little spice. If only I'd followed the recipes more closely.

I moved out of my old flat a few months ago, into a flat with a gas hob. I have since made two batches of base, the first of which was horrid.

I think it was sticking to the bottom a little during the simmer stage (SnS June 2008 base recipe) and ended up burnt. I say it ended up burnt - it didn't taste of your standard burnt taste, but rather just smelled nasty and tasted gross. After making one curry with this, I binned the whole batch.

I made another batch being far more careful. The end curry wasn't up to much. Put off by my recent results, I hadn't made a curry for around a month until today. When I defrosted my base, there was the same smell that was present in my first bad batch of base, only it was more subtle.

Why when using the gas hob am I buggering up my base attempts? My first theory is the large thin/wide based pot I use has poor heat distribution and so is burning ingredients where the flames are making contact with the base. My second theory is that I'm just crap at gauging the temperature of a gas plate, being familiar with electrical.

However, it may well be neither of the aforementioned reasons. Has anyone came across the same problem and if so what I can I do to get back on track?

Thanks in advance for you input,

Cheers, BB

Hey guys, I haven't made much progress of late (which I don't consider to be a bad thing - I'm happy with my results and my technique gets consistantly better). My favourite (as it's probably well known) is still SnS June 2008 base, with the Bruce Edwards (BE) spice mix and BE curry technique. What's everyone else's defacto these days?

Cheers,

BB.

I live in Corstorphine in Edinburgh. I don't have a great BIR anywhere near but most are acceptable. Last night, I tried the only one I hadn't tried before on recommendation from my Pakistani friend from work. It was alright, second best in the town IMO.

The thing is, I think I can actually reproduce the difference curries accurately from each BIR. It's quite obvious for the major things what has and has not went in the base. Again, it's quite obvious what has and hasn't went in at the curry stage. Last night's curry's base was mostly onions with some tinned tomatoes, and a shed load of blended garlic and ginger. Not too much tomato paste in the final curry and only a light spicing of cumin and coriander, garnished with some fresh coriander leaves.

What I'm trying to get at, is that after all the experiements, and recipes tried, I think I can actually pick out what's in an "acceptable" takeaways recipe. I'm sad to say, that the ingredients in my favourite BIRs still elude me.

After following the Bruce Edwards technique of blending garlic and ginger in cold water when making the base, I was stunned at how much stronger the flavour became.

I've been trying for quite some time to replicate the strong fresh chilli taste present in the Madras from my local. Do you think that blending fresh chillies in cold water then adding it to the base will make the chilli taste much stronger, or is this effect confined to garlic / ginger?

I'm of the belief that one large portion per pan is the only way. At least it is for me with my equipment and skill level. However, in really big BIRs etc, I just cant imagine every curry done separately. It takes what, 5 minutes to cook a curry...

Do you think that BIRs cook two or more of the same type of curry in the same pan?

The first Madras I had was from the caspian in Kinross. Noone in Kinross likes to buy food from there are they think it's grubby and does make some sweaty looking pizzas. However it also has the classic curries, not that I've seen anyone other than myself get one.

I always thought they were great but have never had one since I have been making my own Madras from here. Until that is, Sunday. It's so obviously a really similar recipe to many of ours, furthermore I'm sure they use the blended garlic and ginger technique in their base. I can only assume they use frozen base from what little curries they sell.

It's a great Madras and I would highly recommend getting one. Also, it's only 5.80 with pillau rice, the classic CA looking stuff. Real basic back street take out style.

Amongst their simple recipe however, there is a flavour that mine is missing... (surprise surprise). Also, I blew my head off compared to the Madras I make these days. I'm pretty certain that most Madras that I buy are way hotter than the ones I make. Does anyone else feel the same. I think they are using way more than 1 tsp or so of chilli!

Today I had a Lamb Bhuna from the best local restaurant. A solo business lunch - I had the urge! ;D

So tonight, I wanted to see if I could do as well. It's a very nice BIR, but I have to say, mine was every bit as good using the CK Lamb Bhuna recipe and my own base that I'm sure you've all seen recently.

It was excellent. I used a single chopped spring onion also, since that was present in my BIR meal today. The result was really brilliant. I'm very proud indeed!

Here it is.