Quote from: Kashmiri Bob on April 11, 2025, 11:30 AM
Here is a fairly recent article/recipe for a bottle masala curry plugging (in part) Derby Dave's product.

https://glebekitchen.com/bottle-masala-chicken-curry-restaurant-style/

Interesting read.

Glebe do some good stuff. A decent resource. Contemporary BIR approach, not a bad thing. Although, these days I can't help thinking the "trap" the author mentions is instead the blank canvass gravy approach itself. Shock horror!  Depends on what people are looking for, I suppose. Or maybe I am just bonkers

Rob

Our loss but Romain's site is a great resource.

This is a fairly recent video for anyone interested in attempting their own Bottle Masala.  However, I've not seen Mugwort looking like this stuff anywhere unless it is the flower.  Even that is questionable.  I thought mugwort is a leafy herb.  Also ensuring the 3 different types of chilli won't be an easy task.  Requesting Pandi Mirch, Kashmiri Mirch and Bedge Mirch (Byadgi) anywhere over here at least, will raise confused looks upon the staff at the Indian Grocers.  I do love the appearance of the fresh spices being used, and you can only imagine the aroma and flavour.  We don't get spices anywhere near this quality here.

https://youtu.be/QxyuTT5itZo?si=SdcERuIFl5dS2HJD

Quote from: ivangough on April 06, 2025, 07:08 AM
Question for the experts here.. I have seen a couple of Base recipes that use potatoes. Is this common?

It is not unheard of; however, it is usually only a small quantity added to a base gravy.  I think Chewytikka used to add a piece or two to some of his base.  I know I've done it several times, so it must be used in a few different bases.  Naturally it will have a thickening effect.  I've seen all sorts of things added to base gravies. There is one old base here by Andy2295 that even contains Chinese (Mooli) Radish and about 20 other ingredients.

https://curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=1476.0

It doesn't change much so you can use it or leave it out.

This is the Salmon portion recipe I used. It was from Youtube, but I used the Masala I had made up instead of the one on the video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=esYuj6RC2Tw

This thread here on CRO has it all from when I made it, including the recipe I used.  OP by Dal Puri and a very easy / simplified recipe posted by Chewy Tikka. 

https://curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=11509.0#google_vignette

Unfortunately, the link within to the Australian site I used is broken (Spicemama.com.au)  However, I think it was only a link to the sale of her product (Wayback Machine).  Here is the link to her Blog site which contains some recipes using it in the Recipe section.
https://www.spicemama.au/

Quote from: tempest63 on March 03, 2025, 03:24 AM
Livo
Do you recall how many individual spices you used in your BBM?
It seems some blends have 50 or more different spices, a number of which would likely be near impossible to track down here in the U.K. That is the reason I bought a ready made masala from Ome Made which purportedly has 53 different spices in the mix.

I have been on a very restricted diet for medical reasons for the last four weeks but hope to use the masala for the first time next weekend.

The masala I bought came in a packet but I have transferred it to a washed out Bovril jar to protect from light, as that seems to be an important consideration when storing the spice. Traditionally it would have been stored in washed and cleaned beer bottles, or so it is reported.

Tempest, I don't remember if I wrote it down or printed what I ended up using, but I probably did.  I'll have a look, but I did bookmark 5 different online recipes that I would have used, if not as the recipe I followed, as guide to what to use and quantities.  I'll post the links in an hour or two when I'm at the PC.

I remember that some ingredients were just odd or difficult to obtain and I didn't use them.

I actually had mine packaged in amber glass beer bottles.

Edit:  I had saved more links than I thought.  I know I did do a lot or research before I made my batch.  The last link has a couple of recipes that actually use the stuff.

https://showmerecipes.blogspot.com/2016/08/east-indian-bottle-masala-how-to-make.html
https://www.mangaloreanrecipes.com/recipes/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=86&Itemid=110
https://www.flavorsofmumbai.com/east-indian-bottle-masala-recipe/#google_vignette
https://bottlemasala.com/Bottle_Masala_Recipe.html
https://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-detail.asp?recipe=625311
https://rasoitime.com/east-indian-bottle-masala/
https://www.dnaindia.com/lifestyle/report-an-east-indian-speaks-on-the-importance-of-that-kitchen-staple-bottle-masala-1913067#google_vignette
https://www.deccanchronicle.com/sunday-chronicle/epicuriosity/091016/an-east-indian-feast.html

I found the concept and production of BBM intriguing. I made the best possible copy I could.  I very much enjoyed it and the dishes made using it. I gave a bottle to my dad and when it was all gone, never revisited.

My understanding of Deggi Mirch is a that it is indeed a blended product, using selected and controlled varieties of chilli to produce a very consistent and reproducible powder for market under the MDH brand.  I just found the dishes I made using it the other night didn't just have chilli heat, but a very pleasant and enjoyable flavour associated directly to the chilli. To me it really stood out as a noticeable difference when compared to just using say KRCP or Mild CP.

They probably use a very bland base gravy (or several different ones) and rely heavily on variation of the spices and other ingredients that go into the pan at first stage.  I have experienced your problem myself with the BIR method, even though it makes excellent curry.  If I make a particular base gravy and mixed powder as specified by a grouped list of recipes, and use them for 10 different dishes, they will all have the same undertone of flavour.  This is unavoidable really.  I specifically like to make "weak" base gravy, when I'm making mild curries.   If you don't, they will taste the same.  I make mixed powder, but I'm finding that I use less and less of it, when it gets down to making the variation of dishes I want.

I currently have 3 different Mixed Powders in my spice cupboard, 4 or 5 different curry powders from a packet and 4 or 5 different types of chilli powder.  I have just found the delight of Deghi Mirch, although I've known about it for years and had the unopened pack in my reserve box for quite a while.  If you want things to taste different, you have to mix it up.

Hotel style uses up to 7 different gravies, alone and in combination, but that isn't the BIR method.  Base gravy, mixed powder, a few different spices and pre-cooked chicken (or lamb).  Chilli heat is the major variation that occurs in some lines and then you have the 3 types you've outlined.

The thing is that the local T/A is counting on not too many people coming back too regularly and, if they only go back every second week and have a favourite dish, they're going to be happy every time.  This is especially applicable to people who have never tried to cook for themselves.

Interesting to read over my own earlier posts in this thread from 7 years ago.  I'd say the OP recipe was still there 7 years ago.  Anyway, I'll give your recipe a try UF, although I have to admit that I'm not a big fan of Carnation Evaporated milk in curry.  I'll probably use cream, which may not be BIR.

Excellent stuff Unclefrank.  For the Butter Chicken last night, I had made a simple and basic Makhani Gravy and did the Taz base method stage 1 reduction thing using very diluted base to get the dish going.  I then added the Tikka Chicken and Makhani and finished off with a splash of extra cream.  It turned out pretty good.  I'll give your 2 recipes a go for sure.  I really enjoyed all 3 dishes I made using the Taz base and it has a lot of depth from that initial reduction and cooking the spices that way.  My Makhani Gravy included a paste of cashews and char magaz.

I'd really appreciate your take on a CTM.  I'm going to give the Cook4one Balti Passanda a try with my pre-cooked lamb and Taz Base tonight.