Quote from: Onions on December 22, 2020, 07:53 PM

Quote from: CurryManUKs on December 22, 2020, 10:02 AM
I've decided to pick a powder from East End, TRS or MDH Kitchen King. Has anyone tried any of them?

Bith East End and TRS are excellent, CMUK-my local Turkish grocers sell just them!

Which one smells less pungent?

I'm satisfied with the madras I make and it's a very straightforward one, similar to chewytikka's. I just want to make sure I'm not missing out on a better curry powder because I much prefer OI to Rajah! I suppose it's a case of "ignorance is bliss". 

Quote from: Peripatetic Phil on December 21, 2020, 08:06 PM

Quote from: CurryManUKs on December 20, 2020, 10:25 AMI prefer the smell of the "Old India" brand that's available on Amazon, but not in supermarkets.

Would that be the same curry powder as this chap was asking about ?
** Phil.

This one.

I've decided to pick a powder from East End, TRS or MDH Kitchen King. Has anyone tried any of them?

Quote from: foureyes1941 on July 25, 2020, 06:48 AM
Going back to the original post 'Has anyone else nailed a Madras?' With this lockdown and since I have been tuning in to Hari Gotras weekly 'Cook with me' on a Friday evening. I usually just watch and pick up the many tips that she throws in whilst cooking. I came across a recipe for her lamb Madras and tried it with chicken and it is far way better than any other I have cooked. She adds tamarind in and definitely nails my preference of a Madras. As it isn't a BIR recipe I just add a  small amount of  whatever base I have in the freezer and loads more chopped green chillies. I'm no expert but have a look -https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SR_85reaTx8

Have you experimented with worcestershire sauce? I wonder if tamarind and worcestershire would be overdoing it.

It unsettles me that I see posts from 2005 expressing the same idea of recreating a perfect BIR curry. I applaud the long-term members for their patience, truly. 

Quote from: Robbo141 on December 20, 2020, 02:32 PM
I started a spreadsheet to track my BIR results but stopped after I had my first revelatory 9/10 vindaloo that honestly got very close to what I felt was takeaway taste and then did an exact repeat the following week, only to have the all-too-familiar ?alright but not quite?.
The technique / heat level / timing were the only variances although I thought I?d replicated everything. 
I?ve resigned myself to understanding that I can make a good curry, but not THE curry.
And unlike my fellow Brits back home, I can?t just go out and get takeaway. Boo!

Robbo

Have you shared the recipe and method on here or is it a top secret? 

Quote from: Peripatetic Phil on December 20, 2020, 01:05 PM
There is a member here (unfortunately I forget whom) who consistently did spreadsheet-style analyses; if I can track him (or her) down, I will let you know.  As regards "the missing 5%", I know exactly what is meant by the phrase, but would be completely unable to explain it in a scientific way.  All I can say is that most of us, from time to time, get very close to perfection, yet we know that if we were able to visit a BIR of yore, their curries would still be consistently better than our finest efforts.  These days, I suspect that most of us can get within 98.5% of what most BIRs churn out these days, but to my mind at least (and I think that Secret Santa, amongst others, will agree with me) what we get these days is not a patch on what we got in the late 60's/early 70's.

** Phil.

Would you be able to describe "the missing 5%" casually? Is it a sourness, a spiciness, etc.? I just fail to see how everyone can mean the same thing given that ingredients and methods vary significantly across restaurants. There have been countless recipes, videos, etc. posted online, many by chefs, so how plausible is it that there is a "secret" they've all kept hidden for so many years? Not a single whistleblower? It sounds quite far-fetched, to be honest. As for curries in the late '60s, I'm in my early twenties, so I can't comment on that, but it seems I've missed something magnificent. 

Quote from: Garp on December 20, 2020, 08:38 PM

Quote from: CurryManUKs on December 20, 2020, 10:25 AM
One more thing -- on the subject of curry/madras powders (I almost exclusively make madras curries), does anyone have a recommendation? I bought the rajah mild madras powder and found it much too pungent. I prefer the smell of the "Old India" brand that's available on Amazon, but not in supermarkets. If anyone has tried rajah, and knows of a brand that has a milder, more pleasant smell, then I'd love to know about it.

Personally, I would spend the time and effort creating your own, personalised spice mix rather than searching for a commercial curry powder. I think it's worth the effort.

I make my own spice mix but spice mixes usually include a curry powder. 

Thank you for the warm welcome. I feel that "special ingredients/tricks" on their own might not make a discernible difference i.e. using seasoned oil instead of regular oil, but with enough alterations, i.e. seasoned oil, aluminium pan, and onion paste in one dish, perhaps they may. Which of these condiments work together, and in what way, remains unknown to me. It's very time-consuming to test properly (making one or two adjustments at a time and holding every other variable equal: the base gravy, spice mix, tomato paste, seasoned oil, onion paste, etc., the quantities of each, etc.) but I'm curious if anyone has taken the time to do it. It seems like there's just far too much to adjust for unless you're willing to put an inordinate amount of time into cranking out dozens of base gravies, spice mixes, etc. (which I shamelessly am, just the prospect seems overwhelming at times). I think they'd have to be made right after each other, too, since it can be difficult to precisely recall the flavor of a dish. I realize people may find this sort of pedantry rather galling, but that's just how I am.

I've also noticed people speak of that "missing 5%" and, honestly, I'd love for someone to elaborate on what is meant by that. If I order a curry from my local takeaway, it doesn't taste like my curry, yes, but that's true of nearly every curry that uses different recipes/ingredients/techniques. Another point is that people who mention that "elusive BIR taste" order from different restaurants in different regions. How are we certain that everyone has the same meaning of "the missing 5%" in mind? Is there a specific description of that taste? If so, I apologize for the oversight.

One more thing -- on the subject of curry/madras powders (I almost exclusively make madras curries), does anyone have a recommendation? I bought the rajah mild madras powder and found it much too pungent. I prefer the smell of the "Old India" brand that's available on Amazon, but not in supermarkets. If anyone has tried rajah, and knows of a brand that has a milder, more pleasant smell, then I'd love to know about it.

Hey everyone.

I realize that some of you have been trying to perfect BIR style curries for years. I have some questions regarding the curry making process and would like to hear your insight.

1) Does it matter whether you add tomato paste before or after adding the spices?
2) Does seasoned oil make a difference?
3) Does onion paste (Bunjarra) make a difference?
4) Does cooking the tomato puree before adding it to your curry help (the idea is that it removes acidity)?
5) What is the best spice mix you've used?
6) What is the best base gravy you've used?

Of course, if you can't weigh in on some of them, just answer the ones you can.

Many thanks.