@CoriAnder: Great responses there! Thanks for taking much of your time in responding.

Re: Post #1
Yes CoriAnder, you speak the voice of reason & agree with all you say there - you are echoing many of my thoughts!

Thanks for the compliements about my Wife's paintings on her website BTW, I have passed them on (she is a very busy girl )

Re: Post #2
The base went well & I see what you mean about it being suitable for all types of curry (I think)... I reckon most curry houses use about 2 or possibly 3 different base sources from which they derive all their dishes. For that first base I made to be more of a 'Madrassy / Vindallooy' type base in my mind I would have said that it should have been less smooth / creamy / and definately with some toms in it (that that base lacked).... but I guess toms could be added later. Do you see where my thoughts are coming from here?

Note: I am NOT rubbishing the base curries here or any other methods - let's get that staight. Apart from MY initial cock-up (the point of my thread was to really confirm in my mind where I had gone wrong) the two bases I have tried (one for the Korma, the other for the Jahlfrezi) went superbly well!!!! esp considering this is my first attempts using these new (to me) methods.

Quote
I'm slightly confused that you then used the curry base to make a Korma "just like from the restaurant" UW?  Maybe you just burnt the Madras, did you, and not the curry base?  Was the curry base a light brown colour?

Base went well, meat prep went well, cocked the Final Madras cooking bit up totally by having oil far, far to hot & not tempering it with chopped onions first! Base curry texture & colouration as good as the same as the pics kindly provided in the threads.

How I cooked my Jahlfrezi, Serves 2:
NOTE: you guys will have to spice it up heat-wise of course by adding chillies etc.
This is Wifey-MILD!
This base:
https://curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=1894.0
Pre-cooked chicken :
(Chicken simmered for 20mins in: Oil ? 4 tbsp, Water, Cinnamon stick ? 1?, Cloves ? 6, Crushed cardamom pods ? 3, Bay leaves - 2, Turmeric ? 1 tsp, Curry Powder ? 1tsp
Lemon Juice ? 1 tsp, Garlic Paste).
Jahlfrezi:
Oil ? 1 to 2 tbsp, Soy Sauce ? 2 tbsp, Creamed Coconut ? 1? cut from block, Tom puree - 2 tbsp, Red & Green Peppers ? largely chopped / quartered, Lemon Juice ? 1 tsp.
?Mild? spice mix ? 1 tbsp, fenugreek 2 tsp, mustard seed ? 1 tsp.
Usual method, heat that lot up, add base and then precooked chicken. Garnish with coriander before serving.

Andy

Yes, Jahlfrezi is 'usually' hot, but to me a curry can be as hot or as mild as you want, in other words in my mind a certain curry means a certain flavour which you can vary the heat of to suit your taste.... This means that if you can't stand hot curries you can still try a vindaloo.... or conversely you could make a hot Korma.

This is just my opionion of course! Others may disagree, but lets face it, it is all a matter of personal taste.

Quoteand that was before she had the curry

I cannot possibly comment!

Andy

QuoteJust seen the trailer for this and it does look promising, any chance someone could somehow capture it for 'future reference'

See here:
http://www.whatwouldramsaydo.com

Note that this particular episode is not loaded yet, but should be in the near future (it is however available as a *ahem* torrent *ahem, ahem*. It is an American site & concentrates on Gordon's exploits in the US. He does visit an American Curry house and that you can see, look for:

Home page -> Kitchen Nightmares Videos (US) -> Episode 2 part 1 (to 5) - Purnima / Dillans

Enjoy!

Andy

PS
I note some of these video snippets, the audio is not in sync with the video.... Nevermind, still watchable though

Thanks again guys!

@fumble I have all those oils to hand in my cupboards, but majority I use for Chinese, to date (pre-cr0), like I said for Indian, only sunflower oil & olive oil, but now, I see little point in using anything other than sunflower oil.

I came across a very similar thing with regards smoking point of oils on Wiki (was that your source smokenspices?).

@Bobby Bhuna I read with interest your Bhundaloo (did you make that name up, vrey ingeneous if so!). I will definately give that a try sometime soon!

Today I used a base that I thought more suitable for Madras, this one here:
https://curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=1894.0

Came out pretty well but I thought it a little sweet.

I have used some of this base to make a Jahlfrezi, which to my delight was bloody excellent. I chose Jahlfrezi because tonight I cooked for two as I did not have time for 2 separate recipes: my wife did not like the sound of trying a Madras so I went for Jahlfrezi instead (as you may have guess, she is more of a Korma chomper).

I will try that all elusive Madras again tomorrow using some of tonight's leftover base & pre-cooked chicken (which is now lingering in the fridge).

Thanks again everyone,

Andy

PS
Wife has spent all day a-fartin'  :

@smokenspices

Thanks again for the tip there!

For my past recipes (life before cr0 that is), I started using olive oil on the recommendations of an Indian work mate who I had been getting many useful cooking tips from (in exchange for Italian and Chinese cookery tips from myself).

QuoteMy family have never used ghee, always normal oil or even better olive oil

Who was I to argue.... But regardless, I shall avoid it's use from now on and stick to good old sunflower oil. I love it when the best ingredient is the cheapest most commonly available AND healthiest one!

Andy

Thanks for your replies!

@smokenspices, no that was not our Christmas din-dins thank heavens! I did not use Ghee, I only ever use sunflower oil (as in this case) or olive oil. The base I produced was simple enough IMO, and it was as suggested ?bland?: However its consistency reminded me of Korma / Massala dishes, you know, slightly stodgy.

Yes I was a bit foolish with the heat, I read (rather mis-read) that ?proper? Indian chefs first get the oil very hot / smoking and then you bunged the spices in for 20 secs and then very quickly add the other spices. To date, I have never cooked this way, I would fry some onions for 5 mins, add spices and a splash of boiled water (to stop things sticking to the pan) and then took things from there (I have never created a ?base? curry? first, everything was cooked in the pan as a one-off).

Anyways, lesson learnt there folks!

@mike travis yes, base curry I created from the excellent thread I referenced above was spot on IMO, good consistency, colour, bland taste.

@Secret Santa & Graeme, agreed, obvious now really. I was a bit blinded by my excitement in seeing all of these ideas & techniques and tried to emulate them all in one go!


Anyway, the GOOD news is that using the same base & precook chicken, I went on to create a Chicken Korma for the wife. It is the most accurate Korma I have ever cooked and my wife was well pleased with the result: ?Just like from the Restaurant? she said, ?That?s the general idea!? says I.

So, getting there! I think in the future, lesson learnt with regards the heating of the oil, and I think I?ll be using this base here: https://curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=1894.0
for Madras as it looks closer / uses ingredients, that more closely match what I use for my previous Madras methods.

Thanks again for all your help!

Andy

1st attempt was unfortunately DISGUSTING!



I tried this curry base:
https://curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=674.0
With a good pre-meat recipe (this went OK, so I'll move on).

My 1st attempt was a Madras... simple enough I thought!

Heated 6 tbsp of oil until it was very hot, bunged in the spices for 20 secs, followed by some garlic paste and tomatoe puree, quickly followed by some base and the meat.

What I ended up with was not very flavoursome at all, VERY VERY dark brown horriblest curry I have EVER made. Yuck!

My conclusions: I think I have burnt something somewhere. I cannot explain why the curry I ended up with looked so horribly dark brown. I think it may have been the tom puree.

Also, I do NOT think that particular base is for the Madras type curries, to me the consistency is more akin to Korma / Massala dishes, hence to make matters worse this crap I cooked up just now was also stodgy.

Stodgy, dark brown, burnt, crap / no flavour. HORRIBLE.

Damn it! I was soooo looking forwards to a huge improvement....

Whaddya reckon guys, put me right here!  ;D

Andy

Those sauces were just some 'sensible' examples that we 'and the lads' had tried at work. The Mad Dog was more than enough for me and went past the silly stage of heat.

Take a look, the hottest one they do, limited edition of 999 (with a cost to match) AND a document you have to sign stating you know what this stuff is & how to use it  has a maximum Scoville rating of 16,000,000. Yep, 16 MILLION.



Andy

For the VERY brave:

http://www.chez-williams.com/Hot%20Sauce/hothome.htm

Get them here:
http://www.chilliworld.com/index.asp
http://www.chilefarm.co.uk/index.html

Some interestingly named sauces:
http://www.hotsauceworld.com/hottest-hot-sauce.html

Some chaps at my work had got hold of some of their:
Mad Dog 357
Nuckin' Futs
White Shark
Widow Hot Sauce

I tried all 4 (dap on the tounge) and liked the Mad Dog 357 best as it had a pleasant woody taste about it.

These are the hottest chilli sauces on the planet and.... MY GOD IN HEAVEN, I almost phoned for a tongue & tail transplant after tring those four sauces. I could bot sbeak probbabbly fur abourt an hour adverwards!  ;D

To gain some idea of the heat of these sauces (cookery additives really), 'normal' tobasco sauce is rated with a scoville 'heat' rating of about 1,500, whereas the Mad Dog 357 above has a scoville 'heat' rating of 357,000!!!!

Andy

PS, happy xmas & new year peeps

Thanks for the replies!

Curries I have experimented with so far are:

Madras, Korma, Vindaloo, Garlic (var. Chilli) Chicken, Massala, Pathia, Jahlfrezi, Dansak, Pasanda to name but a few.

I 'condensed' many recipies into a large list I wrote (my personal Indian cook book - receipes researched from BIR menus) from which I just pick out what I fancy depending on what is in my fridge & cupboards.... you see the flavour I get basically matches what I 'think' of when I want a certain curry. I have no training whatsoever, it is all self taught from books / internet / experient / trial & error.

This forum has already taught me a huge amount and has certainly set me right. Like I said I get the flavour (very) basically 'right' (closeish, if you like)... but always something missing. No recipe I have ever come across, beit from internet recipes or books mention the use of a..... CURRY BASE
Shocking! This is what I am missing it is plain. It is obvious. The key thing missing in ALL those recipes.... the texture and consistency of a BIR curry.

Why is that I wonder....

Anyway, when I get a blender (no sniggering please) in the sales (yay) I will try your forums highest rated base... But this is mute: I know enough of cooking to see straight away this will work and this will make me a nigh on perfect indian 'just like you get from the take away'.

That's all I want, and after ALL my searching (in an eureka moment of thinking ...curry  forum !!!! doh) I found this perfect site!

Roll on the good times! ;D

Andy