Quote from: Aussie Mick on March 16, 2012, 05:15 PM
BTW Man United WILL win the league by 9 points. ;D  From an ex Manc  (Collyhurst boy) who now lives in Perth, Australia. Good luck with the business mate. Next time we're back for a holiday, I will deffo pay curry2go a visit.

I'm hearing ya brother ;D

Ray

p.s., My dad is a Collyhurst lad too, and apparently, he was good mates with Les Dawson when they were young??

Guy's,

Quotebut I've found that it's possible that by using the 'count 'em in, count 'em out' method, it's possible to spoon off around 70% after the curry has finished cooking. (So, if you count in 3 tablespoons of oil in, you should be able to count out just over 2 tablespoons at the end.)

So, that's under 1 tablespoon of oil in a dish that will feed two people (more when cooking traditional recipes).

Not wishing to put a dampener on things, but don't forget the oil in the base gravy.

If your base gravy contains around 300ml of oil for a 3L yield of gravy, at 300ml of base gravy per portion, that's 30ml of oil, per portion on top of what you count in/out.  Potentially, 45ml of oil per portion, which is 3 tbsp. Still not too bad if eaten in moderation :

Ray

Hi Jeera, great tool my friend, just one thing though, the formula for the Garam Masala is not scaling properly. 

I don't know jack s**t about computers so don't think I'm trying to be a smart arse, I just noticed that if I entered 10 in the yellow box, the sum for the GM stayed at 0.1, as it does for 4.4.  But it goes to 0.0 if I enter 20 in the yellow box?

Ray

Hi Stephen,

QuoteI think it a fairly sophisticated recipe (meant as a compliment Razor) that includes garlic ginger paste, chopped tomato and chopped onion.

No offence taken mate, tis true, I am a very sophisticated Northerner :

QuoteRazor also adds some sugar.

Yes, I did many moons ago but I would say that, if using Chewys base, there really is no need to add the sugar as it is sweet enough on it's own.

The tomato is there just to make it less bland and the onion for flavour and texture.  The chilli powder, if using, just gives the right amount of heat that lets you know that you are eating a curry but not something that's going to blow your head off.

The medium curry is, as CA suggests, the curry that really relies on good technique and good ingredients and does provide the foundation for every other curry that follows.  Some would even say that it is the first stage in "formula" curries, me included, which for me, is perfectly fine.

I would also like to add that using the Taz base in the way that you have Stephen, ensures that nothing gets ruined.  It's a great base and perfect for the reduction method as that first reduction contains enough oil to give the spices a good cooking.

Nice post Stephen.

Ray

Hi CCL,

Here's my version of a Restaurant Medium Chicken curry https://curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=5148.0

Use Chewy's base and whatever mixed powder that you have to hand.  Let me know how you get on but you should be fine, it's quite basic.

All the best,

Ray

Hi BB, and welcome to cr0,

That Madras looks the business, with a nice amount of oil.

QuoteI've been following "The Curry Guy" on his blog and he's good value.

Who's that BB, do you mean Julian from the curry2go thread?

Ray

Good luck Colette, and let us know how you get on.  And NO SPECIAL BREW, not on a school night....!

Ray

Hi Colette,

Well, it doesn't seem too much spice if you think that a vindy usually has 4 or more tsp of chilli powder, so I wouldn't think that the quantities that you have used are over the top?

QuoteThe tikka masala I use is yogurt, Pataks kashmiri, tikka and tandoori paste, tsp each, mix powder, G & G paste, tsp mustard oil, red food colour, I use this to marinate the chicken and add to final dish, near the end of cooking.

Yep, I've heard this done before, I think it's something that Kris Dhillon advocates although I've never done it myself, still, you're adding this towards the end so won't make any difference to the colour in the early stages.

My advice would be;

Use plenty of oil to start with,
Add GG paste and brown slightly,
Quench with a chefspoon of base gravy and cook out on high for a minute or so,
Add your powdered spices and cook until you get that aroma that makes you cough slightly
Quench with a good chefspoon of diluted tom puree and cook out for a minute or so,
Add the peppers and a small ladle of base gravy, and cook until the peppers just give
Add more base gravy, onions and the Chicken tikka, and reduce the sauce,
Finally, add the quatered tomatoes and fresh chillies and cook until the toms just start to pulp slightly and the sauce has reduced to a consistancy that you're used to.
Garnish with fresh chopped coriander
Spoon off what oil you dont want if you wish.

Hope that helps

Ray

Hi Colette,

QuoteToo much spice, you may well have something there! I used mix powder, methi, chilli powder - two types and mild one and some Deggi Mirch.

I see.  In my current Jal Frezi, I only use 1 tsp of mixed powder and 1 tsp (heaped) of Kashmiri mirch (MDH brand, as it gives great colour)  I use about 4 - 6 green chillies, sliced lengthways to get the heat right and of course, peppers, onions and tomatoes.

The tikka masala that you're using, is it the type you would use as a marinade or actual tikka masala sauce (if that makes sence?)

It's good that you dilute your tom puree well as this can be used as one of your "quenchers" as can base gravy. 

I'm still thinking that the amount of powdered spces may be the culprit but once you have confirmed the quantities, we'll have a better idea.

.....and Carlsberg Special Brew......are ya mad or what?

Ray ;D

Hi Terramamba,

Could you list the ingredients that you have in your first picture please?

I'm trying to work out why it went so dark and my first thought was, too much spice?  I see tom puree but I also see another bowl (4th one along, top row) which I'm struggling to recognise?  Tom puree can burn (go very dark) if it has not been diluted enough with water!

My tip (others may dissagree or use an alternative method) "heat, cool, heat, cool, etc....  What I mean by that is, control the heat by adding each ingredient one at a time, getting the pan very hot, and just as you've gotten as brave as you can, quench it with a spoon full of base gravy.  This should ensure that nothing burns but extracts as much flavour as possible from each ingredient.

Ray