After my work xmas office outing (all day drinking session) I decided to do a little research, my choice of restaurant, Shezan Tandoori, Edinburgh. The mission was a failure but I'm turning this into a positive thing by sharing my findings with you in the form of a 'what not to do' list.

Show up extremely drunk
Choose a very busy Friday night
Use lines such as "If I buy a curry, can I watch you make it?"
Question their reasoning when denyed access to the kitchen

On a better note, they took my number and the manager is going to give me a call back. Not that I'm bothered because the chicken Madras was awful. It stank of some kind of chicken stock and was minimally spiced with little heat.

I think fundamentally, my findings suggest that the likelihood of getting into the kitchen varies in inverse proportion to how much alcohol you consume.

I tried the highly acclaimed ifindforu restaurant base last night. I followed the recipe to the mark. On nearly every level, it's a great base but it absolutely reeks of coconut - my vindaloo was like a spicy Korma. I think using a whole 200g block is way over the top. Now I have a freezer full of brown coconut milk  .

I hope you know how lucky you are!  

On a more serious note, would you say that the restaurant curries have the "taste" and the "smell"?

I ask because I think I stand a good chance at getting some kind of demo at The Balaka, St Andrews. It won Pat C's best 2001 but although the food is great it's aimed at the high end market and isn't in keeping with classic British back street takeout. I would prefer somewhere more classic as that's the flavour I'm out to match.

It's intresting that they use the three bases, as I seem to remember the same in that restaurant Gordon Ramsay sorted out on Hell's Kitchen. Can you please try and find out what that's all about?

Hahaha, this poor chef has no idea what he's in for!!! He'll wish he'd never met you when this is over  ;D

and then it gos back to normal... I think admin is having a fiddle atm 

You press refresh and everything becomes so different!

I'm so jealous! I can't believe you guys actually manage to get these opportunities. I think it's time for me to try getting into a BIR kitchen... I really can't wait for your result. Great job sns.

Here's one of my personal favourites. The fire of a vindaloo with all the flavour of a Bhuna.

Ingredients:

1 portion pre cooked meat
2 ladles base sauce (any generic nonspecialist one will do)
vegetable oil
1/2 onion finely chopped
6 bird eye chilli's (5 finely chopped, 1 sliced)
garlic puree
ginger puree
fresh coriander
garam masala
tandoori masala
whole cumin seed
whole coriander seed
whole fenugreek seed
chili powder
East End curry powder (it makes a difference)

Get your coffee/spice grinder out and add the following:

1 tsp coriander seed
1 tsp cumin seed
1/3 tsp fenugreek seed

Blast that into a fine powder and add it to a bowl with 1 tsp paprika, 1 tsp turmeric, 2 tsp East End curry powder and 2-4 tsp chili powder. Don't use Schwartz, Bart or any supermarket brand. I have tried in the past and it adversely dominates the flavour. East End and Heera brands have the smell you need (probably along with the other brands you find in little bags in your local Indian store). Curry powder from a supermarket is different beast altogether.

Cover the base of your pan with oil (spiced oil from the base sauce if possible but I didn't this time). Heat it on full until the oil starts to smoke. Add the onion and finely chopped bird eye chillies and stir for a minute.



Add 2 tsp garlic puree and 1 tsp ginger puree. Stir until lightly browned.



Add the spice mix from your bowl and stir frantically for around 30 seconds.



Add one ladle of base sauce and mix quickly before the spice mix starts to burn. Add you pre cooked meat, stir, add the other ladle of base, stir and reduce for 2 minutes.



Add 1 tsp Garam Masala, 1/2 tsp Tandoori Masala, 1 tsp dried Fenugreek leaves (Methi) crushed between the fingers, stir and remove from the heat.

Add 1 tbsp chopped fresh coriander and stir half heartedly. Now clean the sides of your curry pan before taking the photo 



Serve with Pillau rice and garnish with your final Bird Eye chili.



Enjoy  ;D

P.S. You may find the times at the bottom right hand side of the images of use.

I completely agree with the gradual addition of base into the main curry. Frying off that first chefs spoonful in the oil releases such much flavour!  ;D

I would suggest even more than a two stage addition. This along with the use of spiced oil (thankyou curry queen), have been my two favourite break throughs. 

and the Phall