I'm really pleased
This is a meal that has strong additional flavours to the base (fenugreek leaves and fried garlic)
So the end result, doesn't rely on the subtle flavour of the base
It comes out very close to what you buy
The meals like vindaloo and madras seem harder to get right
I'm cooking  again this weekend
I have made the Rajver base
Flipping heck, it's hot
Chilli powder and chillies!

I have never seen it first hand, but I have been told some restaurants add a sprinkling of garlic powder to many of their curries.
It is a last moment addition prior to putting the lid on the carton
One "chef" who told me this was the author of the "secrets" ebook
I corresponded by emailed, about ten times, trying to get better results
He also mentioned adding ground coriander ,near the end of cooking a curry, too
I have now seen that done so it makes me think that, somewhere along the line, was a genuine source of information.
By the way, that's a great photo of the base!
Excellent

Well, I made it, and it was excellent
Something small still missing
I know it's the gravy
How do we crack this?

Still, it was very good
In my family ,it's only me that can tell the difference
I'm going to give Gary's Rajver curry base a whirl next
I think the missing flavour comes from the onions
That's what Mark J used to think
One day.........................

Hi Mark
         I will try to recreate this meal on Saturday
The version, that the chef made, was excellent
All their meals are
It's the only place, I know, that the cooked vegetables have a little crispness about them
I think that most of the magic, comes from their curry gravy, though
I still can't make one quite as nice as theirs
But as you are adding, a very strong garlic flavour to the meal, the difference should be less noticable

Hi Mark
          I don't know if he uses this tecnique on other dishes
I just watched him cook this one meal
He is a really nice chap, and I don't like to over pester him about cooking
I was totally gobsmacked when he did the fried garlic with coriander
I would have never have used that much
That must run close to half a bulb of garlic!
The garlic used at Bengal Cuisine for Prawn Rhogan Josh was loads less than this recipe
They never browned it either
I'm afraid that the place, I saw this demo, is closing soon
They have helped me so much, and I am really sorry
All the staff are very friendly and there is no "secrecy" about recipes
The only problem is language
I really wish them well

I have just been shown how to cook Vegetable Rhogan Josh
You can substitute precooked chicken instead and it will work
This is very different to recipe I was shown at Bengal Cuisine and a much nicer meal
It is cooked again in two pans
The amount of garlic used is frightening
Very interesting, the use of ground coriander late into the recipe
Also used is oil, from the deep pan fryer
We've talked about that before, and how the oil picks up flavours of bhajees etc
I mentioned black cardamoms in curry gravy
This place doesn't use them
Neither do they use panch poran in precooked veg
The veg are cooked in oil,garlic ginger mix,onion and spice mix
They "do" in their own steam
I checked on the mystery "tomato" powder
It is definitely paprika
It seems everything I learn comes with two "facts" that I find are wrong
Never mind
Here's the recipe

Rhogan Josh


Ingredients:-
4 desertspoons of curry gravy oil
2 desertspoon prefried onions
1 desertspoon garlic ginger puree (very runny, oily and yellow)
1 desertspoon tomato puree
1 desertspoon spice mix (turmeric,paprika,coriander,curry powder no chilli or cumin in it)
1 desertspoon chilli powder
2 ladles of runny curry gravy
1 precooked? potato
? fresh tomato
1 large precooked cauliflower floret
3 tablespoons of precooked mixed veg (peas,cabbage aubergine,ladies fingers)
1 desertspoon fresh chopped coriander
1 teaspoon dried methi
2 teaspoon ground coriander


Heat the curry oil for a minute on high
Add the prefried onions and fry for a minute
Add the garlic ginger and shake the pan vigourously while stirring, for another minute
A few flames happened here
Add the tomato puree and stir a couple of times
Add the spice mix, chilli powder and fresh tomato
Cook for another couple of minutes stirring
Add 1 ladle of curry gravy and stir a couple of minutes
Add precooked potato, cauliflower and stir
Add the precooked veg and mix in fir a couple of minutes
Add fresh coriander, dried fenugreek and just one teaspoon of the ground coriander
Stir for a minute then add the other ladle of curry gravy
Put a lid on the pan for three minutes to get it really hot
While this is heating, start the second part of the recipe

Ingredients 2:-

3 tablespoons of oil taken from the deep pan fryer (used for onion bhajees and pakora etc)
4 desertspoon of finely chopped garlic
1 desertspoon fresh chopped coriander

Heat the oil for a minute then heat up the garlic
Cook for about two minutes until it goes a nutty brown (not black)
Take of the heat, add the fresh coriander and stir it in

Go back to the first pan and take lid of and add the remaining spoon of ground coriander
Stir in then pour into a take away carton
Pour the fried garlic/coriander/oil on top and it?s ready

I haven't been checking this site, since I moved house, so forgive me if I am repeating something.
About a month ago, I emailed Andy from the Kushi book
I said that I had problems getting a curry base that was right
He said that he and Mr Haydor were sorting out an alternative base
Well, they have done it
http://www.kushibalti.co.uk/images/clearerbaseupdateweb.pdf

Very interesting that they add the fresh coriander at the end of cooking
The missing taste?

Quote from: DARTHPHALL on February 28, 2006, 09:07 AM
Again i will mention this ONE MORE TIME as it may be relevant.
On several occasions i have had pockets of the desired smell/taste in my Curries I'm not 100% sure but it seems to happen when i use Green Chillies,does this mean the guy who told me 3 weeks ago the "smell is the cooked Green Chillies" was not lying ?

Hi Darth
            I had a bought curry last night
It was a georgous general "restaurant" flavour, like I can make, but with these "pockets" of the taste.
There must be something solid in it giving this flavour
The sauce wasn't hot, so if it is chilli, they must be deseeded
Maybe you don't use much
I don't always put fresh green chilli into my base, do you?

Hi Mark
          that Kushi cook book had whole spices in muslin
I thought that he had "domesticated" the recipe
Maybe that is something that really do
I must admit, I never find all the whole spices before blending
Some seem to disappear!

The setting is half power on my gas cooker ,if that's any help
I made some more of this recently, and have changed a few things
I don't dilute the coloured powder now
I just dab tinyl amounts of the powder, in a few places direct onto the rice
To make the rice a little less stodgy, I have started boiling it for two minutes, then draining it
I then use it, as the recipe instructs

I bought some rice from my loca,l and always check what spices are in it
There was one green cardamon pod, white cummin seeds, a couple of black cummin seeds too.
Very very nice!