English curry

It sounds like what I started out on. Trouble is never wrote recipe down as I made it so often.

From memory
1) fry chopped onion in butter in oven dish till just starting to brown
2) add 1 tsp curry powder and stir till smell spice
3) add beef cubes and fry till surfaces change from raw
4) add 1 tin 400g tomatoes
5) add water say 1 pint
6) add 1 tbsp curry paste (from a bought jar)
7) lid on 2 hrs 180C oven

You could add other veg eg Potatoe cubes

It's a defo No for me.

I see plenty to go at. 

The pace can't be what it's been as we have already travelled a long way.

Looking back i feel these were the easy steps and fear the 80 20 rule applies going forward - the next part of the journey will be far more difficult and take much longer.

Phil,

Many thanks sir

Very useful the info to avoid scorching as I've also started looking at frying in oil per curryhell black chilli suggestion.

Like the idea of off boil too.

Interesting that the seeds (and stem) are removed. I had started to think this was where the bitterness lies.

I have a few cartons of the whole chillies in water un blended and so far no bitterness detected. 

It was in the blended form that I initially picked up the bitterness.

Ps for info sugar does sort the problem but would like find the cause.

Best wishes

have got bogged down on these whole red chilli.

there is a video on youtube explaining the rehydration. simple stuff really needs no instruction. however it states there can be bitterness. lost the link and would appreciate if chrisnw could re point to it. you dont think much of the idea of bitterness during the video but it hits you full on when you make.

nearest youtube ive found (red chilli sauce)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a4Lgl-IsaN8

4 off whole chilli rehydrated in 100 ml then blended and used in 1 off portion madras. also tried removing the water whilst hot and blending in watered puree (seems a tad better but no breakthrough)


ps forgot to add - these whole long chilli "kashmiri" are very different to the crushed red chilli. they are less hot and have more flavour. feel you need to keep both.

Garp

Love the post.

A job in a BIR for me. Likely to get sacked quickly though down to tasting and eating too much and asking too many questions

Certainly no need for tandoor. IFFY tikka recipe and gas BBQ take some beating.

Expecting my scrap heap pizza oven will do naan even better down to the independent heat control.

A Mix powder A to Z would be nice as I keep putting off having a nose at it.

Hoping for a follow up trip to the balti triangle 

Parker21,

I'm convinced I need to use some form of chilli sauce "green" chilli based.

I'm after what's not made anymore. Old style I guess most would call. I call it not just a hot madras.

I'm plodding along on it going on these thoughts:

1) the chef at the time gave us some very small green chilli saying that was how he made the dish. I now know these as birds eye. Secret Santa has got me to change this to finger chilli. 
2) I use scotch bonnet for the lip burn
3) am using sultana for sugar as this seems to give closest result

The trouble is I just can't put my finger on what's missing. It may even be as simple as you can't reproduce with a modern base.

I feel i should in time be able to get closer just by gradually tweaking qty's.

The one thing I've yet to try is adding in some Bhuna onion. I think someone suggested it in the no 3 vindaloo post

Best wishes

Myth no1

It's important to me that I make sure I'm clear on this and add clarification.

This is about Caramelisation (per curry2go "roasting") and smokiness (per CA). You can certainly get the 1st with low heat you won't get the latter.

Whether that's important is down to the individual. Not just on their taste buds but on the balance of effort v rewards.

In short I thought high heat alone was enough. I now know it ain't.

For those with interest this is my current thinking:

1) heat typ 7 to 9  (6 might be ok, 7 to 9 is what I've seen)
2) gap burner to pan bottom typ 25 mm
3) burner to pan diameter ratio typ 45% (90 mm burner dia, pan bottom rim dia 200 mm )
4) black steel pan. Dump the Ali pan for this it won't do the job
5) maintain typ 230C rim temp after spice frying ie throughout the base addition
6) there needs to be enough oil 

This was not written at the beginning of April. The journey was inspired by Parker21 and Did not disappoint.

I'm at journey end on this. The info being just for those who are interested.

Garp,

I tried to put you or anyone with the same mindset off at the start of the thread. 

As you are happy with what you produce then you don't need any help from me.

I am sort of in a similar boat - I don't need any help. What I mean by this is that I'm very happy with what I produce. Yes I'd like to understand the why and that is a tedious business.

In short all this post is saying is - if you've purchased a burner just having high heat is not enough. Other factors have just as important contributions to make.

976bar,

Sir 6 th sense for sure.

Not for this topic but for vindaloo which I'm racking my brains on at the moment.

Had sort of come to the conclusion that trial and error was not going to deliver on this dish and I needed to step back and apply some logic.

Many thanks will have a go at fitting ingredients to the seasoning model

Yes. Several members all contributed to it earlier in this post. There is an "adey" video in the post which is the starting point

The crux outstanding being stock which is used in meat balti and the base which we don't know anything about. Using a BIR base is pretty good but still short.