Quote from: Mark J on December 18, 2005, 06:11 PM
Do you add msg Pete? I dont think it is the missing flavour however most BIR's would use it IMHO

Hi Mark
? ? ? ? ?have you tried it in the base?
I'll add some to some base I have already made
I must admit that I feel I do something wrong with msg.
I add it and can't tell a difference
I tried it on a few things recently
I know you have had a lot of success lately
Do you think you make exactly the same as your BIR now?

Quote from: John on December 18, 2005, 06:15 PM
Just a though about the missing ingredient: we use tomato in the base and we know that tomato ketchup is used in bir's but has any one tried alittle bit of HP brown sauce as that has a slightly fruity taste and it's very moorish.

Hi John
? ? ? ? ? I'll give that a go too
It definitely seems to be a fruity sort of taste

Quote from: DARTHPHALL on December 18, 2005, 06:27 PM
I've tried Tomato Ketchup,puree & fresh all making no major difference.

This brings me to the missing ingredient quandary, it is so distinct, the only ingredient that I've noticed to make that much difference is Maggi liquid Seasoning & the water from the cooked Chicken.
Everything else just adds what we all seem to be saying " an extra dimension & depth" to the Curry overall, but i have enough of that. i want that missing link, i have a sneaking suspicion its not an orthodox Indian ingredient,or what we assume is orthodox.
I`m going to post the final stage Vindalloo now .
DARTHPHALL

Hi Darth
? ? ? ? ? ?I've got some maggi seasoning, I'll try that as well
I wouldn't be surprised if there is an unorthodox ingredient
But at least I've got a few more ideas to try
Thanks everyone!

A guest might be someone who knows restaurant recipes
Maybe even someone who works in a restaurant
Maybe they would eventually post

Thanks Darth
                   I appreciate the recipe, but I have curry bases fighting their way out of the freezer.
It is very similar to some recipes I have tried and I am sure that it is a good one.

You said you bought some proper base
It's really runny, isn't it?

You also said it is exactly like your recipe,but for the missing ingredient

The latest bases I have made are the same
That close and yet missing, what I consider, to be the best bit

If this was a "got to make a large quantity" issue then I think your 15 onion recipe would do the job.

My present thoughts, are that we hide the taste, by putting too much spice or salt in.
When I have used up my curry base stocks
I will try your recipe, but I want to get this missing flavour
I must admit, I am beginning to think, this last part of the puzzle is impossible.
Short of the occasional fluke, a bought curry always beats mine
Do you think there is a missing herb or vegetable to the base?


                   

Has anyone else managed to get a sample of the curry base?
I have been trying loads of different permutations to get an exact match
Although my family seem to not tell the difference, I still can
There is a slight fruity, extremely yummy taste, that I just can't get
This extra something we all want is in the base
You can eat a bought base it's own
I had a long chat with several chefs and they are adamant that you cannot get the same results at home.
I don't think there is any secrecy over the recipe, I now believe it to be a physical fact.
I don't understand it though but these dissapointments are very upsetting
My whole house smells like a fried onion today, as a result of all this cooking, and I still haven't got exactly what I want
One thing did become clear though
I got much closer by have a very thin curry base
I wondered also if this fruity taste might be mango chutney?
Whatever it is, it's very nice

Quote from: DARTHPHALL on December 17, 2005, 06:40 PM
Thanks Adamski for your faith in.... Cornish Curries !!!

Hi Darth
? ? ? ? ? ?I'm not putting down Cornish Curries
I lived there for five years and there were loads of brilliant meals
It was just one restaurant I didn't like
It was supposed to be a special event, with a special meal and it wasn't!
The only thing in it's favour, was that is wasn't greasy
I have had a few bad experiences in Nottingham too
The worst was a curry that one of my kids brought home
I reckon a quarter of it's volume WAS oil
It had a very rancid taste too
That place has closed now

Quote from: adamski on December 17, 2005, 06:31 PM
Dont give up on Cornwall, several times I've taken the familly to Cornwall and there is a superb indian called the Taj Mahal (unoriginal I know) in Penzance that does fantastic BIR food, always packed and the take-aways are so good.

Hi Adamski
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? I still go to Cornwall fairly regularly
I really like Penzance, I've got cousins who work and live there
I flew to the Scilly Ilse from Penzance, and have been on the Scillonian a few times too
I don't think serving curries on that boat would be a good idea!
I hope I can check the Taj Mahal out, one day.

Just places I've lived (as I'm sure you knew!)
But wherever I've had a curry, the general taste, has been very similar
The only place where I was disappointed was Cornwall
It was a restaurant called "the indian cottage"
I thought it tasted a bit home made
I used to frequent a restaurant in Farnham on South Street
It closed ages ago
I really loved the food
I sometimes called in at 5.30 in the afternoon on a Sunday
I was the only customer (not surprising) and it was quite strange to be see your meal in daylight.
It was normally low light or candles.
Apparently, when the place was taken over, there were rats and everything there.
The food was great though!

Hi Mark
? ? ? ? ? This is the local variation
Round here a vindaloo is not a hot curry
Madras is hotter and a Ceylon is very hot
They are all brilliant curries though
I buy vindaloo if the whole family is eating
That way, everyone can have some
When I used to buy curries in Croydon, Farnham, Derby, Sheffield and Helston the vindaloo was a very hot curry
It was only one step down from a phall

Quote from: steve e on December 16, 2005, 12:38 PM
Hi Pete,
Tried the vindaloo recipe last night followed it to the letter, result was fantastic, I am hooked on this recipe .
Thanks
Steve e

That's brilliant Steve
My recent demo posts are very "straight forward" curries
And that's how the takeaways cook them
Which recipe base did you use?

Quote from: DARTHPHALL on December 15, 2005, 02:34 PM
Bloody hell look at all that Oil !!!

Hi Darth
           I never buy a curry without that amount of oil
That's why I think we might be aiming for different results
It's this oil that carries the predominant aroma and flavour
If your bought curries don't have it, then they must be very different altogether

Quote from: naga dave on December 12, 2005, 03:09 PM
? ? I don't use egg in nan, but a chef once told me he used one egg in a large batch of dough. My dough recipe is easy -
? ? ? ? ? ? ? 1lb self raising flour [ yes it really works]
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?2 tsp salt
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?1 - 2 tbsp sugar,
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?1/2 pt water
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? 2 tsp kalonji

? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? Makes 4 good sized nan.

? ? Keema stuffing -? minced lamb [must be lamb]
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? plenty of crushed and chopped ginger and garlic
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? chopped coriander
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? light spicing
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? salt

? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? Neally forgot, brush nan with melted gee or butter when cooked?

Hi Naga
          there is no oil in this recipe
Is that right?