Quote from: harley on November 18, 2012, 05:53 PM
I too would like to know the bunjarra please Salvador.

There's a bunjarra / bunjara / spicy onion paste recipe on this site here: https://curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=3921.0, and I've had great results using the onion paste recipe from p. 20 of Mick Crawford's pdf, though I tweak it a little (as I tweak everything - can't help myself!) by using a little less tandoori masala, cutting the teaspoon of sugar out (the caramelised onions are sweet enough for me), and adding a little tomato puree.

Mick is known as Curry Barking Mad on this forum, and you can get hold of his book in pdf form from here: https://curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=3921.0

Fantastic value, and for me it's well worth it for the onion paste recipe alone.

A word of warning though. Do set aside anything up to an hour to make this properly. It's the slow caramelisation of the onions that's key to the success of a good bunjarra/bunjara, and you need to be watching over the pan like a hawk, stirring regularly (and being particularly vigilant towards the end). Don't use a heavy based pan that retains heat for hours after it's taken off the flame/hob. Your perfectly caramelised onions will continue to cook their way into pure carbon territory!

It's a dead simple process really, and once you've cracked it there's a good chance that you'll become hooked on the stuff, as I have.

Make a reasonable sized batch, and jar it. Keeps in the fridge for weeks.

If you can, try to leave some of your bunjara-ised curry overnight for sampling the next day. You should find the intensity levels have nearly doubled!

Quote from: getonthegarabi on November 23, 2012, 10:33 AM
Chicken madras two-part youtube recently uploaded.  Looks good! 

The narrator is called Ala and not Ali as I posted earlier.

Rob 

Just watched both parts. Points of interest for me, in terms of how it varies from other BIR Madras dish videos we've seen, were:

1. Use of sliced/chopped garlic instead of garlic/ginger paste.
2. Spices straight into hot oil (usually diluted tom puree tends to go in first).
3. No dried methi leaf.
4. Less spices/mix powder than I've seen some chefs use. Looked to be around half a tablespoon of mix powder and half a tablespoon of chilli powder (though heat levels are augmented by the use of naga paste).
5. Much less tomato puree used than some chefs. I'd guess only a tablespoon or so, rather than the full chef spoon (2-3 tablespoons some put in). This results in a much lighter coloured Madras than some I've encountered (including my own).
6. A fairly lengthy reduction period, with the pan sitting over the flame bubbling away untouched (though I know lots of other chefs do this as well).
7. I didn't spot any of the traditional lemon dressing going in, though may have missed it.
8. Despite the lengthy reduction time, the end result is a relatively thin sauce. (Not a criticism, just an observation.)

Of course, the proof of the Madras is in the munching, but it's interesting to observe how different chefs approach the same dishes in slightly different ways.

For me, the most accomplished chefs are the ones who can extract more depth of flavour from smaller quantities of spices. I think many of us (including me) tend to err on the side of caution and use too much on occasions, so I'm going to try reigning myself in for the next Madras attack.

Looking forward to more from Chef Imram!

Looks WAY better than the chef's effort!

I've been knocking out spicy egg dishes since becoming hooked on 'Scrambled Eggs, Parsi Style' way back, after seeing a recipe in one of Pat Chapman's early tomes, but few have looked that good.

You've inspired me to up my game!

Quote from: RubyDoo on November 21, 2012, 03:01 PM
Get yourself a Krupps F203
VERY good and reliable.

Yep - that is indeed the model in the link above. An excellent grinder:  http://www.amazon.co.uk/Krups-Twin-Blade-Coffee-Mill/dp/B00004SPEU/ref=pd_cp_kh_0

Quote from: michael.t on November 20, 2012, 07:05 PM
Great video SD ( Pakistani Powder always something secret  )

As far as I know, 'Pakistani Powder' is nothing more than this: http://www.spicesofindia.co.uk/acatalog/Al-Noor-Pakastani-Bassar-Curry-Masala.html

Dammit, CH - that is pure mouthwatering class.

Just the look of those dishes puts the local BIR I dined in last week to shame, and I have no doubt that the taste does too.

Had I not just consumed a lamb vindaloo and vegetable side I constructed earlier, I'd be banging away at the stove right now on the strength of that porn!

It is said amongst the realms of elite, enlightened curry cognoscenti that it is considered a crime to do anything other than learn to embrace the splattering, but I have also heard it whispered amongst inner circles that one of these can help maintain marital harmony:

http://www.cheftools.com/images/06-1118.jpg

When I (eventually) acquire a pressure cooker, this is the kahari method I'm going to try:

Mutton Karahi by Fazal E Haq

In fact, it will be the FIRST thing I try in my soon to be acquired pressure cooker!

Quote from: Phil [Chaa006] on November 18, 2012, 12:04 PM
The review is very positive indeed; I am beginning to think I must give this one a try.
** Phil.

Indeed you must, Phil! This has been my default Madras recipe since I discovered it here almost a year ago, and I can only echo Harley's comments.

I've found that it works with any decent base, and while it's excellent as it is, the depth of flavour is further enhanced by the addition of a tablespoon of good bunjarra. In fact, it is this Madras recipe and bunjarra combination that gave me one of those 'eureka' moments in my lifelong quest (well, since 1981/2) to recreate the Glasgow experience.

Here's how it turns out (sauce only) for me:

Quote from: getonthegarabi on November 17, 2012, 01:59 PM
The chap narrating the Viceroy vids (Ali) had uploaded a new youtube describing his blog website.  Base gravy and spinach bhaji recipes soon!

please check my blog

Rob 

For those with no sound (or those, like this idiot, who forgot to turn it on  :): http://www.myindian.biz/