Hi Andy,

So the fusing is for the spices, and not the base sauce? - this is where I've been going wrong then. Are the spices in the pre-made paste fused when they are prepared and should you get the smokey smell when you're fusing.

A8

Funny, isn't it, how most BIR stuff seems to have that smokey taste. This includes the naan breads and the dishes that don't use any base. I've noticed pretty big bags of MSG, and some stuff called meat tenderiser, at my local Asian suppier.  I bought some MSG once, but bottled out from using it as I had no idea how much to put in.

When you think of it, a restaurant is judged purely on flavour, not how good the food is for you. There aren't really any combacks regarding the actually health benefits (or lack of) as long as they don't overstep the line. If there was a cheap, powdered product that I could buy which would  enhance my work and make my business more profitable, I'm pretty sure I would use it!

A8

I was able to get a Makro card pretty easily for my mother, who has nothing to do with my business. She spends much more there than I do. If you know someone with a card, you may be able to use them to get one yourself. They sell a lot of Knorr stuff there (and Barts).

Remember, Shy bairns get nowt!

A8

Surely Makro will have it. Everybody knows someone with a Makro card.

A8

I was going to give the base a go, but was unsure of the quantities so I chickened out. I've  had a go at the fusing technique, but haven't really been that successful with that. I'm sure this is down to me though.

I've have experimented with a few variations on bases now, and they all turn out pretty similar, so I'm thinking that the secret is in the technique that's used to make the individual curries, that's why I'm so keen to see the video.

A8

There's a bloke who has a stall in Durham indoor market, and his curries, which are just sauce without anything in them, cost more than a takeaway. There's no particular smell to them, or you wouldn't be able to get near. Being a smug git, I chuckle to myself as a walk past.

Incidentally fellow Northerners, I just bought myself a great black iron curry pan from Makro in Washington. It cost a piffling ?5.50, (plus Vat) and when I seasoned it I was able to fry an egg in it without it sticking at all. Give it a quick wipe, and it's ready to go again.

A8

Hi, Woodpecker, I suppose the whole curry experience involves all the senses, so the more of the easy stuff you can get right - plates, smells, appearance etc, this will , to some extent, make up for anything lacking in the taste dept. Maybe some piped Indian music though and flock wallpaper might work on my subconscious.

Spicy, my bahgees tasted Fab, but the shape was a bit naff to say the least. I found that I started with the consistency of the mix spot on but, in the time it took for the oil to heat up, the mixture went really sloppy. Obviously the onions must release moisture as they stand. Next time, I'll make them a bit stiffer, or add some flour at the last minute. They ended up as those flat- shaped things that you often get.

Hope you all have a good one.

A8

Hello All,

Over the Christmas, I had my folks round for curries. I made six different types of curry and some where better than others, but all were very well received. I made 1kg of rice a ton of onion bahgees, plus the yella sauce that goes with them. There were also home-made naans and some Kulfi. Nobody liked the kulfi as I put too many nuts in it, but the KD recipe still worked. The poppadoms were the only thing bought in.

When I looked at the amount of grub that I'd been able to produce single-handed, I realised that this could only have been done using the shortcuts of BIR cooking. I was totally knackerd and now appreciate that there's a hell of a lot of graft that goes into your average takeaway, even with the shortcuts. They're bloody cheap at half the price.

Anyway what I learned was:

I think I'll give the mooli a miss from my next base as this tends to add a bitterness that has to be compensated for with sugar, leaving a slightly sweet-and-sour taste.

The only time I got near to 'that smell' was with my rice - I wonder if that's where it comes from.

I tried a few different base recipes, and all the results were very similar, so I concluded that, it's unlikely that there's a missing magic ingredient . The  illusive BIR taste is probably down to technique so I look forward to seeing Chilli Prawn's video

The most important thing I learned was that I should record what I'm doing. This way, if it turns out well, I can replicate it and if it doesn't, I wont make the same mistake twice. Sounds obvious but I tend to forget to do this when I'm cooking. I made some fantastic rice, but can't remember the exact spice mix.

Having too many variables on the go in one recipe make it impossible to know what the significance of each change is, so try and stick with a recipe and change only one thing at a time.

I tried making two curries, one using spice mix and the other using curry powder and it was debatable which was best. I think I spoiled the curry powder one by adding fenugreek, which was already in the powder. I'm always tempted to overdo this particular spice as it has a curry smell ( like curry powder) and I associate this smell with a good curry. Overuse of it can, in my opinion, give a woody taste.

I tried frying spices, versus just putting them into the base. Again, not sure which was best, but as I used spice mix in one and curry powder in the other, I couldn't make a proper judgement anyway (too may variables).

So there's my latest ramblings. I'm not anywhere near being there yet, but still enjoying trying.

A8

Hello Mr Sarsy,

I didn't notice a pot noodle outlet anywhere near. It was outside the Asian food shop, just off the roundabout at Laygate. That's quite a good shop, don't you think?

Can you remember that there was once a restaurant down the King's Road (I think) where you could see the chefs working in the kitchen, through a glass partition. When I went, this wasn't the case.

A8

Yeah, nice one CP.

I thought Knorr catering paste was part of your UCB recipe?!!

A8