I've tried three curry powders - Rajah, East End, and 'Resturant Masala' as described on this site. It's made no difference as to whethere or not I've gotten a good result. All are capable of a good result, all will fail if you don't cook it right!

No garam masala. The spices I used in the dish stage were a modest teaspoon of Rajah Curry Powder, some chilli powder, 1/2 each of sugar and salt, and one of Fenugreek leaves.

The specifics of the curry powder are of no importance. Any sensilbe 'curry powder' mix will get you the right results. This is not a concern. I've stuck with Rajah Madras powder as the local shop sells it. Any other brand would give the same reults, as I'm sure, would any home blend of cumin/coriander/turmeric etc.

Nope, it was plain veg oil. I believe its the quantity and temperature of this oil that is so vital. Correct and amount, and BLAZINGLY hot.

The recipie I used was a slight adapatiaion of those you posted, but with less spice basically. I'm gonna wait till I've got photos before I do a more detailed recipie/method. Amout of oil, heat, and adherernce to method are all so important.

There is ABSOLUTELY NOT a secret ingredient in the base sauce.

The magic comes AFTER.

Any of the sauces commonly used on this site will suffice.

Personally, I would like to see a decent number of us commit to using just one (I'd go with Dhillion) from now on, and sticking with it. The variables are elsewhere, and the way everyone is fussing over the base sauce makes it that much harder for us all to concentrate on the DISH COOKING, which is where it's all at.

This is the TRUTH people, seriously.

Hello forum

I've been away from the forum for a few months, as after a solid month of home-BIRing I took some time off to go back to some traditional Indian cooking. Anyway, I've had another spell of nightyl BIRing kicked off another month of BIRing, and am happy to have done three spot-on dishes in as manynights - something I've not before done. It's all based on the info MarkJ posted at the top of this thread, big respect to him. Anyway, my observations.

I've tried 3 bases - and concluded this is definataly, definaatly, DEFINATELY not where we are missing out. I tried with Dhillion, BruceEdwards, and my own adaptation of Dhillion - and the sauce used had NO bearing on whethere or not I acheived the taste - I acheived  'the taste' with all three, and failed to achieve it with all three. ANY OF THE COMMONLY USED BASES IN THIS FORUM WILL DO.

The difference between success stories and failiures for me I think is due to cooking technique - the AMOUNT and TEMPERATURE of oil used. Too much much or too little oil can prevent you getting the dish right. Not heating the oil enough can have the same effect.

The pre-fried onions are very important to the texture of the dish. Furthermore, I've never got the taste without them either. I'm not convinced they are needed for the taste, but I like my sauces to have them anyway. Chop them finely, and fry them in plent oil on a medium/low temp with 1/2 tsp curry powder, 1/4 tsp turmeric per onion. Fry them gently, for a long time - 30 mins at least. You need them soft, and gently browning. DO NOT let them go dark brown/black - do not let them burn under any circumstances. You don't want that 'hot dog stand onion' flavour at all.

Meat - I've been frying in oil with a shake of chilli and turnmeric and a few bits of casia bark, until they are just done. They then get another 5 or so mins of  blast in the curry, so don't worry too much about under doing them. 10 mins is all they need. I just fry them gently in the pan - all the other methods have added nothing for me, and the taste has been achievable whatever method I use to cook chicken.

As soon as I get my digital camera sorted, I'm going to post a picture of my chef's spoon, pan, and teaspoon, as the shape and size of these three things are important for quantities - the chefs spoon in particualr for the oil and base sauce adding.

When I've got these pics, I'll post recipe/method/pics.

Quote from: raygraham on September 08, 2005, 08:52 AM

Quote from: blade1212 on September 07, 2005, 08:56 PM
I remember curries from over 20 years ago tasting fantastic and I've not managed to replicate some of these historic favorites of mine.

This is EXACTLY what my Dad says. He got hooked on curries in the 70s, and now he is 100% certain that BIR curries these days lack the magic and depth of flavour that they used to. I know what he means to a degree, when I started on curries back in the 80s as a kid, there did seem to be a much richer taste than you get in 95% of BIR places now.

TBH, I only really know of 2 BIRs that I enjoy eating at these days. The vast majority are bland, more tomatoey than anything vaguely Indian.

When it comes to making BIR food at home, it's hard as most BIR food these days is pretty bad, and I'm really trying to copy the specific flavour from 2 places. I'm pretty much like everyone else here. I get 95% of the way there 95% of the time, and every now and then hit jackpot - but then can't repeat it.

I cook more trad Indian food anyway these days, Madhur Jaffrey type stuff.

Quote from: DARTHPHALL on June 08, 2005, 11:18 AM
I`ve noticed Rapeseed oil is used in Supermarket packet Curries.
T.Henry does it make any Difference to your Curries compared to Vegetable oil ?

Rapseed oil = vegetable oil!

Same thing

Quote from: curry_monster on June 07, 2005, 08:49 PM

Quote from: Yellow Fingers on June 07, 2005, 07:41 PM
https://curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=301.0

interesting and ive read the post. but still not there on this topic oil for one ghee for another.. and i didn't mention soz im talking butter ghee not the veg type. veg lifts a meal fat make's it.. im just wondering how many people apply butter ghee.. and oil to diferant dish's.and what they think.. i know ive made several dish's in diferant manner's using both ''not veg' and found very good result's just wondering where to apply these when needed .. im a big believer in butter ghee and think it outshines anything for a good cooking main ingrediant personaly i wouldn't be without it in any curry. as i believe this makes for the taste and smell we so much apreciate of a good indian..home base make that is....could'nt get me head round veg ghee.... way too bland CM

Never use butter ghee. I'm allergic to cows milk, so it makes me ill. Only ever found it one one BIR curry in my entire life (it was the only BIR curry to make me ill.. tasted like crap too). BIRs seem to put butter ghee on Naans, but apart from that, they don't seem to use it. Nor do I.

Rapseed oil every time. Vegetable ghee is the most pointless thing in the world. No flavour, and goes hard like lard on your plate. Gross.

We ought to put this in a FAQ!

Quote from: Yellow Fingers on June 06, 2005, 04:36 PM

Quote from: tonyh on June 05, 2005, 11:40 PM
Kfc is cooked in oil in a pressure cooker

I don't think they do this any more.

QuoteI wonder could the BIR's precook the meat this way??

You're havin a larf ain't ya!

KFC meat is pre-boiled, coated in the batter, then deep fried for a short time.

Quote from: blade1212 on June 04, 2005, 06:47 PM

Quote from: thomashenry on June 03, 2005, 12:12 PM
The pre-cooked (and thus sweet) finely chopped onions are crucial. The fresh tomato is crucial. If adding chunks of onions and pepper, make sure these are pre cooked. Do a batch, and put them in the fridge.

I've stopped using Patacks for the Balit, and switched to curry masala (1/2 teaspoon), and called it a Bhuna

A lot of the time on this board, when people say they've tried to follow recipies and not had success, I suspect that in fact they've not quite followed the recipie, and ommited one or more ingredient, or swapped it for another. Then they wonder why its not working.

Thomashenry, do you caramalise the precooked onions. Can you provide the recipe you use ? is it freezeable ?

any chance you could post the full adapated final recipe for the Bhuna

I will do shortly, during my next curry making phase. I think that the pre-fried onions need to beomce something people look at in the same way as they do their base sauce, and pre-prepare a batch as a matter of course.