Quote from: stevejet66 on November 03, 2012, 03:03 PM
your right mate, but as i explain on julians base if you go to a takeaway and ask for a curry sauce nothing added youll see its a ready made curry. the addition of tom puree/green pepper/chilli/corriandor will be added to a paticular dish. but the curry base is a ready made curry.

Thanks for clarifying that, Steve. 

I've just had a read of the other thread, and must admit it's not something I've seen in the takeaways down south (not sure what part of the country you're in), but I've only been in the kitchens of five or so. As Phil says it may well be something that's becoming more common these days.

Anyway, good on you for continuing to push and strive for the result you're after and sharing your knowledge with us.

Cheers

Gary

Quote from: curryhell on November 03, 2012, 11:43 AM

Quote from: stevejet66 on November 03, 2012, 09:38 AM
Thanks to the guys for there efforts on this one, tried it last night still doesnt taste like a bir, at the end of the video it shows some stock being added from another pot to the final base,Akhni stock , if you look at the video carfully it doesnt look like just a few spices in water, it looks like its full of something else, i.e meat stock or whatever it maybe.

Just to clarify, as I happened to be one of the attendees, the saucepan contents were water, green cardamons, cassia bark and Asian bay leaves  - NOTHING ELSE.
As for the base not being BIR, it is as good as the best on here and better than many IMHO.  But you obviously rate your own very highly.
I have read your base thread and to be honest, there's nothing new or different about it.  It has similarities in ingredients, spicing levels and method to others already discussed on the forum, many of which i've made.  However, it does contain something which has pricked my interest of late; the inclusion of whole spice.  This, coupled with Moonster's endorsement means i'll have to make it and use it for my easy madras recipe.  If it makes as good a madras as i ended up with in the week i'll be happy.  If it delivers more, i'll be one step closer to curry heaven.  My report will follow in due course on the base and the madras.  Anybody else care to try this one out?
https://curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=5346.10

Regards

G0MSQ

Have to agree with curryhell here. The Zaal base - as with many other bases on this site -  is the real deal, and I'd respectfully suggest that anyone who isn't achieving good results with it needs to look to other stages of the process and/or technique, and work on refining/perfecting those.

Sorry you're not getting 'the taste' from your bases, Steve, but thanks for the Chettinad recipe. I came across another one here: http://solaiachiskitchen.blogspot.co.uk/2008/03/chettinad-chicken-authentic-chettinad.html.

They both sound delicious, so I think I'll cook one of each!

P.S. In the early days I found I was getting too hung up on bases, trying loads of different ones and generally overcomplicating things, and achieving nothing other than frustration. Remember that a BIR base gravy is just that - a base. In this case, a simple, lightly spiced onion and veg stew/soup. It's never going to give you that 'BIR taste' on it's own. On its own it will only be a simple, lightly spiced onion/veg stew/soup. Next time you order a takeaway ask for a portion of base gravy to take back home with you. I can guarantee that it will taste just like a simple, lightly spiced onion/veg stew/soup.

Yes, you have to cook it properly, and a well cooked base will produce a better end result, but once I accepted that the base was just a part of the formula, and that it's what comes after that created the 'BIR taste', it set me free.

'The taste' isn't down to any one thing, but a myriad of little things put together in the right way and with the right technique. Keep at it and then keep at it some more, and you WILL get there!

Yep - sound advice!

I'll stick my oar in before the man comes along though, if that's okay.

I've only ever catered for 15, but that involved three mains and three sides (plus breads, rice, poppadoms, etc), and what I learnt from that experience was to do AS MUCH PREP AS POSSIBLE beforehand.

If I was preparing one curry for 30, and wanted it to be as BIR as possible, I'd prepare the base on the Wednesday morning, and then knock out enough sauce for the 30 dishes in the afternoon by making double portions in my trusty 26cm pan.

Sounds a lot of faff, but it would only take a couple of hours to make 15 (generous) double portions of sauce - and it's the only reliable way I know of to replicate BIR in any volume.

One the sauce is done, all you need to do on the Thursday is pre-cook the chicken and sort out rice and any other accompaniments. About half an hour before serving, add the pre-cooked chicken to the big pot of sauce and bring up to serving temp, and then it's just a question of plonking everything on plates/dishes, garnishing with coriander as required.

For those whole like the heat, you could also prepare a few portions of extra hot (vindaloo +) strength sauce and a  little to individual dishes, or simply stir in a teaspoon or so of Mr Naga.

It's probably sheer madness, but that's they way I'd go about it, for what it's worth...

In all honesty I'm more a chapatti/naan man so don't go for rice dishes, so have never experienced the veg curry that accompanies a biryani, but for what it's worth I've never seen any of the BIR chefs in my locality prepare their veg curries like that. Like the meat the veg is pre-cooked (some places from frozen) and added to the pan in the same way.

But maybe some places have a huge pot of base with veggies in it, just for this very purpose?

I guess it's just different ways of achieving the same end result. As long as it tastes good!

Quote from: Ader1 on November 01, 2012, 08:49 AM
Do you think I would be able to 'bolt' the frame down to something heavier to give stability?

I suppose you could fashion some form of bracket to attach to the legs, but you shouldn't really need to, as these things are pretty big and heavy and tend to stay wherever you put them.

I've certainly had no stability issues, and I'd say it's more important to make sure that whatever you intend to put the burner on is stable (your standard folding table isn't really up to it if you like to dance the curry pan fandango, BIR chef style  ). 

Quote from: StoneCut on November 01, 2012, 09:36 AM
Just a hint regarding chopping onions: For my first base I chopped them really finely and it was a major pain for me (my wife usually does the cooking). For my next base I just divided them into quarters instead. Much less cutting/hassle and they still cooked through. Took maybe 15 minutes longer.

So - don't worry about chopping them too finely, IMHO.

I tend to quarter my onions too, as do most of the BIR chefs I've watched. But halved is fine, and I know of some who cook them whole (indeed, they insist you get a much sweeter base as a result). I've tried all ways, and find that as long as they're cooked for long enough it doesn't really make any difference.

Nice one, CH - that Madras and phal look like the real deal.

As I've mentioned before, I'm a fan of the Zaal base too, and while I always add a tablespoon or so of the stock from the precooked meat to my curries, I hadn't thought of launching it all straight into the base.

It's something that I'll definitely be trying though... 

Quote from: George on October 28, 2012, 09:06 PM

Quote from: Salvador Dhali on October 28, 2012, 11:45 AM
In her biography on Voltaire, Hall wrote the phrase: "I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it

But presumably that also applies to my opinion that it's out of order to criticise too heavily anything which clearly isn't to one's taste, as in mocking those who might enjoy a korma, pop artist or anything.

However, let's give your approach a try. I'll no longer refrain from expressing my true opinion on some of the dishes you enjoy making, but which I personally can't stand. I think it will be a retrograde step for the forum, if everyone does what you're done, but let's give it a try. I urge everyone to join in.

George, I fear that you miss the point. If you go back to your comment, you expressed the opinion that I was intolerant. That's absolutely fine - I have no problem with that. As said, I may disapprove of what you say, but will defend to the death your right to say it.

However, in the next sentence you instruct me to "keep such opinions to [myself]".

That's where the problem is, and where free speech comes under attack. But whether or not you can see the point here, I'm not going to dwell on it any more. It's been fun (some brilliant verbal swordplay between you and your mate there, Phil  ;D), but life is too short and there are curries to be made... *



*But obviously not kormas...  (For me, anyway...)

Thanks Secret Santa and Phil - I have learnt something new! Who would think it, eh? By concatenatious circumstance, to whit, the expression of an opinion on an open forum, comes the birth of knowledge previously unknown to me (and, I would venture, many others). 

And you are indeed correct, Phil. It was Evelyn Beatrice Hall (1868