Intersting Post, I too long for the old taste but it does seem to have been lost in the mist of time. Next time I am up in Glasgow I will go to The Shish Mahal and have a go with the Bhuna. It was a thick dryish sauce back then and a real favourite. The Kohinoor and the Shish competed in the infamous Gibson Street beside Glasgow University, happy memories and great food. My other favourite was Chicken Biriani with the quarter boiled egg through the rice and chicken with a typical curry sauce of the time.

Today I took everything I needed out of the Freezer for the Sunday Curry except the chicken which is marinating as per The Ashoka recipe as I type. I thought it was worth posting that among the colourful freezer bags were the Following goodies and none of them negatively effected by this means of storage. All of the list come from The Ashoka Posts.

Base Sauce,
Bunjarra,
Garlic/Ginger Paste
Green Chili Paste
Reclaimed Oil from the Base
Half Cooked Pakora
Masala Base

Cant wait to put it all together with the marinading Chicken. For those not confident with Freezer storage I can genuinely say that I find Little or no deterioration in my end results. Hope this encourages our newbies to get to work on the basics and get a good store of all you need t to cook great BIR replicas. Hope this helps .PP

Last week I prepared for the first time the Masala base from the recipes above and cooked the recipe for Chicken Masala that the chef gave me and it was seriously good so good that my wife has requested it for today. So I intend to cook it along with Chicken Karahi above too. I do recommend these recipes they are genuine BIR recipes though as ever regional variation may determine how others rate them but as someone who has travelled extensively around the British Isles and made it my "duty" to have curries wherever I have been they still stand out. I don't believe anyone will be disappointed if you stick to the letter and have a go. So today we will have Pakora to begin folowed by both curries and pilou rice.

I finally got the time to read through this awesome thread. Unclebuck you are a living legend. This made for wonderful reading. I am amazed that you make it all look so easy and the final construction pic is just fantastic. Your mates must love it when you have them round.

I cant wait for your next project and although it ain't a curry thing perhaps you could open a new thread and keep us all enthralled as your pizza oven comes together (I am sure nobody will mind). I lived in the South of France over the last four years and they were very popular in the outdoor kitchens many folks had in the garden. I am not sure of the actual wood used or whether it mattered but the pizza produced was the best ever.

This site is just fantastic and this piece of work adds even more to the pride in which I have in recommending it to anybody who is interested. Your a star and thanks together with all the others who have contributed. Great entertainment and inspiration. PP

Hey Just noticed this review. Honestly it must have been a night when the chefs had the flu or something as it is genuinely one of the best restaurants you will find anywhere. They were one of the two original Indians that took off big style in the 70s in the West End and today they still have relatively unique menu while still providing all the usual fare. The father of the present owner published the first book I ever found for cooking the stuff at home. He did what he could to help us recreate the goodies but of course held onto the secrets never mentioning base sauce but it helped and was really appreciated building them a Strong loyal following. Bir royalty in fact, if ever in Glasgow take it in its well worth it and I am glad someone else agrees. PP

Personally I don't add any salt since the very salty Bunjarra has become a staple for me in most of my favourite curries. Sadly I suspect many Birs the ones using high amounts of artificial colouring agents use MSG which accounts for that horrible post meal thirst that can happen though thankfully not in all restaurants. I tend to ask for it to be omitted in Chinese Restaurants and it has no real notable difference once you have weaned your self off adding salt when the true flavours of food comes through. Cheers PP

JerryM, I tend to use fresh chili finely chopped and cooked in with the Garlic/Ginger paste. For friends who are maniacs I have them sliced and put on top as a garnish to the final dish. Cheers PP

Your correct Philos best thing on the web and Curry King has been one of the guys that has made it so, I love his recipes too. PP

Guys just a small point. The Ashoka chef suggested that we consider substituting olive oil for the margarine when making the base sauce for health reasons. Personally I would like to but have yet to take the risk in case it effects the taste though he didn't feel that it would. He repeatedly stated that at home he would use more expensive and healthier options while cooking eg red onions and olive oil. Cheers PP

Guys if it helps I noticed in my local TA the other night while back in Scotland that there were large catering jars of Pataks Ticka Masala which is the brand also used in The Ashoka. Cheers Panpot