I use a thinish base, and typically use 3 lev (5ml) tps per 450 mls of base, plus extra chillie etc etc

ta!

Is the 'tikka paste', tikka paste, or tikka masala paste??  I've only seen tikka masala by pataks.

There is not much spice mix added at the 'dish preparation' stage of Bruce's madras, probably because he puts relatively large amounts in his base.

So if anyone is making this recipe using a different base, it WILL lack depth of flavour unless the quantity of spice mix is increased accordingly.

Sorry forgot to say that it is possible to get away with not using pre-cooked chicken because it cooks fast enough, obvioulsy a BIR would use cooked becuase they want to cook your meal in less than 5 mins, not 10 to 15!

Obvioulsy it would not be possible to use raw lamb in this way, it would have to be pre-cooked!

This is quite spooky, that is pretty much the same as the way I make my madras:-

-3tbs oil
-3 or 4 breasts of chicken (skinless)
-4 LEVEL tps Bruce Edwards' spice mix (20ml);- use less (1 lev tbs, 15ml) if you wish
-1 or 2 lev tps chilie (I use rajah, they're all slighty different, heat wise)
-1/4 lev tps of GROUND dried methi leaf
-1 lev tps brown sugar ( I actually use '50/50 mix ie 1/2 tps each of demerara & white)
-1/2 tps salt (more if none in your base)
-1 green chilie (the large mildish type, about the size of a finger)
-3 or 4 dried curry leaves (optional, not really needed)
-3 tbs of the juice form a tin of tomartos (or same quantity the blitzed contents of a the tin), do NOT use puree, even white tower, too sweet.
-1/4 of lev tps (and NO more)Worchester sauce.
-450 mls of any thinish base
-a good tbs chopped corriander leaf (with the fineer stalks)

Heat oil in  a heavy based frying pan, chuck in finely chopped chilie and curry leaves, wait 'till frying well and the smaller bits of chillie starting to brown.

Add one ladle of the base and then (immediately) your spice mix, chillie powder, salt, suger and ground dried methi leaf, KEEP stiring and fry for 30 seconds (minute max) 'till you get "toffee" smell, add another ladle of base cook two mins till oild starts to rise, ass (raw!) chicken, cut into smallish pieces.  Cook and stir a couple of mins.

Add remainder of base plus 3 tbs tinned tomarto juice and 1/4 tps worchester sauce.

Cook 10 mins or so on a fairly high heat ( I actually do the whole process on max heat on a big gas ring), 'till sauce thickens to correct BIR consistancy.

Add chopped corry.

NOTE: Even though the chickenwas added raw the 10 to 15 mins the whole process takes ensures the fairly small pieces of chicken are completely cooked through, cut a relatively big bit in half to check.

Serve with pilau rice and chipattis!

REALLY good, last had it night before last!

Sometimes at the initial frying stage I also add a small dried chillie, and at the end of the cooking make sure it's on top of the curry as a garnish, along with some uncooked plucked corriander leaf just scattered on top!

NOTE the tomarto juice adds sourness and gives a more BIR ish flavour in my opinion than lemon juice or vinager.  The small quantity of Worchester adds a tamarind note, but with a more rounded flavour, this is REAL BIR trick, I've seen it done in a demo.

Enjoy!

It's making my mouth water just looking at it!

A further comment:-

I've never been particularly keen on Pataks tandoori paste or their tikka paste, it's not that it's bad, I just don't think they are good; OK perhaps, but not as good as doing it from scratch....

That's a really good question, I too would like to know more about how BIRs use this stuff!

I've got some, but it only goes into PC chix tikka recipe, that CA (I think) posted, it's VERY good by the way.

I freeze my base too, in 450ml portions.

The water will have separated on defrost, best stir it back in, since it came from the base in the first place, otherwise your base will have become more concentrated.

During the initial freezing, the growing ice crystals tend to 'reject' the solid ingredients, but its only on defrosting that this becomes apparent!