I have to take a break for an hour or so while I go out.  I'll finish the BIR style when I return.

The book version is delicious and so easy, so the BIR dish has to be real good to make it worth the extra time and effort.  Book version has noticeable chopped onion but that doesn't concern me.

Book Method. (Part 2)

Book method. (part 1)

AP's / JV's original Base Gravy.

Quote from: Secret Santa on September 17, 2014, 02:10 AM
Huge pieces of chicken livo! 

300grams on each plate cut into 7 pieces.  I don't like tiny pieces as they can become dry, particularly breast. I'll cut these in half once precooked and to be fair I'll also cut the other dish in half as well.

Precooked Chicken.

The original recipe comes from a book called "1000 Recipes Indian, Chinese, Thai and Asian".  I am using only the ingredients listed from the book with 2 exceptions being a small amount of Mix Powder and Brown Sugar being added since these are required for the Base Gravy I'm going to use.

edit: Not pictured is 4 dried curry leaves on each side.  Also the pre-cooked chicken recipe called for 1 cardamom pod, a tiny piece of cassia bark, 4 black peppercorns and half a dozen cumin seeds so in order to properly compare, I also added the same to the book version by throwing them in with the cooking onions before the chicken was added.

Here are pics showing the prepared ingredients.

I'll put this in another thread.

Is your part of the planet not collectively known as "The Brittish Isles"?

In the event of the "Yes" vote winning, what about the name, the "Fractured United Kingdom"?

I'm going to spend the day cooking 2 versions of Balti Chicken Madras.  One will be a straight preparation following a stand alone "Book Recipe".  The second one will contain, as much as humanly possible, the exact same ingredients but prepared in the BIR method.  Just to see what difference, if any, the method actually makes to the finished dish.  Also as much as possible I'll try to follow AP's recipes and method depending on how much I can glean in the time I have to do this experiment.

Has anybody else done this?

Quote from: RingStinger on September 16, 2014, 09:20 PM
I tell you people, you should take a step back and have a look at the stuff you post on these forums,  The place is an amazing resource, but the behavior of the participants is frankly strange.  Lots of bad language, showing each other no respect    What's it all about guys?

I have to disagree RS. I have been lurking around BIR sites for a couple of years now and this one for a while on and off.  I learnt more here in my first 30 posts than I did on the others combined.  I don't find the language appalling or even close to bad.  There is plenty of bounce between different members but have a look at the number of posts they have. These members are old mates and the pretend push and shove is a part of the appeal to some people, me included. The very nature of a "healthy" forum that is not heavily moderated to the point of frustrating the members.

I've asked questions on one of the other sites then sat back for months and listened to the grass grow and a lonely cricket chirp in the distance.  A recent response to my second attempt at a question on one of them was for a member to write " Bueller .....Bueller".  Google it if you don't understand the reference.

This is a great place to get the information you are after and consider it similar to a bar or brothel. We know it's there but no one forces you in.

If I go anywhere near one of 10 or so Indian Restaurants / Takeaways within my general roaming area, the aroma greats you long before you step over the threshold, and quite a distance away if your coming from downwind.  The weight of the smell, and what it does to your appetite triggers, is undeniable, although I'm sure there are a number of people who hate it.  Poor buggers really. Like people allergic to crustaceans, they need and deserve a telephone assistance number.

When cooking my base gravies, and dishes at home there is no doubt that I obtain a similar aroma, and it even lasted a day or so last week after a big days cooking, but it isn't anywhere near the pungency and character of the shops.  Is it just the shear volume and variety prepared in one place?  I'm not convinced of this, but it could be.  I still feel that something is missing.  I just don't know what it is. 

I've never heard it referred to as the 5% but I guess it's as good a name for it as anything.