Quote from: DalPuri on April 12, 2012, 02:54 PM
HEAR HEAR!
Like i've always said, a good curry is a good curry!
It irks me when i hear people from both sides refusing to even consider a recipe if it doesn't conform to their standard template.
People from the non BIR world wont touch anything that has base gravy, and vise versa  :

An example was when i posted 2 videos. The first was watched by someone and because it didn't use any base gravy, they refused to watch the second video.
It was only when somebody else pointed out that a base gravy was used in the 2nd video that they changed their tune.  :
Thats just sad. 

Apart from a dozen or so recipes, the best thing that this forum has given me so far in regards to cooking curry  are
Bassar powder and Panch poran.
Both of which are not exactly BIR standards, BUT,, make fantastic flavourful curries. 

Frank 

I can only echo those sentiments, Frank. Balls to the 'purists' I say. It's like anything in life, if you subscribe exclusively to one particular belief system, whether it be rooted in cuisine, religion or politics, then you shut yourself off to other possibilities. Or as some wise geezer once said, "Belief is the death of the soul".

Sheesh - that's maybe a bit too profound for a curry forum, so getting back on topic I really must track down some Bassar powder.

Julian mentions that he uses it in his eBook, or rather, he mentions in his eBook that he uses it, and he picked it up from visiting Pakastani run restaurants, which happen to make my favourite style of curries.

I've come across the Al Noor and Supreme brands, so I'll try both I reckon... 

Quote from: curryhell on April 11, 2012, 07:20 AM
Thanks for all your input guys.  I keep wondering if i've overdone something or not done enough . It has certainly given me some food for thought (but not as tasty as i would have liked  )  .  I have a couple of ideas to try out.  If i manage to unlock the water from the base I may then be able to get the true flavour from the gravy .  Until i find the key and can achieve this the true taste of the Julian's C2G base may remain hidden forever
My scores of 5 / 6 could leap considerably ;D .
Maybe Julian would care to comment and maybe tell me where i've gone wrong?   

Hopefully the man will be along when he's finished another stint at C2G, but in the meantime, speaking as one who recently knocked up 15L of Julian's base*, all I can say is that, like many other bases I've made over the years, it worked well. No problems with reduction in the final curry, etc.

*The only thing I did differently was to fry (bhagar) the spices along with the blended toms and some extra g/g paste at stage two. Otherwise it was low and slow and by the book.

Sometimes though, despite your best efforts, bases can be right bastards. I've had to ditch many a base in my time, yet I remain mystified as to why they've not turned out like their forebears. They had the same ingredients, in the same pan, and were cooked for the same length of time on the same cooker using the same heat, but for some reason they just didn't turn out right.

But I'm guessing we're not alone in this, CH, so chin up and crack on with another!

If you'd like to see a BIR chef preparing this dish, check out the video that CBM posted earlier in this thread:

https://curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=8196.0

As CBM says: "You will see how dark the chef allows the residue in the pan to get, this is deliberate on his part. He did it with all the side dishes that I saw him cook. Having tasted a couple of them I can see why. They weren't burnt but had a fantastic smoky taste to them."

Top work as always, CBM - much appreciated.

This is almost a carbon copy of how the chefs at my favourite local BIRs make their saag and mushroom bhajis, and is the method I try to replicate at home.

People on both forums often ask where that smokey flavour comes from... Well, here it is!

Why oh why did I click on this thread....

(Want-want-want-wantwant!  ;D)

Quote from: alarmist10 on April 09, 2012, 07:13 AM
Like you, SL, I have been cooking curry 3 - 4 times a week for the past 6 months or so.......and my technique has improved substantially as a result of info on the forum.  Mind you, so has my waistline!  Yesterday I tried on my suit trousers (not worn for the past 3 years) and they were a good 2 - 3 inches from meeting at the top.

Yes, I'm convinced we're all getting better, but we pay for it in the ever expanding waist.  Trouble is the damn curries are just so delicious............

al.

And there was me thinking I'd put all my clothes in the washer on the wrong program... 

As has been said many times before, you learn something new here every day...

Quote from: chewytikka on April 07, 2012, 01:47 PM
Hi prawnsalad
LOL ;D Oh No, Old Bhaji oil again, absolute nonsense.
Really bad practice, H&S issues and will add nothing of value to your base gravy.

Old Bhaji oil, A Complete Red Herring.
Convincing novices that they have to do this to get the BIR taste is untrue and criminal IMHO.

Couldn't agree more. Been there, done that. It makes naff-all difference. And whole I have no doubt that some BIRs recycle old oil, not one of the dozen or so I've been in use it (at least there was no evidence of any - just the usual tubs of veg ghee by the stove).

Quote from: chewytikka on April 07, 2012, 01:47 PM
I was amazed to read one review, where they say out of 119 pages, 100 of them
are a biography/history of the author. - Crikey, that's some preface.

Not sure who that comes from, but more nonsense. Julian's story occupies some parts of some of the chapters, and makes for a more interesting read than your standard recipe and ingredients book (IMHO).

Quote from: haldi on April 07, 2012, 01:42 PM
I'm cooking the 3 litre version, minus spiced oil, too
Instructions miss times for cooking this base
I'm waiting for that "vinegar" smell
2 and a half hours in and no sign yet
Fingers crossed it works out, or it's just another base

'That smell' is pretty subtle, and I find it usually occurs any time from an hour in (cooking in a normal pot, not a pressure cooker). It's difficult to describe - sort of 'tangy' is the best i can do - but it's easy to miss, especially if you've been preparing garlic, ginger and all the rest.

But I wouldn't worry if about it - just let heat and chemistry do their thing. Onceup to tickover temp, if your onions get a nice cook on a low heat for around an hour and a half all will be fine.

No problem with my copy, ramsdedm02, but it may be something to do with the version of Adobe Reader you're using? (Mine is version 9.)

I've just had a search for the problem on the net, and it appears there are other people out there who are having problems opening links in the latest version of Adobe Reader.

Might be worth uninstalling your current version and downloading an earlier one.

Here's a link to download Adobe Reader 9:

http://www.oldapps.com/adobe_reader.php?old_adobe=18?download

A book bringing together the vast acreages of accumulated information on CRO is a splendid idea, and I'd be happy to help out in any way I can.

I see from UB's post that it's something that's been discussed before, but perhaps now the time is ripe?

Quote from: michael.t on April 05, 2012, 07:06 PM
Well you make laugh  and I think it would be fair to say the forum would be a duller place with out you
Now what else can get you to buy Mmmm . To be fair I wont feel part of this forum until I start posting pitures need a camera looking at the Nikon D300s

As a lifelong Nikon man, it's a great choice of camera, Michael (I have a D300s and a D700). There are plenty of great secondhand deals to be had - and Nikon are due to replace it soon with the D400, so prices will fall even further.

But this is way off topic, so do PM me if you want to chat about cameras.

Cheers

Gary