An interesting find 976.  Aldi does turn out some really good deals and there's one just down the road from me ;D.  Maybe i'll add a bottle or two to the collection, already swelling from my France trip on Friday :

Quote from: madmatt on October 14, 2011, 09:37 AM


Seriously though, I feel the taste of both was about the same, and mine is obviously quicker and easier to make, but does not come out as fluffy as yours.

The result of your rice way fantastic mate, each grain was loose, with no moisture present.I will be using this as my standard from now on, and look forward to making Dips mushroom rice recipe using it.

So I've a convert then???    Well done Matt.  The entire meal look so so scrummy never mind the rice   . I want it now for lunch .  I agree the taste should be similar as were using almost the same spicing although you beat me in quantities ;D.  Yours if definitely quicker.  TBH i think they're both very easy to make especially when you've been doing it on a regular basis .  I'd planned to make yours over the weekend but due to other demands have not got round to it.  But my next curry will be served with your version of pilau with a full report to follow .  I am not looking forward to the washing bit in the slightest though .
Did you try it with Dips mushroom rice recipe?  That's a real winner IMO.  Try my special rice without the mix powder.  It's a refreshing change from the normal special fried rices with mix spice.  A nice hint of sweetness coming from the peas and the onions.  A few TA's in my area do it this way. One improvement i have made recently, purely aesthetic, is when i add my tiny pile of colourings i take a teaspoon of rice and place on top of each colour.  This intensifies and concentrates the colouring into a few grains and reduces the colour bleed which can detract from the overall appearance. A bit anal I know but this is one dish i nailed ages ago so i like it to be spot on everytime.  Will try your korma out on a friend of mine.  Personally i don't eat the stuff, far too mild for me, but tasty nonetheless.  My next base to try is Abduls but i will add yours to the "to do" list.  Once Abdul's is done i intend doing my cook off between 5 bases on my favourite dish to see which produces the best result.  One result will definitely be a mountain of North Indian Special to eat for the entire week  ;D ;D ;D

Quote from: ELW on October 13, 2011, 08:54 PM
that looks great curryhell...I'm going to make ca base & one of his recipes  tomorrow for the first time. How do they compare to bir in general?....I am new to this so have  only tried a few bases so far & noticed ca's has no coconut which as a base flavour is something i don't normally taste in my usual takeouts apart from say Ashoka, which has really strong garlic/ginger coconut flavours.

Off topic: can anyone confirm onions / peppers / mushrooms are sometimes pre cooked in something sugary (Jaggery? is this even used in bir?)I had lightly cooked onions & peppers  in a Jaipuri last week which had been clearly cooked in something very sweet prior to being added
Thanks in advance

ELW

It certainly tasted as good as you all think it looks .  You only have to read CA's recipes and the feedback from other members to know that they are as close to the real deal as you can get, as are many of the recipes on the site.  I personally rate CA's base but i do plan to try others that have received positive feedback.  My plan is to make my favourite dish (north indian special) using a selection of bases and see which one works best.  I currently have four in the freezer at the moment and will be looking to add Abdulmohed's next.  As for coconut, a few bases use it and i have used it myself but didn't find it made any appreciable difference IMHO. Others may disagree .
I know pepper and onions are pre-fried before being added but as for the use of Jaggery I'm not sure. It's use is mentioned in several threads in the forum and it apparently imparts a distinct savoury/smokey sweetness different from normal sugar.  Do they use it regularly  in BIR's?  I'm can't answer that one but in a couple of threads it has been found in the BIR kitchen.  It may be that some do and some don't.  I am sure other members will pitch in with their experiences on this. Maybe it would be a good  question to post  in the BIR Main Dishes Chat section, as it buried in this thread and may not be seen or answered.

Quote from: loveitspicy on October 14, 2011, 08:48 AM
CA you are a star!!!!!

Totally agree .  Bet you're glad you tried it Rich!  It's nice hear that the pics are appreciated which means they do the dish justice which it rightly deserves.  I love the fresh coconut garnish - class not to mention the tool used - not so classy but functional;D. Alan, it was after reading your post and seeing your pics on Mrs Mooneys birthday dinner that i  decided ceylon was the next one to try.  So you're partly responsible .  Does that mean you're going to give it a go solarsplace?  You too will not be disappointed.  Your bombay aloo will go very nicely with it .

Had this for tea tonight.  Nice tasty medium curry, a hint of  sweetness with only a slight sour note from the lemon juice.  A coconut background flavour but certainly not over-powering like some coconut dishes can be.  For madras eaters who like coconut, one to try.  You won't be disappointed   ;D.  The colour of my dish has been darkened by the addition of the chicken tikka.

Made this yesterday and had it for tea tonight.  Another winner from CA.  Never had the dish before .  Used chicken tikka rather than plain chicken and plain oil not spiced.  Very impressed  .  A nice tasty dish, of madras heat with coconut overtones but not overpowering and a hint of sweetness.  Will definitely make this a regular dish.  Have posted pics in curry pictures section.

Quote from: Geezah on October 12, 2011, 08:30 PM
..... if only I could make a perfect woman...  ;D

Now that's another holy grail . Is such a thing possible ;D

A dish that i am very fond of but hard to find  .  Is there a recipe for this?

Quote from: Geezah on October 12, 2011, 06:17 PM
My very own Waggldance clone goes well with a milder curry like a Tikka massala.


But for a hotter curry it would have to be my Breferm Diabolo @ 8% abv

And a superb drop of beer that looks too  ;D.  I'll stay with my Leffe Blonde at 65p a bottle - a lot less hassle but it is nice to enjoy the fruits of one's own labour

Quote from: madmatt on October 12, 2011, 02:18 PM
Your on Curryhell,

Will give yours a go and post results(with pics)

Matt

You're on.  I'll do it either Sun or Mon and post results.  I suppose the appropriate section will be in the side dish section.  "yours vs mine"   ;D