My current favorite slop it on everthing suace is Maggi chilli/garlic sauce. It's utterly wimpish in the chilli department, but it's sweetish and very garlicky...mmmm!

Lovely pics ast.

Am skimming at the moment so will read in deatail tomorrow. I dunno, your confetti-rice could become the next big thing in BIR cuisine

Quote from: currygall on January 05, 2008, 10:03 PM
This has to be the most bitchy site I have had the misfortune to be associated with.

We have our moments currygall but would RCR allow this type of free discussion? You know they would not. Even if the argument is constructively phrased it is immediately banned/treated with ridicule/generally lambasted (not to mention the personal insults which are allowed), if it in any way disrupts the RCR money making ethos.

Oh and by the way, don't you think it's just a tad suspicious that Anne, a moderator, is the mouthpiece/owner of the RCR spice suppliers? Did you not find it weird that the latest attempt at BIR replication needed a particular brand of curry mix that is not (generally) available to the British public, but is surprisingly easily available from the RCR spice shop?

Quote from: Admin on January 05, 2008, 06:12 PM
I would be suprised if people paid 15 pounds for an ebook.

Like I said in another post, it will be made available for free shortly after it is released in pdf form. Just don't buy it straight away, give it a while.

Quote from: chinois on January 07, 2008, 01:14 PM
We can refer to the still ongoing purpose of this site & RCR to see that hardly anyone has cracked this curry thing yet.

And isn't that the real issue? I have never (I repeat never) been able to reproduce the unique taste and smell (particularly the smell) of the curries I used to have pre- 1990(ish).

I have tried several of the RCR recipes and the melting base ones are the closest to the way I used to have them but, they are still sadly lacking.

IanR I truly feel sorry for you that you seem to think that the melting base recipes are better than your local, but unfortunately I can believe it. The RCR recipes are generally alright and in the BIR style, but like a real old style BIR..NO!

They do however represent a good copy of the second rate slop that now predominates the BIR scene, and in that respect I believe the book will be accurate.

My greatest wish would be to find just one restaurant that makes decent curries, old style, and to drag you there to show you what a diservice you are doing to the BIR scene by bigging up Andy's efforts.

Unfortunately I am truly at my wits end to find just one restaurant that produces such curries any more. And it's not that I'm fussy or anything. All the curry houses, and I do mean all, that I used to frequent in various parts of the country had this taste and smell, but it has now gone.

Quote from: George on January 02, 2008, 12:17 AM
...I wouldn't like non Indian looking staff, either.

Isn't that weird. I actually object to the fact that there are so few non-indian/bangladeshi/pakistani employees in curry houses, and yet I agree with you that it would just seem somehow unauthentic if there were white faces serving me.

Quote from: Secret Santa on January 01, 2008, 09:03 PM
I think that's the general idea, purely because we don't want to give the edited for inappropriate language by CA free advertising.

You do know the meaning of double standards don't you CA?

Here's one from you from this page https://curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=2236.msg18940#msg18940

QuoteMaybe you simply burnt the sh*t out of the spices and garlic UW?

So as you've appointed yourself chief arbiter of inappropriate language, where do you stand now?

Quote from: smokenspices on January 01, 2008, 08:29 PM

... or is everything about this ebook not a topic of discussion on this forum

I think that's the general idea, purely because we don't want to give the edited for inappropriate language by CA free advertising.

BTW I'm told that the e-book will be distributed free in several places once it has been released in pdf form, although there's no guarantee, so you may want to hang back on buying it.

Quote from: underwurlde on December 29, 2007, 08:52 PM
so I went for Jahlfrezi instead (as you may have guess, she is more of a Korma chomper).

Eh? Did I miss something there? Jalfrezi is usually very hot with whole chillies in it, was your version mild?

QuoteWife has spent all day a-fartin'  Roll Eyes

and that was before she had the curry

Quote from: underwurlde on December 27, 2007, 06:18 PM
Heated 6 tbsp of oil until it was very hot, bunged in the spices for 20 secs...

That was your first mistake. Very hot oil + dry spice powders = nasty burnt taste! You should try to use the oil recovered from the base sauce when you cook that, it adds flavour and will not burn the spices as easily.

There's no harm in adding tomato puree but water it down  to give a runny texture (or alternatively use passata), this will help prevent burning. With the darth base you used I think you could get away with not using any tomato puree at all for a madras, so you could try that.

Only add a small ladle of base sauce to start with an cook this down quite fiercely, then turn the heat down and add as much pre heated base sauce as you think necessary and cook until the chicken is heated through.

If you like your madras a bit sour flavoured add a tbsp of plain yoghurt at the end of cooking. This will also lighten the colour a bit.

It's all a matter of technique but I've certainly been where you are now so give it another try and let us know how you get on.