Quote from: Yellow Fingers on September 13, 2005, 06:09 PM
Obviously this proves the theory that good curries can only be made in large quantities, so get your burners set up underneath your bath if you want that authentic restaurant taste?

Judging by what lurks around the plughole of my bath I don't think any of that would contribute to "the real taste" for me so I think I might give this one a miss!!!!


Ray G

Hi Blondie,

Mr Chapman does not say why the base sauce is modified. Goodness knows why the Milk!!!???
He only say's it is a modification of a recipe by the "Super Sleuth" Bruce Edwards. There are no other base sauce recipes in the book at all.
I am just on with typing the restaurant style recipe section out of the book for all to see which has about six different choices of which your Madras is one.
Bear with me a day or two cos it is a lot of typing. Most recipes are very similar with the main methods being the same, just different amounts of spice, the odd addition of peppers and other little tweaks to arrive at the final dish.

Keep looking

Regards

Ray G

I have found in a Pat Chapman book called "Vindaloo and other Hot Curries" a modified base sauce from Bruce Edwards. Find it attached below. The book was published in 1993.
It makes about half the quantity Bruce's original recipe makes and has slightly different ingredients and quantities.
It is interesting it uses Mooli or White Radish (something that has been recently mentioned on the site). The other odd ingredient is 1/2 pint of Milk.
I haven't quite worked out if the spicing is the same as the original but it gives equal quantities of each except the Ajwain which is less than in the original. I am not sure what he means by Aromatic Curry Powder but will assume a good quality powder with more of the aromatic spices in it. The book goes on to give recipes using this base. It has Meat/Prawn/Chicken Vindaloo. Phal, Madras, Hot Dhansak, Hot and Sweet Patia. I will try to get some of these typed up and on the site soon.

Ray

Have trawled Pat Chapman's books and found Mustard Powder used in two books.

Like Pete points out it is used in "masala's" and not directly in specific curries. In his "Vindaloo and Other Hot Curries" book he makes a "Hot Curry Paste" which gets used in the more fiery recipes, Vindaloo, Chilli etc. It is not used in large quantities so will no doubt give a more subtle taste to the overall dish. In his "Curry Bible" he uses it in Curry Masala paste which then goes into his version of a "Curry Masala Gravy" used in his "restaurant style" curries. Don't know if anyone wants to have a bash at this, if so I can post

Regards

Ray

I know it has been used in curries somewhere, but I am not sure it is significant in all curries we make. I will try to dig it out if I can. I think you have a valid point Blondie and we all need to explore any angle we can as it might just prove to be the answer we are all after.

Ray G

Hi Mark,

The pre-cooked base's are the only ones I didn't try so following the thumbs up from you will add them to the list.

Ray

Hi Mark,

You seem to be getting on pretty well with the 100 Best Book! Have you made the basic sauce or the "Rolls Royce" version and if so what are your comments on them compared with the pre-cooked sauce method.

Regards

Ray G

Hi,

I can't quite figure out where I have seen Mustard Powder used in a curry but I certainly have seen it in a recipe. It was for a vindaloo I think and maybe a Pat Chapman recipe but can't be sure. I don't think it gets used much if at all. Maybe they put it on their Roast Beef and Yorkshire puds, if they know the best use for it!!

Ray

Hi Digre,

As promised I have attached a scanned copy of the Ken Hom Nonya Laksa recipe. I have tried this recipe and can recommend it.

regards

Ray

Hi Robert,
No I haven't tried that option but why not give it a go. And good luck on your first attempt at this one!
I have made Bruce Edwards base and recipes lately and have been very impressed. One change I will make in a future batch is to replace his "curry powder" in the "spice mix" with the Basaar Mix I have discovered recently which is a better quality than most curry powders. Apart from that Bruce's recipe is a tried and tested good quality base.
Also Darthphall's 99.999999999999999999999% base is queing up for a trial when I can find a bit of space in the freezer.

Ray