I've been using this Bruce Edward's mix recently, with good results.  I discovered it, and indeed, Cr0; after 'googling' Bruce Edward's.  I was a member of the Curry Club back in the 90s, when he published some stuff in the Curry Club mag.  In one of his articles he mentioned three spices mixes that he thought BIRs might use, and I used his 'medium mixture' till I found his updated mix (the one containing curry powder) on Cr0.

In my first batch, I used curry powder by Schwartz, and result was OK. The  Schwartz Curry powder was not at all like the stuff on sale years back which tended to be just yellow, with a smell of not much more than Tumeric.  In my last batch, having read some contributions on Cr0, I used A Basaar mix (I used 'King of Spices' Kashmiri Basaar and I could not get hold of the recommended '5 Star' or 'East End' stuff.  In found it in one of the Indian Grocer's shops in Crawley.  This Basaar smells very nice, and in it I can detect the aromers of Fengreek, corriander and Turmeric.  It does not have a list of ingredients, but mixed-up as per Bruce Edward's instructions it produces a very good result!

Hi everyone.

There was a series on the 'gogglebox' recently in which a chef went round trying to convert people from take-aways to 'DIY'.  One of the progarammes featued Indian food, and the programme footage was shown of the Curry-House kitchen at work. They showed the cooks blending base sauce in an enormous pot. The chap doning the blending used what looked like a hand-held blender, BUT this thing was enormous, a huge two hander!

As it happens I'm make quite a lot of base and I find using a conventional blender a bit time consuming, as I make loads in one go, and freeze it in 450ml conatainers.  (use the KD version with quantities doubled-up)

Anyone know where these things can be got??

Just noticed a few remarks about the olive oil debate on this thread.  I think that olive oil is lot more healthy owing to its relatively low percentage of saturated fat, and high amount of the benefitial mono unsaturated lipids.  Oils high in poly unsaturated fats (e.g. sunflower oil) are better than saturated.  However I have read somewhere that on being heated the 'poly' tend to be converted to the VERY unhealthy trans unsaturated fat (even worse for you than saturated).

I use groundnut oil.  Not only is this nearly as high in the 'good' mono-unsaturated lipid as olive oil, but it has the advabntage of a relatively neutral taste.  Olive oil is my choice for mediteranian grub, but dies not work in a curry in my opinion!

Oh, I forgot to mention, I also add 3/4 lev tps ofmuscavardo sugar!

I make KDs Dansak with a couple of wee changes:

I precooked the meat in a couple of tbs oil, half a chopped onion, 2 tbs of curry base (I use KD but with home made chicken stock in place of water), and 1 lev (5ml) tps of Bruce Edwards 'mark 2' curry 'powder'. I give it about 45 mins, covered, giving it a splash of water every 15 mins or so to stop it drying out completely.

ThenI follow the KD instructions except I add 1/4 lev tps ground dried methi leaf powder, and I cook in the cummin for 5 mins instead of adding it at the end.  I do not use garam masalla in this dish as I don't think it works.  (I am, however a great fan of Garam in other dishes: it's great in her Bhuna- which actaully tasted far more like a Jalfrezi to me!!).

The result was REALLY good!

Opps!! Just noticed elsewhere on here that KD is a 'Her', not a 'Him'; hope I heave not offended anyone!

Quote from: curryqueen on November 29, 2007, 02:43 PM
Hi there,  Thats just a few miles up the road from me.  I have heard lots of good reports about the Zari, in fact my daughter was in there only a couple of weeks ago.  Did you actually go into their kitchens for a demo?  Can you give us details of your demo if you had one and yes I certainly would be interested in hearing all about your madras/vindaloo recipe that you have.  Look forward to your post. CQ

Sorry, still finding my way round the site, posted details in another thread: 'Experienced members base sauce of choice', in: 'Lets talk Curry'

A

Quote from: curryqueen on November 29, 2007, 02:43 PM
Hi there,  Thats just a few miles up the road from me.  I have heard lots of good reports about the Zari, in fact my daughter was in there only a couple of weeks ago.  Did you actually go into their kitchens for a demo?  Can you give us details of your demo if you had one and yes I certainly would be interested in hearing all about your madras/vindaloo recipe that you have.  Look forward to your post. CQ

OK

I hope I don't upset the venerable contributers here when I suggest that the secret is not so much in the the base, but in knocking up the final dish.

I believe I have got pretty close to the BIR taste, but I have to admit, there is still something missing!!

The closed thing that comes close to the rich aroma wafting from your local curry house is, I believe, as lot of people here have already suggested, fengreek leaf.  I add ground dried methi leaf to many of my curry dishes, and although it produces results nearly as savory as my local, it is 90% 'there' but not quite!

Could it be that as we, as 'chefs', are exposed to the cooking smells, it's never going to taste quite right?  I cook a mean Sunday morning 'fry-up', but it always tastes better if someone else has done the cooking!!

I ahve to say KDs Dansak dish is really good, The Rogan Josh crap though, in my opinion!

It's worth making your own Garam Masalla to the KD recipie, mush better than shop bought!