A recurrent theme seems to be emerging from both the base sauces & specific recipes...is it the base sauce or the spices added ( masala )

Thanks to Phil...tried your dhansak recipe - very good ! So many recipes , so little time , the dilemma of matching the beer with the curry  ;D ;D ;D

Tried yet another dhansak experiment - I used Darth's great base and added the herbs & spices from the dhansak recipe in " 50 Great Curries of India ".The result was rather impressive .

A little input on the forum from " the source " would be great ....heres hoping !!

Oh No !!! does that mean that poor old Darth will be " Absinthe without leave "     ;D

It appears that " Ifindforu....... a genuinely nice person with chef experience " has gone into hibernation mode .

Just a thought , since there are such varying flavors for both the base sauces and final dishes , does it not follow that the spiced oils will also have a multitude of tastes . It would therefore seem difficult to maintain a continuity of flavor as the underlying taste is constantly changing . However , I suppose if one stuck to one dish in order to just reclaim the oil , the flavor would be maintained .

CC

Hi Midge -
Here is a link to a recipe that I have used ( and modified on occasion ) - base sauce can be subsituted for stock .

http://home.comcast.net/~c.bendickson/recipes/crockcurry.htm

Cheers
CC

Hi Phil -

Could you post your Dhansak recipe .


Cheers CC

Hi jimmyja -

Found this one in my travels :

Vanilla Bean Curry -

Serves 4

Ingredients

3 teaspoons Macadamia nut oil or olive oil
1 ? tablespoons lemon grass (bottom 2 inches of stalk with
core removed,) finely minced
2 teaspoons (about 1/2" piece) galangal, finely minced
1 tablespoon (or about 4 small) shallots, finely minced
1 teaspoon (about 3 cloves) garlic, finely minced
2 whole kaffir lime leaves or ? teaspoon fresh lime
juice
1 Thai chili pepper, unseeded, minced
1 cup coconut milk (unsweetened)
?  vanilla bean (split in half and seeds scraped)
2 teaspoons granulated sugar
1 ? teaspoons Kosher salt
? teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 Cod filets, boned, or substitute with Black Striped Bass  To prepare the Vanilla Bean Curry Sauce: heat 1 teaspoon macadamia nut oil in a small saut? pan over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon lemon grass, 1 teaspoon galangal, 1 teaspoon shallots, 1 teaspoon garlic, lime leaves, and the Thai chili pepper, and saut? for 2 minutes or until mixture is shiny and translucent. Add the coconut milk, vanilla bean and scrapings, sugar and ? teaspoon salt. Simmer for 5 minutes. Reduce heat and keep warm.

In a small bowl, add remaining lemon grass, galangal, salt, and black pepper, and mix well. Sprinkle each fish filet, front and back, with the seasoning and set aside. Heat a large frying pan over high heat for about 1 minute or until pan is very hot. Add 2 teaspoons olive oil and heat for about 30 seconds or until just before the smoking point. Place each filet into the pan, skin side down, and cook for 2 minutes. With a spatula, gently flip the fish over and cook for another 2 minutes or until just cooked through. Place the filets on individual plates; spoon the Vanilla Bean Curry Sauce over the fish, and serve immediately.