Quote from: Unclefrank on February 12, 2017, 10:01 PM
Absolutely wonderful looking spread there JB, i know how you feel once you start cooking you just can't stop, i have had excellent results with Happy's naan bread recipe also and cooked in my Tandoori oven.
What Chicken Shaslik and balti chili garlic rezalla  recipe did you use ?
Thanks

The shaslik marinade is based on the one I was shown here..

https://curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php/topic,14241.0.html

In the takeaway the Chef uses the same principle ingredients for shaslik marrinade as he does for tikka.He basically uses a bit more garam massala paste,more mustard powder and mustard oil.He also uses a bit more red colour..

The Rezalla recipe is based on this one..

https://curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php/topic,14562.0.html

To that I added a touch of Pasco's balti pastesome pre fried chunky onions and peppers and two teaspoon's of garlic pickle (Ahmed brand).

Quote from: Phil [Chaa006] on February 12, 2017, 08:15 PM

Quote from: jb on February 12, 2017, 08:03 PM
Had a couple of friends round for dinner last night.On the menu chicken shaslik, chiken tikka massala, balti chili garlic rezalla, chicken tikka pathia, garam massala, bombay aloo, sag aloo, chana massala, pilau rice, keema rice, peshawari naan and chilli keema naan.

"A couple of friends" and 12 dishes :  /someone/ either has very hungry friends or far too much time on his hands !
** Phil.

You're right once I started cooking I got a bit carried away.I had so much gravy I could have probably cooked about 40 main courses!

A lot of hard work(and washing up!) but very enjoyable indeed.My guests thought it was better than any takeaway so the effort was well worth it.

One of the things that went down well were the naan breads.I did peshwari naan and chill keema naan(the peshwari naan mix recipe I got from one of my recent kitchen visits and I'll post it later).The thing is although I've been quite satisfied with my curry cooking I've never really been able to reproduce a decent BIR naan bread.Even with the aid of my tandoor they've never been quite there.However after following Ha4ppy for Chris's technique I've finally cracked it.To be honest the method/recipe is not that different to what I've been using but Chris's recipe is perfect.The secret I think is the resting time,it's very important for the recipe to work.They were 100% spot on,in fact better than most takeaway naan breads I get.I think the bag they send the things in tend to make them go soggy.

Had a couple of friends round for dinner last night.On the menu chicken shaslik,chiken tikka massala,balti chili garlic rezalla,chicken tikka pathia,garam massala,bombay aloo,sag aloo,chana massla,pilau rice,keema rice,peshawari naan and chilli keema naan.











Managed to save a bit for Sunday dinner..

My takeaway chef definitely pre cooks his mushrooms,I've seen him do it loads of times....

https://curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php/topic,14242.0.html

well done on getting a sample of gravy.Like Pete I've managed to get quite a few samples of gravy myself,I've got a few funny looks as well when I've asked,it's as if the concept of a general curry base is some sort of secret that I really shouldn't know about.The thing is,most of the samples have been quite similar in appearance and taste. There was one sample I got though that absolutely blew me away,it tasted incredible,it had a deep savoury taste that I've never been able to duplicate.It knocked my confidence in my cooking abilities,however after watching the chef cook in my takeaway for the past year or so knocking out superb curries (and tasting his mildly spiced base) I think technique plays a major part as well as having a decent base.

I've now got a work mate into the curry cooking bug,he brought in a sample of his base he made(the first takeaway one with the garlic Tarka),have to say it tasted wonderful.It's in my fridge at the moment,I'm using it later this week but It tastes so good I can't resist having a spoonful now and then!

Here's how I cooked the chicken tikka rezalla when I did my latest curry feast here...

https://curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php/topic,14544.0.html

Rezalla is not something I find on a lot of menus here in Essex.The places that do actually have it on their menu all seem to do it or describe it different ways.
One place cooks it with keema meat,one has it with mango sauce and one puts coconut in it.A google search on rezalla recipes is even more confusing.

However,there is one place that cooks an amazing rezalla near me,It's the same place where Curryhell's North Indian Special originated.Every time I visit this place a rezalla is a must.They list it as a hot spicy curry with chillies and a 'special red hot sauce'.It's a curry to die for.Unfortunately,unlike my takeaway kitchen(the place I visit at the weekend) the staff and chefs here keep their recipes very much to themselves.There is a distinctive taste to it which I cannot quite pinpoint.

Anyway,amongst my many recipes,notebooks and scribbles from various places I actually came across a rezalla recipe that I found a couple of years ago and forgot about.I have no idea where it originated so apologies if anyone recognizes it.The thing is,I cooked it the other week when I did my curry feast and I was amazed at how close it was to the rezalla from the restaurant.The thing is my recipe also contains a 'special red hot sauce'.Not really special when you know what goes in it but I'm guessing that the restaurant version is very similar.Here is my version...

First off make the red sauce...In a bowl mix together 2 tablespoons of smooth mango chutney,2 tablespoons of tamarind sauce,2 tablespoons of ketchup,2 tablespoons of Mr naga pickle,half teaspoon of red colour and a little water to thin out.The actual sauce is quite delicious in itself,I've tasted some wonderful  popadam dips before and they've tasted quite like the red sauce.

Then make the curry in the usual way....In a hot pan add a chef spoon of mixed veg oil/ghee.Add half a teaspoon of chopped garlic and brown.Add some service onions, a pinch of methi,some salt,tablespoon of blended plum tomatoes,tablespoon mix powder,some lemon juice,teaspoon of chilli and a little gravy so nothing burns.After a short while add some pre cooked chicken tikka,2 tablespoons of red sauce,some chopped green chilli and a ladle of gravy.Cook this on a high heat for at least five minutes,adding a little more gravy but not stiring too much,just scrape the sides back into the pan.When the sauce is quite thick add some corrainder and serve.

Haldi that actually is the naan bread recipe I use,blimey that is from an old thread indeed.I think I just got a bit carried away with the cooking my curries and neglected the dough mixture,I simply added too much of the liquid.I  have listed some of the recipes already,pathia,garam masala,the pre cooked sag,potatoes,massala paste etc.The rezalla was a simply delicious,I'll post the recipe for that one and also for the aloo chat and pilau rice.

It was the first time my sheek kebabs actually worked,i.e they didn't fall off into the depths of my tandoor oven.Before they've always been a disaster.I don't think it has anything to do with the shape of the the skewers,the main thing is that the mixture cannot be too wet.After watching the chef making his sheek kebab mix in the takeaway it's definitely a case of 'less is more' when it comes to ingredients.Definately no onions or egg,these are the main culprits when it comes to the mixture falling off.The water just seems to seep out when the mixture is resting.In the takeaway all the chef puts in is blended ginger/garlic,garam masala paste,kebab paste,red colour and chopped coriander.

Ps the non matching plate was for my six year old son,he loves chicken tkka and assures me that mine is as good as the takeaway!,not suprising when the recipe is from the tandoor chef in the takeaway.

The curries were superb,and my guests were very impressed I think,the nights I've spent in my local takeaway kitchen have been well spent.

Not everything went to plan though,my naan breads were an absolute disaster!! I must have seen my local tandoor chef cook hundreds of breads,he makes it look so easy but in the end I binned mine.I think my naan dough was just too sticky,I must have added to much liquid when I was mixing it.They kept falling off the sides of my oven so in the end I gave up on them.Just wondering what dough recipes other people use and if they produce great naans? I know Haldi says he can make proper fluffy naans I wonder what recipe and cooking technique that involves??

Here's another one that escaped to the bottom of the tandoor!!



Also,a question for anyone that does have a charcoal tandoor oven,I find I get a lot of soot around the inside walls of the oven.Not a problem if I'm just cooking tikka but not good if I'm cooking naan breads.I obviously have to use charcoal so I wonder if the firelighters are the culprit??  Also,I've at last managed to cook sheek kebebs in my tandoor without the darn things falling off into the bottom,no onion or egg in the mix and make sure it's really firm when it's shaped onto the skewer.

End result....