Quote from: Curry King on March 31, 2005, 11:31 AM
Well im pleased I have my curry as good as I can get it with the information I know

Ah but therein lies the problem, it's more about what we don't know than what we do!

Quoteif I were to whip up a quick curry now and you to try it I would be failry sure that you would be impressed with the result

Of that I have no doubt, but I do doubt that it would pass side by side comparison with a good bought curry. This is not a criticism of you, my curries, good though they are, would equally fail this test but for me it's not enough to accept that that's as good as it's going to get.

Quote from: Curry King on March 31, 2005, 10:15 AM
In 20 years of trying you must have seen inside a kitchen or had some recipes of a chef??

Yes you'd think so wouldn't you, but I'm not a particularly outgoing sort of person, so I've never really had the gumption to ask for a recipe, believing that there would be no way they would tell me. Even at my peak of eating curry at restaurants, sometimes twice a day, it never crossed my mind to dare to ask to see inside the kitchen as I thought they would take this the wrong way. Most of the info I got was in snippets talking to the waiters.

That said I managed to sneak a look inside two kitchens a few years ago (my friend asked!), but all I saw was what has already been mentioned here: big pot of base sauce, curries cooked in frying pans at full heat, 10 or 15 pots of ingredients next to the range, lot's of flame coming from the pans, etc. I would have fessed up if I knew anything that had not already been mentioned here.

QuoteWhat gravy recipe do you use?

It would be easier to ask which one I haven't used. Currently I have a batch of Bruce Edwards' and this is definitely the best I have used so far. It differs only in the use of carrot and pepper from my previous best, but this is clearly the way to go.

What I find satisfying and yet also frustrating at the same time is that I haven't really learned anything new, yet, from this site. I would have been quite miffed if someone who had only been doing this for five minutes suddenly put my years of effort to waste. But I will still try anything that looks potentially promising, no matter who or where it comes from.

A defining point for me will be when someone posts, 'I have seen a restaurant base sauce cooked from raw ingredients to finished curry, it has that taste, and no unusual ingredients were used'. That's when I'll stop searching, because I still believe either some ingredient or technique is still missing from the base sauces that have been posted so far and if there isn't I would have to give up.

I was reading ghanna's post about CTM and it has two separate 'base' sauces, an onion one and a tomato one. Now I've seen this mentioned in several places and was wondering if anyone had either seen or heard second hand about this being normal practice in a regular curry house?

That looks like ordinary butter in the tub at the bottom of the pic. I wonder what that is being used for?

Quote from: George on March 30, 2005, 06:52 PM
One question I have here (and most of my previous questions have gone unanswered!) is to question whether we're all talking about the same special taste. We can't be sure, of course.

It's a good point George, and I think the answer is that we are not. I've been trying this restaurant curry lark for about 20 years now (not bragging there, actually I'm quite embarassed about it), and I've yet to achieve the taste and odour I associate with every restaurant curry I have ever had. This includes the curry recipes in this forum which are if the posters are to be believed from real reastaurants. So yes, I conclude that one persons' missing taste is different to that of another person.

Quote? Another question: what percentage of all the places you've ever been to have that taste?

In my case 100%.? There are good places and mediocre, but without fail at every place I've been to, and over the years I've been to many, has always had the taste and odour that I can not achieve at home.

This is borne out, for me at least, when I see recipes posted and the author says, 'yes this is it, it has that taste', but it doesn't when I make it, despite using every conceivable restaurant style technique.

Short of getting everyone together for a taste test, this will forever be a problem.

Quote from: joe2 on March 30, 2005, 05:47 PM
There is NO secret ingredient in restaurant curry. There should be no further debate on this even.

Your statement would carry more weight if you had eye witnessed the whole of the base sauce preparation, which you then see being used in the curries that they serve. Why don't you get back to us when you have done so.

Quote from: pete on March 29, 2005, 07:26 PM

If you managed to cook them on a commercial high pressure gas cooker then they would be identical.
So if you still want to chase the flavour I think the only domestic possibilities lie with your microwave.
That gets really hot.

I'm not convinced about that Pete, though I haven't tried to emulate a high heat. It would be easy enough to do though. Use the heaviest and largest pan you have so that it retains maximum heat and only cook half a normal portion of curry to minimise its cooling effect to the pan. The base sauce should of course already be hot (boiling) when you add it.

Quote from: joe2 on March 29, 2005, 06:15 PM
Seriously folks, this is a very important issue. I think we should all look into it and see if its ok.

That's the least of your problems. See my post about ponceau, tartrazine etc.......or just avoid anything with tandoori or tikka meat or sauces, and rogan josh, and possibly bhuna!

Quote
I think it would be worth clarifying.

That's got to be a pun!
ghee = clarified butter, and your post is about the reuse of oil.........laugh? ? ;D

A few more questions Curry King.

Is the ginger garlic paste a 50/50 mix?

What size can of tomatoes is used?

What do you mean by dessert spoon, what is it in mL?

Hi curry King

I have made a recipe list of your method for base sauce and vindaloo. I want to try to replicate it as closely as possible so can you fill in the missing quantities please. Also can you be more specific about what you mean by a tablespoon measure. I notice that only 3TBSP of oil is used in the vindaloo, that's 45mL, a tiny amount compared to what restaurants use.


Base Sauce

garlic ginger paste   is this 50/50 mix? how much?
oil         500mL
spiced water      ?
onion         8 (how big)? ? ? ? ?any particular type?
tinned toms      1 (how big)
carrot         1
green pepper      1
tom puree      ?? ? ? ? ? ? ?which brand?
spices
   coriander   ?
   cumin   ?
   turmeric   ?
   garam massala   ?? ? ? ? ? ? ?which brand?
salt         ?





Vindaloo

veg oil         3TBSP
garlic ginger paste   ?
tom puree      ?? ? ? ? ? ? ?which brand
chilli powder      ?

spice mix (from Bruce Edwards Curry House Cooking, I think this is the one you mean)
mixed in these proportions
   coriander   8
   turmeric   7
   cumin      5
   curry powder   4? ? ? which brand?
   paprika      4

how much of this mix goes in the vindaloo   ?

curry sauce
pre cooked meat
coriander      ?? (in sauce or just sprinkled on top?)

did you use the oil from the base sauce for the vindaloo?

Please add anything you may have previously forgotten, either recipe wise or technique.

Also if you get the chance can you ask your chef why he thinks the oil is used in the base sauce, i.e. what does it do, and why so much?