Argonaut

BIR - British Indian Restaurant

You will probably only get an almost fat free curry at best I would suggest.

Try using either the Rajver or Saffron base as a starter - if you follow the instructions precisely you will find that the oil used eventually comes to the surface. Using a spoon you can remove all the oil there will be very little left in the base sauce.
If you are on a low fat diet use chicken breast and trim off the excess fat. Cut into 1" cubes and place in a saucepan just cover with boiling water and bring to the simmer. Simmer for around 3 mins then remove from heat and cover. The chicken will continue cooking until you are ready to put in your curry.
Use one of the other recipes that dont use added sugar, yoghurt, cream or coconut milk or indeed creamed coconut. At the frying stage use a spray of spry or a little olive oil. You will then have almost fat free curry.

To Tamala

What got to me was reading mutiple posts about the addition of a potato to a curry base. This led to my opening statement which looking back was a little harsh I have to say. However what it did do was make me get off my backside and put my chef's hat on.

Reply to JerryM

Chicken stock will be fine with one carcase - Just not so highly flavoured - you could add a chicken stock cube to help improve it. The rest of the ingredients are absolutely fine - if you arent going to use the wings chuck those in as well or alternatively if you precook the chicken using my method put them in with the breast cubes. Please note that I dont use salt until the final stage of making the curry. The star anise addition is interesting but I would leave it out first time round. My reason being it would be nice to see if your experience of the base was the same as mine.
If you like your curry with a hint of aniseed in the background I would try dry frying some fennel seeds for a few seconds then grinding them down and adding to the curry a little at a time until you get the taste you want.

I think you all have hit the nail on the head with the the methi. I only started adding it as an ingredient a few months ago but what a difference it makes to the taste of the final curry.
Up until recently using a balti recipe on this board I have included it at the frying stage of the final curry. The aroma instantly transforms into the curry house smell.
Purely by accident when carrying out the test for the "Vegetable Soup" curry base I forgot to add the methi at the frying stage - instead it was added to the patia I made when the chicken was added. The patia was the best I have ever made and I felt it had the true restaurant taste.
Next time I will add it at the frying stage and see if it makes a difference.

With reference to the carrots SnS the proportion used was 2:1 and yes I didnt use any potatoes.

In my initial post I described a "vegetable soup" but when I checked through the bases very few actually used them (potatoes)as a sweeping statement I would say now "Onion Soup".

I then went and checked through a whole heap of cookery books comparing probably 2 dozen "Onion Soup" recipes but particularly one using carrots. I upped the quantities of onions and carrots to a level where I felt the flavour would be the best without overpowering the onions or spices I did take the carrots to the extreme because of the vegetable soup comment.

When I use up my current bases (I've run out of containers and freezer room) I will try another experiment but next time dropping the carrots down and adding other vegetables which will compliment the onions.

After the success of the initial experiment I am fairly certain that providing you dont add vegetables that overpower the onions you will be able to produce a decent base sauce. I must admit after all the posts and disparagements from members no one was more surprised than me when the theory worked.

I was asked whether I was going  to use green pepper in the mix I will give some reasons why not in a second and was also asked about using garam masala.

My view on the curry base is quite simple - it is a base sauce and should be used like a roux. You add the other ingredients to it to create the flavour of sauce you want. Adding green pepper at the start to an "Onion Soup" would detract and not enhance the flavour. Change the flavour it would I agree but it is not recognized as one of the ingredients that go with onions and carrots. (If you buy a book called The Cooks Companion by Stephanie Alexander you will see what goes with what- its recommended reading for applicants to Masterchef) Garam Masala - there are so many different recipes with differing proportions.
You could say that in the final curry the special spice mix could be called garam massala. Its a bit like chinese 5 spice mix there are loads of different formulas and recipes. BY virtue of the fact that both of these are spice mixes I prefer to add the spices individually or in a group that I know works. I have never had any successful curries made using a off the shelf garam masala.

SnS,

I cant remember what curry tasted like 20 years ago unfortunately however what i do remember is that sharwoods at  that time produced a tandoori mix which when mixed with lemon juice and yoghurt tasted just like the real thing - but they stopped selling it probably ten years ago. It always was a firm favourite at summer barbies.

The taste I am trying to achieve is one that suits me, tastes as good if not better than anything that can be bought from a takeaway or restaurant and is definitely BIR standard.

Thanks for the tip SnS I will get some ordered.

Here is the recipe in its entirety.

Base Sauce

Use any good recipe for chicken stock if you need one please ask as I have one for everyday and one for chinese dishes.

Roughly 2.5 pts chicken stock - I didnt measure this but  have topped pan to approx level and measured
400g Thinly sliced onions
200g Carrots chopped
20g Garlic Puree bottled from Indian Supermarket
10g Ginger Puree as above
10ml Cumin Ground
10ml Coriander ground
10ml Turmeric powder
10ml Paprika Natco or Rajah if I remember right
1 Large stick celery sliced
250g Butter

1. Turn butter into ghee by gently melting and passing through muslin or tea towelto remove solids.
2. Mic the cumin,coriander,turmeric, and paprike with water to get a nice not too thick paste.
3. Put wok on high heat and add about 180g ghee.
4. Add sliced onions and stir fry until soft about 7 mins
5. Add the chopped carrots and continue to stir fry until you can just see the onions starting to caramellise about 5 mins.
6. Add garlic, ginger and spice mix and stir fry without burning for about 1 min until the smell gets more fragrant.
7. Add celery and stock and bring to the boil.
8. Turn heat down and simmer until celery is softened about 20 mins - you should notice the ghee is now floating on the top.
9. Remove from heat and blitz so there are no lumps remaining.
10. At this stage I split the sauce into 2 pots there was in total 1.25 litres of sauce - I added 80g blitzed chopped tomatoes to one of the pans.
11 Bring both saucepans to boil and simmer until ghee starts to separate add water as necessary to achieve a consistency such that if you dip a spoon in the back it isnt quite coated
12  Remove from heat - you should notice that you get a lot less separation of the ghee.
13. Remove scum from surface if you wish - I didnt as I was a bit rushed

Sauce is complete
I did the taste test when all three sauces were cold. See previous post

For the Patia - serves 2 or 3

1/2 Green Bell Pepper finely chopped
2 Breasts chicken roughly 1" squares
10 closed cup mushrooms thickly sliced
About 70g Ghee
2 tsp Double concentrate Tom Puree
2 tsp special spice mix - I will post below again but its same as another post on this board
1/2 tsp Extra Hot Chili powder - adjust this to suit your own known tastes
Cooks Pinch of Methi - probably just over 1/2 tsp
2 Cooks pinches fine sea salt - probably around a tsp
2.5 Tbls sugar - sweeten to own taste
2.5 Tbls Lemon Juice - mine was from a bottle once again to taste.
Good handful of coarsely chopped coriander leaf fresh or frozen

1. Put chicken in pot and add boiling water to just cover.
2. Bring chicken to boil and turn down to simmer for only 3 mins then remove from heat - set aside
3. Heat wok and add ghee and bell pepper
4. Stir fry for about 4 mins so that pepper is just about cooked
5. Add sliced mushrooms and stir fry 2 mins
6. Add Tom Puree and stir fry 30 secs
7. Add special spice mix and stir fry for 30 secs
8. Added 3 Ladles of base sauce and brought to boil
9. Turn down to simmering and add chicken reserving water
10. Add Methi, chili powder, Salt, Sugar and lemon juice and stir in - taste and adjust as required
11. Adjust sauce consistency using the water from the chicken.
12. Add chopped coriander just before serving and stir in well.

Serve with Lemon wedges with a garnish of coriander leaf, naan bread and choice of rice.

Special Mix

4 tsp ground coriander
3.5 tsp turmeric
2.5 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp paprika
2 tsp Rajah Hot Madras curry powder

Reply to Jerry M

Dont get me wrong the Saffron Base wasnt inedible at all - just that IMHO it wasn't what I could eat a bowl of - everyone's palates are different. FYI I added the extra oil much to wifes disgust and used it for the frying part of the Balti I had on Friday.

IMO the balti I had Friday was not any particular improvement on the one I made the previous week using a different base and without using the curry oil.

But that is only my opinion. Also remember until now my whole family have been very happy with the Balti which we have had once a week for ages now. I have to cook for 7 on most occasions.

Tips

If you are going to use my method of cooking rice - it cooks in around 5 mins keep testing it until there is just a nut in it then drain and set aside - it will be perfect and fluffy by the time its on the plates.

Buy the big 99p bunches of coriander from Tesco's split into about 6 freezer bags and then freeze down. - You should never run out of coriander if you fancy a curry.

Buy whole chickens - the cheapest are from lidl's around ?1.40/kg if not somerfields or tescos 2 for ?5 - ?6 are ok You can then use carcasses and offcuts for stock and you will save a fortune on chicken breasts bought in packs. I normally buy 10 at a time and freeze them in family portions - we get through a lot of chicken and its not worth freezing down any less than 20 wings at a time. The stock can be used in virtually every recipe and definitely imparts a richness of flavour - reduce well down for perfect chicken gravy for sunday roast's

Dont't overcook the chicken as it gets tough and chewy but remember leg meat takes longer to cook.

Anybody have any idea where I can get mild chili powder from, the wife doesnt like it hot and paprika hasnt got the same flavour.

I note the previous post by Haldi. You are absolutely correct in your observations as to how the Takeaways receive their meat. Two of my locals that I used for probably 15 years or more had walkthrough kitchens and I had a good relationship with both. Always on the side there was pre-cooked chicken in cubes and tandori marinated joints on the bone. Neither restaurant offered the full tandoori chicken that you can remember from the 80's and 90's. UNfortunately the one I used the most has now closed down.

The Curry Test

I decided that I would just use the new base without the added tomato's.

Unfortunately by this time I was starving so forgot to take the photos. But I did write down the recipe albeit not as accurately as before but if anybody's interested I will make again and measure to the gram.

Here is the method I used to make my 15 mins Patia.

Grabbed a packet of Lidl basmati rice and poured enough for three into sieve. I then washed thoroughly under the cold tap and set aside.
Put on Oven and set to 200
Filled kettle and put on to boil.
Took two breasts of chicken and cut into roughly 1" cubes. Sliced 10 closed cup mushrooms
Chopped 1/2 a green pepper
Got spices out of cupboard ready to go plus tomato puree double concentrate.
Kettle had now boiled so added chicken to a small saucepan and poured on the boiling water. Put on high heat to bring to boil and stir once then brought down to simmer.
Put wok on burner to high heat and added ghee. Chicken is now simmering so I turned off and set aside to cook on its own.
Added green peppers to wok and stir fried for around 3-5 mins. Then added mushrooms and stir fried for two mins. Filled large pan with boiling water and added the rice and 1.5 tbsp sugar and reduced to simmer. Put two lidl nan breads in oven.
Added 2 tsp tomato puree to wok and stir fried around 30 secs added 2 tsp special spice mix and stir fried for 30 secs added 3 full ladles of new base and brought to boiling point. Added chicken to wok plus a good pinch dried methi, couple of large pinches sea salt, 3 tbsp of sugar 2.5 tbsp lemon juice. 1/2 tsp of extra hot chili powder.
Removed rice and drained through colander set aside.
Added a good handful of roughly chopped coriander to wok and took off heat.
Removed Naan's from oven and plated up.

Initial observation

Looks bloody beautiful - nice silky sheen to the sauce and no sign of separated oil.

Now for the taste test.

Silky smooth sauce, perfectly cooked moist chicken, mushroom taste coming through hot enough for my palate nicely sweet sourness from the lemon, hint of coriander and ghee.

Better than all my local takeaways but still not quite as good as the best Indian locally - they charge around ?13.00 for a similar dish which is slightly more buttery in flavour.

Rice was fine but a bit disappointed with the naan's.

Wifes comment - that was the best curry you have ever made.

Now bear in mind I last made a pathia around 2 weeks ago and the wife didnt like it at all. Next post some more tips