Quote from: stevejet66 on January 28, 2013, 05:07 PM
Just to let eveyone know ive recieved 160 emails from my last thread about BB1's base

Probably all from BB1 and yourself....plus a couple from MYN 

Quote from: Jal-frenzy on January 29, 2013, 06:49 PM
I gave CA's Korma a go. I am REALLY impressed with the results, it is very close to BIR's and so glad I have found this site

Hi JF.  Welcome to the forum.  And thanks for trying this recipe.  Glad to hear that your family liked it 

QuoteI think for me next time the things I'd do differently is to remove the Chicken after the initial frying as in the time it takes to reduce the sauce the meat was a little overcooked

Did you use precooked chicken?  How long did it take you to reduce the sauce?  It should take less than 10 minutes.  The chicken (precooked or otherwise) should be fine.

QuoteI found it very sweet compared to the Kormas I recall but haven't had one in ages and the wife and kids, who do, thought it was perfect

My recollection is that kormas are very sweet.

But I recognise that other people's ideal level of sweetness varies.  I don't actually have a "sweet toothe", but I do quite like the sweet curries (e.g. korma, CTM).  I also find a little sugar can do wonders for bringing out flavours in a curry.

That's why I've invariably put "or to taste" whenever I'm specified sugar (or salt, or chili) in a recipe.

Having tried it "to spec", you can experiment with changing the ingredients and amounts of them for your next one.

Once again, thanks for trying it and reporting back with photos....makes a change for someone to discuss curries (rather than argue the toss about pressure cooker weights, pizzas, chipolata sandwiches, etc)

To all those (and there seem to be a fair few) who criticise other members who seek to clarify amounts of ingredients in a recipe:

Are you better off or worse off (i.e. more likely to reproduce the intended result or less likely to reproduce the intended result?) if you know the size of a "chef's spoon"?

Are you better off or worse off (i.e. more likely to reproduce the intended result or less likely to reproduce the intended result?) if you know whether the "chef's spoon" is level, rounded or heaped?

Are you better off or worse off (i.e. more likely to reproduce the intended result or less likely to reproduce the intended result?) if you know that the weight of onions is before peeling rather than after peeling?

Are you better off or worse off (i.e. more likely to reproduce the intended result or less likely to reproduce the intended result?) if you know that it should really be 1.25 litres of oil rather than 2 litres?

Anyone who thinks they are better off not knowing these things is seriously misguided, in my opinion. 

Period.

PS:  I admit I am a little bit miffed, with all the liberal defence of not practically defining quantities, to find out that I have spent the best part of 2 days (not to mention the expense) in making 11 litres of curry base when the recipe is (grossly) incorrectly defined.

Quote from: Martinwhynot on January 26, 2013, 07:27 PM
Or I did get the base sauce at my mother in law's house in Newbury when my wife turned up and am posting stuff using my iPhone and my data allowance?

Please forgive my scepticism, MWN, but when you post, on the other forum, that you are about to try this base, for the very first time, yesterday, and then exult in your excellent results, you compound my scepticism.

And if BB1 and SJ66 are not one in the same person (plus one or two others too), or are at least very closely related, I'll eat my hat.

Please do not bother to read or respond to this post if you do not share my scepticism.

Quote from: haldi on January 26, 2013, 08:23 PM
The smell was really quite nice

To be honest, at this stage, it reminded me of the smell of boiled onions on a hotdog stand.

QuoteI was measuring the oil and adding from a jug
I got to a full litre and thought "no"
I couldn't add any more
It was quite clear, this would be too much

It is unfortunate, to say the least, that having been so insistent on not deviating from the original amounts, that BB1 has subsequently said that 2 litres is too much oil (by almost a factor of 2!).

Quote
You can definitely taste the coriander and turmeric
I could also taste the coconut

I couldn't really detect any of these (apart from some greasiness imparted from the coconut block)

Quote
It reminded me slightly of the Taz base

Probably because it is made with the same intent...add lots of oil to the base and don't use any in the final cooking.

Quote
Unfortunately there is no way I could  cook with this amount of oil in the base
I've thrown nearly all of it away and froze just a litre

I threw about 8 litres of it away (after boiling it and recovering as much spice infused oil from it as possible) and froze the remaining 3 litres for further work

Quote
But there is promise in the flavour

I agree.  There is a nice background depth and flavour to it (that warrants further investigation).  It is also very sweet (due in large part, no doubt, to the sugar added)

Quote
I just don't know how to modify it

I found that by using no oil in the cooking and no salt (but otherwise making a curry as you are probably more familiar with) that it produced a very palatable vindaloo (please refer to my previous post).

Quote
But I must add, it is very mooreish and well worth trying something so different

Indeed.  But is it really much different than most other bases, apart from the large amount of oil and little amount of water in it?  If anything, I would say that is is quite underspiced compared to many other curry bases on this forum?

PS:  When I made the chicken vindaloo, I sieved the precooked chicken to remove the surplus oil from that.  I think that helped reduce the "greasiness"

Thanks for your review Haldi 

PS:  (because I can't see how to modify my owns posts now).....don't you think it's rather strange how BB1, SJ66 (and MWN) seem to have all (simultaneously) left the forum?  I do  :-X

I persevered with this base (in an attempt to give it the utmost benefit of doubt) and made a chicken vindaloo. 

However, I used the base, as I would use any other base, to make the vindaloo.  The exception was that I did not add any more salt, or oil, for the preparation of the final dish. 

But I did add (despite BB1's suggestions):

• tomato paste/puree
• pureed garlic and ginger
• "spice mix"
• chili powder
• dried fenugreek leaves
• fresh coriander

I added all (or most of) the ingredients to a dry pan and heated them, on high heat, for a about 5 minutes minutes.

I also added BB1's precooked chicken with the spices.

Here is a photo of the result:



All in all, it produced a very paletable BIR-like chicken vindaloo.  But I do feel that it was still a little too greasy on the palate.

It seems to me that you have to play with this base (and the precooked chicken mix) to match the final dish cooking.  But, as it stands, I think the final dish recipes (ingredients and cooking times) are not particularly in accord with a good (BIR-like) final dish.

I will add that I do resent insinuations (yawn  :) that I am a major cause of BB1's departure from this site.  BB1 made many noises, to that effect, well before I made a single post.  Those that suggest that I was a major reason for his departure must clearly ask themselves where the paranoia really lies  :  And, anyway, that's their choice.

Given the angst on the forum, nowadays, I will leave it at that.

But, by all means, try this base - or the subsequent variations! - and see what you think.   

Get a grip guy(s).

I am very happy for whoever believes these recipes hit their personal curry nirvana.  And I would not wish to deter anyone from trying them. 

We are all different and we all have different expectations.

But please don't criticise and insult those who spend a whole day trying their best to do justice to the recipes, by trying to reproduce them, as faithfully as possible, just because you disagree with their (quite polite, nonthreatening and objective) assessment 

That does look tasty! 

Quote from: stevejet66 on January 20, 2013, 01:04 PM
Here's my madras, hardly any oil. It was superb, Cory's looked over cooked. To much high heat can cause spices to burn to much, it can leave a bland taste.

Sorry SJ66, but I have to say that I went out of my way to cook BB1's recipes EXACTLY as he prescribes.  And I am confident that my results reflect that intent.  That includes the cooking methods (i.e. "high heat" and 10 minutes cooking time for the chicken curry).

As I understand it, you claim that you mustn't deviate from BB1's recipes, least you get a different result, but you cooked half the amounts (or did you?) for the curry base?

Nevertheless, greasy base + greasy precooked chicken + greasy minced chili + greasy minced garlic/ginger paste = greasy curry.

The oil is there, whether it "comes out" or not.  I'd rather it did come out, in the final curry, so that I can spoon off the excess.