Hi Gazman

I'm always pleased to see new ideas for Onion Bhajis. They just seem to be impossible to get as good as at the takeaway where they are light golden in colour, crispy on the outside but soft and thoroughly cooked inside.

I've never seen oil mixed into the batter mixture before but I'm happy to give it a go. Do you prefer groundnut or vegetable? I've only used groundnut in Chinese cooking in the past.

Regarding the cooking method, I'm very doubtful they would cook thoroughly in 4 minutes at 180 degrees. I usually aim for 7 - 8 minutes at around 140 degrees and even then the insides usually have a slightly raw taste. I think the only way the BIR's manage to make them so soft is by cooking them in the morning and leaving them on the side for 5 - 6 hours before they use them. I imagine they keep overnight in the fridge too before the second cook through. When I make them I always eat them straight away.

Anyway, keep up the good work. If you have any pics I'd be interested to see them, especially of one broken in half.

Chris

Hi Mikka

Have you tried making a base starting with frying the onions before boiling them? I find this caramelisation gives a much sweeter taste to the base which might be what you are looking for.

Bhaji wise, I think you could do with a thinner batter and maybe a bit more of it - not too much though. Also, the onion looks a bit think which usually means a slightly raw taste. try slicing them with the slicing blade on a cheese grater.

I used to be one of the worst offenders for thinking more spice = more flavour but it just doesn't work like that. The same goes for adding tomato puree / paste. A Madras might have a chunk of fresh tomato in it, but the actual sauce doesn't taste of tomato so why do I always double the amount in the recipe? It usually works well for Italian cooking but not Indian.

Waitrose used to do a lovely microwavable Chicken Biriyani. I used to work near one and would have it at least once a week with a pack of poppadums. I've no idea if they still do, it's been over 3 years since I last had one.

I don't think anyone on here can honestly say they can produce a 100% curry as good as their favourite BIR. I can produce about 95% which is better than most BIR's in the area but still isn't quite what I'm looking for.

Really we should be able to easily better a takeaway. We put sometimes 4 hours work into one dish, they make a big batch of base and sling out curries in a few minutes.

They best thing to do is have fun experimenting. Most people start with Bruce Edwards recipes to learn the basics and move on from there. If you like a Madras go for the SnS Base / Madras. If you need a quick curry fix have a look at my Base / Madras recipes.

The most important thing most people (including me still) think is that adding more spice will make a better tasting curry - it doesn't. Stick to the guidelines in the recipes even if 1/4 tsp of something doesn't sound enough.

Bin it, definitely. Make yourself a nice fresh batch today. There are few things worse than throwing up a hot curry, especially when its caused by food poisoning meaning every last ml of stomach acid needs to come up!

Think of it as an opportunity to try out a new base, or to play around with a few different ingredients or quantities.

I planted a couple of growing bunches from the supermarket in a planter on the patio. It grew really well and kept me in fresh coriander for a couple of months until is started flowering. I'm sure a nice window box in a warm kitchen would keep it growing throughout winter. I've not tried but I'll probably give it a go next time I buy a load.

It's in Fleet in Hampshire and yes it is worth a pilgrimage. There is a good write up about the head chef on the website too. The kitchen is all open plan with a big viewing area but as I've only ever eaten there in big groups I don't feel like I could have stood there watching them cook. Next takeaway however...

http://www.goldentriangle-indiancuisine.co.uk/home.htm

The last one I had had more green chillies than chicken!

I had an equally hot chicken chilli massala which was very much Phal hot. The head chef was on a day off and I think the replacement got his spices a bit wrong as they are usually between a Madras and a Vindaloo. It was about the only curry I have faced and not finished due to being too hot. The colour was very dark and it clearly contained plenty of chilli powder but it didn't taste bitter. The first few mouthfuls tasted lovely before I lost all sense of taste