Rajah Tandoori masala...

http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=http://www.rajahspices.co.uk/images/pr_TandooriMasala.gif&imgrefurl=http://www.rajahspices.co.uk/spice_TandooriMasala.htm&h=281&w=200&sz=29&tbnid=stbU3r1khmFcDM:&tbnh=114&tbnw=81&prev=/images%3Fq%3Drajah%2Btandoori%2Bmasala&zoom=0&q=rajah+tandoori+masala&hl=en&usg=__neYDlghyQdpY0DhzU7cq4QjPRWs=&sa=X&ei=fGOHTPDDKJSOjAfag_iOCA&ved=0CDkQ9QEwCQ

KTC Mustard oil....

http://www.spicesofindia.co.uk/acatalog/Indian-Food-KTC-Mustard-Seed-Oil.html

It was the oil that I skimmed from the top of my gravy.

(As taught on my recent cookery lessons)

Ingredients
---------------

pre cooked chicken(https://curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=4972.0)
2 ladles of Base sauce(https://curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=4909.0)
1 tablespoon Mix Powder(https://curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=4908.0)
1 ladle of spiced oil
1 tablespoon garlic/ginger paste
1 teaspoon chili powder
Coriander
lemon juice
dried methi leaves
pinch of salt

Heat pan on a medium heat and add the oil and ginger/garlic paste.Stir around briefly and then add the mix powder,chili,salt and methi leaves.Also add at this stage 1/2 ladle of base sauce to stop it burning.Cook this for a couple of minutes.Then add the chicken and the rest of the base sauce.Leave until the chicken is cooked through,add the lemon juice and finish with coriander.



The chef told me a basic chicken curry is exactly the same recipe minus the lemon and chili powder.Nothing more....I was surprised at this but he was quite adamant that only these two ingredients are added for a madras.Furthermore a vindaloo is the same apart from more chili and some pre cooked potato.He seemed to think it was quite amusing that I thought there should be some secret ingredient to go from a basic curry to a madras!!! By the way I used fresh lemon but in his restaurant he uses a bottled lemon dressing.

(As taught on my recent cookery lessons)

Ingredients
-----------------

300g chicken breast
1/2 onion
1 ladle of veg oil
1 tablespoon ginger/garlic
1/4 teaspoon salt
water
2 teaspoons mix powder(https://curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=4908.0)
1/2 tablespoon tomato puree

Method
----------

Cut the chicken into chunks.Put a pan on a low heat,add the oil,the ginger/garlic and onion and soften slightly.Add the salt and let the contents of the pan go brown.Add mix powder and puree and a cup full of water so the pan does not burn.Leave for a few minutes until the oil starts bubbling to the surface then add the chicken.Leave on low heat until it is cooked.The chicken is removed from the sauce and then left to cool for future use.

First stage...



Second stage with the chicken added...

Just brought some asofotoeda(hing) for my next base sauce.I was really expecting some really obnoxious smell from the jar,I thought it smelt quite nice really a bit like savoury onions.I'm quite intrigued on how the final base sauce will smell/taste.Not really sure how much to put in.

No probs I will post some more-I have a 5 month old baby so he takes up most of my time at the moment!!

Pretty sure now it wasn't casia bark it must have been black cardamom...I have to say it was a wonderful flavour

In my usual curry house last night I had a wonderful North Indian garlic chili chicken.The waiters are really friendly so since my recent lessons I tend to bombard them with questions when I'm in there.The dish was lovely;sweet,hot but with a really smoky flavour.At the bottom was a strange ingredient,I asked them what it was and they said cardamom bark.I've never heard of this could they have meant cassia bark???  I have to say it gave the dish a very unique flavour.

I take it Pete and Haldi are one of the same???  Sorry if it's a bit of an awkward question I was only being curious!!!

My ladle is about that size I guess.2 full ladles will give you plenty of sauce but the sauce should be simmered for a couple of minutes so it will actually reduce.If in doubt I would use 1 1/2 and add a bit more if it it needs it.