Hi commis

What is chicken tumbled with water please? is it cooked? then frozen for later?

Could only guess about the pizza oven, never seen the kitchen unfortunately.

The restaurant in question is the Mahaan in Farnham (http://www.themahaan.co.uk/), my current favourite, they really make some fantastic curry at this place!

There is no complaints about the quality, just wondering about their methods.

Thanks

Hi

For a long time now, I have been making CA's Chicken Tikka and not really thinking about it because it is such a nice recipe taken it for granted that it is yummy, and instead concentrating on trying to perfect other main dishes etc.

I just suddenly started to realise that all the restaurants round my way now seem to be using Chicken Tikka in so many of their recipes that it seems to be more common to have Tikka in your dish than plain chicken.

Anyway, now moving in a Tikka thinking direction, I suddenly thought about how markedly different the BIR's tikka was from the Tikka I cook. It is remarkably tender, mine comes out tender but this is an extra tenderness. It is actually quite subtly coloured, but the main difference seems to be that it is almost like the marinade they use must be very thin and almost watery as there appears to be no for want of better terms Tikka crust layer, it is almost like the chicken has just been stained by the marinade there is no detectable coating just a little colour and obviously the flavour.

I'm wondering if it is even actually cooked in the tandoor? it has skewer holes through the pieces, but surely there would be some scorchings and slight shell to meat that has been in a tandoor?

Any thoughts on this? cheers all.

Hi

I would have thought that adding the spices to a pan full of base would lead to boiling the spices rather than frying them.

It would almost certainly lead to a more mellow flavour as most of the flavour of the spices is released during the frying process.

Are you sure you are not burning your spices? that can lead to a bitter taste even if only a little overdone? try adding a small amount of curry sauce to the spices as you fry them to help prevent burning.

CHeers

Hi

In hindsight, Razor is probably right. Perhaps I was getting a little carried away suggesting fairly large alterations to others recipes. After all, it would be hard for you to judge for yourself what works for you and what does not if its all modified to start with.

I suggested what I did, as personally I am achieving some really great results with the combination mentioned. But I got there after many months of cooking the recipes exactly as written and then modifying over time through experimentation and that is probably what you should do too.

Razors base is really good too! as TBH are virtually all of them on this site - https://curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=4596.0

Please post some pictures of your efforts and let us know how you get on.

Cheers

Hi Mark

Welcome to the forum.

I am sure others will all have lots advice to offer you on where to start, I would suggest that that you start with:

CA's base: https://curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=3772.0

Bruce Edwards spice mix: https://curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=1546.0

CA's Vindaloo recipe: https://curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=3953.0

Replace CA's spice mix with Bruces's.

Don't put any sugar in the Vindaloo recipe.

Use only Spanish onions in the base, add 2 small potatoes and 1/2 the coriander.

Use only fresh garlic and ginger and not the stuff from jars in the supermarket own etc. If you must use jars use something like Natco.

Cook it right and you are a long way along the road to a very nice Vindaloo.

EDIT: You specifically asked for a Madras didn't you! - oops, well here is CA's Madras, same applies about the sugar though, but that's just personal taste: https://curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=3830.0

Cheers

Hi

Nice story!

So, the first CTM was created with tomato soup from a can, by accident?

I wonder if any restaurants still use tomato soup in their recipes?

cheers

Hi

I would like to thoroughly recommend the Garlic Chilli Chicken Tikka recipe in this book, I think its on page 94 (not got book to hand atm).

I have been making this recipe a lot with a slightly modified version of CA's base and the results are absolutely outstanding. I have tried it with normal chicken and prawns too and that works equally as well.

When I make it, I use quite a lot of oil, and am able to reclaim from the cooked dish the most beautiful BIR smelling red oil and use it in any subsequent dishes. In my personal opinion, with this one dish the results exceed the flavour and smell of my local TA.

I can go into further details if anyone is interested, but I encourage those with the book to try the recipe, very very nice.

Hi

One of the TA's I used to live near was very nice, but their curry was always too mild for me.

I always used to ask for a Tindaloo extra hot for me and a Korma or Tikka Masala for the wife.

One day something went wrong, I got a mild Tindaloo and a monster hot Korma. TBH the Korma was pretty hot and it really was not very nice - I just don't think that creamy with heat combo was working for me anyway.

Worth a try though, you may like it

Cheers

Hi

I was not convinced when I first started listening, but its actually very relaxing!

At risk of sounding like a proper nutter, I've looked for Indian restaurant music to play at home when I'm cooking, you know, just to get in the swing of things...

Could never really find anything though on Amazon etc. Anyone else got anything they could recommend?

Quote from: Ramirez on August 11, 2010, 09:07 AM
Probably between 2 - 3 a week for me, and that's with restraint. I reckon I could quite comfortably eat a curry every day of the week.

I like your style! - me too

God I love curry