like I said I don't want to upset the guy.I've not mentioned the forum I didn't want him to think I was up to something underhanded....All I can say is he's pretty much confirmed that everything we do on here is correct,no mystery ingredients etc.My lessons are over in two weeks.This forum has taught me so much over the years once I can post some info I will do.

Well my chef has just left after giving me another lesson(aloo chat,sag aloo and bombay potato).All I can say is they all had the TASTE,SMELL and TEXTURE just like my Indian take-away.If I think about it they were probably more flavoursome than some round here and best of all not floating around in loads of oil.

  Funny thing is after he went I thought I would make another sag aloo with the left over but exact ingredients and you know what?? Either my technique was different or something but it was not quite there yet!! It didn't have the same taste has he had done but I was using the same stuff.The point about being overloaded with spices on my original three hour session was spot-on,today the base smelt sweet,savoury but not too spicy(which is how he tells me it's supposed to be as it has to cover most dishes mild or hot)

  I'm really not sure how to proceed with regards to recipes etc at the moment.The thing is I have quite a few more lessons and I don't want to give the guy the hump half way.It seems he does this off his own back and his business partner knows nothing about it.I now know the restaurant he works in(he's actually in the process of preparing a book).At the end of my lessons he's going to give me a folder of all that I have done so it may be best if I hold fire at the moment,it was a struggle to get him here in the first place!!!


  Next lesson on Monday Tandoori and Tikka(marinating) and the cooking the following day

Forgot to mention a couple of things he said about the base sauce...Our base sauce we cooked had 2kg onions where his usual one had about 20kg!! The most interesting thing he said was the fact that before the appearance of vegetarian eaters most restaurants(including his) would drop a whole chicken into the pan whilst it is cooking to give it more flavour and depth.Now I'm sure I read on this forum absolutely ages ago a thread regarding chicken jelly or something in base sauces,was in Haldi who started it or am I dreaming???

Some good points.Afraid i scoffed the lot straight away,thinking about the dishes again the jalfrezi was very moorish and had a subtle hot flavour and lovely taste.I don't normally eat basic chicken curries(I'm a madras or chilli sort of guy) so I guess that's why the basic curry may have tasted a bit blander to me.Certainly we were cooking for a long time(the wife took the baby out for a shopping trip because of the fumes from the spices she said!!)

Tomorrow I am doing garlic chicken chilli,sag aloo,and aloo chat.I will save it and eat it for the following day to see any difference.

I have to say his assistant was busily writing away throughout the three hours, I guess she must have taken about six sheets' worth of A4 notes,so I'm quietly confident she has written everything down for me.He said after I have finished the lessons I am more than welcome to visit his restaurant and see the chefs in action.

Well the Jalfrezi was very nice I was just expecting something earth-shatterring or a big eureka moment I guess.My favourite curry is madras,this he said is done just by making a basic chicken curry with the addition of chillie powder and lemon juice.I'm sure when I saw it made in my takeaway recently there was methi thrown it at the beginning(although he did agree some chefs use this).The only problem is that because he was there for so long we ran out of time and I didn't have much oil floating on my base to reclaim for my final dishes(he did say this is important).Next time i make another base sauce I will ensure that I get plenty of oil.

However it's still fantastic to see an actual chef go through the basics right in front of you(and someone to take notes so you can take pictures!)

It was actually Pataks jalfrezi paste.Forgot to mention he also showed me his secret spice mix.I'll have to look at my notes to see exactly went into it and ratios but it was the usual suspects(turmeric,cumin.garam massala.coriander etc).Oh and no mention anywhere in his recipes did he use asofetida(hing)

I had my first lesson today from my curry house chef.Very,very interesting to see an authentic chef in action in the comfort of your own home i can tell you.

I will post a full report later when I have more time(I have another lesson on Wednesday by the way).Originally we planned to have a two hour session but it stretched to three hours and we ran out of time in the end.I took plenty of pictures and because there was a hell of a lot of info he brought an assistant to take notes which he's going to type up and give back to me on my next lesson.

All I can say is that there were no magical ingredients or special techniques.Everything was cooked or prepared in much the same way as has been described on the forum over the years.The base sauce reminded me of CA's curry base here...
https://curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=3772.0

The only difference was the addition of a fresh lemon and a small amount of yogurt.
Although I brought ten chillies only three actually went into the base.Only fresh oil went into the base(I asked him about spiced oil and he said he did not do it that way although some chefs might.)He did say that the oil that rises to the top on the base sauce should be ladled off and used when you actually cook the curries.

He showed me how to precook the chicken as it's done in the restaurant and then made a chicken jalfrezi...it was lovely by the way.No flames he said chefs do this just for effect and it makes no real difference to the taste.

Disappointments???  Well I guess the only one is the fact that he uses a spoonful of pre made pataks paste when he finally makes his curries.I was really hoping he was going to say he makes his own pastes etc in his restaurant but as he said they are convenient and any way in which he can maximise profits is good.I shouldn't have been surprised really as most of the take-aways kitchens I've seen around here have jars of the stuff on the shelves.

All in all a very interesting day.Like I said no real suprises,I feel sure that we have the right techniques and ingredients on this forum already.It just needs practice and a bit of patience.

Haven't eaten in his restaurant,for the life of me can't remember the the name but I'll ask him again.He does seem a really open and honest guy.He said 'any question you ask me you are paying for it'.I spoke to him this afternoon and asked about the spice mixture.He said he was going to bring some he had made for time reasons(my first lessons will be about three hours long) but that it was of the things I will be making along the way.Don't worry guys I've been on this forum far too long to have the wool pulled over my eyes!!!!
PS I'm going to specifically ask him about spiced(onion bhaji)oil in the Base sauce.

Won't be long!!

He is bringing the main powder or massala has he calls it just for convenience BUT he he going to show me EXACTLY how it is made and what goes in it when I have my first lesson.Naan breads will be in another lesson in the future as well as rice etc

Hi guys(and girls).Just spoken to my chef regarding my first cooking lesson on Monday(base sauce).Just wondering if anyone has any questions they would like me to ask him.

Here are the fresh ingredients I have to get....


Sauce

2kg of Onions
A small Yellow Lemon
Corriander
One Green Pepper (yellow or red whichever you prefer)
One Carrot
Three small Red Potatoes
10 Green Chillies
Small packet of Haldi Powder
Cooking Salt
Vegetable oil
Tube of Tomato Puree
Small Natural Yoghurt
one Garlic
one Ginger
Blender Machine
A few cooking pots
I will bring the main powder