Quote from: Secret Santa on January 12, 2008, 01:45 PM

Quote from: stevindaloo on January 12, 2008, 11:02 AM
could i use the sauce for other recipies on this site.

hi stevindaloo.

I strongly suggest that that's just what you should do. In my opinion the KD sauce is a very reasonable one to start with but the recipes in the book leave a lot to be desired. So use the base for recipes which yopu can find on this site, you'll almost certainly get better results.

Hi Stevindaloo

Welcome to the forum.

I would agree with Secret Santa. The curry gravy recipe is okay as a starting point and as an introduction to using the gravy method, but there are certainly better ones (and possibly easier), available on this forum. Having said that, I know some (friends at work/pub/etc) have been impressed with the results, but I think this was more due to it's simplicity (gravy method), rather than the final achieved taste.

As JerryM says, very thin is good. The liquid will evaporate as you cook the final curry.

Good luck! (whichever recipe)

Regards

SnS ;D

ps Pathia is my favourite and I'm working on achieving good results using the Saffron base gravy.

Quote from: Cory Ander on January 09, 2008, 11:13 PM
I think you said that they DO NOT use reclaimed oil at this restaurant SnS?  Or did you?

I think more oil will also rise to the surface the longer you cook it for.

I find a carrots add to the colour, sweetness, flavour and consistency SS.

Just a couple of questions please:

• what do you mean by "salad potatoes"?
• so this is an exact half-scale version of what the restaurant does is it?  If so, have the cooking times also been varied accordingly?
• A 3kW burner is not very powerful at all.  It's akin to a domestic hob.  Is this right do you think? 

Thanks for your great efforts and great post 

No reclaimed oil used either in the Gravy or the curry.

1) Salad potatoes such as Charlotte (the ones they used) http://www.britishpotatoes.co.uk/charlotte/

2) I was told that the cooking procedure (for my half scale version) was exactly the same as the full version ... but to be honest I didn't persue the issue any further.

3) My largest ring (of 3 sizes) is a 3kW burner. A special domestic hob "Wok" burner ring is normally 3kW to 3.6kW. Their burner appeared to be about the same as my 3kW burner.

Regards

SnS ;D

Quote from: haldi on January 11, 2008, 07:59 PM
Hi SnS
      I have never come across this paprika (deghi mirch)
Is ordinairy Paprika totally different?
When I first started collecting recipes from takeaways/restaurants, I had a chef tell me how important the "paprika" was to his curry gravy
I always thought it was just ordinairy paprika, but maybe it was this stuff
We had a thread on this site about paprika
There was some discussion over a "smoked" paprika that's available
I'm going searching tomorrow for this deghi mirch
You've got me very curious, it's certainly something I've never tried

To be honest Haldi, I'd never used it before either, which was why I copied down what was written on the box.

I've found some here (this is not the same make or same spelling .. "degchee mirch") ...

http://www.spicesofindia.co.uk/acatalog/Indian-Food-MDH-Deggi-Mirch.html

However, before using MDH's stuff, check out this site also ...

http://www.food.gov.uk/enforcement/alerts/2004/apr/deggimirch

According to the Chileman www.thechileman.org

"Originally a variety grown in Kashmir India, it is now a generic term for any medium long dried red chile. 'Deghi Mirch' is also a mild flavored red chili powder used extensively in Indian Cusine for its colouring properties. It is more sweet than hot. 'Guajillo' is an appropriate substitute."

As far as I'm aware it is a type of Paprika however there does seem to be some contradictions (see Cayenne) ...

http://flavorstosavor.com/glossary.html

Regards

SnS ;D

Quote from: Admin on January 11, 2008, 07:03 PM
I cant believe i only just tried this recipe..its amazing.
I am making it again tonight but I will be using the chicken to make a chicken tikka madras.

This is seriously yummy.

Stew

As this has many great reports, I'm also going to try it over the weekend  :

SnS ;D

Quote from: Cory Ander on January 09, 2008, 11:29 PM

Quote from: smokenspices on January 09, 2008, 11:24 PM
The Saffron uses 9 king/Tiger prawns per serving, so a goood handful of meat or standard prawns would be about right.

Thems not King/Tiger Prawns (9 per serving!  ), thems shrimps!...

....THESE are King Prawns: https://curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php/topic,2217.msg18757.html#msg18757

Get 9 of THOSE per serving and you'd be laughing!  ;D 

HaHaHa - need a mortgage to get nine of them in the local supermarket

Quote from: slipperz on January 11, 2008, 04:00 PM
We had this Wednesday night and we are having it again tonight  ;D

Bloody lovely.

Bring it on 

SLIPPERZ 

Nice to hear it matey. Perhaps you may let SS into your secret !!!!

Quote from: Secret Santa on January 10, 2008, 03:30 AM

Quote from: Cory Ander on January 09, 2008, 11:08 PM
if SnS says its from a pucker, high quality BIR restaurant/takeway, then it most certainly is!

I don't think anyone would argue otherwise. However I have made it exactly as the recipe (less one carrot) and I'm not that impressed. However I still have to make the madras so I'll reserve final judgement until then.

Hi Secret Santa

Sorry you're not impressed - it sounds like you have done something very wrong.

If you had made the recipe EXACTLY then it would contain the carrot. Now why the carrot is important I have no idea, but if they (Saffron) use it in their recipe then it must have a part to play (otherwise they would also just leave it out). Surely you cannot expect to just leave bits out of a recipe and then wonder why it hasn't turned out as good as others have produced. Also did you use "salad" potatoes or any old potato (Saffron were very specific about this bit).

As far as the spices having a "rawness" I cannot understand that. Did you fry the Onions (and spices) in Fresh oil or did you use reclaimed oil from the gravy (as you have suggested in an earlier post)

Did you fry the tomato puree or add it just after you added the gravy?

Hope the next one (with carrot) works out better for you.

Regards

SnS ;D

Sorry chaps - Item 1 is other way around. Typing error.

1. Simmer the gravy covered for the first stage (before blending) and then uncovered for part 2 (after adding tomatoes) and part 3 (after blending)

Regards

SnS ;D

Quote from: ast on January 09, 2008, 10:49 PM
From SS's comments, I did some checking on the Deggi Mirch Paprika.  According to this link here (http://www.theasiancookshop.co.uk/deggi-mirch-kashmiri-red-chilli-powder-blend-100g-by-mdh-859-p.asp) it classifies it as "mild-hot" (whatever that means).  Maybe that's the issue.  I don't think I have anything other than hot paprika in the house (and maybe not in that quantity, either now that I think about it), so I'm curious if it would be similar to this.

From the photos, Stew seems to have used regular paprika, but I think SnS's probably right about the oil pulling out most of whatever spice would be there.  Except for some that would stick to some of the small base bits, I'd think most of it would end up in suspension in the denser liquid.  I'd expect it would provide some flavor, but would then be mostly removed with the oil.  In doing the KD base, I've never, ever removed any oil from it, but given that this has over 4x as much oil, I'm guessing that I'll be wanting to remove it to somewhere safe.

SnS:  A couple of more questions if you don't mind (I'm typing this up so I can put it with the rest of my recipes for curry and anxious to try it ASAP):

• Q1:  You're always simmering uncovered when making the base, right?
• Q2:  How much prawns/meat would you say you should add when making the madras?  I can guess based on other recipes, but I was just wondering what you'd recommend.

Cheers,

ast

1. Simmer the gravy uncovered for the first stage and then cover the pan for the second part.
2. The Saffron uses 9 king/Tiger prawns per serving, so a goood handful of meat or standard prawns would be about right.
Regards
SnS ;D

Quote from: slipperz on January 09, 2008, 07:13 PM

Quote from: Secret Santa on January 09, 2008, 06:45 PM

Quote from: slipperz on January 09, 2008, 06:13 PM
has anyone spooned out the oil or do I just leave it in?
SLIPPERZ  ;D

You spoon it out and use it to make the finished curry with. I'm intrigued as to how you got it to separate though. There's no way if you keep to the suggested cooking times that you could get the oil to separate from the base.

I followed everything exactly and the oil just rose to the top of the sauce!!

I am a little confused as sns did not mention skimming off oil and using it for the curry itself?

I have not mentioned anything about scooping out the oil from the gravy.

If you want to get rid of any excess oil do it at the end of the second stage i.e. after you finish cooking your curry.

Obviously, if you are going to freeze the gravy, then it is best to stir the oil into the gravy before dividing it into portions.

Always use fresh oil when making the curry as per the recipe.

Regards

SnS ;D