Quote from: George on January 08, 2008, 03:31 PM
Do you mean the melting base recipes aren't like almost any BIR you've ever visited, or just not like your local/favourite BIRs? If they are good in absolute terms, it sort of sounds like the meting base recipes may be worthy of consideration in a sub-category of authentic curries, or UK curries with sultanas and apples, for example, but are not what we're primarily looking for here at cr0.
Regards
George

I thought the curry was almost homestyle, except that it has gravy rather than chopped onions
It is very good though but not actually like any bir I have had (anywhere)
Everybody ate it and liked it
On second thoughts, perhaps it's a bit like old style bir curry too
It's this spiced stock/water that does it
You are boiling cardamons,cinammon, bay leaf then adding to the base
It's like that "ahkni stock" that Pat Chapman wrote about
Personally I find that dominates the flavour of the base
The bay leaf aroma stands out a mile
For me,that isn't the first thing I notice, about an opened carton of takeaway curry
It is amazing how the onions virtually disappear as you gently fry them

Quoteauthor=George link=topic=2243.msg19321#msg19321 date=1199738483
I'm getting more interested in this melting base recipe if it's one of the best so far, even if it falls short of your ultimate idea for a curry. How does it compare with Darth's 100% recipe would you say - anyone who's tried both?
Regards
George

The base involves a boiled spiced water
It gives a very tasty result, but not the same as BIR's I know
If frozen it comes back with a strong bay leaf aroma

Quote from: smokenspices on January 06, 2008, 05:03 PM
I whipped up a quick prawn madras using 2 ladles (200 ml) of sauce and I've got tell you ... it was really great.
SnS ;D

Hi SnS
      Thanks for the post
I can't remember if you said, but is the madras recipe from this restaurant too?

Quote from: smokenspices on January 06, 2008, 05:03 PM
I whipped up a quick prawn madras using 2 ladles (200 ml) of sauce and I've got tell you ... it was really great.
SnS ;D

Hi SnS
      Thanks for the post
I can't remember if you said, but is the madras recipe from this restaurant too?

The only thing that bothers me about RCR, is this niggling doubt that the recipes are genuine
I keep finding things that make me doubt it
I really want it to be real
There is nothing wrong with posting recipes, you have made up
But I don't want to be decieved about it
I hope this book finally sorts this issue out

Looking very tasty
I've never used ground cinnamon in rice before
I'll have to try

Hi AST
      Like everyone said:- Brilliant photos!
Boy, you sure like your curries hot
I like them hot, but not THAT hot!!
Thanks for the post
I put chilli sauce on nearly every meal
I use one, the other or both of these
Anyone else tried them?

I spent a good hour chatting to a very good asian chef
I know the ingredients in his curry gravy and he was extremely helpfull in details of how to make it
Seriously, if I could cook this I would feel I had accomplished everything
The ingredients are so simple and few
Onions,water,salt,oil,canned tomatoes,chick peas,garlic, turmeric and spice mix
It needs to be cooked for three hours
This cooking time affects the mellowing of the spices and darkens the oil
I have a bought sample of the gravy too
So I know exactly what aroma (and that's incredible), taste and look to aim for

I decided that making too small quantities, was a waste of time
It's too easy to misjudge a small measurement
So I standardised on two kilogrammes of onions
That's about 10 or 12

I bought a couple of 5 kg sacks of onions really cheaply from an asian store
One pound twenty a bag!!

I made three versions of the gravy and got three very different results
You wouldn't have thought it possible
I varied the amounts of
salt
turmeric
spice mix
and water

Apparently their curry gravy is cooked with the lid on the pot
This makes a massive difference to the water required
All the water comes out of the onions
You need equal oil to water in the gravy
I put in 500ml of each and it turned out runny

If I get an exact match to the curry gravy sample, I will post it
But along the way I found out something very important
The AROMA comes from the spice mix
Not the onions or turmeric

If I heat a tablespoon of the genuine sample of curry gravy, in my microwave, it gives off this amazing smell
We all would recognise this
One of my curry gravies actually achieved this aroma, but alas not the exact flavour

For this one I put in ten desertspoons of spice mix for two kilogrammes of onion

I know we have discussed this before, but I was surprised at how salt affects the finished sweetness
two desertspoons made a neutral base
four desertspoons made a sweet one

I feel a little closer to the goal than I was

I have attached a picture to show how the onions rose above the liquids at the start of cooking

Quote from: George on January 05, 2008, 02:27 AM
One is for chicken tikka. Surprise, surprise the recipe in the book is totally different to the '10 year' recipe which he posted under 'Starters' on this forum last January. Is anyone telling me that a BIR would so radically change their recipe for chicken tikka in the space of a year?

George ,you are right
The places I know, get a winning formula, and stick to it
If you buy a vindaloo at monthly intervals it is the same flavour
The only time it isn't, is if it's not the usual chef
Each takeaway/restaurant has a standard curry gravy recipe with set recipes for all the curries made with it.
In fact one place I saw, had the recipes on little bits of paper stuck to the wall above the cooker
That would be worth a photo wouldn't it?
You're right, I'm wrong
How can the book be authentic?

I downloaded it but I can't seem to make it work now
It's probably something I am doing wrong
I had to change the screen res to view
Maybe there was something else I've forgotton

Anyhow it looks professional
Similar to the Kushi Cook Book
It had recipes in but with certain key ingredients blanked out
It has slick photos of the curries too

Someone else must have downloaded it
I don't want the ebook anyhow, I like proper books