Topic: Plain chicken curry

[Cazziet]

Hi all, When I get an Indian takeaway I usually opt for the plain chicken curry (mainly to avoid the indigestion after a few drinkies :0). Does anyone have a recipe for this please? I have read about the base curry sauce recipe but will I need to add anything else, apart from chicken?

Many thanks

Cazzie

[Invisible Mike]

Hi Cazzie

I'm not sure what the definitive "plain chicken curry" recipe would be but I'd go with this:

2 tbsp Veg Oil
1 tsp Garlic & Ginger Paste
1 1/2 tsp Mix Powder
Chilli Powder to taste
1/2 tsp Methi
Pinch of Garam Masala
Salt to taste
1/2 finely sliced Onion
1/2 finely chopped Tomato
6-7 pieces Pre-Cooked Chicken
250ml Base Gravy
1 tbsp finely chopped Coriander

And just follow the method for any curry really.

Hope this helps. 

[Cazziet]

Thank you Mushroom Mike, I will give it a try, I also remember buying a frozen chicken masala a few years back, it wasnt a tikka masala just plain so don't know if this is the same? Gutted also that they don't do them anymore :0

[Invisible Mike]

Masala just means "spice mix". The name chicken masala could have been referring to the curry containing garam masala - as many curries do of course! In which case the recipe I've suggested might well be a good starting point. I've cooked this recipe numerous times and providing all the elements I.e. your base sauce, pre-cooked chicken etc are decent recipes in the first place and just as importantly, cooked right you'll have a really tasty BIR style curry.

[Stephen Lindsay]

Thisis my recipe, it will give you a point of comparison with Mushroom Mike's.

Chicken Medium Curry with Taz Base

Ingredients:

1 portion pre-cooked chicken
400 ml Taz curry base gravy
1 level tbsp tomato puree mixed with 1 tbsp. water
1 tsp garlic ginger paste
1 tsp BE spice mixture

[Invisible Mike]

Hi Stephen

I've never made a curry by adding the base first. My usual method is to heat the oil, fry garlic & Ginger, spices, onion, tomato and then add base etc. Do you find you still get the fully developed flavours?

[Stephen Lindsay]

Mike

If you use another base you can carry out the normal method that you describe. The Taz base has so much oil in it that it fries rather than boils the spices and that is why the recipe doesn't start with oil. If you take stage one down to a pretty dry paste then the flavours are well developed, I only intended to use the Taz base for a while but I got good results with it therefore have never felt the need to change. I started experimenting with recipes by others and adapting them for Taz base and method. I've now covered most of the standard curry menu and a few house specials too. Those who have been on the forum as long as me will be aware of that and I find that most people have sort of found their base and recipes of choice. Mine's just happens to be Taz.

Steve L

[Invisible Mike]

I'd not really paid much attention to the taz base but having just looked it up it looks good - nice and simple, the right amount of garlic to onion and not over spiced which I think lets a lot of recipes down. I remember making a butter chicken once and I forgot to add the G&G at the fry stage. It wasn't until I added the first ladle of base that I realised and threw it in. Even though I cooked the curry well the taste of undercooked garlic ruined the curry. But it is interesting you say that with sufficient oil in the base it will fry the ingredients anyway. Although I have found a couple of bases I'm really happy with I think part of the fun is trying new ones. I've still got 4 or 5 to try and will definitely add the taz one to the list.