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British Indian Restaurant Recipes - Main Dishes => British Indian Restaurant Recipes - Main Dishes => Madras => Topic started by: DARTHPHALL on December 18, 2005, 07:08 PM

Title: The Madras 100% Clone (of my local BIR)
Post by: DARTHPHALL on December 18, 2005, 07:08 PM
I will post this as a full recipe with base & cooked Chicken method to save you having to go back & forth. ;)

STAGE ONE......[ THE BASE GRAVY ]............


INGREDIENTS

Chop/Dice all vegetables & Coriander.

15 Onions.
8 Tablespoon Vegetable Oil (HEALTHY). OR YOU CAN USE 600-700ML OF OIL IF YOU LIKE IT BIR STYLE,OILY.
2 """"""""""""""  Home made Fresh Ginger puree.
2 """"""""""""""  """""""""""""""""""  Garlic  """""".
3 """""""""""""" Curry powder.   
3 """""""""""""" Turmeric.
1 """""""""""""" Extra hot chilli powder.(This can be left out as it is only my personal addition to this recipe for more heat).  ;D
6 X 5" Carrots or 4 X 7" Carrots .
3 Green Peppers.
5 Sticks Celery.
1 Tablespoon Salt.
2 Level Desertspoon Garam Masala.
20-30 stalks Fresh Coriander.


METHOD.
Fry Garlic & Ginger until golden/brown.
Add all spices & add approximately half a litre of Water to stop becoming to sticky (should be consistency of Tomato puree).
Add Chopped Onions,Carrots,Peppers,Celery,Coriander.
Add about 3 litres of water until it is just below the level of the ingredients.
Simmer for 1 hour.
Check that all ingredients are cooked .
Liquidize all ingredients.
Cook again for 10 minutes on medium heat.
Allow to cool & separate into approx .. Half liter portions (i use two jugs, put freezer bag in one & pour /serve with other to save making a mess).
When fully cooled you can freeze for months.

One thing to remember when making this base & the curry itself, You must experiment with the Oil quantities as this makes a great deal of difference to the taste of the Curry etc..I think many will agree it is that Spicy Oily flavor which we love about Bir Curries.


Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: DARTHPHALL on December 18, 2005, 07:08 PM
STAGE TWO.....[ COOKING THE CHICKEN ]......


Chop 7-8 chicken breasts into even pieces (i cut to the size of a ?2 pound coin = width height).?
Boil a kettle.
Put chicken in pan.
Pour boiled water over chicken to just cover it.
Bring water to boil turn down immediately & slowly cook on simmer for about 4 minutes.
Look for one of the biggest pieces take out & cut in half to make sure its cooked through.
Remove cooked Chicken from the water, put somewere to cool.
Save half a Litre of cooked Chicken water for the final actual Curry stage.
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: DARTHPHALL on December 18, 2005, 07:16 PM
STAGE THREE......[ THE MADRAS ]......
INGREDIENTS
All the Chicken.
3 bags Base gravy.
1 Medium Onion.finely chopped.
10 Tablespoons of Vegetable Oil (if you like it Oily, but its not necessary)
1 whole bulb of Garlic separate cloves & grate with Cheese grater (the roughest side). 
2 Desertspoons Extra hot Chilli powder.
1 """""""""""""   Hot Curry powder.
1 """""""""""""   Paprika.
2/3 Teaspoon lo-Salt or normal Table Salt (add to your taste).
1     """""""""" Turmeric.
1     """"""""""  Cumin seeds.
300grams Passata.(You need to experiment with this to get it close to your taste) 
1 Desertspoon Cumin.
1 """"""""""""" Coriander.
1 """"""""""""" Fenugreek leaves.
1 """"""""""""" Garam Masala.
2 large Ladles of water from cooked chicken.

METHOD
Put 3 bags of Curry Base in large pot on low heat.
Fry until Golden Onions & Garlic, in 3/4 Tablespoons Vegetable or Light Olive Oil.
Add Onion & Garlic to heated Base in large pot.
Add all spices & chicken & Chicken water from above post.
Bring close to boil, turn down to medium & cook for 10 minutes.
DONE !!!

You cant say that is not a quick Curry !!! 

One thing to remember when making this base & the curry itself, You must experiment with the Oil quantities as this makes a great deal of difference to the taste of the Curry etc..I think many will agree it is that Spicy Oily flavor which we love about Bir Curries.
 
 
 
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: DARTHPHALL on December 18, 2005, 07:21 PM
I will not repeat my observations as Ive already posted them in the revised Vindalloo post unless they are relevant specifically to the Madras.I hope this makes my recipes clearer & you have a go at making them, even if they don't copy your local BIR 100%,they will taste gooood !!!!

All the best for the season of goodwill.
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?.....DARTHPHALL.....
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: DARTHPHALL on December 18, 2005, 07:29 PM
See this thread for the rice to go with it, its bloody marvelous !!!
 http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=498.0

RayGraham added a knob ( :o) of Butter &/or Ghee,I whole heartedly agree.
Nice touch.
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: Ader1 on December 19, 2005, 04:55 PM
I am sorry if this has been explained but what Curry Powder do you use Darthphall?  Also, are the fenugreek leaves ground or as they are ie unground leaves?  Thanks.....
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: DARTHPHALL on December 19, 2005, 10:29 PM
I used Schwartz Hot & the Fenugreek is fine chopped dried variety.
I don't feel that it really matters on what brand Curry Powder you use as long as its fresh & of a half decent quality.
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: DARTHPHALL on December 29, 2005, 02:22 PM
I will be posting duplicate pictures (in the Madras & Vindalloo/Tindalloo threads to make things easier to follow) through the day as i cook the 15 Onion Base.
This is the first one.
This is the base just at the time of starting its 1 Hour simmer.
Sorry about the picture quality,it's done on the wifes Phone.?

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
 
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: DARTHPHALL on December 29, 2005, 02:33 PM
This is the Base after half an hour simmering,again sorry about the colour degradation but its a phone Camera.
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: DARTHPHALL on December 29, 2005, 03:26 PM
This is the base after 1hour simmering away.
It will now be left to cool,this will take a few hours.  :)
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: DARTHPHALL on December 29, 2005, 04:58 PM
The approximate water quantities are now added to the Base gravy recipe to help you all along.? ;)
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: DARTHPHALL on December 29, 2005, 08:20 PM
Here is the finished first stage base gravy.
Bear in mind this is a Phone Camera & the Base should turn out a Golden Yellow.
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: DARTHPHALL on December 30, 2005, 09:08 AM
This is a better quality picture from Johns post that gives the best idea of the colour of my base (Golden Yellow :)).
Thanks John. ;)
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: DARTHPHALL on December 30, 2005, 01:37 PM
OK I've bagged up the Base gravy for freezing.
You should get approximately 7.5 litres of Gravy in total.

I use 1.5 litres per final second stage of the actual Curry making.

This will make (Approximately) 8 Curries (home made size,which is about double a Take-away portion).

So the approximate grand total that this Base Gravy batch will make is 36 home made size Curries or 72 Take-away sized portions.

Please don't get all Furry & take these calculations as written in stone, these are close approximations anyone found taking it to literally will be hacked in half with my favorite Light Saber. ;D

Respectfully yours the DARK LORD OF THE SITH  :P.
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: CurryCanuck on December 31, 2005, 04:04 AM
Hi Darth -
 Tried this recipe....plus implemented a slight variation...loved it . The lager +++  complimented the meal admirably ! Full marks for your effort ..my friends and I humbly bow to the Curry Sith for sharing his magnificent Madras mania to the minions . Hopfully we shall not be lured to the " dark side " of BIR !

CC  ;)
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: DARTHPHALL on December 31, 2005, 09:03 AM
I'm very glad to hear you have achieved the same results as i,this base can be used for any type of Curry.
Did you use Olive Oil instead as i have?

Also see this link it tastes superb  http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=692.0.

The Dark Lord thanks you for your kind words & looks forward to completing your training. ;D

                     "Don't underestimate the power of my Base Gravy"! :D

Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: raygraham on December 31, 2005, 01:18 PM
Hi Darth,

Just to pitch in my five-pennorth, now I have seen your photo's of the stages of base making I can confirm this is exactly what I got too.
My only mistake was not to add enough water and so I had a more condensed and over spicy base but now you have made things clearer anyone can duplicate your recipe faithfully. It's also nice to see other folk are giving it a go with good results.

Ray

P.S. A lot of CTM's have single cream added to the dish as well as Coconut. Have you considered adding this in your experimental CTM?
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: DARTHPHALL on December 31, 2005, 02:17 PM
i did think of some Creeeeeeeeem but i like the more savory style Curries & not too rich so its a bit like a well mannered Madras & tastes totally excellent,my wife & I are having it for Tea ,so it has to be mild for her sake because my Curries nearly kill her. ;D
And thank you very much for your Friendship & support of my efforts,(The enjoyment of others who make my recipes makes all this worthwhile  ;)).
And i shall continue to experiment as i have many new ideas,good job i made all that Base Gravy. :D
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: Ader1 on January 04, 2006, 06:54 PM
Just took some of the sauce out of the freezer and made the Madras (a toned down for heat version) for supper.......I was very pleased with the results.  Thank you Darthphall!
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: DARTHPHALL on January 04, 2006, 10:42 PM
I'm very glad you were happy with the results,is it like you local/fave BIR ?
 :)
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: DARTHPHALL on February 02, 2006, 08:26 AM
This post has had over 500 hits but not many replies if you have tried it please post if it is close to your local BIR & what you thought of it etc..cheers. :)
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: raygraham on February 03, 2006, 08:51 PM
Now then Darth,

Stop making excuses about the quality of the wife's phone and get the girl a nice digital camera. After all you must have a few bob in the galactic bank from all your plundering and pillaging around the universe over the years!

Besides you can always nick it from time to time to get some cracking phot'os you can show of your spectacular base!

Ray
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: DARTHPHALL on February 03, 2006, 09:23 PM
Great idea buy missus Vader a Digi Camera so i can use it hehehehehe !!
Nice one Ray..... ;D
She'll probably clobber me with the Lightsaber (again  :().
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: CurryCanuck on February 04, 2006, 03:12 AM
Hmmmmm...
Spectacular photos of Darth's " spectacular base " - there is a joke there some where !!!  ;)
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: deckitout on February 04, 2006, 08:11 AM
DARTHPHALL

What curry powder do you use, is it a bought one or made up by yourself.
Secondly, is the corriander the stalks and leaves??

Many thanks

Phil
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: DARTHPHALL on February 04, 2006, 08:25 AM
Hi Deckitout, the Curry Powder i use is Sharwoods hot (but I'm sure any good Curry powder will do).
And yes when i put the Coriander in i use leaves & the stalks.
Cheers .....DARTHPHALL.....
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: ifindforu on February 10, 2006, 10:12 PM
Ihope you dont mind me adding,but it does matter what curry powder you use asI have worked in the indian take aways I can tell you ,you cant buy the powder in small packets,only in large tins TERRY of  www.ifindforu.com
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: DARTHPHALL on February 11, 2006, 08:22 AM
As long as its fresh & a good Quality (smell it you'll be able tell) I'm sure it wont make a massive difference,but when i buy my next large batch of Spices i will be trying to source some catering suppliers & find out what is used in the trade.
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: Curry King on February 11, 2006, 10:12 AM
Ihope you dont mind me adding,but it does matter what curry powder you use asI have worked in the indian take aways I can tell you ,you cant buy the powder in small packets,only in large tins TERRY of? www.ifindforu.com

Hi findforu,

Just downloaded your ebook and ordered some of your curry powder, when it turns up I will give it a go and put some feedback up here. 
Cheers
cK
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: Mark J on February 11, 2006, 11:09 AM
Ihope you dont mind me adding,but it does matter what curry powder you use asI have worked in the indian take aways I can tell you ,you cant buy the powder in small packets,only in large tins TERRY of? www.ifindforu.com
Hi terry, whats the brand of the tins and whats the mix called?

The ebook looks like our old favourite, secrets of the indian rest. chefs revealed
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: sistermoon on February 20, 2006, 07:18 PM
Hi DARTH  - I havent been here a little while and only just noticed your recipes - have copied and will certainly have a go!!   

Thank you very much, indeedy  ;D
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: DARTHPHALL on February 20, 2006, 10:38 PM
Sistermoon.

Let me know how yours turned out.

yours .....DARTHPHALL.....
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: TheBlitherer on February 27, 2006, 03:24 PM
When you add the spices to your base gravy, do you allow them to fry in the oil at all before adding the initial half litre of water?

Cheers

TB
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: DARTHPHALL on February 28, 2006, 09:12 AM
I don't fry more than a few seconds.
If you wish to, i suggest add some Oil at this stage & fry the Spices off, then add the water.
Hope this helps.
.....DARTHPHALL.....
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: Fandango on March 04, 2006, 10:17 AM
Darth Mate

When you say 3 bags of curry sauce is that 3 500ml bags?

Sorry to be thick. It just sounds a lot of sauce.

Cheers

\f
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: DARTHPHALL on March 04, 2006, 11:41 AM
Yes that is correct,when i make the actual Curry i use 3 500ml portions which will give you a large pot of Curry i generally get 8-9 home sized portions from this,(home sized portions down here are twice the size of normal Take-away portions).
Also i cook all my Curries in this large format & now i don't get the odd uncertain "bad" Curries like i have in the past following 1-2 portion recipes.
Hope this helps anything else ,just ask. :)
It is very convenient to make Curries in this way as i freeze them all & they keep for months & taste Bloody marvelous  ;) 8) 
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: DARTHPHALL on April 11, 2006, 08:55 AM
As with the Vindalloo recipe i have edited this recipe.
Passata quantity in the second stage is now 500grams (was 700grams).
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: George on June 06, 2006, 10:50 AM
Thanks Darth - I finally got around to trying your stage 2 and 3 100% clone Chicken Madras recipes last night. I have nothing to compare it with really - I never buy Madras in a restaurant - but, in absolute terms, the curry tasted very good indeed.

I should mention that I used Terry's base. Your base may be even better and more compatible with your stages 2 and 3. I will try your stage 1 base next time.

Regards
George

Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: DARTHPHALL on June 06, 2006, 11:51 AM
Good to see more people trying my recipes  ;D.
George please do try my base gravy,i give you my guarantee that it will make the best tasting Curries you have ever made (how`s that for confidence  :D),only because i know that this part is correct for my fave local Bir,the other one i visit uses a variation of the Kd base which turns out a more watery Curry which lacks the full flavor of the 100% clone base.
If only more would try my recipes. :( ,but its their loss  :P.
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: Panpot on June 06, 2006, 02:09 PM
Hi Darthphall,

As a beginner to the site making quantum leaps with my cooking as a result. I wondered if you could point me in the right direction to begin following your lead. I like medium curries like Butter chicken and bhoona lamb and other wonderful concoctions you find in big portion giving Glasgow IRs .

I am back to the UK tonight and intend buying a fresh supply of all I need to follow the Bruce Edwards approach especially his base sauce.

Is there anything else I will need to get up to speed with your approach as I am willing to become your apprentice for a while given your confidence.

Thanks for all the encouragement anyway

Cheers

Panpot
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: George on June 06, 2006, 02:23 PM
George please do try my base gravy,i give you my guarantee that it will make the best tasting Curries you have ever made (how`s that for confidence

Darth

I share your optimism because I've had 100% success with the two recipes of yours which I have tried - the other being the D rice (I forget the name) which I think of as superb Pilau rice, simply by leaving out the coconut.

I should have mentioned - some may be interested - that I scaled down your recipe to one-quarter, pro-rata, throughout.  I also:

- reduced the chilli powder, like you said was OK because I don't like over-hot curries, but I then added back half a level tsp of fresh chopped (mild) green chilli

- added a 'couple of tablespoons full' of fresh chopped coriander because you have that in your base sauce in abundance but there was none in Terry's base sauce.


Panpot

I like 'medium' curries like butter chicken, too, but with reduced chilli powder, heat wise, my '100% clone' Madras attempt was medium too. Do try it. It's good and so quick to make. I'd start with Darth's base sauce if I were you - it's had such good feedback.

Regards
George


Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: DARTHPHALL on June 06, 2006, 10:30 PM
Thanks again George for your continued positive support ;)
Panpot try my base gravy at the beginning of this thread as it will make any curry you wish as long as you leave out the optional Chilli powder.
You may also try one of my experimental dishes which is very mild  http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php/topic,692.0.html   this is a very tasty full flavored dish.
Also Panpot try my DARBARI RICE...http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php/topic,498.0.html
Follow these links my young apprentice & you will soon be making "CURRIES FROM THE DARKSIDE"!  ;D
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: George on June 07, 2006, 02:23 PM
Darth

Right, having now used up my small batch of Terry's base sauce, I'm ready to have a crack at making your (stage 1) base.

Just to be sure:

1. Is Sharwoods Hot curry powder still your preference, please?

2. What precise brand or mix of garam masala do you use, please? I'm keen to give my version of your base the best chance of being good, and

3. Don't laugh....but how much do the onions weigh which you use? Or, if they vary in size, what do 15 raw onions weigh in total, before you've removed the skins or anything?  Onions can vary enormously in size/weight, so I want to get this right .

A plea to everyone - please state onion weights for your recipes.

Regards
George

Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: DARTHPHALL on June 07, 2006, 11:09 PM
Hiya George heres some answers to your questions my good man  :)

1. I used Sharwoods because that was available at the time,i personally don't think it matters as long as its a decent Curry powder (some people say is rubbish but Sharwoods is good enough for the base) remember with such a large batch it will be the combined taste that makes it so good not one single ingredient.

2. I have used two types of Garam Masala & noticed no difference with using either,one was fresh ground by an Asian ebay shop called Spiceology & the other was of the shelf from Tescos (Schwartz).

3. Here is my definition of the size of Onions i use as in the 99.9% Vindalloo/Tindalloo post.
 
"Now that I've made this batch it will be some time before i make another but i did measure the Onions.
I don't think its ultra critical but to help everyone here are the details of the Onions.
They are sold as large loose Onions in Sainsbury's.
The thickness (from Root to Stem) =approximately 80mm. Width = approximately 90mm.

Any more questions,as ever please feel free to ask,as i wish your Curries to turn out as good as mine,its a major step forward when you are genuinely happy with your own cooking i feel.
 
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: DARTHPHALL on June 08, 2006, 01:10 PM
Go for it matey you wont be disappointed.
On the subject of Turmeric i have noticed that there is an overwhelming amount of it in the Bir's that i frequent.Have you noticed how yellow the Oil is & how easily it stains...everything !!! :(
Also you will notice on the main recipe i have stated just Curry Powder & that extra hot Chilli powder is my own addition to it.
This base is ace enjoy it on its own lol  ;D
As an aside i hope to post some very exciting information over the next few months as i did try to get more info from my fave Bir but it has dried out & become a little unfriendly so i have left that avenue,but may have one even better,unlike some i do not offer the secret we are all looking for but just the hope of something very interesting to us all.
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: Curry King on June 08, 2006, 05:13 PM
As usual Les very high quality pictures that scream eat me  8)

How did they taste BTW?

cK
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: DARTHPHALL on June 08, 2006, 10:26 PM
Bloody excellent photos Les,exactly as mine turned out mate oh yesssss.
As CC asks how did it taste & how close is it to your fave Bir as i get a feeling my local is slightly different from your average Take-away,well it is down here & i must say it is my all time favorite in all the ones I've tried in Sunny Cornwall ooooaaarrrhh !!!
The only thing missing is the Taste we all crave but I'm working on it AS always.
Many Take-aways down here use the Kd base or a variant of it.

DARTH............. ;D
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: DARTHPHALL on June 09, 2006, 08:35 AM
Sorry to cause an outburst but i cook on a turbo charged Halogen hob, not gas !!!
I do however fry off Spices etc..in a large pan.
I have actually made perfect tasting Curries & some with pockets of the taste but i am unable to duplicate at will for some reason. :(.
Totall agreance about you adding more oil it does help greatly to give that authentic Bir taste,but Ive been trying to get great tasting Curries that don't help give you a Heart attack,so Ive been using Olive oil & plenty of water & I'm very pleased with the results considering.
I believe your scores are fair matey I'm glad it turned out as good for you,although i must admit i don't find the Madras recipe bland but full of flavor & i did a taste test by cooking a load for my workmates (sorry...Stormtroopers  ;D).They have been eating my experiments for years now.Did you eat the next day as i always do?
As for the Rice i prefere to use all natural ingredients so i have adapted the Darbari recipe,but its not far off the mark barring the extra food colours etc..
I,ve got a new Indian opening so very close to me & i will get info on brands soon (my friend is leasing the building from them..give us the secret or we up the lease muhahahaaaaa !!
I have made this recipe with MSG before & found no real difference.
You will have to agree to make a great tasting Curry- thats good for you is very hard but I'm not giving up so there !!! ;D
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: laynebritton on June 09, 2006, 09:54 AM
You will have to agree to make a great tasting Curry- thats good for you is very hard but I'm not giving up so there !!! ;D

Good on you Darth I love your determination.

"If at 1st you dont succed try try again"

Layne  ;)
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: DARTHPHALL on June 09, 2006, 10:29 AM
The bloody Stormtroopers will take the piss out of me if i fail  :(
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: CurryCanuck on June 09, 2006, 02:25 PM
Thats ok Darth , as long as you don't lose your  " urining " to make good curries - ;D
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: George on June 09, 2006, 06:47 PM
Les

With the greatest respect I think your marks out of ten are for your quite heavily modified version of these recipes rather than the Darth originals. 

Regards
George
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: DARTHPHALL on June 09, 2006, 11:41 PM
Something very important here to note with all our recipes is this.
We are trying to capture the best elements of our favorite Curry dishes,so in trying to get that particular flavor/smell we are really looking for we may inadvertently make recipes to our own personal preference as to what we individually consider the best of the best of our favorite dish we are trying to emulate etc..
These recipes here (Vindalloo/Tindalloo & Madras) are but a very small step from being my perfect Curry with only one thing missing which is a particular Smell more than flavor,some describe it as Smokey i will be completely honest here,there is no way the smell I'm looking for has any resemblance to smoke or Smokey at all i would describe it to be a very savory smell/taste giving the impression of being very tasty much like flavor enhancers & seasonings achieve.
I will point out again i use less Oil than the Take-aways here, but also many Bir's down here do seem to use less Oil than what Ive seen of members pix on this forum of up country Bir's,perhaps its because it not so popular down here & they are forced to make a better quality meal, Cornwall is not a Curry loving county i can tell you (we have a large proportion of retired folk & many who wont eat foreign muck).
But i do feel that we are all looking for something similar in our perfect dish.
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: CurryCanuck on June 10, 2006, 03:23 AM
Tend to agree with George - however experimenting with the various bases and recipes is how we develop new tastes . Changing even subtle components and methods can reflect  on the end flavor . Darths version has a distinct flavor - Les' modified version another unique flavor .

FYI - One can find both counterclockwise and clockwise flowing drains in both hemispheres - it all depends upon how the water was introduced and the geometric structure of the drain . Some people would like you to believe that the Coriolis force affects the flow of water down the drain in sinks, bathtubs, or toilet bowls. Don?t believe them! The Coriolis force is simply too weak to affect such small bodies of water.  ;)
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: CurryCanuck on June 10, 2006, 05:11 AM
Quite so - this is a cardinal rule in most cuisines . But as you have you already know , by adjusting any of the former components we might well stumble on that elusive taste .  :)

Footnote - tried your tikka masala - outstanding mate - full marks !
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: CurryCanuck on June 10, 2006, 05:30 AM
Going to try a combo base with Darths ' & Terrys'  - will post results if worthy .
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: DARTHPHALL on June 10, 2006, 07:45 AM
Just got back online wow !!! all those new posts here !!!

All i can say is Plugholes to you tooooo !!!! ;D ;D

Yes i am trying to make close to a perfect dish as possible...but with the ultimate result of a dam fine tastin.smellin Curry,I do agree that the Oil makes a significant improvement as it carries all the flavor etc..& is something i will be experimenting with as i prefer the taste of what we all consider standard,its just that I'm not one to stand & accept i must question,go against the grain,i feel that a great Curry can be made from a more water based base,but the Oil does make for an even greater Curry.
I'm hoping soon to be able to be more specific with this & the Vindalloo recipe.
As for the Turbo charged Halogen Hob ...well you see it comes standard with all Deathstars & ain't upgradeable  :( but is ace to cook on believe me  :D.
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: DARTHPHALL on June 10, 2006, 08:55 AM
As to the comment From CurryCanuk on the volume changing the taste smell etc..etc... I have been cooking Curries for many years & have personally found that most small batches tend to have less flavor than the larger batches.
RayGraham made a full batch & commented on how over complex & Spicy this recipe was until he corrected the amount of water,so here we must be carefull not to deviate from the original until we have tried it otherwise we end up with a distorted view of the original if ya know what i mean.
When following recipes here i stick to them no matter what,because we all do this I'm sure .....when you look at a recipe & start to make it you think to yourself mmm that cant be right I'll put more Spice/or ingredient in it ,or less & the end result is very far from the original recipe.
I have noticed especially in my Curry cooking that the smallest change can have a dramatic effect on the end result.

Are we the craziest Curry heads in the world here @cr0 ?
I think so,
people enjoy the ride,
& give yourself to Curries from the Darkside. ;D ;D ;D

DARTHPHALL....Bard to the Darkside lol  :D
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: George on June 10, 2006, 11:21 AM
Les

> I agree that I made a couple of changes to DarthPhall's recipes,
>but would you really describe them as "heavily modified"?   
>Either way, what do you think the consequences of the changes
>are likely to be?

I agree there's great mileage in trying changes, reporting back, debating, etc. Your changes are all worthwhile and interesting to hear about (brilliant photos too) but I just think it makes the end result different. It may be better or worse but the end result will probably be different to Darth's originals. And as he described them as 100%, no doubt tried, tested and tweaked to near-perfection, I reckon we should all try the original recipes first and only make changes next time round and subsequently. Hold back a test sample of the original to compare with further developments.

>Curry Base: I used half the specified quantities throughout (unlikely
>to have any significant effect).  I also used significantly more oil than
>specified  (likely to develop more flavour, better texture and  more
>sweetness). 

I share your view that quantity change (e.g. to half or quarter measures, pro-rata, throughout) will have little effect. But I may be wrong because others reckon it does! Greater oil may be popular in many BIRs but Darth says his favourite local BIR  uses less oil. So the whole recipe has been balanced to work "100%" with less oil. If you change one significant thing like oil, I think you move into the 'unknown' even if it is better. Another simple example, if you like cakes: A Victoria sponge cake has equal quantities of butter, sugar, eggs and flour. It has a characteristic texture and taste.  If you increase the flour by 50% but leave everything else pretty much the same, it turns the cake into a Madeira cake, which has a quite different texture and overall feel. I like both but they are different.

>I also simmered everything for much longer that specified (likely to
>develop more sweetness and more rounded flavour).

I know this is what many people say and you may all be right. Also, your extra fat probably meant most of the water boiled off and it turned into a gentle fry-up. Again, I feel this may produce a different result, even if it was better. Also, I just checked some recipe books for stews, soups and other dishes using onions, carrots and celery. It's a popular mix. All these vegetables cook (boil/simmer) in about 20 minutes or less. So perhaps Terry is right about half an hour being more than enough cooking. Darth says to check the vegetables are cooked after 1 hour. I see no way they won't be cooked. Who says an over-cooked mush is better than a puree of perfectly cooked onions, celery, carrots and other vegetables?  You cooked them for about 180 minutes. I'm going to try cooking for less and less time (e.g. 20 minutes) to see what the impact is. A 10 or 20 minute carrot, eaten as a vegetable, can have nice flavour. A carrot cooked for even 30 minutes will be tasteless and over-cooked, like some of the worst canteen food.  Maybe there's a lesson there.


>I used ?Rajah Medium? curry powder (likely to develop more
> flavour compared to "hot" curry powder).

I agree. I looked at Rajah hot vs mild on the Asda shelf. All the ingredients were the same apart from the addition of chilli powder to the 'hot' version. So I reckon the mild version is the one to buy even if you like red hot curries.


> I added the spices (but made into a paste with water) to the fried
>onion/garlic mix and fried for 5 minutes before adding the curry
>base and other ingredients (unlikely to have any significant effect,
>accept to ensure that spices are well cooked and not burnt and bitter). 
>I then simmered for approximately 15 minutes (likely to develop more rounded flavour).

I agree it is standard practice to fry spices for a few minutes to get rid of the 'raw' flavour. Many books says it's a vital stage. But Darth's Madras (stage 3) recipe adds a lot of raw spices without any frying and it turned out delicious for me. I have other recipes where that 'raw' approach has worked well too. So who says spices need to be fried or roasted first? Again, I guess this may have made your end result different even if it was better.

Regards
George
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: Panpot on June 11, 2006, 12:06 PM
Hi,

I just went back to the UK for a few days and loaded up with a fresh supply of spices from a well known Glasgow west end asian grocers and turned on this morning to all of the above with photographs included.

What a site you cant leave it for too long or the world moves on and for an apprentice like me you have to just accept you are going to have to go some to catch up with you all.

I used to read the Sunday papers until lunchtime now its this site while all the time itching to start cooking the meal of the week.

Thanks again for responding to me somewhere above and for the continued if red hot pace you all go at.

Bye the way if ever in Glasgow visit the Mother India cafe and enjoy tapas style indian food that you can actually see them cook as you wait for a table each mouth watering dish is cooked in minutes and the Butter Chicken is to die for.

I am back in the south of france and have an other website forum hunting down the best bir and until it is located its down to me and the leadership of you guys

Thanks Panpot
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: Panpot on June 12, 2006, 03:53 PM
Hi Darth,

Yet again you have inspired me with your use of the halogen hob. Thats what I currently use although have cooked curries with all types before.

can you say whether you cook bread too such as chapaties and how do you do it?

Thanks again

Panpot
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: DARTHPHALL on June 12, 2006, 04:38 PM
Hi Panpot i have done home made Nan Bread before & cooked them under the grill & they turned out very nice.

Fat Les, in regards to your disappointment about the lack of savory taste i would definitely reduse the amount of Passata,you will see i have edited the recipe recently & reduced it & i agree that further experimentation is needed to to acquire the correct savory flavor as with many Bir's.

Also i have been promised cooking lessons in the actual Take-away Kitchen  :) at a new Indian near me & i hope they stick to their word & i hope to be posting more around the end of July so keep ya eyes peeled peeps. ;).
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: George on June 13, 2006, 11:46 AM
I had a second attempt at making Darth's stage 3 Madras last night and here are some impressions:

1. This version was made with Darth's stage 1 base, whereas my first attempt was made using Terry's base. If anything, I thought the version using Terry's base was better!

2. What's weird is that I thought Darth's stage 1 base tasted better balanced and seemed to have greater potential than Terry's base. But I've always said the base is only one part of the jigsaw.

3. My results may have been distorted by other differences between the two attempts. e.g. in attempt one, I used chicken stock made from simmering raw chicken in plain water. In attempt 2 I used all the juices and fat which drained from roasting a chicken (without the addition of any extra fat to the roast). There were other minor differences too.

Either way, all these curries are tasty and very worthwhile.

Regards
George

Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: George on June 16, 2006, 02:05 PM
...This version was made with Darth's stage 1 base, whereas my first attempt was made using Terry's base. If anything, I thought the version using Terry's base was better!

UPDATE - I'm now of the view that I don't practise what I preach in that I wasn't accurate or systematic enough in making Darth's Madras, the second time round. I therefore withdraw my suggestion that Terry' base was better with Darth's Madras. Maybe it's not or maybe it is. I simply can't be sure.

Regards
George
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: CurryCanuck on June 19, 2006, 04:37 AM
Hi CurryCanuck,

Have you done this yet?  If so, how did it go?  I'd be interested to hear  :)

Tried this base combo - I added the Rajah Madras Gold Curry powder & special seasoning but omitted coconut ...the end result was pleasantly surprising . I shall try a few different permutations & combinations - ie - add the coconut/omit the madras/add madras & omit seasoning etc.
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: DARTHPHALL on July 19, 2006, 10:29 AM
Someone mentioned that they would much prefer this to be more on the savory side, i have edited this & the Vindalloo base stage recipes at the beggining of each of these threads.
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: vindaloo on October 30, 2006, 08:03 PM
I made a batch of this base yesterday (chopped a bit of my finger off but that's another story :'(). Been itching to use the base since yesterday!! :D :D I tried a base out of a book months ago and that was nowhere near as good as this (it was dreadful..can't remember if  followed it to the 'book'though) ;D

I made a vindaloo tonight and used 3 bags of this base......it was fabulous!  :P I'm so excited and happy!!!!
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: DARTHPHALL on October 31, 2006, 04:28 PM
I am very glad your Curry turned out gooood, one thing to do though if you want to copy your local Bir you will have to adjust the amount of Base put in the second stage as i find some Bir's are very watery but my favorite Bir makes a more wholesome & thicker (but not too thick) Curry.
there is no doubt in my mind that the Base is totally correct it is the second stage were i need to beat the info out of the Chef  ;D
I'm working on it ..again, this quest is endless  :D
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: Chilli Prawn on October 31, 2006, 04:32 PM
Which Chef would that be :D :D  There are not many left and we can't afford any to be beaten up or killed off  ::)
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: DARTHPHALL on October 31, 2006, 04:40 PM
No this time i Burn their house down & give their wives something to hang the Towels on !!! :o :o
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: Chilli Prawn on October 31, 2006, 05:04 PM
Bragging again!  Put your light sabre away and get fixing thos PCs ;D
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: DARTHPHALL on October 31, 2006, 05:05 PM
 ;D
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: vindaloo on November 01, 2006, 07:16 AM
I had another vindaloo last night from that batch (from my freezer). I have to say it tasted way  better than the 'fresh' vindaloo I had the night before. The gravy was quite thick, just like my local!! If i put it in a tin foil tray, anyone would have thought it was bought!!! ;D ;)
I used 3 bags of base, but that made 9 portions. Definitaley not watery! :) Photos to follow!
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: vindaloo on November 01, 2006, 07:17 AM
Forgot to say I used the recipe at the begining of this post ;)
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: Chilli Prawn on November 01, 2006, 11:11 AM
Well done.  Freezing curries and still having success with them when defrosted is an art, and difficult.  I have spent years getting my products right for freezing (we sell a lot of our stuff frozen), and it is mainly getting the sauce consistency correct (very little water) that does the trick.  It is water that breaks up the crystaline structure during freezing and defrosting and knackers  (technical culinary term  ::) ) the dish.  Just some tips for those who do freeze:

1. use as little garlic as possible or may sure it is well cooked and blended.
2. Keep the water content to the minimum possible; you can always add it later
3. Use milk rather than water to thin your sauce
4. Chill down you dish as quickly as possible after cooking, and freeze on fast-freeze if possible.  Dont leave it in the fridge until next day before freezing even if you do like curry for breakfast  ;D
5. Defrost as slowly as possible; in the fridge is best (overnight)
6.  Don't defrost in a microwave or on the stove.
7. Reheat after defrost, very slowly at first, then bring it up to 80 degress Celcius minimum, do not allow it to boil.
8.  The sauce may have thickened so add some milk to get the consistency you want, full or semi-skimmed milk is OK.

Hope this helps, and apologies to those who already knew this  :-X

CP
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: DARTHPHALL on November 01, 2006, 03:24 PM
Glad it turned out good for you Vindalloo, another satisfied customer  :D
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: dezmundo on December 16, 2006, 02:18 PM
Hi darth.

I've just registered to this site and i'm looking forward to making and tasting your base curry.  Before i start i was just wondering when you add the 8 tablespoons of oil?

Do you add at the start to fry the garlic and ginger paste?  I might go for the bir style and add more oil but was wondering when to add it and if i do, do i use less water?

Your help will be appreciated.


Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: DARTHPHALL on December 17, 2006, 07:51 AM
Hi Dezmundo just put the Oil in the pan right at the beginning matey, only ad water if making the healthier alternative, any questions just ask, I'm going to be on the cr0 forum more regularly now ( DEATHSTAR Kitchen decorated now )  ;D
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: dezmundo on December 20, 2006, 12:38 PM
Hi darth.....me again

Right I've got all the spices together and had a few more questions:

In your medium curry you mention half dessert spoon.  Ive been looking around on the forum and on the bit with standard measurements it mentions:

1 Dessertspoon (Dsp)  = 10 ml
1 Teaspoon (Tsp)         = 5 ml

So with you mentioning half a dessertspoon, i can use 1 teaspoon? (or are your measurements different)?  This is no way I'm trying to be funny towards you, i just want my first curry to be spot on.

You also mention adding 1 teaspoon of fresh chillies.  Is there a specific chilli type to use because am i right in thinking some are hotter than others.

Finally back to your madras curry you say 2/3 teaspoon of salt.  Is that 2 to 3 or 2/3rds (i don't want a simple mistake to mess the curry up).

Yet again your help will be appreciated and thanks for the quick reply last time.
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: DARTHPHALL on December 22, 2006, 07:15 PM
Hi Dez..
Answers as follows  ;)
Yep you can use 1 Teaspoon instead of Half a Desert Spoon.
Any Chillies (only if you want to add them).
2 to 3 Teaspoons of Salt not 2/3rds okee dokeee.(go for 2 then add another if needed).
It is such a big batch that the margin for error isn't worth worrying about.

Hope this is of some help.
Happy Christmas all !!  :) :)
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: slipperz on December 28, 2006, 08:07 PM
Hi Good People,

Been scanning the site for a while now, looking for a base sauce to try and this looks good.  :P

I have been using one out of a book called "The curry secret" but i feel its time to try something new.

I will let you know how I get on, getting all the ingredients tomorrow  ;D

Slipperz  :)
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: mike travis on December 28, 2006, 08:23 PM
Hi Slipperz.. ;) just been looking at this myself and thinking of giving it a go. I have used the curry secret book but since finding this site the book is gathering dust on the top shelf. Let us know how you get on, it maybe next week when I get chance to have a go.

          ;D All the best for 2007  ;D
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: dezmundo on December 29, 2006, 03:21 PM
First things first, i got to thank darth.  The curry went down a treat over Christmas with family and friends.  I made both the medium and madras curry and they were both spot on.  Thanks for the excellent recipe.

Anyone thinking of making this curry, I highly recommend it.  I only joined this site recently and at first was a bit cautious with size, measurements and method but once I got the spices and went for it I found it an easy curry to make with excellent results.

My advise to anyone having a go is.  Read through this post, get your head round it and go for it.  You won't be disappointed.  :)
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: slipperz on December 30, 2006, 07:06 PM
I made the base today with what looks like excellent results. I will be trying the Madras recipe tomorrow and will let you guys know.  ;D

Here is what the blended base turned out like.  :P

I used 600ml of oil at the start instead of the 8 tablespoons. Smelt absolutely gorgeous.

All the best

SLIPPERZ  :)
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: George on December 30, 2006, 08:12 PM
I made the base today with what looks like excellent results...
I used 600ml of oil at the start instead of the 8 tablespoons.
SLIPPERZ  :)
[/quot]

With the greatest respect, I suggest you made 'a base' or 'your base' but perhaps not 'the base' because you radically altered the recipe like so many of use do. It must be human nature. I suggest you were correct to make your mark. No offence is intended by what I'm saying because I'm not saying you were wrong; just different.

So the Madras may turn out as 'a madras' or 'your madras' but not 'the madras' either!

Regards
George
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: slipperz on December 30, 2006, 08:21 PM
I will post this as a full recipe with base & cooked Chicken method to save you having to go back & forth. ;)

STAGE ONE......[ THE BASE GRAVY ]............


INGREDIENTS

Chop/Dice all vegetables & Coriander.

15 Onions.
8 Tablespoon Vegetable Oil. (You can use 600-700ml of Oil if you like it Bir style...Oily). ;)


George,

Sorry if I offended you.

Yes you are right, but i mearly took Darths recipie and used the if you like it oily bit!!

Thanks for your comments.

SLIPPERZ  ;D
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: slipperz on December 30, 2006, 09:52 PM
STAGE THREE......[ THE MADRAS ]......
INGREDIENTS
All the Chicken.
3 bags Base gravy.
1 Medium Onion.finely chopped.
10 Tablespoons of Vegetable Oil (if you like it Oily, but its not necessary)
1 whole bulb of Garlic separate cloves & grate with Cheese grater (the roughest side). 
2 Desertspoons Extra hot Chilli powder.
1 """""""""""""   Hot Curry powder.
1 """""""""""""   Paprika.
2/3 Teaspoon lo-Salt or normal Table Salt (add to your taste).
1     """""""""" Turmeric.
1     """"""""""  Cumin seeds.
300grams Passata.(You need to experiment with this to get it close to your taste) 
1 Desertspoon Cumin.
1 """"""""""""" Coriander.
1 """"""""""""" Fenugreek leaves.
1 """"""""""""" Garam Masala.
2 large Ladles of water from cooked chicken.

METHOD
Put 3 bags of Curry Base in large pot on low heat.
Fry until Golden Onions & Garlic, in 3/4 Tablespoons Vegetable or Light Olive Oil.
Add Onion & Garlic to heated Base in large pot.
Add all spices & chicken & Chicken water from above post.
Bring close to boil, turn down to medium & cook for 10 minutes.
DONE !!!

You cant say that is not a quick Curry !!! 
 
 
 



Guys,

Just getting this right in my head please :-\

Am I correct in saying that you use all the the 3 bags of sauce and 1/2 litre of chicken water which in turn will produce roughly 8-9 curries in one large pot, you then freeze these individual curries chicken and all?

So all you need to do next time is defrost that portion and cook your rice?  :P

TIA

SLIPPERZ  ;D
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: George on December 30, 2006, 09:57 PM

Sorry if I offended you.

No you didn't offend me, you just interest me! We all do it. We can't take the tried and tested original recipes found here at face value and try them (first attempt) as originally specified. We have to alter them, to leave our mark. The psychology is interesting. Why do we do it? Adding all that extra oil will/might have radically altered the end result. Who knows?

Darth mentioned before that the style of his local BIR was non greasy so I assume all the ingredients were balanced, tried and tested to work with less oil.

Regards
George


Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: DARTHPHALL on December 31, 2006, 02:19 AM
Hi Slipperz.
Two large ladles of the Chicken water not half a liter (lol Chicken soup Madras ;D ;D).
The 3 bags equal to one & a half liter if that helps.This will make approx..8-9 large portions but it does vary greatly depending on what you consider a portion size if you compare it to your local Bir.
Hope this clears things up for you , if you need to know anything or need me to clarify just ask.
best wishes for the last day of 2006 to you all. :)

Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: shanew on January 02, 2007, 10:53 PM
I've just made the full 15 onion base in my newly aquired BIG pan, now my guests are whimps and claim the gravey to be too spicy!!!!! anyway im tasked with making a korma for tomorrow, any chance of a recipe using this base gravy? i'll be serving 4.

Thanks,
Shane
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: johnboy on January 03, 2007, 12:57 AM
I use Darth's base all of the time now but after the first batch I made, I never put the chilli powder in. It is too spicy for the likes of Korma or Pasanda. IMHO

Without the chilli powder it works as a base for any curry that I have tried.

You'll find Korma recipies on this site, look at the recipe list at the beginning of the BIR section.
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: Curry King on January 03, 2007, 12:10 PM
To make the most dishes possible from the same base sauce\gravy then it needs to be fairly bland and contain very little or no heat at all. 

I don't think there is much you can do to try and tone the heat down to make a korma, I know people that complain if I put more than a pinch of chili powder in a CTM  :-X

cK
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: CurryLover_NZ on January 04, 2007, 09:06 AM
Hi guys,

I too leave out the chilli from the curry base - Darth must have an asbestos-lined stomach  :D

Even so, the base still leaves a hint of heat, which is great for anything spicy, but can still be picked up in the milder dishes. The CTM I make from this site (Curry King's) leaves a nice glow at the back of the throat - perhaps it shouldn't, but it still goes down well  ;)

Kiwis just cannot take the heat so when I make curry for them they get the CTM.  I LOVE Darth's madras, but, as indicated by George's posting, - it is still necessary to tweak the recipes to suit our own tastes, or in my case, the availability of ingredients.

I don't use the extra hot chilli in Darth's madras - I can get it, but the one I got hold of left blisters in my mouth! I am also keeping to the 'less oil' method (watching the calories) and I also fry my spices just after the onion and garlic, and sizzle the passata with the spices before adding the chicken and then the base. It doesn't make much difference but I think it is more logical. The resullt? As I said, I LOVE it!

CL_NZ
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: DARTHPHALL on January 04, 2007, 09:15 AM
I have made Korma & CTM & i have to agree with CK a little Chilli powder in a CTM gives it a that little extra Bite for those of us who love our food to be on the Darksi...Sorry ....
Spicy side. :)
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: JJSH on January 04, 2007, 11:13 PM
Made the sauce yesterday, in two pans. Unfortunately I Forgot the Coriander, and used slightly to little water. Worked well though. I then adapted a couple of Kriss Dhillon (SP?) curry's to use this sauce. Much better.

Very impressed. ;D
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: Domi on January 11, 2007, 06:15 PM
Many thanks DP :-* I used your base to make a bhuna, but I used mild curry powder as I have to make it mild enough for the kids ::) ......Excellent sauce ;D final results were as near as damnit to our local BIRs' :D

I'm gonna have to try your other recipes now :P

Thanks again :P
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: DARTHPHALL on January 14, 2007, 07:13 PM
Hi Dominatrixxx glad it turned out so well, do you cook Curry while wearing the Black suite as well  ;D
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: laynebritton on January 15, 2007, 12:29 AM
Hi Dominatrixxx glad it turned out so well, do you cook Curry while wearing the Black suite as well  ;D
:-X Oh dear  :o
Happy New Year Darth my old mukka
Layne  :D
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: DARTHPHALL on January 17, 2007, 10:31 AM
And you mate  ;D
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: Domi on January 20, 2007, 08:13 PM
Hi Dominatrixxx glad it turned out so well, do you cook Curry while wearing the Black suit as well  ;D

LOL! :D but of course ::) leather is so much easier to wipe down after something hot and spicy luv 8) although since using your base sauce, the hubby usually licks more than just the plate clean ;) ;) :o (which may explain the awkward way I walk :-\ LOL)
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: laynebritton on January 21, 2007, 06:06 PM
 :o  :o  :o   :o
Where can I get one of these suits for the Mrs  :P
it's about time she started learning how to cook Curry.....hmmm
Layne  ;)
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: xPatx on January 25, 2007, 05:57 PM
I see you use funugreek leaves.  I've just bought some funugreek seeds, can I use these instead, and if so how much and do I roast or fry them before use?

Cheers.    Pat
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: spicysarsy on January 25, 2007, 06:10 PM
 ;D ;D   but of course  leather is so much easier to wipe down after something hot and spicy luv  although since using your base sauce,

Did Dominatrixxx Just call me luv. LoL pURRRRRRRR.
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: Yellow Fingers on January 25, 2007, 06:19 PM
xPATx, the leaves and seeds are completely different things, it's leaves or nothing I'm afraid.

YF
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: xPatx on January 25, 2007, 07:17 PM
Thanks for that YF.  So my seeds are of no use?  Or can I use them in anything else?

Roll up, Roll up  FREE Funugreek seeds to a good home !!

 I like this learning but its costing me a fortune.

Cheers.    Pat
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: Yellow Fingers on January 25, 2007, 08:41 PM
Personally I don't believe whole fenugreek seeds have any place in BIR recipes. You could make up your own curry powder though, which might include roasted and then ground fenugreek seeds.

Or you could Google for authentic indian recipes which do tend to use whole fenugreek seed.

YF
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: mike travis on February 10, 2007, 09:11 PM
I spent an enjoyable Friday evening cooking this amazing base sauce and this evening cooking the Madras. Whenever I go for a BIR it has to be a Madras and this is as close as I have come to it so far. It was hotter than I have had at a BIR and the feeling has only just started to come back to my tongue  :o I like the way the chicken is cooked and will be cooking my chicken in this way from now on. I now have a freezer full of base sauce and a couple of portions of Madras. Just add beer for a perfect night in........... I would recommend this recipe as the only skill needed is the ability to read a recipe [its that straight forward] so give it a try.......

                                ;D ;D ;D many thanks Darth
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: King Prawn on February 10, 2007, 10:10 PM
Darth has put a lot of work into this recipe and it is good to see people here getting results from it

KP(V)
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: mike travis on February 10, 2007, 10:19 PM
It`s a big thumbs up from me KP.... ;)
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: DARTHPHALL on February 11, 2007, 08:50 PM
I'm glad people are starting to try this recipe & I'm also very glad to see the amount of success from those who dare try .Keep kooking !! ;D
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: tomek on February 14, 2007, 03:31 PM
taking the plunge...

hey guys, i'm living in poland right now but from Canada.  As curry is virtually unheard of where I'm living, i've taken it upon myself to create my own.

i've been using the recipes off of http://www.curryhouse.co.uk/ (http://www.curryhouse.co.uk/) and was very pleased with the results.  most of these are very simple and don't require making a base, just adding some passata.  other teachers who i work with, mostly English, told me the curries where great.

however, this past week i was in london and stopped by Notting Hill Tandoori and was blown away by the Madras.  i'm not sure how to describe the difference, but it was just 'fresher', more complex than my curries.

i want to take the next step, and produce such a curry.  is this base what will make the difference?  is this what will give it that extra punch that my curries are lacking?

and importantly, do i really need to make it in such large quantities.  has anyone had any luck reducing say by half the ingredients?

thanks!
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: Curry King on February 14, 2007, 03:45 PM
Hi Tomek,

It may well get you closer and will be better than what you have made before but I doubt it will match what you had in London.  I've not been to that paticular restaurant but there are many base and madras recipes it would be a bit of luck if darths just happened to be the one they use!

If your wanting something on a smaller scale try looking through the base sauce group on here there are quite a few that are smaller.  We have a thread running at the moment on wether recipes can be scaled down without any loss, the jurys still out on that one  :)

Good luck and please report back on how it goes!

cK
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: tomek on February 14, 2007, 04:59 PM
Yeah, I don't expect that it will be exactly the same as in the restaurant, although I will do a few things that the restaurant curry had, mainly chunks of a peeled tomato and some thin slices of green pepper in the sauce.

What I do hope, is that the base sauce will have more life to it than just the passata I've been using from Curry House.

I have to wait a while though, because the only ingredient I see that I'm missing is Fenugreek Leaves.   All I've found here in Poland are the ground seeds, which I assume is not a suitable substitute.  Hopefully a friend in london can post me some, as well as some good curry powder.

Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: Curry King on February 14, 2007, 07:48 PM
Why don't you order some of the internet, we have a members discount code with natco or try simply spice?

You do realise you have started down that path of curry discovery, there is no return  :o

cK
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: DARTHPHALL on February 15, 2007, 10:34 AM
If you need to know anything about my base Tomek, feel free to ask.
Hope it gives you the results you are looking for.
But remember CK is right there are small variations in method/ingredients across the UK, although I'm positive you will be pleased with the results.
Cyaaa  :)
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: Argey Bhaji on February 17, 2007, 02:34 PM
I have just made this base as the first recipe I have used from this site.

The results look like they have been described (golden yellow) and I am pleased with the result.

(http://img152.imageshack.us/img152/4346/dsc00092ch3.jpg)

Taken on a phone so true colour not reflected

I scaled it down to 1/3 of original recipe as I am the only person who eats curry in my house.

I will be making a Madras later with it and will come back with the results.
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: DARTHPHALL on February 17, 2007, 04:13 PM
It looks right  ;), a nice golden yellow, it should have a pleasant taste, nearly good enough too eat on its own but is obviously much better when used as intended.As a base Gravy, hope the final dish give you good results, i look forward to you opinions on it & suggestions etc..etc..
Cheers.
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: Argey Bhaji on February 17, 2007, 08:16 PM
Right, first attempt at a BIR curry ever!

I also made Pilau rice but I went a little overboard on the food colouring! ;D

The texture of curry is excellent and the taste is wonderful. I am very happy for a first attempt.

I have posted a couple of phone taken pictures for you to view.

(http://img76.imageshack.us/img76/8415/dsc00093ut3.jpg)

(http://img76.imageshack.us/img76/737/dsc00094zc4.jpg)
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: DARTHPHALL on February 17, 2007, 09:19 PM
Looks very Yellow.
 What recipe did you add to the base recipe as it looks very bright?
Or is this the colour reproduction from your Camera?.
 :)
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: Argey Bhaji on February 17, 2007, 10:17 PM
I think it's flash on camera, it is a darker brown coulor.

The picture below is a little better but not perfect.

(http://img77.imageshack.us/img77/3010/dsc00097bv7.jpg)
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: DARTHPHALL on February 18, 2007, 08:34 AM
I'm glad it turned out well for you Argey  :)
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: mike travis on February 18, 2007, 07:41 PM
Looking good argey.. ;)
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: tomek on March 01, 2007, 11:07 AM
made the base sauce last night, scaled down to 1/2 the original recipe.

it turned out a nice golden yellow like you said.

on it's own, it tastes like some kind of strange vegetable soup right now.  not quite a curry, that's for sure.  is that right?

do you simmer it covered or uncovered?  i had it covered for about 1 1/2 hours until the veggies were all soft.  tonight i'll be inviting friends over for beer and madras, so i'll let you know the results!

will add fresh coriander to the curry as well as garnish.

thanks, although daunting to look at initially, it wasn't actually so difficult or time consuming to make the base sauce!
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: DARTHPHALL on March 01, 2007, 11:15 PM
Hi Tomek.
your questions/points.

1.You've got the taste right mate, don't forget this is only a base gravy so it only needs to give depth & a Foundation for the final dish, I'm not sure how much you know about cooking curries but you must then add a final dish, you cannot eat the base Gravy on its own, read the whole recipe & you'll see what i mean.If you have any questions PM me, I'm usually quick to answer.

2. I simmer covered.

3.I have said many times that this looks like a big task but its just chopping vegetables, cooking them & then pureeing them, it is really very simple.

Hope this helps.
 :)
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: tomek on March 02, 2007, 12:39 PM
cooked up the curry last night.  i cooked it for a bit longer, maybe an hour, and changed the spices slightly to suit what i had and to get some extra heat.

the verdict was that it was absolutely delicious.  by far the best curry i've made to date, with far more depth and flavour than when i just use passata and onions.

i'd take a picture but it's all gone.

thanks darth!  i'll be making this base sauce over and over.  my English friends have had plenty of curry and they were incredibly pleased by this curry.

wow!  it was delicious!
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: DARTHPHALL on March 03, 2007, 12:14 AM
I'm very glad everyone enjoyed it...Curry on !!!!  ;D
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: sp on March 10, 2007, 11:51 AM
i've made the base sauce, i'd like to use lamb or beef instead of chicken, is it a direct replacement for the chicken or do i need to make any alterations to the recipe?
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: Cory Ander on March 10, 2007, 01:55 PM
Hi SP,

Darth can confirm, but I'm sure substituting pre-cooked lamb or beef for the chicken is just fine, without any other changes to the recipe being necessary

Regards,
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: tomek on March 10, 2007, 03:04 PM
does anyone have a good korma recipe that Darth's base would compliment well?
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: DARTHPHALL on March 10, 2007, 10:17 PM
I'm sorry i did not answer your message Tomek but every time i log on, my messages are not showing & when i follow from my email i get an error.
I don't know of a Korma you can make from this dish as i don't eat Korma, I'm sure someone on this site however will point you to a very good Korma recipe.
Tomek you can most definitely make a korma with this base as long as you leave the Chilli powder out in the first stage, you can make any curry with this Base as long as the Chilli powder is left from the first stage.This is the most asked question for this base . :)
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: weeble on March 13, 2007, 04:46 PM
I really want to try this tonight! :) But what's this... """""""""". Am I not seeing the recipe correctly? Is it a font issue? For example....

2 """"""""""""""  Home made Fresh Ginger puree.
2 """"""""""""""  """""""""""""""""""  Garlic  """""".
3 """""""""""""" Curry powder.   
3 """""""""""""" Turmeric.
1 """""""""""""" Extra hot chilli powder

:/
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: Curry King on March 13, 2007, 05:22 PM
Hi Weeble,

He means same as above, so in the case you mention it's tablespoons:

2 Tablespoons of Curry Powder
2 """"""""""""" Turmeric

Means use 2 tablespoons of turmeric.

cK
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: weeble on March 13, 2007, 05:24 PM
lol!! DOH! lol. thankyou Curry King! :) mmm i'mhungry... :)

Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: DARTHPHALL on March 13, 2007, 10:55 PM
Sorry only just go on, CK is correct about the """"""""""" saves repeating the same word thats all.
Cheers. :)
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: weeble on March 14, 2007, 09:21 AM
Made the base last night - taste fantastic!! Making the madras tonight for friends :)) Thanks guys!
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: weeble on March 15, 2007, 01:49 PM
Wow! Just wanted to say I made the Madras last night with the base from the night before - it was amazing! Just like a proper BIR!! I can't believe it, never made a proper curry before and it was perfect. Cooked it for guest and it went down a storm, so many thanks for this one!

Can't wait to try the others one this site now!... :) :) :)
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: Curry King on March 15, 2007, 02:08 PM
Gald it worked out weeble, please let us know how you get on with anyuthing else you try, good or bad  ;)

cK
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: DARTHPHALL on March 16, 2007, 10:18 AM
Great work Weeble, glad it all tasted good, you can make any dish with this base as i have mentioned before, a new member has made a Korma with it, but you must leave out the chilli powder unless you want to make a VindaKorma  :D
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: 1stvindaloo on March 20, 2007, 07:17 AM
does anyone have a good korma recipe that Darth's base would compliment well?

Hi m8, korma has always been my speciality though i now on a mission to create my perfect madras. Anyway, my already rated korma has been greatly improved, so im told, by using a ladle of darths base and also using a batch of pre cooked chicken, cooked using the boil in a pan method with a little tumeric for colouring. I use only a little water and cook letting the water evaporate and just as it does I add a little oil and quickly fry for 30 secs. My son tasted this chicken and now demands it dialy.

The korma.

Use a small can of evaporated milk, poor into measuring jug. Now start adding coconut powder and ground almond powder a bit at a time and taste, keep adding one or the other until you think it replicates the general taste your after. The ratio that mimics my local is 3/2.

Use tenderised coconut, 1/2 mug,  and get this into a powdery consistency using a blender etc. I ensure it isnt too bitty. THIS WILL ADD ALL THE SWEETNESS YOU NEED. I then add this to a blender along with the evap milk mixture and Pataks Korma paste, to taste ,along with some saffron and pinch of tumeric.

Heat a little oil in pan, i add i lttle more korma paste to the oil and fry it off then add chicked, fry it off, ladle or Darth's base, and finally add the blended sauce mix  and only cook until chicken had finished heating though, 2 or 3 minutes. I add either cream or milk to produce the right comsistency.

VERDICT.

It may seem like an unusual and not very "curry cook" method but I have  been told this replicates my locals Korma exactly, I have cooked for as many as 20 people and this Lorma has always gone done really well. Using a more standard curry cooking method produces a  top quality super market korma curry.

The use of the tenderised coconut is essential, the normal descated stuff will not powder and can absorb so much curry it gets very stodgy.  Please let me know how you get on and peoples verdicts. Good luck.

Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: onion on March 20, 2007, 10:11 AM
Hi Darth
I am going to have a go at making your base this weekend, :P I have read other recipes and I wanted to ask a question.
Have you tried using potato's in your base and removing them before blending, if so what was the result?

The reason I ask is that in a previous post on a takeaway I had, I ordered just a plain curry sauce, it had distinct aromas of potato and broccoli and perhaps cabbage, I also had a madras and it had the same undertones. This leads me to believe that the plain sauce was more or less just base.

Onion
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: DARTHPHALL on March 20, 2007, 09:39 PM
Hi Onion.
I haven't tried Potato, you could go on adding ingredients ad infinitum, if its your first time making this Base i would follow exactly as Ive posted, so you get a better idea of what the original is supposed to taste like. It is becoming a globally recognized favorite, try the original then improve upon it to your particular pallet. 
Cheers.

.....DARTHPHALL..... 8)
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: George on March 21, 2007, 11:36 AM
.. if its your first time making this Base i would follow exactly as Ive posted, so you get a better idea of what the original is supposed to taste like. It is becoming a globally recognized favorite, try the original then improve upon it to your particular pallet. 

I agree with this approach 100%. I think it's so important and simply makes common sense. But I get the impression that most people make changes from the outset. If you are one of these people, please explain the logic and rationale in changing a recipe the first time you make it.

Regards
George
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: onion gadgie on March 21, 2007, 05:41 PM
made the madras with the darth base sauce what a curry it dont come much better in my opinion had a lovely taste followed by the burn!not too hot though perfect if you like your currys to tingle the tonsils.....cheers darth keep posting your A1 recipes   OG
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: Bangra on March 21, 2007, 10:05 PM
I agree with onion

 I can smell what i think is swede in my local takeaway curry ,does this sound feasible?
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: Cory Ander on March 22, 2007, 03:27 PM
I can smell what i think is swede in my local takeaway curry ,does this sound feasible?

I doubt it Bangra!  :-\

.....but maybe.......or something similar like white (not red) radish....

Regards,
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: onion on March 27, 2007, 09:50 AM
I have made Darth?s base recipe this weekend, it smelled very good, I would say during cooking it had the smell of my local BIR Biriani vegetable accompaniment dish. I followed exactly the recipe as given with the exception of the amount of chilli powder, I used only 1 teaspoon, the reason I deviated was because I want to make final curry dishes in varying heat ranges.

I used 600ml of oil as the BIR style; I believe the amount of oil is vital to the final taste/texture.

The final base had a very pleasant taste; the reduced amount of chilli powder came through with nice warmth. As I expected, it had a good depth of flavour but without any one dominating another, this I believe is correct, below is a picture of the finished blended base.

The second picture is the same base recipe but with some extras, I added a few potatoes, some cauliflower and some broccoli, I used Desiree red as they are waxy and do not break up; they also have a very full flavour.

Once the base had been simmering for a while and the potatoes were cooked through I removed them, they had the look and the taste of vegetable Biriani potatoes. I left the cauliflower and broccoli in.

Again the base had a good flavour, nice warmth but with a more pronounced BIR smell, particularly after blending. I will be using the bases at some point this week; I intend to make two identical dishes using one of each of the bases.

I am very excited
Onion
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: Curry King on March 27, 2007, 10:51 AM
Looking good  8)

Have to agree with you on the oil, as bad as it seems tipping that amount in if you don't it won't come out right.

cK
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: d_alford on March 28, 2007, 01:18 PM
Hello all.. im new to this site been cooking currys at home for some time mainly from curry recipe books and have never really had a great result with exeption to butter chicken.

I tried making the curry base last night closely following the recipe. Unfortuatly i think somthing went wrong somewhere down the line as the end result i got was a darkish brown/green colour and tast horrid, very bitter.... I think it is down to the tumeric but not really sure where i went wrong. I didnt add as much water as coudnt fit it in the pan and i put an extra stick of celery in there. also when i added the spice and water it didnt go a tomateo puree texture just very watery.

I dont want to bin the base... any one got any advise on anything i can do/add to improve it?
Or knows where i went wrong?

Shall i just use it or is it only fit for the bin?

Thanks
Dan

Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: Curry King on March 28, 2007, 03:27 PM
I think it's only fit for the bin mate  :-X

I'm not 100% sure about this base as I don't use it but I've had that green\bitter result before when blending onions before cooking them.   ???

cK
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: DARTHPHALL on March 29, 2007, 08:25 AM
HI d_alford, i agree with CK , best to throw away & start again, it should not turn out bitter at all more like a spicy veg Soup if you know what i mean. :)
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: Richard W. Rinn on April 02, 2007, 06:22 PM
Hi, just a couple of questions before I attempt this...

In stage three, 1 dessertspoon of corriander is listed, I take it this is ground corriander seed?

I am also 99% sure that you're peeling the cloves of garlic in stage three before you grate them, but thought I'd mention it because it doesn't specifically say so.

Also, what sort of size of pot is required to take the whole curry base in a oner?

And finally, the two large ladles of water from the cooked chicken..err..sorry, I don't know if I have a large ladle, what sort of volume would that be?  :-)

Thanks in advance, looking forward to giving it a whirl! Only been making curries for a few months, starting with a Pat Chapman book then The Curry Secret and found this forum last week sort of by chance.


Richard.
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: mike travis on April 02, 2007, 10:02 PM
Hi Richard,  ;) I have done this and can recommend it. I used ground coriander, peeled the garlic (not too happy about grating them tho, Think I lost a bit of finger during this stage).I used a 4 litre pot which was plenty big enough for the job. I have a standard ladle that comes with a set, I think this stage is trial and error, adding it till you get the consistency required. I cooked a batch a few weeks ago and froze them. I had one tonight and it was........perfect..

By the way, welcome to the best site on the web................ ;D ;D
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: Cory Ander on April 03, 2007, 05:18 AM
Hi Richard,

Welcome to cr0  :)

I think the following is intended, but perhaps Darth would be good enough to confirm and update his recipe accordingly?


Hope this helps a little  8)

Regards,
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: DARTHPHALL on April 05, 2007, 08:47 AM
Hi.
Sorry I'm so late in replying.
Cory Ander is correct in all the points mentioned.
The ladle i use is fairly small & holds 3-4 TableSpoons of Liquid, so that would translate to 6-8 TableSpoons, it isn't that critical, so i wouldn't worry to much about it.
Some BIR's don't Peel their Garlic but i do recommend you do.
And yes plain old Ground Coriander will do the Job adequately.
Cheers for now peeps. :)
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: mike travis on April 06, 2007, 10:54 PM
Hi Darth  ;) Just spent an enjoyable afternoon cooking a big pot of your base and Chicken Madras. For years now I have been trying to cook my favorite Indian Curry, the Madras. Now thanks to you my friend the quest is over and its time to try some more wonderful recipes on this great site.

        This truly is a curry from the dark side.

           Thanks for all your hard work and continued support.

                Forever grateful.................mike..  ;D ;D
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: Richard W. Rinn on April 12, 2007, 01:29 PM
Hi again!

Made a 1/3 scaled down portion of the curry base last night. At the stage where you've liquidised the ingredients, and then put it back on the heat for ten minutes, you get a sort of froth rising to the top (well, I did anyway). I skimmed this off the top, as this is the way I'd done it when making the base from The Curry Secret book. Just wondering if this sounds right, or maybe I only got the froth from scaling down ingredients (I wasn't that scientific about proportions, just a rough ball park), or something else I was doing? Looks good anyway, albeit darker than when doing it 100% as per Darth's recipe.

Will be using the base tonight to make a chicken madras for myself, and a vegetable curry for my girlfriend.


Cheers,


Richard.
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: Curry King on April 12, 2007, 07:04 PM
HI Richard,

I tend to get a cartain amount of froth whichever base recipe I use, I think it has more to do with how high you heat it after blending.  Like you I used to scrape it of but now don't bother as I found it makes no difference to the final sauce.

cK
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: lorrydoo on April 21, 2007, 01:15 PM
Making your curry base today Darth, I ll let you know how I get on.
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: lorrydoo on April 21, 2007, 08:08 PM
Have made your curry now Darth, it looks and smells good.  Can't wait to convert it to a Madras.

I'll let you know how it goes!












t
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: lorrydoo on April 22, 2007, 02:43 PM
Have now made Darths Madras, tastes nice but has a chinise curry flavour about it.
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: DARTHPHALL on April 28, 2007, 07:20 AM
Hi all.
Sorry if Ive not answered any questions recently, Busy as a busy thing at the mo.
The froth question (Curry secret Cookbook), having now been in touch with a few Chefs, this is purely an aesthetic preference & has no impact on the flavor of any dish, but is sometimes employed in sit style Restaurants.
Hi Lorrydoo, I'm not sure about the Chinese touch, but remember this base may give what you perceive as a general commercial Kitchen smell that we a get when in the vicinity of many places, Kebab houses, fish & Chip shops etc..etc.. 
Cheers...........
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: deeboi on May 04, 2007, 09:16 PM
Hi people, great forum.

After many mouthwatering hours reading these forums I've decided to try Darths Madras 100% Clone recipe.
I dabble with the spices and foods I like personally but this will be the first recipe I have followed to the letter.
In the recipe it says "5 Sticks Celery."
Is that 5 full sticks or 5 bits you pull from the celery.(not sure what you call them lol) :-[
Sorry for the daft question.

Cheerz deeboi.
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: mike travis on May 04, 2007, 10:44 PM
Hi deeboi, have done Darth`s base and madras and is very good. I use 5 full length sticks taken from a bunch you normally buy in a bag. There is no such thing as a daft question on this site. All ready to help. Hope it turns out ok. Let us know how you get on...All the best..... ;D
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: deeboi on May 04, 2007, 11:28 PM
Thanks for that mike,

In the recipe it says "5 Sticks Celery."
Is that 5 full sticks or 5 bits you pull from the celery.(not sure what you call them lol)

I was meaning, was it was 5 bunches or 5 sticks. lol
Thanks for clearing it up for me m8. ;D
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: DARTHPHALL on May 05, 2007, 07:39 AM
Yep 5 full stalks of Celery is correct matey  :)
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: Cory Ander on May 05, 2007, 02:06 PM
Thanks for that mike,

In the recipe it says "5 Sticks Celery."
Is that 5 full sticks or 5 bits you pull from the celery.(not sure what you call them lol)

I was meaning, was it was 5 bunches or 5 sticks. lol
Thanks for clearing it up for me m8. ;D

That's five "sticks" of celery, in your terminology, Deeboi  ;)
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: deeboi on May 07, 2007, 03:18 PM
Well I made it and got to say it was brilliant.I was really happy with the resuls, as was the wife. ;D

The photo's are here:  http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=1822.0 (http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=1822.0)

Thanks Darth I can see me making this quite alot now.
Can your base be used for any other curries? just wondering.

Cheerz deeboi. ;D ;D ;D
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: lorrydoo on May 20, 2007, 08:20 PM
Hi Darth, Iam slowly making my way through various bases and have now made yours.  I will make your 100% Madras next week (May bank holiday) and let you know how I get on.

I have made some concentrated chicken stock by rosting 4kg of chicken wings and then boiling them for several hours.  This was sived and the remaining 2 litres of stock was reduced to just enough to fill one and a half icecube trays!  Very strong stuff.

I subsequently put two cubes in a curry today using ifindforu base and Cory Anders Madras recipe.  Still couldnt detect the chicken flavour that is present in BIRs!

I think they must be using a flavouring product and I have heard on here that Knorr Boullion might be used.  Do you know anything about this product and its possible use in BIRs?

Many thanks,

Barry.
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: lorrydoo on May 31, 2007, 07:51 PM
I am making Darth Madras tomorrow, 1st June 2007, I made the base a couple of weeks back and followed it to the letter.  I will follow the rest of the recipe also to the letter and post the results!

Lorrydoo.
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: lorrydoo on June 01, 2007, 01:08 PM
Darth Madras is now simmering on my stove.  It tastes nice and smells nice but it lacks the BIR taste and smell.
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: lorrydoo on June 01, 2007, 07:27 PM
My daughter has eaten Darths curry and likes it, she will only ever eat BIR, and a chicken tikka recipe I posted on here! 

Here is the link, http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=1823.0

It maybe simple but it is an effective curry and genuine BIR style.

Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: Spencerman on June 05, 2007, 08:03 PM
Well, I have just tried this recipie over the weekend, and I had disasterous results first time round, probably because I was too drunk, and I started off by burning everything (I let the oil get too hot).  Sooo, Saturday was wasted, as well as me, so I binned the mess and started again Sunday.  Whoopie, this time round I was not so drunk, so all went really well.  Really simple to follow, the only thing that I was a little unsure of was how much oil to start with (I assumed it was all of it) and then how long to cook the spices for before adding the rest of the stuff (I again assumed it would be just a few minutes).  It turned out really well, except that I had missed off an ingrediant for stage three, so that was the end of Sunday.  Monday I went to the shop and ensured that I had everything that I needed this time, so Monday night was to be curry night!  I had no problems with the next two stages, and I must admit that I was well impressed with the end result.  It was pretty much the perfect curry!  Whereas I like my curry hotter than hot, I am a phall or vindaloo man usually, I do also like milder curries every so often, and also figured that many people would be trying my newly found recipe, so I omitted the chilli powder from the base, but the result is still a really nice flavourful curry that tastes every bit as great as it should do.  I think that my local takeaway will miss me.

Here are some pics:

(http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d93/Spencerman2/P6030012.jpg)

This was the start of the base, as also shown below.

(http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d93/Spencerman2/P6030013.jpg)

(http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d93/Spencerman2/P6030017.jpg)

That was the base when it was nearly finished, just before I blended the whole lot.

(http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d93/Spencerman2/P6030020.jpg)

That was the base after I blended it.  I followed the recipe pretty exact, so you can see just how much it makes (enough for me and maybe one other).

(http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d93/Spencerman2/P6040048.jpg)

That was the onions being goldenified before being added to the base in the other pot.

(http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d93/Spencerman2/P6040051.jpg)

Nearly finnished article.

(http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d93/Spencerman2/P6040063.jpg)

My final finnished yield, pictured ready to eat, also boxed up ready for the next day and also for freezing.  Also pictured is my favourite side dish in the green can.

I figured that as I had never attempted this before, I would take pictures as I went along just in case I went wrong, that way I could look back and someone may say that I overcood this, or undercooked that, or that so and so was too large, or thingamy was too small etc.  Fortunately after the first disaster, everything was great, and the end result was much better than I was expecting.

Thanks Darth for making me even fatter.
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: mike travis on June 05, 2007, 09:03 PM
Wow !  :o Those pictures are amazing Spencerman. I have done Darth`s base and Madras and I must say it didn't look as colourful as yours. It tasted nice though. I bet that tasted the business. Nice one chap....

                             ;D ;D
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: Spencerman on June 05, 2007, 09:09 PM
Do you know that is the first time that someone has said wow to one of my pictures.  On other forums that I frequent I am notorious for taking really crap pictures, and they are pretty awful, but the curry does indeed taste great.  I am going to have more tonight now (That was not my intention, but what the hell).  Maybe it was that I was inspired, or maybe you shouldnt see my outtakes!  ;D
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: mike travis on June 05, 2007, 09:19 PM
The end result looks just right, mine seemed to be a little watery, so perhaps I made a slight error in a quantity somewhere. I found if you freeze it and then have it at a later date it tastes even better. I will have another stab at it soon but I am trying to work my way around some of the other splendid recipes on this site.

       Keep up the good work... ;D
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: Curry King on June 06, 2007, 09:07 AM
Pictures look great thanks for sharing  8)

cK
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: Yousef on June 06, 2007, 02:26 PM
Welcome to the site Spencerman,

That picy looks the most accurate and closest to the real deal i have seen in ages.
Perhaps its time to try this curry sauce again.

I really admire the darkness you got in the sauce, did you follow the recipe to the letter or change some bits?

Ive made good looking currys before but that consistency & colour look spot on.
I hope it tasted as good as it looks

Stew
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: Spencerman on June 06, 2007, 08:03 PM
I has tasted every bit as good as it looks for the last three nights!  ;D  I practically followed the instructions to a tee, except that I left out the chilli powder in the base, for future use in case I want to make a milder dish.  I ebbed on the side of caution with the oil, if it said 600 - 700 ml, then I went for 600.  I took my time to make sure that I peeled each clove on the garlic and grated and chopped everything nice and fine.  If I was to rate it out of 10, then this is the first time that I can say hand on heart, I would give it a 10.   My only critism if any is that I like my curries a little bit hotter, but then as I mentioned I left the chilli powder out of the base on purpose, so that is no reflection on the dish itself, merely an observasion that next time I shall probably add that.  It was full of flavour and has gone down a real treat with me, so much so that I dont want to share any now as I want it all for myself!  I also think that the base looked great on its own, a nice chunky veggie stew, until it was all blended up anyway!
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: mike travis on June 06, 2007, 09:39 PM
Hi Spencerman,  ;) I will certainly be using your pictures as a reference when I cook this base again, you have it spot on. well done...
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: mike travis on June 24, 2007, 04:13 PM
Hi Spencerman,  ;) Inspired by your photo`s of Darth`s Base/Madras I am going to give it another try, so be prepaired to be bombarded with questions. One question I have now is, what size onions did you use? Or better still how much did they weigh? I think this is where I may have gone wrong. I had used large onions that may have helped make the base a bit thinner than Darth`s/your`s. So if you happen to have any onions of the size you used could you weigh one so I can work out how many I need to get  ;D .

I think it would be a good idea to put weights and measures down instead of just saying small/medium/large IMHO.  ;)
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: Spencerman on June 24, 2007, 06:36 PM
The onions that I used are asda large onions, about 90mm diameter (they do them in size not weight).  I also used smaller ones, but kind of guessed how many to make about 15 of the larger sized ones, so probably used about 25 onions in total, but they would have been the equivalent of 15 90mm diameter ones, if that helps.  I have nothing to hand at the moment to weigh one I am afraid.  I find that you can get really large onions that are sold in packs of two, but the ones that I refer to are sold in bags of three.  And please feel free to bombard away.  I really just tried to follow the recipe to the letter as much as possible, allowing for them all to cook, before blending them all up into a really fine mix, I made sure that they were well and truely blended!  Then I recooked and allowed to cool.  I have made two loads of this base now, and the second time turned out just the same as the first (although I added the chilli powder the second time but not the first, but I like my curries hot).  I didnt chop everything up really tiny, as you can see from the pictures, as I figured that as long as everything is cooked, you are going to blend it up anyway, but I kept the carrots and the celery, and even the peppers about the size that you might chop them for other more usual cooking dishes, sunday roast etc.  The onions I just chopped in half, and then sliced into about five or six slices.  The corriander I chopped up quite finely.  I am not sure if I mentioned already, but where it said 600-700ml of oil, I used around 600ml of oil to start with, not 700, but that is down to personal preference I guess.  I hope that helps, but please feel free as I said to ask away any questions that I may be able to answer for you.
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: kaled0070 on June 29, 2007, 08:12 PM
Hi folks,
 Just wanna say thanks to Darth (and to you spencerman for suggesting I try it) for the madras recipe, thats one of the tastiest things I've made. Since this was my first attempt I thought i'd play safe and made a 10 onion base which was originally posted by blade1212 back in may 2005, with the addition of a leek. I followed Darths path for the  chicken and main recipe and was well made up with the result, following is fotos of the finished base (maybe too much pasata?) and the finished madrasses. Next thing for me will be the full Darth base if my eyes can stand the peeling and chopping of so many onions.
Thanks again
Mike
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: Spencerman on June 29, 2007, 09:28 PM
That does look great, makes me hungry just to look at those pics.  I am really glad that it all went well for you, and that you were well pleased with the result, it certainly is a pretty tasty curry!
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: Curry King on June 30, 2007, 10:00 AM
Great pics thanks for sharing  ;)

Let us know if you try anything else.

cK
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: bigdel90 on July 05, 2007, 10:18 PM
Just made this base with the intention of making a CTM on saturday night. I omitted the green peppers (because i don't like them) and the chilli powder but other than that I followed the recipe exactly.

The sauce looks like the same golden yellow as the photos but when I taste it there is a very slight bitter after taste. Mum tried it and knew what I meant but dad couldn't taste the bitterness at all.

Anyway, my questions are: Is this normal and if it isn't do you think that when the CTM spices are added, this slight bitterness will disappear. Also, If this bitterness isn't normal, where do you think I've gone wrong?

Do I go for it or start the whole thing again?

Please help as I'm really eager to impress on Saturday night.

Many thanks

Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: Cory Ander on July 06, 2007, 02:35 AM
....there is a very slight bitter after taste....is this normal and if it isn't do you think that when the CTM spices are added, this slight bitterness will disappear. Also, If this bitterness isn't normal, where do you think I've gone wrong?

Hi BD90 (sounds like a water repellant!  ;D)

The bitterness you describe is very common, but undesirable.  There has been quite a lot of debate on the sources of bitterness (try searching "bitterness") and they are many and varied.  In my opinion, some common sources of bitterness are as follows:


Some people disagree with the last point, but it is certainly what I have found. 

There has also been some mention of aluminium pans also causing bitterness.

Of course, some curries are intended to be sour (e.g. Vindaloo) and the desired sourness is achieved by adding things like tamarind, lemon juice, vinegar, yoghurt, etc

Personally, I would try cooking the onions for longer than Darth suggests (e.g. several hours).  This should remove the bitterness (if its the onions that are causing it).  Otherwise, it may be that you burnt the garlic and ginger or the spices?  Nevertheless, try cooking for longer. 

Anyway, unless the bitterness is severe (in which case you may be better off ditching it), the rich, sweet, ingredients of a CTM will undoubtedly mask it successfully.  8)

Hope this helps!  :-\ ;D
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: bigdel90 on July 06, 2007, 08:57 AM
Thanks a lot Cory,

My Mum (who's a better cook than myself) did suggest that she thought it was due to the onions being undercooked and advised to leave cooking for a bit longer. I did that though and it seemed as if the bitterness was getting worse although this could have just been in my head.

From your points mentioned it could have been that I didn't fry the spices for long enough (as I was paranoid of burning them) or that I was using aluminium pans. Anyway I think I'll try it Saturday night (using your CTM recipe) and if it's no good then I'll do a fresh batch, next time keeping your points in mind.

Many thanks.
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: rickking on July 09, 2007, 04:01 PM
What is passata? is it a powder (because it mentions it in grams)? I have searched on this site and google and people say it is sieved tomatoes? So can I just take canned tomatoes and sieve it (the tomatoes only that is)? Just wandering what technique is most common.

Thanks!
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: Domi on July 09, 2007, 06:13 PM
Hi rickking ;)

Passata is tomatoes which have been pureed then sieved....You can find it in any supermarket, either near the pasta/Italian foods or sometimes near the tinned tomatoes or you could make it yourself ;D (sometimes bottled passata can be quite sour or bitter for me and can ruin a good curry) :)
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: Cory Ander on July 10, 2007, 02:22 AM
Hi RK,

Yes, you can use canned tomatoes (or fresh) instead.

As Domi says, passata is readily available in the supermarkets.  Just make sure you buy the plain tomato passata and not the stuff with herbs (i.e. basil, oregano, etc) added to it.  Otherwise, you'll end up with curried bolognaise sauce.....now there's a thought..... :P
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: rickking on July 10, 2007, 05:29 PM
Thanks guys. I'll take a look at the supermarket. Not sure if they sell it in Canada, but i'll look in the italian sauce section. Might they go with a different name or will it say "passata" on the bottle?
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: Spencerman on July 10, 2007, 06:36 PM
Knowing Canadians, it will probably be called something like, crushed tomatoes, or similar.  I know that dolmio make one and they call it crushed tomatoes rustica, but it is just basically tomatoes and nothing else.
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: tomek on July 11, 2007, 07:30 PM
rick, its called tomato puree in canada and the states.  dont go buying any italian sauces or anything!  just tomato puree

Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: Wish on July 13, 2007, 09:47 PM
Hi all the bitter taste sometimes found in currys ive found to be tom puree.if you add the puree and fry this it seems to give a bitter taste maybe burns it.
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: nipper on July 18, 2007, 09:21 PM
Tried this today and made a fairly large batch. Put together a very pleasing BIR standard Chicken Rogan and a Jalfrezi from it. A good simple recipe and works well for others than Madras.  Spent a lot of time probably cutting onion etc too small pieces, but result was excellent.
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: Sirhc on July 26, 2007, 07:52 PM
I'm sitting here eating this right now :o...

I should have taken pictures along the way, but apparently my family are enjoying it too.

Tastes... amazing. Made it nice and firey.

I'll definitely be doing it again and will take pictures next time ;D.
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: DeeSpicer on July 29, 2007, 02:46 PM
Hi all, This is lovely, its an improvement over the Kris Dhillon's base which i have been using for a few years now. One of the tips i got from a BIR chef was not to use
italian canned tomatoes like napolina as these are a little to rich for curries this can ruin the flavour, can even make it bitter.What you want is the cheap tomatoes like tesco value or the supermarkets own. You will notice a change in the colour
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: dpd1973 on August 05, 2007, 10:19 PM
Hi Guys,

I have a question regarding the original recipe. In stage 3 - 'making the madras' when you say "Add all spices & chicken & Chicken water from above post" - should the spices be fried with the garlic first or added straight in with the base sauce in their raw form?
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: mike travis on August 05, 2007, 10:57 PM
Hi dpd1973,  ;) I think they get added straight to the base in raw form. Welcome to the forum by the way, look forward to your input..... ;D
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: xxxxChrisxxxx on October 21, 2007, 12:54 PM
I'm wanting to make this base sauce today, but am wondering how much garlic / ginger should go into the home made pur?e?


Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: Curry King on October 21, 2007, 03:35 PM
Hi Chris,

I usually make it with equal amounts of both so you can make any amount you like.


cK
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: leelar on November 14, 2007, 02:48 PM
Yes yes yes! Finally i make a cracking madras! My dad would not believe that i had made it myself, and he knows his BIR curries... I followed the base recipe exactly, but made a few minor amendments on the madras sauce... I added a tablespoon of tandori powder, 1 teaspoon of cardamon powder, juice of one third of a lemon and 200 ml more pasatta. I used fresh chillies and blended it before adding the base and the chicken... I was totally gobsmacked. The result was so close to my favourite BIR, i couldn't believe it. (only less greasy) I also used very little salt to make it a little healthier.
This was my second batch and boy am i pleased!
Darph, u r a legend and i would like to have ur children. Thank u!
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: leelar on November 14, 2007, 02:51 PM
i also added a tablespoon of almonds.
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: MadRocks on November 25, 2007, 07:20 PM
Just wanted to post to say WOW, this was my first reciepe from this site and  this has got be one of the best reciepes ive ever made(and ive tried a lot).  Tried it over the weekend and it was better than my favorite BIR.  I will defientely be trying more  ;D
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: haldi on November 29, 2007, 08:01 AM
Just wanted to post to say WOW, this was my first reciepe from this site and  this has got be one of the best reciepes ive ever made(and ive tried a lot).  Tried it over the weekend and it was better than my favorite BIR.  I will defientely be trying more  ;D
Hi MadRocks
           did you make the full sized base for the curry gravy?
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: George on November 29, 2007, 11:16 AM
Yes yes yes! Finally i make a cracking madras! My dad would not believe that i had made it myself, and he knows his BIR curries... I followed the base recipe exactly, but made a few minor amendments on the madras sauce... I added a tablespoon of tandori powder, 1 teaspoon of cardamon powder, juice of one third of a lemon and 200 ml more pasatta + 1 tbls almond powder

It's good to hear that you had success with your heavily modified version of Darth's Madras. The only thing that matters is whether the end result tastes good and it sounds like yours did. But, make no mistake, these were heavy/significant modifications and hardly 'minor amendments'!
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: pioneer181 on November 29, 2007, 03:36 PM
Hi everyone.

I've been using this site for about a year now now and started off with no curry making skills what so ever. I've always made curries with no base sauce purely because I've not got round to making a base. I have to say I've never followed any recipes exactly and have just picked up on different recipes from different posts and have made some really good curries. Anyway, today I thought I'd get round to making Darth's base sauce as it has such rave reviews. I'm sure it'll turn out as good as everyone else's final dishes and I'm looking forward to the final result. Ill try and get some pictures up so everyone can see how it turns out.

P.S. A big thank you to everyone who posts on here. Without your knowledge and commitment to finding the perfect curry I'd still be eating stuff out of a jar.  :)
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: Curry King on November 29, 2007, 06:53 PM
Hi Pioneer181,

Welcome to cr0, good to hear that you have been getting great results, looking forward to your follow up.

Cheers
cK
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: Astronick on December 07, 2007, 07:05 PM
Hi all!

Had a go at Darth's base today. A few observations:

1) The quantity - wow it makes sooo much! I ended up splitting it in two and doing 2 seperate batches (that was useful for other reasons below).

2) The heat - wow it's sooo hot! I added the extra hot chilli powder and may just live to regret it. The real cause though was my curry powder I think. I used Rajah madras (hot) which probably contains a fair bit of chilli anyway. I like my curries hot (fortunately) but let's just say I won't be making a korma with this base!!!

With the second batch I dropped the chilli powder. There is still a nice heat because of the hot curry powder but it's not too overpowering. I think next time I make it I may try using a milder curry powder.

3)  The flavour - its sooo nice! I can't wait to taste the finished product (Darth's madras). I'm going to tackle that this weekend.

Thanks for a great site!

All the best,

Astronick
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: Astronick on December 08, 2007, 06:22 PM
Hi again, :)

Well I had a bash at Darth's madras this afternoon and I have to say that I am amazed that I could ever produce something that great!  :D

I've got to hand it to you Darth you certainly know what you are talking about. I tried to stick as close to your original receipe as possible except that I'm a vegetarian so I used steamed vegetables (potatoes, green beans, red peppers & onions) and vegetable stock. The result was just incredible. At least as good as anything I've ever been served at a BIR.

My initial concerns about the chilli heat in the base sauce were totally unfounded. There was a great kind of background warmth which I'm sure couldn't be replicated by just chucking in chilli powder during stage 3. The dish had a real complexity of flavour which was absolutely delicious.

I shall certainly be using your receipe over and over I'm sure. Have you any others that you would recommend?

Thanks a million for seriously widening my culinary horizons!!!  :D

All the best.

Astronick
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: Secret Santa on December 08, 2007, 06:32 PM
wow it makes sooo much! I ended up splitting it in two and doing 2 seperate batches

If I remember right I think even darth himself did just that. I don't think it would harm if you halved or even quartered the recipe.

Quote
The heat - wow it's sooo hot!

He wasn't called darth Phall for nothing, he liked em hot. I wouldn't put any chilli in the base, it makes it more versatile that way.

I don't personally like this type of base (and remember this is personal preference),  I did make Darth's base many moons ago but it is too spicy for my taste. Like you say, you couldn't really make a good BIR korma with it and a base is supposed to be usable for every curry.
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: mike travis on December 08, 2007, 09:03 PM
Hi Astronic,  ;) This recipe certainly give you a freezer full of base sauce. As for the Madras  :o it`s the business... As for recommendations you are spoiled for choice my friend... regards...mike   ;D
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: Spencerman on December 09, 2007, 07:00 PM
Well, I am glad to see that Astronick is a veggie, as that touches perfectly on the question that I was about to ask.  I shall be entertaining over Christmas this year for a few vegetarians, and I have lined up a nice veggie bolognese, a nice hot veggie version of my 'mucho matcho' chilli (so hot that it burns twice and sets fire to the frozen toilet paper!), and I also plan to do a madras as I love this dish so much.  Here is my question though.  Is the substitution of veggie stock instead of chicken stock necessary, or can I just use normal plain water?  Also, which vegetables would be good to use and how is best to cook them?  I know that often you get the such like cauliflower, broccoli, baby carrots, green beans, potatoes, mini corns, but what else should I be looking for?  Also, do I cook them seperately and just add them at the end, or do I add them raw and let them cook through in the sauce?  And what is the best potatoes to use, king edward, maris piper or some other?
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: Astronick on December 09, 2007, 11:51 PM
Hi Spencerman,

The last curry I made (Darth's madras) I actually steamed my veggies. I made some pillau rice (as per Curry Secret receipe)except that after frying the whole spices and ghee and adding the washed uncooked rice then I stuck the whole lot in my ricecooker. The advantage here, as well as not having to worry too much about the rice, was that it comes with a steamer tray which fits over the main bowl. So I steamed my veggies over the wonderful aroma of the aromatic rice.

The beauty with steaming vegetables as opposed to boiling them, as I understand, is that more of the flavour seems to stay in the vegetables themselves - rather than in the cooking water, most of which then gets tipped away. If I'm not using the ricecooker I'll use a seperate steamer with the stacking trays.

Works for me  :)

All the best with your festive vegetarian entertaining. I have to say I like the sound of your chilli!!! ;D

Best wishes,

Astronick
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: George on December 10, 2007, 03:23 AM
The beauty with steaming vegetables as opposed to boiling them, as I understand, is that more of the flavour seems to stay in the vegetables themselves - rather than in the cooking water, most of which then gets tipped away.

Yes, that's my understanding too. Even more importantly for one's health - 90% of the vitamins aren't lost either.

Regards
George
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: Kaytutt on December 13, 2007, 02:02 PM
I have just made this and all I can say is WOW!! Thank you so much for sharing.

This is without a doubt and by an absolute mile the best curry I have ever managed to make.

 :-*
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: tidsfm on January 15, 2008, 07:36 PM
i have made just made this base and madras this weekend. and i loved every minute of it, i followed the recipe exactly as stated apart from at the end i found that the madras was not quite hot enough so i added 1 more tablespoon of hot chilli powder.here is a pic of the final product. i took pictures along the way if anyone wants to see em.
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: mike travis on January 15, 2008, 08:17 PM
Hi tidsfm,  ;) Welcome to the family. The Madras looks spot on my friend  :P I bet it tasted good to. Not too hot I hope  :o . nice one....  ;D
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: Secret Santa on January 15, 2008, 08:32 PM
so i added 1 more tablespoon of hot chilli powder.

To a single portion, for a madras? No way!
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: tidsfm on January 15, 2008, 09:36 PM
no i didn't add 1 tablespoon to 1 portion. i added it to the main pan of madras which contained 3 bags of curry base. which i got 7 portions of madras out of. and i still got a frezer full of base sauce. :D
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: Bobby Bhuna on February 07, 2008, 11:20 AM
At what point during the final curry stage do you add the 300g Passata?
Title: Darths 100 percent base Fully Illustrated
Post by: Bobby Bhuna on February 11, 2008, 12:14 PM
This weekend my girlfriend was away, and so obviously I knocked up a new batch of base. After seeing the result that Darth's 100 Percent Madras achieved in the polls, I thought I'd give it another, more serious shot. This is probably the best decision of my life to date.

The 15 onion base was FAR too large for my needs and so I scaled the base sauce ingredients down by exactly half, other than the green pepper. I should have used 1.5, however as you can see, this particular green pepper is some sort of GM mutant giant capsicumiod, so I decided to stick to just the one. Here are the ingredients.

(http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/gallery/3840_11_02_08_11_37_20.jpg)

and my "home made" garlic and ginger paste and sunflower oil ::)

(http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/gallery/3840_11_02_08_11_38_03.jpg)

Although the recipe doesn't say to do this, I always mix up the spices in some sunflower oil before cooking them. I think it helps release their flavour and stops me burning them.

(http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/gallery/3840_11_02_08_11_38_37.jpg)

Here are all the ingredients added to my large pot before cooking.

(http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/gallery/3840_11_02_08_11_39_20.jpg)

And here it is just before blending (after simmering for one hour). I noted at this point that the base smelt delicious, far better than any others I have made.

(http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/gallery/3840_11_02_08_11_40_09.jpg)

Just after blending...

(http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/gallery/3840_11_02_08_11_40_43.jpg)

After the recommended 10 minute simmer. This had the froth, the scum, little oil separation and was far too light. I tasted the base and it was lovely. This was not a finished product so I turned the heat down to 1 and left it on.

(http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/gallery/3840_11_02_08_11_41_13.jpg)

After scum removal, froth re-stirring and around one hour on the lowest heat, it had darkened and the oil had separated as much as it was going to.

(http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/gallery/3840_11_02_08_11_41_45.jpg)

I then followed the Madras recipe, but used 0.5 litres base and 2 chicken breasts rather than 1.5 litres base and 6 - 7 breasts. I scaled down everything by 3. Here it is. The best curry I have made and the best curry I have ever tasted. My two mates who eat a lot of curry and have sampled my ones many times over agree. My votes coming off the Saffron base and joining the Darth massive. This recipe is absolutely brilliant!

(http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/gallery/3840_11_02_08_11_42_46.jpg)
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: Secret Santa on February 11, 2008, 06:10 PM
What a great post Bobby. You know, I lways suspected that you were in fact Darth Phall risen from the grave. I'm not sure if this confirms it or not. I'm certainly more suspicious.

Still a good post though.
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: Curry King on February 11, 2008, 08:11 PM
If he starts on about putting coat hangers and tarmac in his currys we will know for sure  :D

Just noticed it's your birthday as well Bobby, a few light ales and a curry tonight is it  ;)
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: Yousef on February 12, 2008, 09:25 AM
Booby - Happy Birthday Day.

That curry looks amazing.

CK,

Great signature.
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: Bobby Bhuna on February 12, 2008, 12:15 PM
Thanks very much guys, feels good to be 24!
Darth Phall risen from the grave

Does anyone actually know where Darth went? I see he's not been on in AGES!
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: Curry King on February 12, 2008, 02:08 PM
Does anyone actually know where Darth went? I see he's not been on in AGES!

He went to the Dark Side of curry forums, but like most people, appears to have stopped posting their as well  ;)
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: Bobby Bhuna on February 12, 2008, 02:59 PM
Oh no! Poor Darth! Why would he do such a thing... Oh well, looks like maybe that high oil content has finally got the better of him!
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: giraffe81 on March 16, 2008, 09:37 PM
Hi all

Gave this recipe a try this weekend. All seemed to go well, although it tasted a bit like spicy carrot and parsnip soup - which my local curry house certainly does not taste like. You could also definitely taste the celery still, which isn't normal?

I halved the base recipe, and even still it made tonnes and stunk out the house for the whole day! Don't think my wife was impressed  :P

Anyone have any ideas/pointers?

Have attached a couple of photos of my efforts...  ::)

(http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3149/2338846742_c1528b9bcc.jpg)

(http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2243/2338847038_37e18f30b1.jpg)

Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: weeble on March 27, 2008, 08:56 PM
Hi everyone

I love this recipe so much, and I've cooked it for friends and family on several occasions and they have all asked for the recipe!! I absolutely love it. I've experimented with the heat a fair bit, as the first time I found it a bit too hot, so I've been using hot chilli not extra hot and a little bit less. I've tried putting it in the base only, but I think it was better putting the heat in the madras and leaving it out of the base. But best of all, I put just a tad less in each with hot chilli not extra hot. But everyone has different taste buds so I'd say go for how you like it!  :D

Anyway, I wanted to ask if anyone has a recommendations for using this base with any other recipes on this forum?  Fancy trying something else this weekend but have loads of base left over from the last time I made this madras!!  ;D
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: Curry King on March 28, 2008, 12:46 PM
Hi Weeble,

Personally I would give any recipe on this site a go that lists a base sauce as one of the ingredients.  Some might say that you shouldn't mix and match recipes but you don;t want to have to use your whole batch of sauce on one madras recipe  ;)
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: Slime on April 20, 2008, 07:50 PM
Hi,

First post, so hello to all. Just tried this but i've got the same results as d_alford in that it looks more like pea green soup and is incredibly bitter to taste. Not sure if I can keep it as it is. Any ideas what's gone wrong?

Thanks
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: Mooelga on May 31, 2008, 05:49 PM
I'm making the base sauce at the moment and am just leaving it to cool... it doesn't look at golden as some of the photos though  :-[ ... I'll let you know how it goes though after its cooled!
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: Mooelga on June 01, 2008, 12:05 PM
I made this base sauce last night and after I had taken it out of the pot and it had cooled a little it was a really nice yellow colour. I would definitely use again .. especially as my freezer is now full of it!

The only slight change I made was to add some green chilies at the same stage as the garlic and ginger.

Here's a nice picture  ;D

(http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t103/AsphyxiaPriest/Curry/P5310385-1.jpg)
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: Curry King on June 02, 2008, 12:06 PM
Looks about right Mooelga, let us know how the final curry turns out.
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: Bobby Bhuna on June 02, 2008, 12:45 PM
Hi,

First post, so hello to all. Just tried this but I've got the same results as d_alford in that it looks more like pea green soup and is incredibly bitter to taste. Not sure if I can keep it as it is. Any ideas what's gone wrong?

Thanks

I'm sorry to say that I have no idea how you could have managed that! Trying not to sound harsh, the only advice I can give you is follow the recipe more closely. I've made this base several times, each time following the recipe and my results have never looked green or tasted bitter. Infact as far as bases on their own go, this is probably the tastiest I've made (this is not necessarily a good thing, the general concensus is that a base sauce should taste quite bland).
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: Spencerman on June 02, 2008, 07:40 PM
I have made this base a few times also, and appart from my terrible start by burning everything at the very first stage, it has always turned out great, even when I have forgot to put things in at the right point.

I have just realised  :-[ that I never posted a follow up to my vegetarian madras that I had planned for christmas.  It went down a real treat.  In retrospect, I would have probably put in a few more potatoes than I did, and maybe steamed the veg for a little less time, but as it was my first time using a steamer I followed instructions perfectly, not taking into account that they would continue cooking for a further ten minutes in the sauce.  We ended up eating it three times as a curry on its own, and once along with a full blown takeout from my local curry house with vegi vindaloo and bombay potatoes, nan breads and bahjis, raita and dhall and my vegi madras as a side dish.  I guess that technically we had that twice as there was curry for breakfast the next day too!

I also recently made the vegi madras for another guest only a few weeks ago.  The commemt she made was that it was better than any curry she had ever had from a takeaway, probably the best one that she had ever had!  ;D  I have given some of that batch frozen as a kind of ready meal to an old lady who lives near me, so it will be interesting to see what she thinks of it too.  I shall let you guys know.

I now need to do something about the extra weight that I am gaining because of all my curries.
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: Mooelga on June 03, 2008, 01:51 PM
My base sauce did look a little green when I was cooking it in the pot, but once I had blitzed it and portioned it out, it was a really nice yellow colour. I think it may have been my pot colour that made it look a bit strange (kinda grey nonstick pan)... The only time I managed to make any curry taste bitter was when the garlic went brown and I think I cooked the spices in the oil for too long...
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: currym4d on June 26, 2008, 08:15 PM
Wow, what an awesome recipe :)

Spent the best part of the day making the base and then continued on to the madras stage.

It's by far the best curry i've made, the consistancy was perfect as was the madras color.

The only drawback was the garlic was a little too overpowering. There was some nice heat and some real flavour trying to get through but the garlic taste kinda overpowered them.

In the base recipe i used a garlic paste out of a tube, could this have been a little too concentrated? Personally i thought the base turned out fine and didn't taste of garlic - just a nice warm spicy veg soup.

For the madras i did add a whole bulb of garlic, perhaps it was a big bulb i don't know...

Anyway i've now got a lot of curry left over to freeze - does anyone have any suggestions what i can use/do to some how tone down the garlic taste or neutralise it for when i finish of this recently made batch?

Oh and thanks DARTHPHALL for sharing this recipe!


Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: Curry King on June 26, 2008, 08:37 PM
Did you make one whole batch of curry from the base, if so I doubt there is much you can do?
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: currym4d on June 26, 2008, 08:57 PM
I still have a little bit of base left over, around 1ltr i think. But i was tasting the base as i went along and it didnt taste of garlic at all really.

Right now i've got a couple tubs of the finished madras and wondered if there's anything i can add to it to maybe lesser the garlic taste when i heat it up for another meal?


Also for next time, would you reccomend ditching the garlic puree (tube) and going homemadefor the base. Or just using say half a garlic bulb when cooking the madras?

Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: Unclebuck on June 26, 2008, 09:11 PM
Right now i've got a couple tubs of the finished madras and wondered if there's anything i can add to it to maybe lesser the garlic taste when i heat it up for another meal?
If its finished mate its finished maybe make it into a phall so you cant taste anything :o  ;D or a garlic chili chicken?

Also for next time, would you reccomend ditching the garlic puree (tube) and going homemadefor the base. Or just using say half a garlic bulb when cooking the madras
I would use home made or the minced kind

(http://www.wingyipstore.co.uk/pictures/82152/mid/063610.jpg)
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: Curry King on June 27, 2008, 10:10 AM
I use both home made and the tubed stuff but I think you just need to use less in the final curry ;)
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: parker21 on June 27, 2008, 12:23 PM
hi currymd4
for  the  cooking of the madras finely chop 1 garlic clove and use a "chefs pinch"
(this should be what you can grip in all four fingers and your thumb) in the dish see my "rajver madras sauce posting" that is all you will need to make the curry. and to make the dish into a phall fry in a separate pan about 1 tbsp of tomato paste/puree(mixed with water) 1tbsp chilli powder and 1tsp of curry powder( bruce edwards/rajver/lb's or what ever comes to hand) fry until you smell toffee(the spices releasing their oils) beware the chilli fumes the will make you cough  so ensure you have either a gas mask or quite alot of ventilation ie windows and doors wide open all the extraction units cooker hood on full power! then add the rest of the madras clone sauce nd you will have a decent phall ( add some lemon juice if the madras doesnot include it) and garnish with coriander.
regards
gary
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: skinnyminnie2008 on July 08, 2008, 07:03 PM
hi peeps,sorry to ask such a stupid question.???my other half wants to have another madras tomorrow,we made darths base and madras on saturday..lush :P and we froze the base sauce in 1/2 lit portions as darths instructions.my thinking is that obviously we have to defrost the base before using it tomorrow,o/h thinks we can just heat it up from frozen :-X
please can someone clarify what to do,otherwise he may well be wearing it tomorrow instead ;D
oh,and hi everyone i'm a newbie of sorts and sorry i haven't posted my 1st attempts at base and finished product,may well do tomorrow ;)
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: joshallen2k on July 08, 2008, 10:07 PM
Yes, defrost. Don't add frozen.

I store mine in half-sandwich / 250ml sized plastic  zip bags. 15 minutes in luke warm water thaws them quickly.

Hope this helps.

-- Josh
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: TGReaper on August 01, 2008, 01:09 PM
Right guys....

I am going to attempt this base sauce ::) i will keep you posted and upload pictures.
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: bighairybloke on January 03, 2009, 10:32 AM
In another post, i said this base has to be the best one i have come across so far, but i omit the chilli, reduce the curry powder and garam masala, and i fry the onion with the garlic etc, at the frying stage, principly to remove the raw taste of the onion that persists in all boiled onion bases i have tried.

However i have just found by trawling the net, that if you soak the onion in water for 15 mins then discard the water this is also suposed to remover the raw onion taste too.  Another experiment coming up!

Steve
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: Bobby Bhuna on January 03, 2009, 01:06 PM
i fry the onion with the garlic etc, at the frying stage, principly to remove the raw taste of the onion that persists in all boiled onion bases i have tried.

I really don't get what you mean with this. However I have gently fried the onions before with success. I'm not sure exactly what difference it made though. Maybe just the placebo effect :-\
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: bighairybloke on January 03, 2009, 04:58 PM
i fry the onion with the garlic etc, at the frying stage, principly to remove the raw taste of the onion that persists in all boiled onion bases i have tried.

I really don't get what you mean with this. However I have gently fried the onions before with success. I'm not sure exactly what difference it made though. Maybe just the placebo effect :-\

I think not all can detect it, someone earlyer in this thread also noticed it.  If you dont notice it..no probs!

Steve
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: bighairybloke on January 13, 2009, 10:34 PM
Wow!  I'm very very happy :D

A further modification to Darths base, taking into account the interesting differences in other bases and some of the interesting folk law recipes i thought I?d move forward again.  So Darths base, with 1 tbs of turmeric, curry powder and garam masala, all the onions fried at the beginning in 3 batches then plonked into the boiling carrots and celery.  Cooked for twice as long- this finaly got rid of that rawness i can detect.  Then at the end, after blending and adjusting the salt to taste, i added a block of creamed coconut, then tasted it, i could just detect the coconut and it was nice and the perfect amount.  Then i decided to incorporate tomato, so i added a tin of Heinz tomato soup, tasted it...its getting that slight sweetness i can detect in my local bir base.  Then 3 tbs of tomato sauce and a tbs of tomato puree.  I made the first masala with it today ...Absolutely fabulous!.. It has a smashing caramelised smoked taste ;D that is so much like our bir.

I'm in heaven! :)

More as it happens... ::)

Steve
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: Panpot on January 14, 2009, 06:47 PM
Good for you big man
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: mayan on February 26, 2009, 03:02 PM
Hello, i'm new to the forum, providing a great read so far.

Just wondering how come the quantities/some words in the first posts are starred out, and how can i find out what they are?

Mayan
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: Unclebuck on February 26, 2009, 05:10 PM
im not 100% what you mean i think your talking about these? """"""""""""

if so there "dittos" as in same as above.
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: TonyAce on March 31, 2009, 04:24 PM
Hi Darth,

Have tried your Madras meathod and came out excellent but notice you didn't say when to add the passata. I added at the same time as the chicken and work well but can you clarify.

Thanx Tonyace
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: Bobby Bhuna on March 31, 2009, 04:46 PM
I added at the same time as the chicken and work well but can you clarify.

I'm afraid Darth was last active May 05, 2007, 07:43:58 AM. I interpreted it the same as you. Hope this helps.

Cheers,

BB.
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: neths on May 04, 2009, 01:26 AM
Tried the base and Madras yesterday and it was bloody marvellous!

Been in Canada now for over a year and had just 1 take away which was not like the UK ones at all and we did not enjoy it, so your recipes are a Godsend!

I did do a couple of changes because Madam doesn't like it too hot.... Only made half quantities as well. didn't use the celery as neither of us like it, and for the Madras, I blended 3 plum tomatoes with a tablespoon of tomato puree - Madam doesn't like puree either (what the eye doesn't see etc etc) and added it at the final stage, along with some lemon juice.

So, those are my subtle changes.

This website is magnificant, especially for us Brits over the pond. Thanks from us and I'll def be doing more recipes.

Ex cer bloody lent  ;D
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: joshallen2k on May 04, 2009, 01:46 AM
Hi neths,

Glad the curry worked out. Where in Canada are you located?

-- Josh
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: neths on May 06, 2009, 12:33 AM
Hello Josh

Pickering, just East of Tronno
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: joshallen2k on May 06, 2009, 12:56 AM
Ha ha ha. I live in Whitby, so you're minutes from me!

If you want BIR cooking, the ONLY place I've found is in Peterborough. Yes, its an hour away. The place is called Shafiq's Taste of India. The guy is Bangladeshi, and the food is BIR standard.

If you find another one in the GTA... then hook me up for sure! The stuff I've tried in the city are all "authentic" types. Not what I'm looking for at all.

Small world.

-- Josh
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: neths on May 06, 2009, 11:16 PM
Ha!!

The only restuarant I've been to, and that was 10 days ago, is the Bombay Grill in Pickering Village. Been there?
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: joshallen2k on May 07, 2009, 12:17 AM
Is it any good? I'd be surprised if it was. Appreciate your review of it!
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: neths on May 08, 2009, 02:05 AM
Well, tbh, if you hadn't had an Indian restaurant meal for a year, anything would be nice!

I had a vindaloo - first for me, and not as hot as I imagined. The OH had a Biriyani and that was a bit dry. Not sure if it was traditional or not, but all the other clientele were Asian. It was ok, and I would go there again, although there are loads of recipes to try from here first.

Apart from Peterborough, any others closer that are worth a trip?
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: joshallen2k on May 08, 2009, 02:55 AM
Unfortunately, no. The one in Peterborough is the only BIR I've found.

I must have tried 40 or so Indian restaurants in and around Toronto over the past few years, and although I've had some fantastic meals, none have measured up to UK standard. The menu is the first giveaway.

I've seriously considered opening up my own. 5.5 million people who haven't had a Madras or Tikka Masala. Madness!

-- Josh
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: neths on May 09, 2009, 11:58 AM
I think you could be onto something there............
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: Secret Santa on May 11, 2009, 09:23 PM
I had a vindaloo - first for me, and not as hot as I imagined.

Ahh but the vindaloos outside of the UK are generally toned down heatwise.
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: joshallen2k on May 13, 2009, 12:52 AM
It gets worse than that SS - I've had Vindaloos that were not only mild, but full of green pepper, onion chunks... more like a mild Jalfrezi.  ???
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: gazman1976 on November 07, 2009, 07:23 PM
just made this , very unimpressed, i suspect Darth is from cornwall from reading his posts , i am from Glasgow and followed the recipe to the T, not good i am afraid, SNS is the other base i made and that was much betterm aww well will try a new one next week
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: PaulP on November 07, 2009, 08:10 PM
Hi Gazman,

Darth's recipe is quite old now and people here have probably made better efforts since then. He doesn't seem to post on here any more.

The SnS 2008 base and Madras recipe was developed and posted much later.

Maybe you should try Cory Ander's base and madras recipe too.
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: gazman1976 on November 07, 2009, 09:32 PM
can u send me the links plz, i am from Glasgow and we have very good curry restaurants up here , thanks for replying, the website is gr8  , in your opinion what is the best base and madras ???
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: Cory Ander on November 08, 2009, 02:28 AM
just made this , very unimpressed.....followed the recipe to the T, not good i am afraid

I'm a bit surprised by this gazman1976.  In my opinion, Darth's base and madras are pretty good (giving results comparable with several other of the better bases on the forum).

What was it that failed to impress you? 
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: gazman1976 on November 08, 2009, 02:08 PM
was the flavour, and the heat for a madras was not hot , had a little kick but not much compared to Glasgow indian curry houses, just my opinion though, going to try yours next weekend, will let you know what i think

Garry
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: Panpot on December 02, 2009, 02:21 PM
Garry, as a fellow Glaswegian and someone who tends not to go looking for Madras on the menu, I'm not sure I have seen the dish on too many menus up there. If it does perhaps you could post a few BIRs that I can seek out and sample. I realise for many on the site that it seems to be a standard that they bench mark against and I would like to have a go.

I have an appointment with the Owner of a major BIR in Glasgow later this month and I hope to get some inside info especially the bases and Pakora and will ask for recipe for Madras if he does it in his establishment. PP
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: davidr on January 31, 2010, 06:10 PM
I'm about to try this recipe, but I notice there is no cardamom. In my local BIR they definitely use cardamom pods, so if I want to use them should I put them in base sauce or in the curry later and how much would anybody recommend?
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: Secret Santa on January 31, 2010, 09:05 PM
davidr, use as many as you find in the madras you are referring to - I'm assuming they are whole - and fry them briefly at the start of making the curry.
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: JerryM on February 01, 2010, 08:56 PM
davidr, secret santa,

interesting point.

for me u must put them in the base - i use 4 off per 800g onion. i remove before blending but maybe i shouldn't.

i think it was Mikka who suggested a while ago to try adding 2 off at frying stage - i have this at the top of my to do list. i took this to be to add with the oil and keep in till the curry is cooked.

this raises a few things for me:
1) should i put more in the base
2) should i leave them in the base (that's effectively what happens now i'm using ground roasted powder - TGAD approach)
3) adding them at frying stage seems a tad hassly though and i know my local TA don't fry them.
4) CA's aka spice mix adds them as powder to the spice mix and maybe i need to up the amount.

i'll certainly try frying briefly next week.
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: gazman1976 on February 01, 2010, 09:08 PM
Dont bother with this , its shite, sns madras or Ca's is best on the site so far :)
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: Cory Ander on February 02, 2010, 12:32 AM
Dont bother with this , its shite

I totally disagree gazman, it's far, far from "shite".  The curry base produces very nice curries indeed, and a very passable Madras, in my opinion.  In fact, it's one of the very few curry bases that produces that BIRlike texture (i.e. flocculated) to the gravy
Title: Re: THE MADRAS 100% CLONE (OF MY LOCAL BIR).
Post by: Cory Ander on February 02, 2010, 12:36 AM
sns madras or Ca's is best on the site so far :)

Grrrrrrrr......."of those that you've tried"...you meant to add again.... ::)
Title: Re: The Madras 100% Clone (of my local BIR)
Post by: mickdabass on March 05, 2010, 08:33 AM
This base was the first one that I had tried off this site and is still one of my favourites. Must give it another go now that I have more experience and see if it still ticks all of the boxes
Title: Re: The Madras 100% Clone (of my local BIR)
Post by: mickdabass on June 13, 2011, 09:41 AM
Yep. This is the best base on cr0
Title: Re: The Madras 100% Clone (of my local BIR)
Post by: Peripatetic Phil on June 13, 2011, 09:56 AM
I've lost track : which is the best base on Cr0 ?
** Phil.
Title: Re: The Madras 100% Clone (of my local BIR)
Post by: Unclefrank on June 13, 2011, 10:43 AM
Whenever i make this recipe, i dont add the pre-cooked chicken, i cook the finished recipe for around 1 hour on a low heat (and not 10 minutes as stated in the recipe) to get that "brown stuff" on the inside of the pan then scrape that back in and do this for about 1 hour.
Then when i make a Madras for 4 people i add a ladle at a time with the heat on high wait for that to sizzle then turn down heat to medium, then add another ladle, once this starts to bubble turn down heat again to low, dont forget to keep scraping that "brown stuff" back into the sauce then add raw/pre-cooked chicken serve when cooked through (about 15 minutes).
Quite taken back by your comment gazman this recipe is very close to a BIR,your probably not cooking it right  ;D
Title: Re: The Madras 100% Clone (of my local BIR)
Post by: mickdabass on June 13, 2011, 11:24 AM
I've lost track : which is the best base on Cr0 ?
** Phil.
Sorry Phil if you read the very first article: http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=674.0 (http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=674.0) Stage 1 the Gravy - This is the base sauce i refer to.
Quite unusual in the fact that there is no tomato of tomato puree used, and loads of garam massala instead of spice mix but it just does it for me.
Title: Re: The Madras 100% Clone (of my local BIR)
Post by: mickdabass on June 13, 2011, 11:34 AM
and with 27000 or so views, it must do it for a few others as well. Its a pity that one of the "Old Masters" like Darthphall doesnt post here any more. mind you nor do any of the other older members: CA,UB,SS, Bobby Bhuna, Joshallen Jerry M.

Such a shame :(
Title: Re: The Madras 100% Clone (of my local BIR)
Post by: Peripatetic Phil on June 13, 2011, 12:19 PM
Sorry Phil if you read the very first article: http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=674.0 (http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=674.0) Stage 1 the Gravy - This is the base sauce i refer to.  Quite unusual in the fact that there is no tomato of tomato puree used, and loads of garam massala instead of spice mix but it just does it for me. 
Ah, thank you : with 29 pages to work through, starting at your recommendation and then working backwards, it is little surprise I didn't find it before you added the new link !

** Phil.

P.S. Jerry M is still around (06 June 2011, 09:30:34), as was Uncle Buck earlier this year (21 March 2011) -- I agree it is a shame that some of the older (as in longer-standing) members are no longer as active as they once were, but I also believe that this is in the natural order of things, and that it is compensated for by the fact that we continually gain new members.  A bit like life, really !
Title: Re: The Madras 100% Clone (of my local BIR)
Post by: Razor on June 13, 2011, 12:47 PM
Never had the pleasure of interacting with Darthphall but have read many of his posts and really enjoyed them.  I think all of the guy's mentioned helped get this forum to where it is today! Maybe they feel that they have gone as far as they can?

Can you imagine what it must have been like in the early day's of cr0?  The secrets being revealed, things that we take for granted now, meaning so much more back then!

I'd just like to thank them all, for all their hard work.

Ray :)
Title: Re: The Madras 100% Clone (of my local BIR)
Post by: Peripatetic Phil on June 13, 2011, 01:35 PM
I'd just like to thank them all, for all their hard work.

Ray :)
Hear hear.
** Phil.
Title: Re: The Madras 100% Clone (of my local BIR)
Post by: mickdabass on June 13, 2011, 01:39 PM
Yes I think you're both right. We all owe them a massive thank you. Without whom we would all be doomed to making crap curries

THANK YOU
Title: Re: The Madras 100% Clone (of my local BIR)
Post by: Unclebuck on June 13, 2011, 03:54 PM
Im Still Watching

 ;)
Title: Re: The Madras 100% Clone (of my local BIR)
Post by: artistpaul on June 13, 2011, 04:10 PM
HA HA!!!!!!!!!!! ;D
Title: Re: The Madras 100% Clone (of my local BIR)
Post by: Stephen Lindsay on June 13, 2011, 05:46 PM
I agree - they RAWK!
Title: Re: The Madras 100% Clone (of my local BIR)
Post by: DARTHPHALL on November 30, 2011, 07:11 PM
Is this recipe still used, or does it need UPGRADES  8)  ;)

as with the Vindaloo post, do you people think its best to leave or do new threads with the updates/upgrades or are they a bit passed it to bother. Please let me know.

Will be speaking to my friend at my local BIR soon. Base is spot on but might be some slight changes to final stage.
Title: Re: The Madras 100% Clone (of my local BIR)
Post by: Ramirez on November 30, 2011, 08:15 PM
Same with the Vindaloo thread I reckon - it should be a new thread. Give it the exposure it deserves.  :)
Title: Re: The Madras 100% Clone (of my local BIR)
Post by: DARTHPHALL on December 01, 2011, 12:37 PM
Will do  ;D
Title: Re: The Madras 100% Clone (of my local BIR)
Post by: goncalo on November 23, 2012, 02:33 AM
Hi Darthphall,

Thank you for your recipe for a curry base. I'm on this forum for less than 24 hours and I quickly became aware of your base sauce. I first heard of it from someone who used your base sauce to make korma so I decided to give it a try. I should note I failed to make a proper korma more than 10 times. None of these times I used any base sauce.

It took me about 3 hours from starting to getting the food ready. I also only had 1/2 of the ingredients, so had to halve the portions in your recipe. I picked Cory Ander's Chicken Korma recipe and made a slight adaptation to it, which I'll explain below. Let's almost brought tears to my eyes. It was by far one of the nicest korma's I've ever had. Even better than my favorite restaurant (pipasha in Cambridge -- they suck with korma, but are great otherwise!)

Regarding your sauce, after you add the vegetables to the pan, do you bring it to the boil?

The things I've done different from CA's recipe are:

I've left a bowl with dessicated coconut in water and added almonds.
I've also added banana pieces, though I should've added it closer to the end, as the banana turned caramelized, but the end result was very very sweet. I

Thanks again!
Title: Re: The Madras 100% Clone (of my local BIR)
Post by: Secret Santa on November 24, 2012, 03:20 PM
Let's almost brought tears to my eyes.

Kormas do that to me as well!  ;D
Title: Re: The Madras 100% Clone (of my local BIR)
Post by: goncalo on November 24, 2012, 05:11 PM
Let's almost brought tears to my eyes.

Kormas do that to me as well!  ;D

We seem to understand each other's pain then, I presume. Making the right korma is almost like art!

The things I've done different from CA's recipe are:

I've left a bowl with dessicated coconut in water and added almonds.
I've also added banana pieces, though I should've added it closer to the end, as the banana turned caramelized, but the end result was very very sweet. I

Thanks again!

Some more things I forgot to mention, which I did differently:

In absence of turmeric, I used extra curry powder (schwartz, mild)
And I've fried with the chicken with vegetable oil, knorr chicken stock and a good bit of butter too
Title: Re: The Madras 100% Clone (of my local BIR)
Post by: BadSeed on February 07, 2013, 11:41 PM
I was thinking of making this base sauce tonight, but no tomatoes seems weird and unnatural to me.
I might add a can of chopped anyway.
Title: Re: The Madras 100% Clone (of my local BIR)
Post by: Malc. on February 07, 2013, 11:49 PM
I was thinking of making this base sauce tonight, but no tomatoes seems weird and unnatural to me.
I might add a can of chopped anyway.

Why not give the recipe a go as is, only then can you judge it. After all, you can add tomatoes later if your not happy. ;)
Title: Re: The Madras 100% Clone (of my local BIR)
Post by: George on February 08, 2013, 12:33 AM
I was thinking of making this base sauce tonight, but no tomatoes seems weird and unnatural to me.
I might add a can of chopped anyway.

Why not give the recipe a go as is, only then can you judge it. After all, you can add tomatoes later if your not happy. ;)

It would be an interesting subject for a university dissertation, perhaps...to understand why something close to 100% of people trying a recipe feel obliged to change it (first time and probably every time). I don't mean just on this forum but every recipe site I look at where people leave feedback. I guess luck comes into whether any change makes a recipe better, worse, or little different. Human nature, or what?
Title: Re: The Madras 100% Clone (of my local BIR)
Post by: BadSeed on February 08, 2013, 12:43 AM


Why not give the recipe a go as is, only then can you judge it. After all, you can add tomatoes later if your not happy. ;)
You may have a good point there young man... ;)

It would be an interesting subject for a university dissertation, perhaps...to understand why something close to 100% of people trying a recipe feel obliged to change it (first time and probably every time). I don't mean just on this forum but every recipe site I look at where people leave feedback. I guess luck comes into whether any change makes a recipe better, worse, or little different. Human nature, or what?

But no tomatoes though...
Title: Re: The Madras 100% Clone (of my local BIR)
Post by: Malc. on February 08, 2013, 12:47 AM


Why not give the recipe a go as is, only then can you judge it. After all, you can add tomatoes later if your not happy. ;)
You may have a good point there young man... ;)

It would be an interesting subject for a university dissertation, perhaps...to understand why something close to 100% of people trying a recipe feel obliged to change it (first time and probably every time). I don't mean just on this forum but every recipe site I look at where people leave feedback. I guess luck comes into whether any change makes a recipe better, worse, or little different. Human nature, or what?

But no tomatoes though...

Not sure how the quotes got back to front but I like the young man bit. :)
Title: Re: The Madras 100% Clone (of my local BIR)
Post by: Unclefrank on February 08, 2013, 11:07 AM
There is tomatoes in the recipe, Passata, stage 3. I still use this recipe regular, it's a big favourite for me and my friends.
I use 300ml of passata in the recipe but that's just for my tastes.

Title: Re: The Madras 100% Clone (of my local BIR)
Post by: BadSeed on February 08, 2013, 12:16 PM
I am just making the base, not the whole thing.
So here we go - I copied the recipe exactly (probably should of done 1/2)

(http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8244/8455945542_fbce875495_c.jpg)

(http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8377/8455947438_dd1d795e27_c.jpg)
Title: Re: The Madras 100% Clone (of my local BIR)
Post by: spiceyokooko on February 08, 2013, 05:09 PM
I am just making the base, not the whole thing.

Interesting how you nicely sliced up your onions in there. I just peel mine, top and tail 'em, chop them in half and sling them in!

It's also well worth hanging on to the coriander stalks from a bunch of coriander you've used as garnish for adding to base sauces. You don't want too much coriander leaf as it turns the sauce greenish, whereas stalks don't.
Title: Re: The Madras 100% Clone (of my local BIR)
Post by: Reo on February 24, 2013, 06:30 AM
Wait... 20-30 Coriander stocks literally means just the stems without the leaves?
Title: Re: The Madras 100% Clone (of my local BIR)
Post by: curryhell on February 24, 2013, 09:34 AM
Yep, just the stalks Reo.  Welcome to the site by the way.  :D
Title: Re: The Madras 100% Clone (of my local BIR)
Post by: Peripatetic Phil on February 24, 2013, 12:31 PM
Yep, just the stalks Reo.

But that doesn't mean you strip the leaves from the stalks and then use the latter; rather, you select just the lower part of the stalk that is naturally devoid of leaves.

** Phil.
Title: Re: The Madras 100% Clone (of my local BIR)
Post by: GibraltarRed on May 17, 2013, 07:02 PM
Well I just found this site a few days ago, and am trying this for the first time. Been missing BIR since I came to Gibraltar 10 years ago, the local curries are just not the same.
Pretty much followed exactly, except used a whole bunch of coriander including leaves and stems, and done roughly half though as only have a smallish casserole pot for now. Going to also do a tikka marinade, and on sunday attempt a Chicken Tikka Bhuna with Pilau Rice.
Currently on the boil, and making my apartment smell amazing.
Title: Re: The Madras 100% Clone (of my local BIR)
Post by: Peripatetic Phil on May 17, 2013, 07:04 PM
Good luck, Gib, and keep guarding the entrance to the Med. for us !
** Phil.
Title: Re: The Madras 100% Clone (of my local BIR)
Post by: GibraltarRed on May 17, 2013, 08:12 PM
Good luck, Gib, and keep guarding the entrance to the Med. for us !
** Phil.

I wish we could, already 150+ illegal incursions this year so far, the Spanish Gov are T**ts.
Title: Re: The Madras 100% Clone (of my local BIR)
Post by: GibraltarRed on May 17, 2013, 08:46 PM
well the base has been made, and it tast delicious on its own. I have used a mild curry powder as my 3 year old is also going to be eating it, and already reminds me of currys from old. I will try the madras in due time, but a bhuna and korma first up and then if enough left over a madras. how long does the base last in the freezer?
Title: Re: The Madras 100% Clone (of my local BIR)
Post by: federalex on May 29, 2013, 03:16 PM
what does """""""""""""  mean?
Title: Re: The Madras 100% Clone (of my local BIR)
Post by: Peripatetic Phil on May 29, 2013, 03:36 PM
ditto
Title: Re: The Madras 100% Clone (of my local BIR)
Post by: goncalo on May 29, 2013, 03:43 PM
what does """""""""""""  mean?

It means the author was too busy to write what was already written on the previous line.

So if it says:

1 chef spoon of camels
""""""""""""""""""llamas

It means you also add a chef spoon of llamas in addition to the chef spoon of camels.

N.B: If using camels, then you may not need to add extra water.  ::)
Title: Re: The Madras 100% Clone (of my local BIR)
Post by: Currynoob on November 12, 2013, 10:44 PM
i think i may give this base a go it seams very popular i will let you know how it goes
Title: Re: The Madras 100% Clone (of my local BIR)
Post by: Fatcontro11er on January 15, 2016, 11:16 AM
Just wanted to say this recipe is fantastic!
I have been using it since last Friday and I'm loving it!
Even a slight deviation on the third page ( which I'm sure I've done unintentionally) still proves to be a winner!
Thanks for the original post!
Stuart
Title: Re: The Madras 100% Clone (of my local BIR)
Post by: Madrasandy on January 15, 2016, 11:46 AM
Years since made this, glad you enjoyed it stuart.
Its great to find a recipe that works for you
Title: Re: The Madras 100% Clone (of my local BIR)
Post by: petespot on January 25, 2016, 09:29 PM
Made a batch of this which made enough for 3 curries.I used Julians base which I had made a while ago.All I can say is that it was a 9 out of 10 !I would say the ones which had been left until the next day were far better than the first one.Needless to say I have made your base for my next batch !
Title: Re: The Madras 100% Clone (of my local BIR)
Post by: Smurfbir on March 12, 2019, 08:51 PM
  :)very pleasantly surprised at how good this curry is, spot on like my BIR and so easy as already had loads if CAs base and MRs precooked chicken, so done in about 15 minutes... Thank you for the recipe!!
Title: Re: The Madras 100% Clone (of my local BIR)
Post by: spggodd on March 13, 2019, 01:17 PM
After much research on some of the existing and recommended bases I decided to try Darth's and so far I'm loving it!
It smelt absolutely fantastic and was also incredibly simple to make, the end taste was a neutral base that I believe should go well with any curry. - I will report back on that after the weekend!

I made the following deviations:

Title: Re: The Madras 100% Clone (of my local BIR)
Post by: JonG on March 18, 2019, 01:00 PM
Nice work there, hope you get some good results from the dishes you cook with your base. Good call to keep the spicing mild in the base. I think the worst thing is to have a strong flavoured base.