Apologies if someone has suggested this, but it's a really long thread!

I decided to test out a theory; that this marinade would make excellent pakoras.

Here's what I did:

- Made up the marinade as per the recipe. I added chicken breasts, because I was making tikka for a CTM.
- Added some chicken thighs, in slices approx 1.5cm wide
- Marinated overnight
- Patted the chicken thigh slices dry(ish) with kitchen towel
- Added some of the marinade to a bowl (I used a strainer, because my G&G was a little on the chunky side)
- Added gram flour
- Added some additional water
- Added a pinch of additional salt
- Added a little extra Kashmiri chilli powder
- Combined to make a thick batter
- Coated the chicken pieces
- Deep-fried the chicken pieces (about 5-6 mins at about 180 deg C)

In my humble opinion, it worked out really well.

Some pakora sauces seem to be slightly on the acidic side, which I love, but because the marinade is quite citrusy, I reckon a milder - perhaps yoghurt-based - sauce might be better with it. But whatever floats your boat!

I'd never heard of a ceylon. Perhaps it's described on menus as mild and/or sweet, in which case I'd likely skim straight past it.

Sure enough, 3tsp of sugar would've made it far too sweet for my liking, but with 1tsp and a couple of small green chillies and it was absolutely superb. This one's a keeper.

A few recipes for this online if you google it

I have Googled it, many times - but the results are completely different to what I know as chicken tarka.

I've put the subject in quotes, because I'm not referring to tarka in the usual sense.

There's a curry-house in my home town that does a curry they call a tarka, which I've only ever seen in one other place - literally just up the road. It's always been my go-to option, but unfortunately the guy who runs the place doesn't do very much of the cooking these days, and the younger fella who's usually in the kitchen doesn't do it nearly as well.

It's made with vinegar, soya sauce, yoghurt and fairly large rounds of chill - like those pickled jalapenos you get in jars, but less tart. I guess it's a bit like an achari, and a little like a vindaloo.

I've tried making it countless times, but I've never got it right - as you can imagine with vinegar, if you get that bit wrong then it's ruined.

Anyone seen a curry like it, whether it's called the same thing or not? Or better still, has mastered it?

I am from Scotland

The best curry I ever had was in Glasgow - can't for the life of me remember where, unfortunately. I had an amazing curry in the same city years later, then it suddenly dawned on me I was in the same restaurant!

Also, continuing the Scotland theme, I used to live in Aberdeen and there was a place that did a couple of really interesting additions - one port, one with Guinness. They were both interesting, if not spectacular, and I'm not sure I've seen either since!