Curry Recipes Online
Curry Chat => Lets Talk Curry => Topic started by: Gareth on February 25, 2005, 07:35 PM
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Well, my last post asking about the Curry Sauce Company didn't get much of a response - which may or may not say something about the sauces!
I see that Pat Chapman informally endorses the sauces made by the following company:
http://www.madhuban.co.uk/index.html
Has anyone tried sauces from this company?
I intend to order some on Monday so if anyone's interested, come Tuesday hopefully, I'll give some feedback.
Gareth.
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I look forward to reading you follow up on the sauce's
graeme
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Gareth,
I also look forward to your report. ;D
The Sauces look good to me.
S
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I've tried them and they were ok for sauces but they are nothing like the real thing probably all
the preservatives they have to add.
incidentally a friend of mine ate in the restaurant and said it was one of the best curries he'd ever had and then bought the jalfrezi sauce and said the two were totally different.
one to miss if you are trying to achieve a fresh restaurant taste
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one to miss if you are trying to achieve a fresh restaurant taste
Well, I emailed them with a question about retailers on Sunday and I still haven't got a reply so I've delayed putting in an order - I figured, a bit unfairly in hindsight, that if they can't answer emails then they I shouldn't throw very hard earned cash after their sauces.
Still, I'm off work on "holiday" this week so it's an ideal time to accept delivery. I will probably put in an order later tonight (after another beer or 3).
I'll prepare the sauce dish according to some of the recipes here (i.e. I'll treat it like a base sauce) and then I'll report back.
I also intend to visit the Madhuban restaurant in the near future - it's striking distance of Pompey (Portsmouth for the uninitiated) and it does have a good reputation. I'll report back about that also (probably in the next 3 weeks). Is there anything anyone would like me to ask/look out for?
Gareth.
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one to miss if you are trying to achieve a fresh restaurant taste
If you say it's nothing like their fresh restaurant taste, or anyone else's, I believe you. And I'm not surprised. Trading Standards rules should be robust enough to get all the restaurant taste claims removed from their web site and the pots of sauce. It's as fraudulent as selling painted iron as gold. Claiming that taste is subjective should not be a good enough excuse, if any reasonable person can tell an immediate and significant difference. It's a shame these crooks will probably make quite lot of money with their scam.
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Trading Standards rules should be robust enough to get all the restaurant taste claims removed from their web site and the pots of sauce. It's as fraudulent as selling painted iron as gold. Claiming that taste is subjective should not be a good enough excuse, if any reasonable person can tell an immediate and significant difference. It's a shame these crooks will probably make quite lot of money with their scam.
What about Pat Chapman and Kris Dhillon, I wouldn't say ive made anything from their books that was "the" restaurant taste, close yes, but not right? ?:P
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I know everyone doesn't agree with this, but I reckon 90% of UK Indian restaurant curries taste more-or-less the same, i.e. all Rogan Kosh dishes taste almost the same, all Chicken Korma's taste almost the same, etc. Throw in a Tesco or M&S chilled version in a blind test and it would stand out a mile.
I agree to a certain extent they are all similar but take the two restaurants near me, I have the vindaloo from both and one is a very hot tomatoey flavor while the other is not as hot or tomatoey and I'm sure theres a hint of nut?? Both very nice but slightly different and I think this is down to each chef having their own particular recipe for the gravy and vindaloo.
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What about Pat Chapman and Kris Dhillon, I wouldn't say ive made anything from their books that was "the" restaurant taste, close yes, but not right
I agree. Pat Chapman is the worst. The observations reported at this forum of actual take-away kitchen 'how it's done' activity seem very credible to me, which is why I think this forum is so good - a worthwhile cause.
So how come Pat Chapman's account(s) of 'how it's done' are so different?
I don't know but it is one of my pet hates - how Pat Chapman has managed to get away with almost misleading advice. Kris Dhillon has at least given the basics and her sauce and other recipes are a very respectable starting point for the search for the restaurant taste. Her sauce isn't at all bad as a base and it is possible to produce a passable authentic restaurant curry following her instructions.
I hear what you say about the Madhuban probably being no different to anywhere else. But little things can make a difference. Up until the middle of last year I had the pleasure of visiting, by far, the best Indian restaurant I've ever experienced: it was in Staines (believe it or not!) They obviously changed the chef (or something just as fundamental) because overnight it went from absolute excellence (seriously) to something below average and completely unacceptable.
So little things - such as the tried and tested efficiency of a confident and experienced chef - can make a big difference. I don't know how easy it is to replicate that at home. I don't know how easy it is to bottle it either.
I'm procrastinating on whether or not to buy the Madhuban sauces (minimum order for delivery of about ?14 although that does consist of 4 tubs and delivery is included).
Gareth.
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So little things - such as the tried and tested efficiency of a confident and experienced chef - can make a big difference.
I'm prepared to have my opinion modified on whether the vast majority of UK Indian resturant curries taste more-or-less the same. I would guess they're sort of made to effectively the same recipe, but the skill of the chef and the quality of the fresh ingredients can make a difference to the final result in any one place, at any one time.
I think the differences are probably quite small in terms of basic technique and, yes, I agree that the similarities are probably more apparent than the differences. But I really do believe that small differences can make the difference between a below average curry and a superb curry.
One thing I've found is that using the freshest ingredients doesn't always produce the best results - a sauce base left to stew in the fridge for a few days certainly, imvho, produces a richer tasting curry for example.
Gareth.
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Has anyone bought tubs of these sauces over the 5 years since we last discussed them? If so, how do you rate the sauces? Moreover, do you know of ANY sauces which taste remotely like the real sauces from a BIR?
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It pains me to say it but I sometimes use curry sauce out of a jar when Im in a rush or away in our caravan. by far the best ive tasted is the Lloyd Grossman range. Every one is superb. But mine are better! I do sometimes use the LG sauces as a base and add garlic, ginger chili powder, etc too just to justify my skills (to me that is) LOL.
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I'd also be very interested to know if anyone has tried these sauces. Not cheap, mind.
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hi ramirez
i have tried madhuban sauces on several occasions in the last year and was impressed especially with the madras,i bought all six types of curry but not the thai ones.
the tikka, jalfresi and balti are also very acceptable and a favourite with the wife.
they are a sauce ready to heat ie microwave and what i did was prepare some chicken tikka the night before then marinate in my sauce of choice over night and then microwave prior to eating with rice or a nan. the delivery by post was very quick and the packageing was most impressive. delivery needs a signature or if no-one in its left at the nearest post office. cost is approx ?20 for 6 . try them you won't be disappointed for a quick curry. good luck
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Bought a tub of the Hot Madras Madhuban sauce today.....they're for sale in the farm shops but I've never seen them in any supermarket. I'll let you know how I get on and if I can find the lead for the camera I'll post a piccie of the container and contents :)
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Bought a tub of the Hot Madras Madhuban sauce today.....they're for sale in the farm shops but I've never seen them in any supermarket. I'll let you know how I get on and if I can find the lead for the camera I'll post a piccie of the container and contents :)
Hey, welcome back Domi : you've been missed !
Re. Madhuban sauces, yes, I have tried them. Once. Never again. I'll be interested to know how you find them.
** Phil.
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For what it is worth I thought I would add my two-penneth to this. Been meaning to try some of these for a while (since this thread), as the butcher down the road from me stocks them.
Picked up a Balti and a Madras. They're supposed to serve 4 but that's a stretch. Taste wise they're pretty poor. I wasn't expecting much, but I was expecting them to be better than jarred curry you get in supermarkets. Unfortunately, they weren't, and at