Curry Recipes Online
British Indian Restaurant Recipes - Main Dishes => British Indian Restaurant Recipes - Main Dishes => Pathia => Topic started by: jb on January 22, 2016, 08:23 PM
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Here's how my chef cooks his chicken tikka pathia in my local takeaway.I've watched him cook it countless times over the past few weeks on my visits,and I've been able to cook it in the takeaway kitchen while the chef watches as well.It's my favourite curry to cook at home,and I think it's the easiest BIR curry to replicate at home.
Obviously there are regional differences on how a pathia is made.I've seen some recipes that call for a specific pathia sauce to be added.Some of these have pineapple juice,some tamarind and some even coconut,but my chef(and I'm guessing most places round here are the same) keeps it quite simple.It's nothing more than your standard curry with some chilli,lemon and white sugar.
If you have a decent gravy and mix powder you should be able to produce a good BIR pathia.However,after watching the chef in action recently I've been able to study his cooking up close,technique is very important.Rarely does he stir the pan(sometimes he has about four pans on the go at once and just leaves them).He leaves the pan bubbling away on a high heat for about four or five minutes ocasionally scraping the sides,then putting his spoon in the middle of the pan and then shaking the pan backwards and forwards.
In the kitchen and at home a chef spoon is used.To save any confusion I've listed the ingredients in tablespoons instead.
Ingredients
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1 portion pre cooked chicken tikka
3 tablespoons mixed veg oil/melted ghee
1 tablespoon mix powder
1 heaped teaspoon chopped garlic
1 teaspoon chilli powder
1 tablespoon blended plum tomatoes
1 and half tablespoon white sugar
pinch salt
pinch methi leaves
3 tablespoons service onions
lemon dressing
2 ladles of gravy
1 piece tomato and 1 piece of green pepper.
First,in a pan put in the oil/ghee and heat.Add the garlic and brown(do not burn) and then lift the pan and add the service onions.Stir the pan for about 10 seconds,lift the pan off again and add the blended tomatoes,chilli powder,mix powder,sugar,salt and methi leaves.Stir around for about 20 seconds then add the first ladle of gravy.The pan should sizzle like crazy if it's hot enough.Put the chicken in and add the lemon dressing and cook on a high heat for about a minute.Scrape the sides back into the pan and add add another ladle of gravy.Add the tomato and pepper and contnue cooking for another 4 minutes or so.
The amount of methi and salt the chef uses is minimal,just the smallest dip of his chef's spoon.He tastes most dishes that he cooks and sometimes adds a tad more from time to time.The service onions are nothing more than finely chopped white onions with a tiny amount of red and green pepper.
Here's my latest one I cooked....
(http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/imagehost/pics/704f8e032d5f4b4c8aa5f44ecb8c9962.jpg)
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2 hours 2 late jb ;)
Next on my list to try though
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That'll be tomorrow night's curry then MA ;D ;D
Thanks for this one jb. I've never cooked a pathia and only ever had a spoonful on one occasion. From what i remember, I liked the heat and the flavour. I will give this a go. Keep feeding us with info Jason. Just heading to the kitchen to warm up Vindaloo's vindaloo from the other night :P
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I agree with your comment about regional differences jb - the Pathias in my area (NE Scotland) tend towards a more tomato red colour.
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Thanks for continuing to post (a) about your kitchen experiences and (b) the recipes, jb. Your observations on the chef's techniques and use of ingredients is very much appreciated! :)
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Here here
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Good info thanks. Are the mix powder, sugar, etc level spoonfuls or rounded / heaped? How much lemon dressing would you say?
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That'll be tomorrow night's curry then MA ;D ;D
Thanks for this one jb. I've never cooked a pathia and only ever had a spoonful on one occasion. From what i remember, I liked the heat and the flavour.
Unfortunately not ch :(
Same for me as I had my first taste (spoonful) of Pathia last week and really enjoyed it.
Are the mix powder, sugar, etc level spoonfuls or rounded / heaped? How much lemon dressing would you say?
I would take the measures as level spoons as it is not stated otherwise, but the lemon dressing quantity is an important one as the dish is a sour one, 1-2Tbs maybe. But best wait for jb to enlighten us
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All level tablespoons.The chef doesn't really measure the lemon juice.He just gives a good shake over the curry pan.
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JB,
Is 1 tablespoon of mix powder correct as most recipes only use a teaspoon.
London.
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Red - yes - but regional yes
Red is my preferred colour
best, Rich
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I agree with your comment about regional differences jb - the Pathias in my area (NE Scotland) tend towards a more tomato red colour.
Do you reckon the local chefs use tomato, Stephen, or is it red food colouring? Or both?
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Looking forward to cooking this tomorrow night, any last tips etc jb?
Has anybody else cooked this yet?
Pictures and report on Friday :)
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Looking forward to cooking this tomorrow night, any last tips etc jb?
Has anybody else cooked this yet?
Pictures and report on Friday :)
Well,after watching my takeaway chefs at work over the past few weeks(I actually popped in for a sneaky mid week madras last night) I would say that technique is paramount,equally important in my view to having a good gravy,mix powder etc.
Definitely get your pan nice and hot before you add your oil and initial garlic.Leave it to brown and then quickly add your second stage ingredients.Keep the pan hot,don't be frightened and start thinking it's getting too hot,this is how my chefs and other ones do it.Also leave the curry bubbling away on a high heat for quite a while,don't stir too much just leave it.Again,this is how I've seen it done loads of times,the chefs don't seem to be bothered that the curries are just left on their own,when they're ready they instictively know and give it a stir and remove from the heat.
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Yup all good advice there jb :)
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MA,
Are you going to use 1 Tablespoon of mix powder or cut it down to a Teaspoon?
London.
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MA,
Are you going to use 1 Tablespoon of mix powder or cut it down to a Teaspoon?
London.
I will be using the same as the recipe 1Tb
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Sorry I missed that question before,definetely 1 tablespoon.Slightly less for a medium curry but for something like a madras or pathia 1 tablespoon.
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Managed to get in the kitchen tonight and cooked up this.
After never really ordering a pathia, yet having a taste of one 2 weeks ago, I wasnt sure what to expect.
I followed the recipe to the letter, I used jb base and a chewy mix powder, cooked on high heat all the way.
Absolutely spot on , tasted exactly like my mates pathia the other week, a resounding success, hot sweet and sour as it should be.
Loved the fact its an easy uncomplicated curry just needing cooking in the correct way.
Thanks for sharing jb
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Sounds like a good result, on my to do list once I've made some more base.
London.
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Sounds like a good result, on my to do list once I've made some more base.
London.
Yep definately worth cooking London, just follow jb's recipe and method
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I made this last night, jb, and my other 2 fellow diners were full of praise for the curry as was I. Simple, straightforward, but very tasty indeed, this recipe definitely makes it to The List! :)
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Glad you enjoyed it too naga, had it twice now, both excellent.
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If you like garlic - and I do! - I highly recommend using a full bulb of garlic, crushed, at the initial stage. It's delicious!
I also meant to say in my last post that I gave the curry for 3 people 2 long, continuous skooshes of lemon dressing - maybe 2 seconds or so per skoosh. Working fine for me.
I have a feeling I'll be making it again this week as very large hints have been dropped about how well king prawns would go with the pathia! :)
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Not as a take-away, but enjoyed sat down, at the 'Red Mango' tonite, in downtown Naaaaaridge.
This is a 're-vamped' modern, all mood lighting etc with more modern Bangra style music (i.e not a Citar being strangled by persons unknown)
Preceded by the obligatory poppadum with lime pickle, mango chutney and finely sliced onion salad.
Then a quick Rashmee kebab, not over spiced, but following talk on here about 'silky' omelette and mint raita it was OK for a change from the norm (butterflied King Prawn)
The Chicken Pathia had a delightful creamed paler sauce defy not sour as prescribed elsewhere in this sub-section, accompanied with a Peshwari naan, Daal Tarka, aloo Gobi saag and a locally produced citrusy pale ale called 'FAKIR' (i kid you not)
First sit down in over a year, would I go back? err.... yes. sorry if this sounds a little/a lot like a newspaper restaurant review, not too sure it should not be in the restaurant review area, but the Pathia beats a Korma!
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JB, I just made this and I think I love you..... :D
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Had a lamb tikka pathia from my local take away last weekend and so thought I would try this tonight. All I can say is that it matched the take away version and even my wife said enjoyed it and said she wants it again next weekend.
Thanks JB for a superb post, not just the recipe but the technique too.