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British Indian Restaurant Recipes - Main Dishes => British Indian Restaurant Recipes - Main Dishes => Madras => Topic started by: 976bar on September 22, 2009, 10:14 AM

Title: Vegetable Madras, Illustrated
Post by: 976bar on September 22, 2009, 10:14 AM
Yesterday I made a Vegetable Madras, which was just spot on. Once again I got that toffee aroma when frying down the base sauce as the oil started to separate :)

1/2 Onion chopped into Quarters
1 Carrot peeled and sliced
6 Green Beans (French or Kenyan) chopped into 3 cm pieces
1/3 Red Pepper cut into 2 cm squares or strips will do
1/3 Green Pepper cut into 2 cm squares or strips will do
4 mushrooms sliced
1 Potato peeled and cubed
Add more veggies as you wish, broccoli, cauliflower, sweet potato, yams, suede etc.

Cook the veggies in boiling water with 1 tsp turmeric, 1/2 tsp salt and 6 curry leaves until soft, but still firm. Drain from water and keep some of the water aside.

150ml SnS base sauce
3 tbsp Oil
2 finely chopped Green Chillies
1 tsp of Garlic and Ginger paste
1 Desert spoon of Tomato Puree
1 tsp Kashmiri Mirch (Chilli Powder
1 bunch of fresh Coriander chopped
Squeeze fresh lemon Juice
1/4 tsp salt

Heat the oil in a pan
Add the fresh chillies and cook for 1-2 minutes
Add the Garlic and Ginger paste and cook for around 30 seconds
Add the Tomato Paste and cook for 1 minute
Add the Kashmiri Mirch and cook gently for around 30 seconds, do not burn.
Add 1 ladle of the base sauce and mix well, let it fry for a minute
Add the rest of the base and cook through, let it reduce until you get that toffee aroma which normally happens when the oil is separating from the base itself.
Add the veg and stir in well, add a little of the vegetable water if the mixture is too thick to get the consistency you want, I like mine a bit on the runny side
Add the salt, freshly chopped coriander and the lemon juice and mix in well

Serve either with rice, bread as a main course or as an accompaniment
Title: Re: Vegetable Madras, Illustrated
Post by: George on September 22, 2009, 08:04 PM
I can see your images but they are almost off-screen over to the right. How did you manage that?!
Title: Re: Vegetable Madras, Illustrated
Post by: 976bar on September 22, 2009, 09:41 PM
Where's the "illustration"?!

Here's a test photo (which I hope to delete later), uploaded to show how easy it is and how well the forum works:

Update: I can now see your images but they are almost off-screen over to the right. How did you manage that?!

It takes skill George!!!!!! ;)
Title: Re: Vegetable Madras, Illustrated
Post by: Curry Barking Mad on September 22, 2009, 09:55 PM
The recipe sounds ok but looked a little anaemic to me,
The veg list also sounds good but I'll leave out the suede, it could be a bit chewy,
Thanks for the recipe,
Bob
Title: Re: Vegetable Madras, Illustrated
Post by: 976bar on September 23, 2009, 08:27 AM
I can see your images but they are almost off-screen over to the right. How did you manage that?!

Hi George,

When I open it, the pics are bang smack in the middle.
Title: Re: Vegetable Madras, Illustrated
Post by: 976bar on September 23, 2009, 08:28 AM
The recipe sounds ok but looked a little anaemic to me,
The veg list also sounds good but I'll leave out the suede, it could be a bit chewy,
Thanks for the recipe,
Bob

Hi Achmal,

When you say anaemic, do mean the sauce itself? or the choice of veggies?
Title: Re: Vegetable Madras, Illustrated
Post by: Curry Barking Mad on September 23, 2009, 08:33 PM
The recipe sounds ok but looked a little anaemic to me,
The veg list also sounds good but I'll leave out the suede, it could be a bit chewy,
Thanks for the recipe,
Bob

Hi Achmal,

When you say anaemic, do mean the sauce itself? or the choice of veggies?

Hi 976bar,
The veg look fine, I think the sauce itself looks more like a thick base gravy before the cooking of the actual madras, it seems too pale and with no oil separation,
I'm not saying it doesn't look like it wouldn't taste nice,
Regards,
Bob
Title: Re: Vegetable Madras, Illustrated
Post by: 976bar on September 23, 2009, 09:57 PM
The recipe sounds ok but looked a little anaemic to me,
The veg list also sounds good but I'll leave out the suede, it could be a bit chewy,
Thanks for the recipe,
Bob

Hi Achmal,

When you say anaemic, do mean the sauce itself? or the choice of veggies?

Hi 976bar,
The veg look fine, I think the sauce itself looks more like a thick base gravy before the cooking of the actual madras, it seems too pale and with no oil separation,
I'm not saying it doesn't look like it wouldn't taste nice,
Regards,
Bob

Hi Achmal,

Thanks for the input. It's funny because the sauce was quite thin when the oil started to separate and then it started to thicken up, I guess the tomato puree helped that along, and I know adding lemon juice thickens sauces up as well.

I added some water which I had kept back from cooking the veg, but I didn't want to add too much for fear of making the Madras bland.

As for flavour, it was really nice and I had some left over which I put in the fridge and had the rest for lunch today, and I have to say that it was far hotter today than the original dish.

I'll keep experimenting with this, as I love Madras and want to perfect this :)
Title: Re: Vegetable Madras, Illustrated
Post by: Cory Ander on September 24, 2009, 03:35 AM
and I know adding lemon juice thickens sauces up as well

Does it?  Why is that?  I can't say that I have ever observed that?  :-\
Title: Re: Vegetable Madras, Illustrated
Post by: 976bar on September 24, 2009, 07:19 AM
and I know adding lemon juice thickens sauces up as well

Does it?  Why is that?  I can't say that I have ever observed that?  :-\

Try it, you'll be amazed....  ::)
Title: Re: Vegetable Madras, Illustrated
Post by: Cory Ander on September 24, 2009, 08:38 AM
Try it, you'll be amazed....  ::)

Amazed?  I'd be positively astounded!  :o

I often use lemon juice in curries but I have no idea why you say it thickens the sauce?  Am I missing something here?
Title: Re: Vegetable Madras, Illustrated
Post by: PaulP on September 24, 2009, 08:42 AM
I make a similar dish myself although I have to keep it fairly mild for the missus.

I would use a spice mix (at least corriander/cumin/turmeric mix) at the frying stage and not just rely on the contents of the base to provide these flavours, unless making a korma.

Secondly I am loathe to add water to these type of curries - you only used 150 ml base and then added water. I would have used more base to water down.

The only curries I'll add water to are dishes like dhal.

Regards,

Paul.
Title: Re: Vegetable Madras, Illustrated
Post by: matt3333 on September 24, 2009, 08:49 AM
Lemon juice contains pectin which is used to thicken such things as Jams and Marmalades, we use this when making homemade jams. Mind you they are boiled for hours before they start to thicken.
That said when I use it in a curry I have never noticed it thicken the sauce. :-\
Matt.
Title: Re: Vegetable Madras, Illustrated
Post by: chriswg on September 24, 2009, 02:39 PM
I hate to say it, but I think Cory is right. Lemon Juice and other acids like vinegar are usually used in sauces to act as an anti-coagulant to stop them splitting. I looked long and hard but I couldn't see any evidence that it can also thicken a sauce.

The SnS sauce shouldn't need any watering down. I use a very similar Madras recipe to you (I add a pinch of methi leaves) but the base I use is very thick and needs water adding to it. I add about 150ml of thick base plus about 100ml of water for a 1 person serving. If you want yours to be thicker then as previously suggested add more base rather than water. Or try a thicker base to which you could add your veg water.
Title: Re: Vegetable Madras, Illustrated
Post by: 976bar on September 24, 2009, 03:45 PM
I hate to say it, but I think Cory is right. Lemon Juice and other acids like vinegar are usually used in sauces to act as an anti-coagulant to stop them splitting. I looked long and hard but I couldn't see any evidence that it can also thicken a sauce.

The SnS sauce shouldn't need any watering down. I use a very similar Madras recipe to you (I add a pinch of methi leaves) but the base I use is very thick and needs water adding to it. I add about 150ml of thick base plus about 100ml of water for a 1 person serving. If you want yours to be thicker then as previously suggested add more base rather than water. Or try a thicker base to which you could add your veg water.

Thats just it, I don't want a thicker base, it was runny enough. However I added 1/2 tsp of tomato puree which I know will make the sauce thicker and about 1/3rd of fresh lemon juice..... and the sauce turned thicker.

Never mind the jam, for an experiment get some cream or yogurt and add some lemon juice...... mix it, then tell me it doesn't thicken it..... I'll be amazed if you tell me different!!  ;)
Title: Re: Vegetable Madras, Illustrated
Post by: Cory Ander on September 24, 2009, 04:11 PM
get some cream or yogurt and add some lemon juice...... mix it, then tell me it doesn't thicken it..... I'll be amazed if you tell me different!!  ;)

Oh hang about 976bar..that's curdling it!  That's not what you'd normally expect it to do in a normal curry base or curry sauce is it (because yoghurt and cream are not normal ingredients or present in very large amounts)?
Title: Re: Vegetable Madras, Illustrated
Post by: Cory Ander on September 24, 2009, 04:14 PM
Furthermore, I don't see any problem, whatsoever, in adding water to make the consistency of a base (or main dish sauce) thinner.....(or milk, or stock, or cream, etc)
Title: Re: Vegetable Madras, Illustrated
Post by: Cory Ander on September 24, 2009, 04:16 PM
I looked long and hard but I couldn't see any evidence that it can also thicken a sauce

I looked long and hard too and, would you believe it, citrus fruits contain pectin which is a gelling agent....particulary peaches and pears (oh, and apples...didn't mention cherries though!)!  ;D
Title: Re: Vegetable Madras, Illustrated
Post by: Cory Ander on September 24, 2009, 04:19 PM
I hate to say it, but I think Cory is right.

And why is that Chris?  :-\
Title: Re: Vegetable Madras, Illustrated
Post by: 976bar on September 24, 2009, 04:29 PM
get some cream or yogurt and add some lemon juice...... mix it, then tell me it doesn't thicken it..... I'll be amazed if you tell me different!!  ;)

Oh hang about 976bar..that's curdling it!  That's not what you'd normally expect it to do in a normal curry base or curry sauce is it (because yoghurt and cream are not normal ingredients or present in very large amounts)?

So if you made a lemon Cheesecake, which has cream in it and lemon juice, and does not curdle, how do you explain that one?

Big words, now give it a big try...... ;)
Title: Re: Vegetable Madras, Illustrated
Post by: Cory Ander on September 24, 2009, 04:48 PM
OFFS 976bar!  Stop being a w*anker! 

Under normal curry cooking circumstances (forget the cheescake and jam!), adding lemon juice to a curry WILL NOT THICKEN IT!  ::)
Title: Re: Vegetable Madras, Illustrated
Post by: Cory Ander on September 24, 2009, 05:07 PM
By the way, your vegetable curry doesn't look too anaemic to me.   If it tasted good to you, then it is good....

...some birianis come with precisely that, it seems to me, little more than a slightly doctored (if that) curry base as a sauce.

Thanks for sharing your recipe  8)
Title: Re: Vegetable Madras, Illustrated
Post by: Curry Barking Mad on September 24, 2009, 07:31 PM
 ::) I've obviously got so much to learn ::)
Title: Re: Vegetable Madras, Illustrated
Post by: Cory Ander on September 25, 2009, 01:48 AM
which direction should we place our prayer mats.........

I think sticking it Northwards would be most appropriate for you 976bar.....just let me know if you need any assistance... ;)
Title: Re: Vegetable Madras, Illustrated
Post by: 976bar on September 25, 2009, 08:45 AM
which direction should we place our prayer mats.........

I think sticking it Northwards would be most appropriate for you 976bar.....just let me know if you need any assistance... ;)

Don't tell me Cory, you're an expert in that field too right? ;)