Curry Recipes Online
Curry Base Recipes => Curry Sauce, Curry Base , Curry Gravy Recipes, Secret Curry Base => Topic started by: Cory Ander on March 06, 2010, 11:09 AM
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Sufficient for about 5 portions of curry
Ingredients:
- 6-7 Onions
- 1 cup (250ml) Vegetable oil
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp fresh garlic/ginger (blended)
- 1 Green pepper (i.e. capsicum)
- 1-2 carrots
- Handful fresh coriander leaves
- 3-4 fresh green chillies
- Water (sufficient to cover the vegetables)
- 2 tbsp mix powder/spice mix (here: http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=4354.0 (http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=4354.0))
- 0.5 tin (about 200g) tinned plum tomatoes
Method:
- Put all ingredients (apart from mix powder/spice mix and plum tomatoes) into saucepan
- Add water
- Bring to the boil and simmer for 30-35 minutes
- Add mix powder/spice mix and plum tomatoes
- Simmer for another 10-15 minutes
- Blend to a fine consistency (adding a little water, if required, for right consistency)
- Put in fridge and use within 3 days (otherwise freeze)
Note: ensure that the onions are not undercooked for right flavour
Video link here: How to make base gravy (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ap4UvNoVsXY#normal)
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CA,
did u hear back from the chappy - he seems an ideal person to have on board.
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the comment on the onion and water in terms of taste show his pedigree to me - he knows his onions so to speak.
i used to think the blending of the garlic & ginger in water (BE tip) made a difference but i tend not to bother now. i'm not saying it don't make a difference but it's not that significant when everything else is right.
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did u hear back from the chappy
Alas, no, not yet anyway :-\
he seems an ideal person to have on board
Yes, it would be great to have his input and advice here.......
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He replied to me on my question about the G/G paste, and he said he will post the onion bhaji method soon - fingers crossed.
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Why is he doing it?
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He replied to me on my question about the G/G paste
What was your question and his reply please Chris?
Ah, OK found it thanks, I presume it's this:
"Re:G/G Paste and base
ABOUT GARLIC AND GINGAR I MAKE IT ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS BLEND THE GARLIC AND GINGER WITH SOME OIL AND WATER RAW.I HAVE MY OWN TAKE AWAY IT CALL DIAL-A-CURRY THANK YOU FOR YOUR MASSAGE I WILL UPLOAD MORE DISHES SOON"
Currying favours with massages eh Chris? Nice move! :P
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Lol
I'd go a lot further for the OB recipe if it's a good one.
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Why is he doing it?
It's a very good question. I still do think it's only a token gesture.
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I watched this a couple of times
I don't think he says water is an ingredient, except to thin the finished sauce
That's why the onion mix reduces down to almost nothing
The only water used is with the blended garlic ginger
Am I right, or have I missed something
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I think he says to "boil the onion" (suggesting you need to add some water?) and then to add some more water to get the "right" consistency in the final blended base (if required).
You're right Haldi, it's ambiguous. He doesn't say to add water to the onions initially. His quantity of pre-prepared base seems to bear little resemblance to the quantity of veggies in his new pot (which might be explained if he doesn't add water initially)!
It's a pity he hasn't been more specific about the quantities of base ingredients.
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The similarity with this and the Maliks video are spot on. That pot too is brimming over the edge. Incidentally someone asked about that and what might have been in it? I'm thinking a celery root might be one candidate too.
That however is one heck of a pot to steam down to my mind.
I watched this a couple of times
I don't think he says water is an ingredient, except to thin the finished sauce
That's why the onion mix reduces down to almost nothing
The only water used is with the blended garlic ginger
Am I right, or have I missed something
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I watched this a couple of times
I don't think he says water is an ingredient, except to thin the finished sauce
That's why the onion mix reduces down to almost nothing
The only water used is with the blended garlic ginger
Am I right, or have I missed something
You know Haldi, a couple of years ago I was talking to an old guy that used to own a takeaway in Huddersfield in the early 80's and he said not to add any water - he said all the moisture should come from the onions and tomatoes and other ingredients, and only to add water if the curry was too thick and only then just enough for the consistency. I'd been asking him about the old style bases at the time and assumed his "add no water" comment was about the final dish, not the base itself...maybe I'd just gotten him wrong. He didn't give me a recipe though :(
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I'm not sure if Dipuraja has recently edited it, but this is the text accompanying his video:
"To make base gravy you need onions, green peppers, 3 or 4 green chillies, a handful of corriander, 1 or 2 carrots, cooking oil, salt (1 teaspoon for the amount I have shown you) more would be required if making larger amount of gravy. 2 tablespoon of blended garlic and Ginger. Then add some water and boil for 30-35 minutes. After 35 minutes of Boiling the onions, add 2 tablespoons of mixed powder and half a tin of plum tomatoes. Cook for a further 10-15 minutes. Once you've done that leave to cool down. Then blend the gravy, water can be added to thin the gravy. Now you are ready to cook your curry. Can be frozen but only keeps for 2-3 days or loses the flavour"
So it seems that water IS added to the veggies in the initial stages of cooking.
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my method is not as stark as Dipuraja - i use a max water of 20% of the initial onion volume - works out at 300ml per 800g onion. this together with oil is enough to cause the onion to bed down so to speak. i then thin out with much more water after blending.
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He replied to me on my question about the G/G paste
What was your question and his reply please Chris?
Ah, OK found it thanks, I presume it's this:
"Re:G/G Paste and base
ABOUT GARLIC AND GINGAR I MAKE IT ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS BLEND THE GARLIC AND GINGER WITH SOME OIL AND WATER RAW.I HAVE MY OWN TAKE AWAY IT CALL DIAL-A-CURRY THANK YOU FOR YOUR MASSAGE I WILL UPLOAD MORE DISHES SOON"
Currying favours with massages eh Chris? Nice move! :P
Hahahahaha!!! ;D I've done worse!
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I have to say I do like this guys honesty and openess :)
I will need to try this. I've just made his spice mix and am looking forward to trying that tomorrow too.
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i was going to make saffron next (following emin-j's recent posts on it) to try out Dipuraja's dish recipes but i guess to stay compliant given the increasing interest i'll have to make Dipuraja's base too. not that's it's a problem - i just feel i've probably made very similar before - all part of the learning though.
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I like the look of this guys recipes, they look dead simple and straight forward
has anyone given this a go yet?
Regards
C. UTD
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Dipuraja has kindly confirmed that he does add water to the veggies when boiling them:
"I HAVE RE-WROTE THE RECIPE HOPE THAT HELP.THANKS DIPURAJA.....
.....then add some water to cover all the vagetable on pan and boil for 30-35 minutes...."
I have updated his recipe accordingly.
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Cheers CA
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I would love to give this base a go, but without knowing the specific quantities (onions, peppers and so on) I'm a bit hessitant!
The quantity that he ends up with in the pan at the end seems very little unless this is like glue and he dilutes it?
Anybody have any suggestions to the quantities or has anyone asked Dipuraja?
Thanks
Ray :)
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Ray,
I made the base and his Madras last night (substituting chicken) and it was pretty good, I'd be happy to pay for it. For the base I used 1kg Onions, 1 Green Pepper with 1 liter of water. I'll post some pics when I've got a bit more time.
CM
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Hi CM,
Thanks for that mate. I usually use about a kilo of onions and 1 pepper, so it's what i'm used to.
Ray
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If you go to diparajas youtube site you'll see he has updated the curry gravy recipe with measurements as of yesterday.
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I have edited the recipe with Dipuraja's revised quantities (in red)
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Cheers CA,
That will be a big help
Ray :)
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Guys,
I'm making the base right now, and observing Dips advice on making sure the onions are cooked, I've give them about an hour. WARNING: If you do give them longer, make sure you keep an eye on it near the end of the hour, my onions have just caught on the bottom of the pan :(. Hopefully, I have rescued it in time?
It really does reduce down quite a lot, and water will definately be needed at the end.
I'll repost, after I've made the curries.
Ray :)
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Don't forget the pics Ray ;)
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Axe,
Next time mate lol, this is purely experimental mate hahaha.
Ray
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Hi Fellas,
Ok, made the base last night along with his chicken Madras
The Base:
Ok, I observed Dipuraja's advise on making sure that the onions are cooked, and so, I gave them about an hour. I only put enough water to cover the vegetables but this can vary. I only cut my onions in half but if you chop them smaller, then the amount of water that you will need to cover the veg will be less. A more specific measurement on the water would be good!
After about an hour, I got the dreaded smell of burnt onions. I raced over to the pan, whipped off the lid, and virtually all of the water had gone, leaving behind just the veg and oil. I quickly transferred into another pan and just about rescued it, so be careful if you boil for longer! Luckily for me, I hadn't added the tomatoes and spice yet.
I added the toms and spice, give it another 15 minutes, then blitzed will a jug kettle full of water.
The base tasted ok, but certainly not the best for me, much preferring CA's.
The Madras
Made the Madras to spec. I wasn't over the moon with the final dish. It was very strong in flavour and over spiced, and I don't mean too hot, just the spice balance wasn't right for me. Maybe the addition of Garam Masala was the culprit? The taste wasn't either old school or new it was, as SS says 'typical low end TA fayre'
Now, I'm not going to rule this out altogether as I am more than aware that I could have cocked it up, but I'm pretty sure that everything went to plan.
All in all, bit disappointed if I'm being honest, I have had better from off the forum and I'm not looking to cook low end TA food but reasonable BIR food!
But understand, this is only my opinion and there are others who have had good results, so you may want to still give it a go, if only to rule out or to add to your preferred list!
Ray :)
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That's what we need, good honest write up's, well done Ray. :)
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I think in all his videos he seems to over-spice things. Don't get me wrong , I appreciate the effort he put in to publishing his cooking on the net, but nothing in the videos says "eat me". Too much powder, under-cooked so raw tasting I would guess, and we still haven't got to the bottom of the recipe for the curry powder in his spice mix.
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Originally by Bez...oops! I mean Razor :P
All in all, bit disappointed if I'm being honest, I have had better from off the forum and I'm not looking to cook low end TA food but reasonable BIR food!
But understand, this is only my opinion and there are others who have had good results, so you may want to still give it a go, if only to rule out or to add to your preferred list!
I made the CTVindaloo using CA's base and the result was a run of the mill jack of all trades vindaloo - the kind that does pizzas, chicken and cheesy chips! lol but having said that, some people may prefer those kind of JOAT curries...Gawd knows I've eaten enough of those after a night on the vino lol ;D
It wasn't a curry disaster, but it's not top notch by any stretch, I've made the Dip base to have another go on Monday, I'm just about to blitz it but I didn't have any probs with loss of water :-\ and it wasn't overspiced for me though I'm not a fan of the mildly spiced curries TBH...I'll post pics on Monday of the full Dip curry & base ;)
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All in all, bit disappointed if I'm being honest, I have had better from off the forum and I'm not looking to cook low end TA food but reasonable BIR food!
Ray :)
This takes us back to the beginning of the forum
Someone (maybe me) posted a demo recipe
People tried it at home and it's not as good, as it should be
But I'd bet that if you bought one of Dipuraja's curries, it would taste pretty darn good
I've seen curries cooked which are little more than the gravy heated, and they tasted fantastic
Unless you take extreme action, there will always be a dividing line between home made and bought curries
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Domi
Originally by Bez...oops! I mean Razor
ya twistin ma melons maaaan! ;D
it wasn't overspiced for me though I'm not a fan of the mildly spiced curries TBH
When I say 'overspiced' it wasn't too hot, I just think the spice blend is out of balance. I think it's unusual to have equal parts of ground coriander and ground cumin, the norm being 2 coriander - 1 cumin (in my experience) I also think that there is too much garam masala in the blend. I would suggest 1/4 part instead of 1 part. It almost looks like the spice blend was designed for memory purpose rather than for flavour :-\
Maybe I didn't water down the base enough? The final dish was thicker than Dip's and I cooked it for about the same length of time, I also used lemon dressing as appose to lemon juice, because that's all I had in, but I don't think this would have made a great deal of difference?
Just not for me I'm afraid :( I've not totally given up on Dip though, like I said, it could have been down to my poor cooking (but I don't think so ;))
Ray (Bez) ;))
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Sorry Bez, I was replying to michaelpratt's post re the overspicing, luv ;) Sorry, about yer melons, I was aiming for yer plums ;D
This takes us back to the beginning of the forum
Someone (maybe me) posted a demo recipe
People tried it at home and it's not as good, as it should be
But I'd bet that if you bought one of Dipuraja's curries, it would taste pretty darn good
I've seen curries cooked which are little more than the gravy heated, and they tasted fantastic
Unless you take extreme action, there will always be a dividing line between home made and bought curries
I'd second that, Haldi :) I also think that sometimes we're spoiled or rather sometimes we spoil ourselves (or this forum does lol)....I've tried quite a few recipes that if I'd used them when I first joined, I'd be overjoyed with the result, but overtime I've changed my idea of a top notch curry, I'm still chasing the old style flavour but I do think that sometimes we're too hard on some recipes because of our expectations.
At one time I'd have been happy with making a JOAT curry at home in fact, sometimes I'm more than happy to eat a JOAT curry from a takeaway but because I'm in search of my idea of perfection, if the recipe isn't as good or better than my usual I see it as a letdown, when in fact it's not. I have a fantastic chocolate cake recipe but I like to use other chocolate cake recipes for the difference, because a change is as good as a rest lol
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When I made his base I didn't need to add in any water until it was time to blend. It reduced right down just like it looked in the video and there was plenty of fluid in the pot which I assume mainly came out of the onions.
This also backs up what I saw in a BIR kitchen when they were cooking a base batch. They had a huge stock pot filled up to the brim with sliced onion and green pepper and occasionally the chef would go over and use a tool like a crow bar with a spade end to rotate the onions to stop the ones at the bottom burning. I bet after 45 mins that pot would only be half full with soft onions cooking in their own moisture. It certainly didn't look like they added water while the base cooked.
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have now made this base - it's very much a saffron to me.
for the 1st time i felt as soon as i started making this base i was wasting effort. as soon as i started to look at the recipe in detail i realised there's is nothing new here for us all.
anyhow it's made. for me it passes the threshold but it's no where near as good as the best bases on the site. i do need to cook with it.
the other thing that got my back up was the red pepper and i think fresh tomato sitting in Dippies initial base at the start of the video - the one u don't get to see much of.
ingredients added
(http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/imagehost/pics/da093d9ca6c620cf02b074a78506a298.jpg) (http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/imagehost/#da093d9ca6c620cf02b074a78506a298.jpg)
after blending
(http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/imagehost/pics/c2dac33c02721b9eb40951c9656532f7.jpg) (http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/imagehost/#c2dac33c02721b9eb40951c9656532f7.jpg)
cooking complete
(http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/imagehost/pics/ce8e1808801da936281f8698554ff09a.jpg) (http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/imagehost/#ce8e1808801da936281f8698554ff09a.jpg)
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the other thing that got my back up was the red pepper and i think fresh tomato sitting in Dippies initial base at the start of the video - the one u don't get to see much of.
Jerry, your right there is fresh tomato in there though you have to be quick to see it. The tinned tomato he ads at the end of the second pot he shows cooking suggests that this recipe is designed for people at home. I'm fairly sure he'd have cooked his blended garlic and ginger in oil first too, rather than putting it in to boil. Perhaps this is a measure of what he is trying to do?
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Axe,
i've suspected this for a while.
ps the g/g paste can go in without being fried. the idea of blending was a BE tip. i don't feel it crucial but if u've got blended then may as well use it.
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Jerry for what its worth, I know from my notes that IG fry the garlic until starting to colour. I don't know how much garlic they use but i'm sure it changes the basic flavour somewhat. To fry or not to fry, that is the question. :)
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Axe,
i've not tried frying garlic as the starting point for making a base. i have tried onion and it does produces a slightly different taste in the base. trouble is i've never detected any improvement in the finished curry and abandoned it on the basis of too much effort. in the "all in" method of making base the ingredients effectively cook out in oil over a longer period - this approach seems good enough. frying garlic in the finished dish is where it has it's biggest impact.
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[/quote]I made the CTVindaloo using CA's base and the result was a run of the mill jack of all trades vindaloo - the kind that does pizzas, chicken and cheesy chips! lol but having said that, some people may prefer those kind of JOAT curries...Gawd knows I've eaten enough of those after a night on the vino lol [/quote]
Squse my ignorance, but what's a 'JOAT curry'?
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Squse my ignorance, but what's a 'JOAT curry'?
Hehe, I was going to ask that too! I usually get all the abbreviations but that one's got me stumped.
Actually, come to think of it, these abbreviations we take for granted must be a nightmare for the new members to the forum.
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I love this base....quick, easy and effective. During my first attempt I used canned crushed chilli and put too much in, so the resulting base was way too hot. Also, I didn't simmer rigorously enough and ended up with a lot more base than I should have. I'll go by the book next time. I made Dip's Korma this eve and it was soooo quick and easy, but tasted as good as any bir korma I've eaten. ;D
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Squse my ignorance, but what's a 'JOAT curry'?
Hehe, I was going to ask that too! I usually get all the abbreviations but that one's got me stumped.
Actually, come to think of it, these abbreviations we take for granted must be a nightmare for the new members to the forum.
Jack Of All Trades ;)
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Too Late..... Doh!!! where's the delete button?
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i've made quite a few curries with Dipuraja's base (balti, CTM x 2, 976bar Kashmiri, balti 2nd go, madras). i'll add detail comments and pics in the relevant posts. in general we are liking the dishes and feel they are BIR standard.
i'm still impressed with the base.
it's not as good as some on the site (for example say CA's aka). i did use both red & green pepper and having used this before don't feel it's critical. i do like using the fresh green chilli in the base (although i only used 2 off) c/w with using chilli powder and feel i'm going to adopt this going fwd (i'd actually gone the other way when i last made CIAH - curry in a hurry).
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Hi Jerry,
Good to hear that your having success with this base. Are you sticking to the recipe to spec or are you adapting it? I really didn't have a lot of joy with it to be honest but, I will have another go soon, as I could have missed something. If you are altering it in any way, could you post your alterations?
Ray :)
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Ive just knocked up a pan of this base and must admit its very nice, and considering the fact that its much simpler than my usual base its just as tasty.
I followed the recipe to the letter, apart from i simmered the blended mix for about an hour.
I ended up with 2 litres of very nice base which ill be using a portion of tomorrow night, so ill post the results.
Im impressed.
I used dips spice mix(containing Rajah madras curry powder) and this garam masala.....
http://www.indiacurry.com/spice/szb03garammasala.htm (http://www.indiacurry.com/spice/szb03garammasala.htm)
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Ive done some base today ready for this weekend.
Made sheek kebabs too and chicken tikka.
Will post the results again in a video will be making the bhuna chicken puri and chicken tikka balti.
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Razor,
yes. i feel i've stuck to the spec. i did add both green and red pepper (1/2 & 1/2).
i cooked for 2hrs before blending and 1 hr after blending. before blending i had 2L of base. i added 1L water for the 1 hr after blending and a further 1L water to thin the base.
the base is very good. there are others on the site that i feel are better. it's not going into my top 3 for example.
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Hi PandJ and Jerry,
I followed the recipe to the letter, apart from i simmered the blended mix for about an hour.
Razor,
yes. i feel i've stuck to the spec. i did add both green and red pepper (1/2 & 1/2).
i cooked for 2hrs before blending and 1 hr after blending. before
So you have both altered the cooking process then? This will no doubt alter the flavour of the base somewhat!
I think the longer cooking will add depth of flavour to the base. The spices will cook properly as well as the onions but cooking it just to spec did nothing for me. It just tasted over spiced? Maybe I made an error somewhere, dunno?
I will just have to give it another go and see!
Will post the results again in a video will be making the bhuna chicken puri and chicken tikka balti.
String,
I can't wait, maybe you could add Bangra Nights as the sound track this time ;D ;D
Ray :)
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Ive found cooking it longer makes it taste better.
Also when it comes to cooking the curries the heat needs to be full and i cook the spices for a bit before adding the other stuff.
I think you have to watch with this base i think too much of the spice mix could give it a bitter taste.
I tasted the base before i blended it up and i must admit it had a lot more taste the other bases ive tried.
I cooked my base for over 2 and half hours if that helps.
The video ill make sure the sound tracks got some singing in it this time lol
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Well i must admit it makes a bloody good curry, i made 2 portions of tandoori chicken balti for the missus and i and they both turned out lovely, i did have to reduce them both down quite a lot to get a strong enough flavour, the balti's looked more like a Dopiaza, but very good none the less.
I started off with hot oil (veg and 1tsp mustard oil) and g/g paste until starting to brown, added 1tbsp dips spice mix 2tbsp dry methi and 1tbsp balti masala spice mix, cooked these for a few mins and threw in raw chopped onion and tom puree, for another 2-3 mins then added my base.
Left it to cook for 10 mins on low-medium heat and then just added the chuck to reheat.
Seved with pilau rice and a fresh home cooked naan. very nice :).
The only differnce between the two dishes was the addition of a couple of chillies with the g/g paste for mine.
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Guys,
Can I just get some clarification on the video? Is Dip suggesting that the massive pot of vegetables on the right of the burners, is what he starts with to end up with whats left in the pan to the left?
I don't think it can be because the left hand pan is smaller for a start, so I'm guessing that, the measurements that her has put out, gives you the small quantity in the left hand pan?
If this is so, I can't understand some of the previous post's that have suggested that they didn't need to add water?
Incidentally, that's exactly how much I had in the pan before I added the tinned toms and mix powder, confirming to me that my cooking method was sound!
I only added water after I blended like Dip suggests to give me enough for about 4 or 5 portions. Maybe, that's why I believe the base to be over spiced?
Based on this base giving you 5 portions, that would mean you would have 6ml of spice in the base, plus a further 15ml at least if you're making a madras. 21 ml of spice to me is over the top, especially if the blend is out of balance!
As for Jerry and Axe's observations with regards to fresh toms and red peppers in Dips pot, I also saw the red pepper, didn't see the fresh toms. The point I'm making with this is, If it needs a red pepper, then why doesn't he state 'Red Pepper' in the ingredients list, as we all know it has a significantly different taste to green, and thus, must effect the final taste?
I'm gonna have to give this one another go, I can't get my head around how many of you are so happy with it and yet, I felt let down! I'm questioning my own technique now for the first time in a long while :(
I'll let you all know I get on ;)
Ray :)
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Based on this base giving you 5 portions
i got 10 portions out of this base.
i was real taken aback by how well the "large" amount of spice 1 tbsp (15ml) worked at dish frying. this is more than i've used before (more like 2 tsp, infact for quite a while now i've been using 1 tsp). it seemed to make a difference for me. it also seemed to allow me to use methi in large qty ie 0.5 and 1 tsp amounts called for in the recipes. the base itself is quite low spiced which perhaps makes the larger spice possible at dish frying.
Razor - for what it's worth i don't feel there is anything special about this base in fact i think u're kushi is better.
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I think the best thing about the dipuraja site is that we now have all the ingredients and knowledge needed to make a standard takeway meal consistantly.
All we have to do now is replace the pastes with decent ingredients and add a bit of fine tuning and weve cracked it.
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I agree with you peterandjen i think this is close.... Once we learn more and more we can change it to make our own pastes..... Maybe even change the flavours to what everyone else is used to from there takeaways or bir.
I think we are getting closer now...Things can only get better.
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All we have to do now is replace the pastes with decent ingredients and add a bit of fine tuning and weve cracked it.
totally agree
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Well i must admit it makes a bloody good curry... i did have to reduce them both down quite a lot to get a strong enough flavour
peter are you sure the success of this one isn't just down to the reduction? This is standard technique for me with any base and I find that it definitely improves the overall flavour.
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The point I'm making with this is, If it needs a red pepper, then why doesn't he state 'Red Pepper' in the ingredients list, as we all know it has a significantly different taste to green, and thus, must effect the final taste?
You often see base recipes where they state half a red OR green pepper! I have to agree they don't have the same effect but, most of the bases I've seen made actually include both and I don't think the difference is all that great in the finished base.
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It could be SS, with this base anyway, my usual base doesn't need as much reduction.
But dont forget a Balti has a lot more flavour than a standard chicken curry, hence its thicker.
Im with jerrym also about the fact that im surprised about how much spices dip used, i never use this much usually. Thing is it works here.
Its a bit weird really. You'd think it would be over spiced.
Im thinking that once the spices are fried they reach maximum flavour, and then with further cooking/simmereing/boiling they actually mellow out. Its something i have noticed before with bases, the longer you cook them the more subtle the spiceiness.
The trade off being you have to boil away the rawness of your bonions, and at the same time make sure your spices reach the right level of flavouring at the right time.
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Hi SS
The point I'm making with this is, If it needs a red pepper, then why doesn't he state 'Red Pepper' in the ingredients list, as we all know it has a significantly different taste to green, and thus, must effect the final taste?
You often see base recipes where they state half a red OR green pepper! I have to agree they don't have the same effect but, most of the bases I've seen made actually include both and I don't think the difference is all that great in the finished base.
And I would agree SS about the peppers but the amounts that DPR has given us, are to make 5 portions of base. His ladle looks exactly the same as mine 200ml, and he uses a ladle and half in each dish =1.5 litres of base. I think that anything you put in or, leave out of such a small base, would make for a noticeable difference! especially if green peppers (bitter) or red peppers (sweet) are added or omitted.
Same thing about the overspicing. Jerry says he got 10 portions out of this base, but it is only meant to give you 5? So no, Jerry's won't be overspiced. I do believe Jerry usually uses about 300ml of base per dish, so, he must have ended up with 3 litres of base, and it's that, that I'm struggling with. I made it to spec, and added enough water to give me 5 portions. The result was an overspiced base, and subsequently, an over spiced final dish
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I think your spot on with the changes in recipe having a greater effect on a smaller volume being made. An extra spoonful in BIR stock pot is not going to be that noticeable as the change in ratio of ingredient to liquid remains virtually unchanged. In our saucepans at home though, that same spoonful will have a much larger impact on the flavour as the ratio of ingredient to liquid will be changed significantly. So too can be said for the use of green or red pepper and even a tomato.
The one thing that we must consider though, is that DPR suggests to us that this recipe will produce 5 portions typically. Looking at DPR's style, he uses alot of base per portion which is not what I would do. So making this recipe, I would expect to get more portions from it, as I would naturally use less. Of course watering it down too much will obviously dilute the flavours.
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Razor,
i did end up with 3L or just over of base. i use 300ml per portion plus 75ml when i hot fry the spices.
the base was thinner than i'm used to and even with my burner found i was waiting a little longer than normal.
i do think there is something in this - low spiced very thin base combined with heavy spice at dish frying. myself the same as perterandjen was amazed that 1 tbsp of spice worked. i intend to use 1 tbsp mix powder when i next make a base i know to see what happens.
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I had to bin my base :( been sick as a dog all week (shurrup before ya start!) Gonna make another this week though but I do think either the base should be heavily spiced and lighter spicing used in the final dish or vice versa...light bases and light spiced final dish just doesn't do it for me...
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I do think either the base should be heavily spiced and lighter spicing used in the final dish or vice versa...light bases and light spiced final dish just doesn't do it for me...
What determines the base spicing for me is that it's going to be the only spicing in a BIR style korma. So the base spicing should be just sufficient to create a good korma.
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I do think either the base should be heavily spiced and lighter spicing used in the final dish or vice versa...light bases and light spiced final dish just doesn't do it for me...
What determines the base spicing for me is that it's going to be the only spicing in a BIR style korma. So the base spicing should be just sufficient to create a good korma.
I was just going to say, the base has to be mildly spiced , IMO, if it is to be versatile enough to make the milder curries.
I had to bin my base been sick as a dog all week
OOOO, it wasn't coz of the base was it :o
Ray :)
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aye but I don't like kormas, SS :P
I've used mild bases for fish curries, but when making other dishes with the same base I really ramp up the spices in the final dish whereas I wouldn't use a strong base (ie Admin's new base) for a mild/light curry because it simply wouldn't work right. This is also the reason that I'm not a fan of mixing and matching base/final dish recipes because the spice balance can be off and lead to completely different results in the final dish and so is not a true test. :)
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aye but I don't like kormas, SS :P
Oh I'm with you on that one Domi. The BIR yelow puddle version of korma usually makes me nauseous, or at least it would if I ate it! I think you really have to have a sweet tooth to enjoy it. But there's no denying the popularity of it at the BIR.
Still would you agree, our shared dislike of it aside, that a korma is the mildest curry on the BIR and relies entirely on the base sauce for its spicing and that therefore a base sauce spiced specifically for a korma is the best general purpose base - in BIR terms anyway?
I'm not a fan of mixing and matching base/final dish recipes because the spice balance can be off and lead to completely different results in the final dish and so is not a true test
Again I am entirely in agreement with you. A highly spiced base with a mismatched highly spiced curry recipe is unlikely to produce the best results - although the result will probably be perfectly edible.
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aye but I don't like kormas, SS :P
Still would you agree, our shared dislike of it aside, that a korma is the mildest curry on the BIR and relies entirely on the base sauce for its spicing and that therefore a base sauce spiced specifically for a korma is the best general purpose base - in BIR terms anyway?
Can't fault you on that, SS but I was referring to Jerry's observation of the mild base/strong spicing in the final dish...Originally by Jerry "i do think there is something in this - low spiced very thin base combined with heavy spice at dish frying. myself the same as perterandjen was amazed that 1 tbsp of spice worked. i intend to use 1 tbsp mix powder when i next make a base i know to see what happens."
With a strong base you only need minimal (or far less) spicing in the final dish so any dish has to be tailored to the base either way. To me trying a recipe with a different base kinda negates the final critique of a recipe as the base can and does make a difference to the final dish. I also know it's not very practical in some cases to try diff recipes with the right base/spice mix/ingredients as posted but until you try a curry from start to finish you can't really give a proper opinion on the recipe other than to say that your results with your methods/ingredients were favourable/unfavourable. :-\
Apologies for rambling - I'll blame it on the meds lol :D
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Domi,
I have been thinking this for a while and totally agree, you can't critique a recipe using different base elements.
I think I asked a while back, if it would be possible to have a section dedicated to complete recipe groups i.e The Ashoka, CA's, The Kushi, and more recently, Axe's IG, once complete.
I just think it impossible to use say, CA's base and maybe the Kushi spice mix, and then report back as CA's final dish not being up to much, dya get what I mean?
I would also add to that, altering the spec recipe as perhaps Jerry has done with adding more water and longer cooking, and then report the recipe as being good or bad (no offence Jerry)
By all means, adapt the recipes to suit but members need to report back on the recipe tried to spec first, then make the changes or else, which recipe version would we be trialing, Dips, Jerry's, MandJ's ????
Just realised Domi, I must be on the same meds as you ;D
Ray :)
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Well another weekend of cooking and another video enjoy people because i did.
Chicken Tikka Masala, Curry base and chicken tikka. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aUut5E-YSZQ#lq-lq2-hq-vhq-hd)
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String,
You've nailed it again my friend, well done. It looked like you cooked the CTM from cold? if so, how long from start to finish did it take, and, were you happy with the end consistancy?
It did look a little runnier than what I'm used to.
Why did you have to post this at this time?, I'm gonna have to go and make a curry now ::)
Brilliant String
Ray :)
P.S, proper restaurant tune as well ;D
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Hi Ray
I cut the video a bit so didnt show how thick it went at the end sorry about that.
It was the best chicken tikka masala ive done upto now.
I cooked it from cold it was nearly 9 mins about 8 and half.
Ive now tried a few meals with the base and i must admit im liking the base a lot.
The chicken tikka and sheek kebab was very tastey.
Oh took me 3 hours today to upload the video on youtube.
Loved the song too looked for a few but this felt like the real deal lol
string
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Good stuff String,
Are you cooking the base to spec? i:e, no extra water, no extended cooking time, no extra ingredients, just as it is described?
As for his seekh kebabs, I've tried them and they are nice but I still prefer my own :P
I haven't tried his Chicken tikka yet, but it will have to be good to beat Blades tikka.
I really want Dip's recipes to work for me. I think his dedication is awesome and would love to replicate is dishes but upto now, I've not had much joy, which is frustrating, when so many of you guys are having good results :(
Ray :)
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Hi Ray
The base just a few change from dips.
I put the water so it covered all the veg.
I cook for an hour first then add the mix spice and toms
Then cook it for 30 mins then blend it after that if it needs water you can add it i found i didnt need to.
But then i cooked the base for another hour after it was blended and found it went darker in colour and tasted a lot nicer.
I think dip was showing in the video a smaller amount of the base imo.
The base was awsome and you could see in the video had the oil coming on top after i cooked it for that extra hour.
I hope that helps m8
string
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Hi String,
Yes it helps and it doesn't :-\ lol
You've probably noticed me whinging on about members reporting on Dips recipes as being really good, but when you look closely at the methods that they actually use, they are very different to what Dip suggest, therefor, altering the outcome somewhat, IMO
You cook yours significantly longer, as does Jerry and this will definitely alter the taste, probably for the better.
Now I did this base exactly to spec, and I really didn't like it. I made 2 curries to just give it a go, and I was disappointed, so much so, that I ended up throwing the rest of the base away.
I think I need to bottom this one out, once and for all. Next weekend, I'm going to do this base to spec, side by side with the same base but cooked for at least 1 1/2 hours longer, with added water.
I'm pretty confident which one will come out best but I'm willing to be wrong for the greater cause ;D
Ray
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Hi Ray
I think dips not really showing much in the base video and the truth i just did it the way i felt it would be right.
It does go a lot darker when cooking it that hour longer and one thing i found with the base it had flavour.
Now the water issue with the base i thinks got mixed up. I put the water in like i would CAs base all the way over the veg.
ITs trial and error i guess but i must admit the curries this weekend have been the best so far.
The wife was well pleased with the taste this time around.
Ive found cooking the spice mix first with the garlic and ginger is better then putting them in cold with the base... I do cook the masala a lot longer then dips.
string
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This base is the schizzle. ;D Thanks for the advice, String...I cooked for longer today and it turned out perrrrfick!
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Hi nai
I`m glad you like the way i do my base.
So im gonna be nosey and ask what you cooking or what did you cook?
string
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Hi string. Made the the base to spec (except for cooking time) and have so far only made Dip's Korma and Chicken Balti. I find his methods convenient. I'm going to attempt a veg achari next week.
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Hi everyone!
I think this may well be my 1st post even though I've been a member for a few years. I've been looking for that perfect homemade BIR curry for what seems like an eternity and I think this may be it. I've tried countless different base recipies along with the suggested corresponding madras or korma etc, and always found it wanting. Occasionally it has been good and always passable but never in my opinion a true BIR curry.
So, I decided yesterday to give this one a go. I followed dips guides for:
The Base Sauce
The Mix Powder
The Pre Cooked Chicken
Madras (in my case chicken.....obviously)
I followed Dips guide to the letter in terms of ingredients for the base sauce, everything in a pan and just covered in water, lid on. I gave it an extra 10 minutes of cooking time before adding the mix powder and tomatoes as I felt the onions needed a bit longer.
After blending I had a little taste and this was when I realised I was on to a winner. It didn't have that "soapy" taste that a lot of other bases seemed to have had for me. It also had a really nice gentle burn and was what I expected a base sauce should taste like.
I followed the rest of the video guides to the letter and ended up with what I can only describe as the best homemade curry I have produced in almost 8 years of searching for tips and tricks. I now can't wait to try some of his other recipes.
In my opinion this guy is a real find.
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Hi FB,
Congratulations on your first post.
It does seem that a lot of members are having a lot of success with the Dipuraja recipes. I did try this base and, if I'm honest, it wasn't for me. With that said, I'm beginning to think that I must have cocked it up somewhere along the way, based on the success that others are having? I will have to revisit this at some stage and have another go.
I take it then, that you are using his spice blend also his pre cooked chicken? For me, this should always produce a reasonable end dish in that, all of the ingredients originate from the same source, and therefor, should be balanced.
Well done once again, and keep posting now that you've broke your duck :)
Ray :)
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I think a lot of Dip's recipes are very good but i don't like his base, i tend to use either CA's or Ashoka depending which dish i'm making.
I just can't put my finger on what the difference is between Dipuraja's way of putting recipes together and others but it does seem to work and work well :D
I keep wondering why his way gets so close to what i remember in the mid 80's as he relies heavily on pastes, i guess the man has either studied the flavours really well or else probably more likely he has had the old ways handed down to him and adapted, still leaves us guessing though :-\
Rob.
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Thanks for the welcome Razor.
I did indeed use his spice blend and pre cooked chicken and I quite agree that this alone would normally produce a good result. I think the point I was trying to make though was that the base gravy actually tasted like what I always thought it should. A little spicy with a mild burn. Most of the others I've tried up til now always seemed to have a soapy taste, were darker in colour and a lot thicker. But like you said about your attempt with Dip's base, maybe I got this one right and cocked up all the others lol!!!!!
It's funny because i've always seen it as searching for the holy grail to find the perfect base. But I suppose it's about finding the one that works for you. I'll keep posting as I try his other recipes.
Just had what was left for breakfast!!!!!!
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Hi FB,
A lot of bases do have that soapy taste to them, something that the Kushi base's author proudly describes how the taste should be!
I look for a base that is flexible enough to use on the milder curries as well as the hotter ones.
The beauty for the home cook is, if you are only interested in the hotter dishes, you can make your base to suit them, and therefor, should get a good level of consistency in your final dish.
Anyway, good luck with the rest of Dipuraja's recipes, glad you've had success.
Ray :)
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A lot of bases do have that soapy taste to them, something that the Kushi base's author proudly describes how the taste should be!
What on earth is this soapy taste?! ???
I've made countless bases over the years and I don't recall even one of them having a soapy taste?
And who eats soap anyway? ;D
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Neither have i SS :o
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Hi SS
The soapy taste is probably not a good analagy of the description, but that description is quoted in the 'Authentic Balti Curry' cook book.
the reference I make to that 'soapy' taste, is when I can detect whole spices such as mace, cardamom and even cassia.
And who eats soap anyway?
C'mon SS, did you never have your mouth washed out with soap and water when you were a kid? I know I did, several times ;D
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Errrrrm.........I think what i'm trying to describe is a watery, onion taste with little flavour.
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C'mon SS, did you never have your mouth washed out with soap and water when you were a kid? I know I did, several times ;D
Blimey you Northerners have some funny habits! Us civilised lot down South use toothpaste, don't you know! ;) ;D
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SS,
Toothpaste? we only ever used that as a snack when we couldn't afford any mints.
Same with potatoes, mi mam used to peel them and tell us they were apples without a core. ::)
Anyway, I better be off, the ferret's mithering for me to take it for a walk ;D
Ray ;D
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Anyway, I better be off, the ferret's mithering for me to take it for a walk ;D
You'll have to coax him off the pigeon loft first! ;D
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Have you lot been making porridge out of oatmeal soap from body shop again? ::)
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Whilst I'm in the posting mood would anyone like to direct me to a good dhansak recipe?
I love this site!
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I'm going to try this one this week as I'm all out of base.
The Taz base is my usual favourite along with plenty of spicing at the final cooking stage so this will be interesting.
Paul.
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I made this base last night. Following on from previous posters I simmered for about 30 minutes after blending and the base darkened in colour.
I got a finished volume of about 2.5 litres. Tastewise it reminds me of the SnS 2008 base and a little less so like CA's base.
I'd love to know whether you are meant to add the water early (which I did) or whether you are really supposed to reduce without water first.
I'll cook a curry with it tonight hopefully, Dips spice mix is made up and ready to go.
Paul.
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I'd love to know whether you are meant to add the water early (which I did) or whether you are really supposed to reduce without water first.
I find a better result by using less water initially and adding the majority after blending. it's not a key differentiator though ie u can do both
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I made a curry with this base last night.
First off I wasn't that impressed with the flavour of the base on it's own - it was just ok.
So I made a madras style curry but with peppers and onions as well but followed dipuraja's recipes closely enough.
Result - a very tasty curry that I was really quite happy with. I felt the spice mix worked well and I was using more methi than I would usually use but based the quantities on watching the Youtube videos.
The end result was very close to how my Taz curries taste and it's hard to say which I prefer but both are excellent for me.
Incidentally I didn't cold cook everything. I fried onions/peppers then added g&g then spices and tom puree and finally added the hot base and reduced quite a lot before adding final base amount.
A great result as far as I'm concerned.
Paul.
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Hi PP
A great result as far as I'm concerned.
Tiz a fair comment Paul but:
I didn't cold cook everything. I fried onions/peppers
Which will in my mind, bring you a better result than Dip's cold cook/boil everything all at once.
I think my point is, it does seem that most who have success with the Dipuraja recipes, do slightly alter the method, quantities and so on..
Has anybody actually made any of the recipes to spec, and really enjoyed them?
Ray :)
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Hi Ray,
I was only really intending to pre-fry the onions and peppers as I know how I like them and didn't believe they would be right if they were just boiled for a few minutes, but then I briefly fried my hand chopped garlic and ginger followed by spices and tom puree.
I know from my Taz cooking that by having the spices present in an oily rapidly reducing base seems to cook them fine without a separate frying stage.
I was quite suprised by the result as firstly I didn't like the base sauce taste on it's own and then I managed to find a damning review of dial a curry in Penrith where somebody said "food was late, we were overcharged and the food was awful!"
Of course there are always variables - for the record I used Supreme mild curry powder and garam masala and my new tin of expensive paprika is a very vibrant red colour compared to the dull red Rajah stuff I previously used in my spice mixes.
Maybe you should give it another shot?
I've gained some respect for Dipuraja now.
Cheers,
Paul.
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I've gained some respect for Dipuraja now.
I've made Dipuraja's (DPR's) CTM (and also a "bastardised" CTM phal)...well, sort of...using DPR's "tikka masala sauce" (I used my own chicken tikka.....and my own curry base......and Taz's spice mix, cos it's similar to DPR's and I had some to hand....and I used Patak "Mild Curry Paste", rather than "Kashmiri Paste"....and Benjamins "Kebab Paste" rather than "Pascos".....all the different pastes are almost all the friggin same, ingredients wise, anyway... :-\.....and I used ground, roasted coconut powder) and CTM recipe ("bastardised" for the CTM phal).
Hahaha... otherwise, the recipe was EXACTLY the same! ::)
I have to say that both were really, really, good....particularly the "bastardised" CTM phal.....
And I have to say that Dipuraja's CTM recipe is similar to Achmal's/Curry Barking Mad's/Taz's CTM recipe.
I think when I tried Taz's, I added too much of the "tikka masala sauce/red marinade" and it made the CTM taste tart....my advice is to not overdo the amount of the tikka masala sauce/red maridande that you add. Dipuraja's amount of about 3 level tablespoons, per single portion of CTM, is about right I'd say.
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....the point is that the essential aspects of Dipuraja's "tikka masala sauce" and "chicken tikka masala" recipes produce very palatable (and "BIR-like") results for a chicken tikka masala.
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Has he missed some ingredients in this. I see in the video, there is something red in the pan (possibly a red pepper), but he doesn't mention this.
I'm really keen on making a few of these curries from this guy, and have read posts with some mixed reviews.
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Hi Logie,
I don't know what the red thing is. I can't view at the moment as I'm at work.
I made the dipu base sauce twice and liked the curries I produced. I would say give it a go as his recipes have been quite well documented here at cr0 so are easy to follow.
It's a good learning experience.
Cheers,
Paul
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Hi Logie,
I don't know what the red thing is. I can't view at the moment as I'm at work.
I made the dipu base sauce twice and liked the curries I produced. I would say give it a go as his recipes have been quite well documented here at cr0 so are easy to follow.
It's a good learning experience.
Cheers,
Paul
Thanks for your reply Paul. If you get a chance you should look at the video again. There is definately some red in the pot, possibly a red pepper or tomato.
I'm gonna give it a shot though, as i've been dwelling over it for a week now. Pretty much a beginner in curry cooking, but hopefully this turns out well (Will try to make his masala and balti). Just got to order a few ingredients, and i'll give it a bash.
Many thanks for your words of encouragment
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I've gained some respect for Dipuraja now.
I've made Dipuraja's (DPR's) CTM (and also a "bastardised" CTM phal)...well, sort of...using DPR's "tikka masala sauce" (I used my own chicken tikka.....and my own curry base......and Taz's spice mix, cos it's similar to DPR's and I had some to hand....and I used Patak "Mild Curry Paste", rather than "Kashmiri Paste"....and Benjamins "Kebab Paste" rather than "Pascos".....all the different pastes are almost all the friggin same, ingredients wise, anyway... :-\.....and I used ground, roasted coconut powder) and CTM recipe ("bastardised" for the CTM phal).
Hahaha... otherwise, the recipe was EXACTLY the same! ::)
I have to say that both were really, really, good....particularly the "bastardised" CTM phal.....
And I have to say that Dipuraja's CTM recipe is similar to Achmal's/Curry Barking Mad's/Taz's CTM recipe.
I think when I tried Taz's, I added too much of the "tikka masala sauce/red marinade" and it made the CTM taste tart....my advice is to not overdo the amount of the tikka masala sauce/red maridande that you add. Dipuraja's amount of about 3 level tablespoons, per single portion of CTM, is about right I'd say.
CA, I was ready to post about the Pasco pastes. I've ordered a few things from Spices of India, but as you probably well know they don't stock the Pasco brands.
I was going to ask about a substitute for the Kebab paste, which you've used Benjamin's. I've ordered Mr Huda's Kebab paste.
What did you use for the Tandoori paste for your tandoori/tikka chicken recipe, assuming its Dipuraja's?
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I'd be interested to know if you use this base now or you still use your original base recipe ?
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I was going to ask about a substitute for the Kebab paste, which you've used Benjamin's. I've ordered Mr Huda's Kebab paste
I reckon that will be just fine, logie48. I feel that commercial pastes are much of a muchness anyway (Pasco is some sort of offshoot from Patak, it seems)
What did you use for the Tandoori paste for your tandoori/tikka chicken recipe, assuming its Dipuraja's?
The tikka I used was from my own recipe (which doesn't use commercial tandoori paste) here: http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=1555.0 (http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=1555.0)
If you're going to make Dipuraja's tikka, I would think that Patak tandoori paste would be, as near as damn it, the same as Pasco. Or use another decent commercial tandoori paste......or use any other tikka recipe you prefer.
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Having watched Dip's videos, I definitely think his cooking times are shorter than what they should be. I've been in a couple of BIR kitchens and these bases cook over night, so in my mind the longer you can cook them for the better IMO. I think Dips maybe trying to squeeze too much into a short time frame. If you follow his cooking times to the letter, you may well end up with some fowl tasting curries.
Anyway, i cooked his base last night, cooked the veg for an hour, then added toms and spice, and cooked for another hour. I then blended the base and packed it into tubs to put into the freezer. The outcome was pretty similar to the video posted by string? in this thread.
Looking forward to trying out Dips madras using this base.
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Having watched Dip's videos, I definitely think his cooking times are shorter than what they should be. I've been in a couple of BIR kitchens and these bases cook over night, so in my mind the longer you can cook them for the better IMO. I think Dips maybe trying to squeeze too much into a short time frame. If you follow his cooking times to the letter, you may well end up with some fowl tasting curries.
Anyway, i cooked his base last night, cooked the veg for an hour, then added toms and spice, and cooked for another hour. I then blended the base and packed it into tubs to put into the freezer. The outcome was pretty similar to the video posted by string? in this thread.
Looking forward to trying out Dips madras using this base.
Surely cooking a base overnight even in large quantities, is going to cook all the goodness and flavour out of the whole dish?
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I suppose it depends on what 'overnight' means - how many hours would that be. Also depends on the quantity being cooked, as you say. Not sure much would be gained from the extending the time when breaking down the veg. Extending the time for the final simmer, is another matter altogether, but I don't think this is what is meant by 'cooking overnight'.
leroyb - have you made a curry with this base yet? Thoughts?
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I suppose it depends on what 'overnight' means - how many hours would that be. Also depends on the quantity being cooked, as you say. Not sure much would be gained from the extending the time when breaking down the veg. Extending the time for the final simmer, is another matter altogether, but I don't think this is what is meant by 'cooking overnight'.
leroyb - have you made a curry with this base yet? Thoughts?
Sorry guys should have said simmer, rather than cook when referring to the BIR, in what can be described as a cauldron... This would have been after the phase where the toms and spices are added, before blending. In one instance the owner whose kitchen it was let me take 2 foil containers home with me. At the time I thought I only needed to add meat to it to make a curry, how wrong I was! Funnily enough I remember a taste of aniseed in that base, maybe star anise?
Haven't made a curry yet using this base, hoping to cook Dips madras with this next weekend.
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I was chatting to Az yesterday about his base sauce as I need to cook a new batch. His is basically identical to this one apart from he includes one medium potato to 6 - 7 onions. I'm making some up today so I'll see if the potato makes any discernible difference to the finished curry. I can see it adding a bit of thickness to the sauce.
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Let us know how you get on with this, Chris. So, essentially you need to add one potato to the recipe in the OP to make Az's base - is that correct?
Have you managed to acquire a spec for his spice mix? ;)
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Thats what it looks like. I'll try and confirm next time I speak to him but that is what I'm making now.
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Hi All,
I tried his base and his korma recipe(with chicken-For the wife of course!) and it was really quite good.
I also did his mushroom rice and that was top notch,
but the biggest suprise was the mint sauce vid he has on youtube.
I copied that(all except the colouring) and it is exactly as you get in any BIR.
Try it if hosting a party with pompadoms.Your mates wont believe you havent phoned it in!!
Matt
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but the biggest suprise was the mint sauce vid he has on youtube.
I copied that(all except the colouring) and it is exactly as you get in any BIR.
Matt
Could not agree more. Totally identical to that found in many a BIR
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Ok, so i've cooked a madras with base now.
I cooked the garlic an ginger in the oils, then basically chucked everything in the pan.
The outcome was something which looked like a real madras.
The taste, wasn't quite there, there where hints and after tastes like a BIR madras, but it did seem like something was missing. I'm wondering guys, if my spices aren't up to it..
I've been using the cheap spices and chilli powder from tescos.. I made my first madras with tesco hot chilli powder, the result was it wasn't very hot. The second one I made was using a chilli powder from my local asian store. Result, much better.
So i'm thinking i may need to give this another go with better quality spices before I pass judgement.
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Hi guys i made this base yesterday afternoon, its only my second base to date and it seems as bland as water!!!
As far as i can tell ive done everything to the letter (used pre made garlic n ginger paste),i ended up with around 2.2L after simmering for about 50mins and then another 15mins with tomato and spices, it all smelled good until i blended then the the smell seemed to evaporate !!! , i ladled of around 200ml and made an experimental Madras sauce without meat and this also seems okish but no where near BIR taste , i was wondering which base to try next ?
I cant really do the hot compatible ones as my 9 year old son can only realy handle balti or rogan josh any ideas please guys
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Hi Yakmando,
I've made Dipu's base myself sometime ago and cooked a few curries using his ingredients. I don't think switching base is the answer for you at this stage as you can get perfectly good results with this recipe.
If it's not working for you I would guess either poor ingredients or technique. It might be worth watching a few videos of people cooking madras type curries - that can help a lot.
Cheers,
Paul
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Thanks for the reply Paul , heres a funny thing just gone to throw away the madras sauce i made lastnight , and low and behold tasted it now its been cold for a night....mmmmmm pure unadulterated BIR bliss....so i guess its coz i hadnt let my base sauce cool and let all the flavours infuse??
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I think it was probably your nose getting overloaded while you did the cooking. It's quite hard sometimes to fully enjoy your curries after a marathon cooking session. Apart from cooking it one day and eating the next, maybe put the food in a warm oven (55 to 70 degrees C) and go out for a hour or two to get away from the smells.
Dipu's recipes are pretty good. Pity he shows so little enthusiasm and verve when he cooks them on the videos.
Cheers,
Paul
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BUMP !!! and a big one at that!
I just fancied having a go at this base and have it on the boil now :)
Can I ask if anyone still uses Dips base and have added any refinements?
Cheers
Mak
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I can't speak for the base mak, but i can sure as hell give his mint sauce a big thumbs up. Spot on BIR for round my area. Hopefully someone may be able to comment but many bases have appeared since this one ???
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Never made Dips base Mak, but the best bombay aloo ive made was using Dips recipe with CBM's pre-cooked potatoes and the Taz base.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fhLvOxfDdCc (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fhLvOxfDdCc)
CBM's pre-cooked potatoes http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php/topic,8269.msg73712.html#msg73712 (http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php/topic,8269.msg73712.html#msg73712)
Taz base http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php/topic,4163.0.html (http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php/topic,4163.0.html)
I used the recommended 450ml.
Cheers, Frank. :)
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I can't speak for the base mak, but i can sure as hell give his mint sauce a big thumbs up. Spot on BIR for round my area. Hopefully someone may be able to comment but many bases have appeared since this one ???
Hahahaha. . + 1 on the mint sauce but leave out the sugar ;)
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Hi guys, thanks for the replies and links. I tried the mint sauce a while back and I agree - it really is top notch !
Must give the bombay aloo a bash :)
Cheers
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Just going through Dip's stuff. I am curious and have to ask. Would anyone actually want to eat this?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=fhLvOxfDdCc# (http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=fhLvOxfDdCc#)!
Rob :)
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Well, I might eat it, but I might also bring a claim under the trade descriptions act. Potatoes (curried), yes; "Bombay aloo", no way !
** Phil.
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Apparently so
http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php/topic,5661.0.html (http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php/topic,5661.0.html)
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Apparently so
http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php/topic,5661.0.html (http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php/topic,5661.0.html)
Indeed so. My comments were based on the obvious excess of sauce in the video, and I see that I made much the same observation (http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php/topic,5661.msg56061.html#msg56061) at the time of the group test, but reduced my own version until the consistency was more authentic.
** Phil.