Curry Recipes Online
British Indian Restaurant Recipes - Main Dishes => British Indian Restaurant Recipes - Main Dishes => Madras => Topic started by: Peripatetic Phil on February 22, 2012, 08:06 PM
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Following the discussions under "Curry powder (http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=7896.0)", Les kindly asked me if I would publish the recipe for my "Curry powder based Chicken Madras". I explained that I don't have a recipe, but what follows is an exact transcript of this evening's meal :
Ingredients (all measures are rounded, not flat !) :
- 200gm chicken, in curry-sized pieces
- 3 tablespoons recycled oil
- 1 tsp Ground Turmeric
- 1 tsp G/G paste (50:50)
- 1 ladle warm base
- 1 tsp Rajah Hot Madras Curry Powder
- 1 tsp Degghi Mirch
- 1 tsp Kashmiri Mirch
- 1 tsp Ground Cumin
- 1/2 tsp Ground Fenugreek
- 1 tablespoon tomato puree, double concentrate, plus 2 tablespoons hot water
- 1/2 tsp coarse sea salt (I use 1 tsp, others may find this too much)
- 2 tsp G/G paste (50:50)
- 3 ladles warm base
- 1 tablespoon chopped coriander stalks
- 1 tsp chopped coriander leaves
- 2 wedges lime (1/4 lime)
Method :
- Place 3 tablespoons recycled oil (reclaimed from previous curries) in a wok
- Add 1 tsp ground turmeric
- Add 1 tsp G/G paste
- Heat, stirring continuously, until air bubbles are clearly being driven off from the spices and G/G (the turmeric will have changed colour from yellow to brown, but this may be masked by the colour of the recycled oil), then add the chicken and reduce the heat. Continue to stir until the chicken changes from pink to white on all sides, then decant into suitable container to rest and relax
- Reclaim the oil from the chicken and pour it back in the wok
- Add the mixed spices and G/G paste, then repeat as above
- When the spices are adequately singed (your judgement), quench them with the diluted tomato pureee, and stir vigorously
- Add the pre-cooked chicken, 1 ladle of warm base, stir well, then cook at a fairly high heat until the sauce starts to thicken
- Add a second ladle of base and the salt
- Repeat as above
- Add the third ladle of sauce
- Continue to cook until the chicken is almost ready (i.e., very lightly cooked, as if you were preparing a Chinese stir-fry), then back off the heat to maybe 15%
- Continue to cook at a low heat until about two minutes before you want to serve, then pour off all excess oil, stir in the chopped coriander stalks, add the lime wedges
- Placed in a serving dish, garnish with chopped coriander and serve.
Serve with whatever you choose. Tonight I had mine with an egg paratha, chopped red onion with coriander, Chinthe Burmese Lime Pickle and a Clausthaler Extra Herb. Your mileage might vary ! Good straight from the wok, significantly better if gently re-heated 24 hours later.
N.B. I cook on a halogen hob; the method may well need adjustment if your heat source is significantly different.
To shift the balance of the flavour, you could double the cumin & the fenugreek, but this may make the sauce a little too thick unless you add extra base to compensate.
** Phil.
(http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/imagehost/pics/020a2cf5cd8547f1bd230ec838996bf9.JPG) (http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/imagehost/#020a2cf5cd8547f1bd230ec838996bf9.JPG)
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As I said on the other thread Thank's Phil,
Looks good to me, Going to print the recipe out now, and get stuck into it when I can
Les
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Looks good to me, Going to print the recipe out now, and get stuck into it when I can
Good luck, Les, and don't forget to let us all know how you get on. If you can, force yourself to save some for the next day and see if you agree that it is even better after a good long rest and relax.
** Phil.
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Hi Phil
Excuse me asking, but isn't Deggi Mirch and Kashmiri Mirch pretty much the same thing, so why use both?
Martin
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Excuse me asking, but isn't Deggi Mirch and Kashmiri Mirch pretty much the same thing, so why use both?
Well, they are both ground chillies, Martin, but they are definitely not the same; the Kashmiri contributes mainly colour (a beautiful red), the Degghi contributes heat (its colour is good, but not as intense as the Kashmiri).
** Phil.
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Thanks for that recipe, Phil. It looks mouthwateringly tasty!
I shall be trying that out tomorrow evening, and will report back.
Cheers
Gary
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Ok Phil We'll have to agree to disagree on that, as I believe both are mildish in heat and give colour. :-\
Not saying the two are always exactly the same, as MDH do both, but I'd say they were interchangeable.
'Deggi Mirch is a unique, age old blend, processed from special varieties of colourful Indian red chillies. It is mild-hot and imparts a glowing natural red colour to curried dishes making them attractive and more palatable.'
'Exotic Kashmiri mirch is a special blend of medium hot quality red pepper that is used for tandoori (clay oven) preparations. When used in curry sauces it imparts bright red colour'
'Deggi mirch is a unique Indian spice made from a traditional blend of red capsicums and Kashmiri red chillies. They are dried, then ground up to produce a spice with a deep orange-red colour that adds a mild heat to dishes and imparts a distinctive strong red colour to them. It is also known as deghi mirch, degi mirch, Kasmiri mirch and Kashmiri chilli powder.'
;) Martin
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Oh dear, I can see I shall have to photograph them side-by-side, so you can see the colour difference for yourself ! Now if only I had access to a device for measuring Scoville Heat Units (SHUs), I coiuld show the readings as well :)
** Phil.
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Lol, IMHO Deggi is a bit hotter than Kashmiri and Deggi is slightly more orange compared to the pure red of Kashmiri.
I use about 2.5 tsp of Deggi in my madras curries. They are both nice products though. :)
Paul
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IMHO Deggi is a bit hotter than Kashmiri and Deggi is slightly more orange compared to the pure red of Kashmiri.
Exactly my feelings, Paul : Deggi, orange; Kashmiri red; Deggi hotter than Kashmiri. But if you were to run out of one, you could substitute the other without a major shift in the colour or heat.
** Phil.
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Following the discussions under "Curry powder (http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=7896.0)", Les kindly asked me if I would publish the recipe for my "Curry powder based Chicken Madras". I explained that I don't have a recipe, but what follows is an exact transcript of this evening's meal :
Ingredients (all measures are rounded, not flat !) :
- 200gm chicken, in curry-sized pieces
- 3 tablespoons recycled oil
- 1 tsp Ground Turmeric
- 1 tsp G/G paste (50:50)
- 1 ladle warm base
- 1 tsp Rajah Hot Madras Curry Powder
- 1 tsp Degghi Mirch
- 1 tsp Kashmiri Mirch
- 1 tsp Ground Cumin
- 1/2 tsp Ground Fenugreek
- 1 tablespoon tomato puree, double concentrate, plus 2 tablespoons hot water
- 1/2 tsp coarse sea salt (I use 1 tsp, others may find this too much)
- 2 tsp G/G paste (50:50)
- 3 ladles warm base
- 1 tablespoon chopped coriander stalks
- 1 tsp chopped coriander leaves
- 2 wedges lime (1/4 lime)
Method :
- Place 3 tablespoons recycled oil (reclaimed from previous curries) in a wok
- Add 1 tsp ground turmeric
- Add 1 tsp G/G paste
- Heat, stirring continuously, until air bubbles are clearly being driven off from the spices and G/G (the turmeric will have changed colour from yellow to brown, but this may be masked by the colour of the recycled oil), then add the chicken and reduce the heat. Continue to stir until the chicken changes from pink to white on all sides, then decant into suitable container to rest and relax
- Reclaim the oil from the chicken and pour it back in the wok
- Add the mixed spices and G/G paste, then repeat as above
- When the spices are adequately singed (your judgement), quench them with the diluted tomato pureee, and stir vigorously
- Add the pre-cooked chicken, 1 ladle of warm base, stir well, then cook at a fairly high heat until the sauce starts to thicken
- Add a second ladle of base and the salt
- Repeat as above
- Add the third ladle of sauce
- Continue to cook until the chicken is almost ready (i.e., very lightly cooked, as if you were preparing a Chinese stir-fry), then back off the heat to maybe 15%
- Continue to cook at a low heat until about two minutes before you want to serve, then pour off all excess oil, stir in the chopped coriander stalks, add the lime wedges
- Placed in a serving dish, garnish with chopped coriander and serve.
Serve with whatever you choose. Tonight I had mine with an egg paratha, chopped red onion with coriander, Chinthe Burmese Lime Pickle and a Clausthaler Extra Herb. Your mileage might vary ! Good straight from the wok, significantly better if gently re-heated 24 hours later.
N.B. I cook on a halogen hob; the method may well need adjustment if your heat source is significantly different.
To shift the balance of the flavour, you could double the cumin & the fenugreek, but this may make the sauce a little too thick unless you add extra base to compensate.
** Phil.
(http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/imagehost/pics/020a2cf5cd8547f1bd230ec838996bf9.JPG) (http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/imagehost/#020a2cf5cd8547f1bd230ec838996bf9.JPG)
Hi Phil,
That looks really nice :)
Just one question, Madras normally calls for Lemon Juice and I am a big fan of that citrus flavour in the Madras. What makes you use Lime instead of lemon? Is it your oriental side of life or do you just prefer lime to lemon?
I would be interested in cooking this trying the lime as a change :)
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That looks really nice :)
Thank you :) Unfortunately it was so good that I have none left for tomorrow :(
Just one question, Madras normally calls for Lemon Juice and I am a big fan of that citrus flavour in the Madras. What makes you use Lime instead of lemon? Is it your oriental side of life or do you just prefer lime to lemon?
Just following the example of the Taj of Kent, really; they use lime wedges, so I now do the same !
** Phil.
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That looks really nice :)
Thank you :) Unfortunately it was so good that I have none left for tomorrow :(
Just one question, Madras normally calls for Lemon Juice and I am a big fan of that citrus flavour in the Madras. What makes you use Lime instead of lemon? Is it your oriental side of life or do you just prefer lime to lemon?
Just following the example of the Taj of Kent, really; they use lime wedges, so I now do the same !
** Phil.
Thanks Phil,
As a Madras lover, I will give this a go :)
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Thanks for this recipe, Phil. I knocked it up last night and it was gorgeous. Well balanced, and full of that moreish Madras 'tang' we lovers of the dish crave.
Apologies in advance for the crap (flash) pic, but I was in a hurry to get stuck in.
The only slight changes to the recipe were the addition of extra deggi mirch and, as suggested by your goodself, a little extra cumin (hence the darker colour).... Oh, and I didn't have a lime, so used a lemon quarter.
(http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/imagehost/pics/e7c428bd2d2950c200ca2bb2e216aa31.jpg) (http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/imagehost/#e7c428bd2d2950c200ca2bb2e216aa31.jpg)
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Very many thanks for the positive feedback, SD : much appreciated. I can see you are a man after my own heart, with extra Deggi mirch & cumin ! Did you also increase the salt content, or did you find 1/2 teaspoon about right ? And good to see that lovely ring of red oil around the edge of the dish !
** Phil.
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Very many thanks for the positive feedback, SD : much appreciated. I can see you are a man after my own heart, with extra Deggi mirch & cumin ! Did you also increase the salt content, or did you find 1/2 teaspoon about right ? And good to see that lovely ring of red oil around the edge of the dish !
** Phil.
The base I was using (Zaal) isn't particularly salty, Phil, so I added a little extra just before serving. ('To taste', as they say.)
I'm happy to report that I've got some left in the fridge for my lunch, and when I had a sniff this morning there was 'that' smell. Fantastic.
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Did this for tea tonight was enjoyable probably put a bit more chilli in next time would post a pic but it is basically like the pic's in the thread :)
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Did this for tea tonight was enjoyable probably put a bit more chilli in next time would post a pic but it is basically like the pic's in the thread :)
Don't they all ?! But regarding the heat, maybe try singeing the chillies a little more, as others have reported elsewhere that the degree of singeing makes a marked difference to the heat ... My (one Deggi, one Kashmiri) is a compromise for Khanh & I : she would prefer less, I would prefer more.
** Phil.
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Morning Phil,
Made your Madras last night for 4 of us, And the verdict by all, Excellent, the best one I have made yet, and definitely beats our local T/A, (which tastes like Pot noodle most of the time ;D)
I used Admins Base as always, The only thing I left out of the recipe was the fresh coriander (hate the stuff) and Kashmir Chili, couldn't find any in the shops, But I don't think that I singed the spices enough, (First time trying the singe, Chickened out at the last moment,) but will take it further next time, Oh yes, there will be a next time, ;) This had more of the old school taste to me using the curry powder than the special mix powders on here,(not that there is anything wrong with them) So going to stick with it and try to get better, onwards and upwards.
Again Thanks for the recipe Phil,
Sorry no pic's mate, I don't have a digi camera, :-\
Les
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Excellent, many thanks for the very positive feedback, Les. Don't worry about the lack of pictures, we all know what a chicken Madras looks like by now :-) It is interesting that you refer to the "old-school taste", because this was the idea that led my to trying curry powder again after all these years of abstention : whilst it might now be the norm for each BIR restaurant and T/A to blend its own spice mix, I am far less certain that that was the case in the late 60s/early 70s, and my hypothesis is that restaurants would simply use their preferred curry powder as the nucleus and then augment it with individual spices as in this recipe. Also worth noting from that period is that Indian grocers would then sell curry powder in bulk (by weight), and there was normally a choice of several, quite possibly ground and blended on the premises.
Re. the coriander : it is a shame that you don't like the flavour, because the crispness of the chopped stalks definitely adds to the experience (athough I have no recollection of such content from the 60s/70s), and I wonder whether you might get a similar effect by using (say) chopped stem of flat-leaf parsley or similar ...
** Phil.
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Hi Phil
Never thought of using parsley stalks, I do like parsley ;D
May try some next time just to see what the difference in taste is, if any.
Like you I think that Curry powder is the right way to go about getting the 60's/70's taste and flavour, Less is more sort of thing, I would imagine in the old day's they wouldn't fuss about with all these new fangled spice mix's, Where fast turn around was the name of the game,
So I shall persevere with the good old curry powder for the foreseeable future, and hopefully strike it lucky ::)
Les
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Never thought of using parsley stalks, I do like parsley ;D May try some next time just to see what the difference in taste is, if any.
I look forward to hearing what you thought. As you don't like coriander, you may never have chopped any for recipes such as this, so just to give you a guide you are aiming for pieces around 1/16" in length.
So I shall persevere with the good old curry powder for the foreseeable future, and hopefully strike it lucky ::)
As shall I : this really does seem to produce a good curry, and it would be easy to make variations such as (for example) replacing one of the Mirch with (say) Bassar Curry Masala to see if this adds "extra layers of flavour".
** Phil.
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I look forward to hearing what you thought. As you don't like coriander, you may never have chopped any for recipes such as this, so just to give you a guide you are aiming for pieces around 1/16" in length.
** Phil.
Thank's Phil,
and you are so right, never ever chopped any, Don't even go near the stuff, Just the smell of it makes me barff ::)
Les
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In the first part of the ingrediants where does the 1 ladle of base get used?
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In the first part of the ingrediants where does the 1 ladle of base get used?
Good question, Andy ! It should read :
Method :
- Place 3 tablespoons recycled oil (reclaimed from previous curries) in a wok
- Add 1 tsp ground turmeric
- Add 1 tsp G/G paste
- Heat, stirring continuously, until air bubbles are clearly being driven off from the spices and G/G (the turmeric will have changed colour from yellow to brown, but this may be masked by the colour of the recycled oil)
- Add 1 ladle of warm base to quench the spices and cook for a further couple of minutes, stirring all the while
- Add the chicken and reduce the heat. Continue to stir until the chicken changes from pink to white on all sides, then decant into suitable container to rest and relax
- Reclaim the oil from the chicken ...
Thanks for pointing out the omission, Andy. It would be interesting to learn what Salvador Dhali & Les did at this point : was it obvious to them what to do with the base, or did they omit it completely, and do they think it was better or worse as a result ?
** Phil.
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In the first part of the ingrediants where does the 1 ladle of base get used?
Good question, Andy ! It should read :
Method :
- Place 3 tablespoons recycled oil (reclaimed from previous curries) in a wok
- Add 1 tsp ground turmeric
- Add 1 tsp G/G paste
- Heat, stirring continuously, until air bubbles are clearly being driven off from the spices and G/G (the turmeric will have changed colour from yellow to brown, but this may be masked by the colour of the recycled oil)
- Add 1 ladle of warm base to quence the spices and cook for a further couple of minutes, stirring all the while
- Add the chicken and reduce the heat. Continue to stir until the chicken changes from pink to white on all sides, then decant into suitable container to rest and relax
- Reclaim the oil from the chicken ...
Thanks for pointing out the omission. It would be interesting to learn what Salvador Dhali & Les did at this point : was it obvious to them what to do with the base, or did they omit it completely, and do they think it was better or worse as a result ?
** Phil.
As I'm knocking on a bit now and increasingly short-sighted I didn't even notice the omission. There aren't too many advantages to advancing years, but as an old git with many quenchings under my ever expanding belt I just did it as part of what's become a standard process.
(Ooo - get him... ;-)
Cheers
Gary
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I added it to the spices then threw the chicken in
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Excellent just about to make it now, thanks for reply
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Excellent just about to make it now, thanks for reply
Good luck, Andy, and don't forget to let us all know how you get on (photos optional !).
** Phil.
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Added the ladle of base at the same stage as timeless,
Just seemed like the right thing to do, Must admit though I never noticed it missing in the method
I must have been on Auto Pilot ;D
Les
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Well i made it last night, i ended up with an acceptable curry, my wife enjoyed but i wasn't overly keen. But you have to take in to account the fact i was seriously hungover, to the point of still feeling sick at 7.00pm.
I think i over 'singed' the turmeric in the first stage as i was completely knackered at this point after making the rice and marinating and grilling the chicken tikka, so with feeling so ill i dont think my cooking skills were up to scratch. I will definately have another go at this recipe as i want to learn how to fry the spices properly as i think it is key to achieving the 'taste' we crave.
The curry cetainly had enough heat even though i normally use at least tablespoon of chilli and dirgi mirch which i havent been frying but just adding to the sauce and hard boiling , similar to Dipuraja style of cooking.
I shall report back when ive retried the recipe next weekend.
Also worth pointing out that im not sure if my base was upto scratch, bruce edwards one, which is normally very good but i dont think this batch was up to the mark.
PS I have some sauce left, no chicken, so i will have a taste later tonight to see how the flavours have mingled together and if it any better hungover free :P
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Well i made it last night, i ended up with an acceptable curry, my wife enjoyed but i wasn't overly keen. But you have to take in to account the fact i was seriously hungover, to the point of still feeling sick at 7.00pm.
I think i over 'singed' the turmeric in the first stage as i was completely knackered at this point after making the rice and marinating and grilling the chicken tikka, so with feeling so ill i dont think my cooking skills were up to scratch. I will definately have another go at this recipe as i want to learn how to fry the spices properly as i think it is key to achieving the 'taste' we crave.
The curry cetainly had enough heat even though i normally use at least tablespoon of chilli and dirgi mirch which i havent been frying but just adding to the sauce and hard boiling , similar to Dipuraja style of cooking.
I shall report back when ive retried the recipe next weekend.
Also worth pointing out that im not sure if my base was upto scratch, bruce edwards one, which is normally very good but i dont think this batch was up to the mark.
PS I have some sauce left, no chicken, so i will have a taste later tonight to see how the flavours have mingled together and if it any better hungover free :P
Some may call me partially, or even completely insane (and indeed many who know me do), but on the occasions when things don't go to plan and I've produced a curry that refuses to sing to me (i.e. is a little bland and not 'quite there', I have a rescue remedy that works pretty well.
What I do is to produce a 'micro fuse' by decanting the oil from the recalcitrant curry of the night before into a small pan, heating it up, and going through the initial fusing/singeing process with small quantities of garlic/ginger paste, diluted tomato paste, chilli powder and curry (or mix) powder. (We're talking a quarter teaspoon of garlic/ginger, a teaspoon or so of diluted tomato paste, and a quarter teaspoon or so each of curry/mix powder and chilli, though of course you can vary the amounts to taste, and also depending on how much curry you have left over. If you've got a fair bit then up the quantities, but if it's only a few mouthfuls then it's not worth bothering.)
Once you've got the fuse/singe stage done, simply add the remains of last night's curry to the pan, bring up to heat and cook for four or five minutes. Voila - one revitalised curry.
As I said, some may think me crazy, but it works for me.
P.S. Don't forget to check your salt level and adjust if necessary. A pinch can transform the bland to the sublime...
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Nice idea Salvador, but only have a small amount left so dont think it will be worth trying. I shall warm the sauce and see how it tastes and try to fathom what went wrong the previous hungover night, it prob tastes so much better now ive recovered anyway!!!!!!!!
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Nice idea Salvador, but only have a small amount left so dont think it will be worth trying. I shall warm the sauce and see how it tastes and try to fathom what went wrong the previous hungover night, it prob tastes so much better now ive recovered anyway!!!!!!!!
You sound like a man after my own heart, Andy. What is it about curry lovers and alcohol, eh? ;-)
As you may have noticed earlier in this thread I enjoyed great success with this recipe, but despite banging away at this lark for 30-odd years my results, like so many here, aren't as consistent as I'd like, and I've produce plenty of unspectacular curries in my time. (But then none of the BIRs I frequent are 100% consistent, either. to err is human, etc).
Anyway, hope it tastes better post hangover. And if not, no worries. Just put it down to experience and crack on with the next one.
Cheers
Gary
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Cheers Salvador, im actually tempted to defrost some base and experiment with a couple of different styles using all the same ingredients, maybe fry spices first on one and just add them to the base and reduce down on the other, see what different flavour you get. Just need to get shut of wife and kids lol.
Have you tried , when your curry is a little off,bland,over cooked etc, adding teaspoon of sugar, it really improves the flavour, seems to balance them out if you know what i mean, actually does when youve made a good curry actually but with less sugar
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Cheers Salvador, im actually tempted to defrost some base and experiment with a couple of different styles using all the same ingredients, maybe fry spices first on one and just add them to the base and reduce down on the other, see what different flavour you get. Just need to get shut of wife and kids lol.
Have you tried , when your curry is a little off,bland,over cooked etc, adding teaspoon of sugar, it really improves the flavour, seems to balance them out if you know what i mean, actually does when youve made a good curry actually but with less sugar
I don't like sweet things so tend not to use sugar, but I can see how it will act as a flavour enhancer, Andy. The ladies of the house like it sweet though, bless 'em, so for that extra hint of sweetness I'll use a little mango chutney (or even a dash of tomato ketchup Heston Blumenthal style).
As you say, experimentation is where it's at, though I know what you mean about getting shot of the wife and kids. Mind you, if the wife saw what I get up to as soon as she's out of the door I think it would be me getting shot...
(http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/imagehost/pics/a5c058a7d639aeabb18ef18c3da12c45.jpg) (http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/imagehost/#a5c058a7d639aeabb18ef18c3da12c45.jpg)
I just hope she never discovers this forum!
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Dedication ;D ;D ;D
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I hate to use the word, but in this case it is justified:
8) Awesome 8)