Curry Recipes Online
Curry Chat => Lets Talk Curry => Topic started by: laynebritton on March 09, 2006, 02:24 PM
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Hi Everyone,
Thank you all for your wonderful warm welcome (what a Joy to find such a great bunch of fellow Curry lovers)? ;D
I'm reading these forums and I'm totally enjoying every word....... this website is absolutely Fascinating !
Anyway onto business I don't know if this is the right thread but I'll start here and probably have to move because I want to upload a picture of a Curry and I don't think I can do it here ? will someone let me know please.
About 20 miles from where I live is a certain Indian Restaurant/Takeaway they have been established since 1961 and have been featured in the good food guide 1987 and the Taj Good Curry Restaurant Guide 1996,
They are still making their Curry in the same style after all these years and If I go in the afternoon shopping I'll always get a Chicken Vindaloo take away for my supper believe me it's the Best Curry Ive ever had in my life.? :o
I know for a fact that people travel from far and wide for their Curry it is in a phrase " A True Curry house " they are are not really known for Tandoori etc.
I don't know if it's Pakistani or Bengali or what ? when I asked them what's the name for this style of Curry they look at me as if I'm from another Planet !
I'll try and describe it to you until I get a Take Away and Upload a photo of it OK.
It is Very Very dark of a runny consistency and absolutely dripping with oil there is about half inch of very dark oil floating on the surface ( and in the bag by the time I get it home ha ha )
I'm convinced the Chicken is boiled and they Most Definitely use a Base Sauce because it only takes 5 Min's before it's in the carton and I'm leaving the Restaurant so that doesn't give me a lot of time trying to Interrogate them.
Until I can Upload a Photo does anyone have any Ideas what type of Curry it is and is there a Recipe for this Truly Awsome Curry ?
Regards
Layne? ?? ;)
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Hi Layne,
I'm not quite sure what you mean ???
Do you mean what type\style of curry does this paticular restaurant serve up?
cK
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Hi Curry King.
Yes in a word do you think it sounds Pakistani or Indian
I asked the waiter where in India they were from and his reply was Bangladesh !
But I'm sure (after catching a glimse) of the chef through their little serving hatch the Chef looks to me like a Pakistani so this would probably determine the style of Curry because in my opinion Indian and Pakistani have completely different styles?do you know what I mean they are after all different Country's arn't they ?
A majority of Takeaways/Restaurants serve either the Yellow or Brown Sauce this is a the darkest Sauce Ive seen like a dark Rusty colour do you know what I mean ?
Regards
Layne? ?;)
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It's probably more down to where in the country you are based as to wether its a Pakistani or Bangladeshi run place, although I think the majority are from Bangladesh. Determining what style of curry they churn out would be down to the main chef and where\who he learnt his "secrets" from more than anything else like what nationality the restaurant owner is.
The majority of what you get on a typical BIR menu is not authentic to any particular place except the UK and the only reason most of them are called Indian restaurants is to appear familiar with what we know!
So to find out what you want to know you should ask the chef but chances are he will tell you nothing :-X
cK
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does anyone have any Ideas what type of Curry it is and is there a Recipe for this Truly Awsome Curry ?
From what you've descibed, this curry sounds like a 'best of breed' example of the very type of curry this forum was set up to investigate and emulate. There are dozens of recipes here for all the constituent elements, which invariably include base sauce and pre-cooked chicken. These recipes should get you at least "90%" of the way there. Fine tuning any such recipe to get the precise taste of your favorite curry may take some time, and it's what keeps this forum 'in business'.
What is the name of the specific restaurant, please, as it sounds like it would be worth a visit?
Regards
George
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Hi George,
Thank's for your opinion....Yes you are absolutely spot on my friend this Curry is the Mother of all Curry's like I said as soon as I can get into the City I will get a Take away and Upload the photo for you all to see it it's making my mouth water thinking about it ! :P
Anyway the Restaurant/Takeaway in question is
The Lahore Restaurant
Dock Street
Newport
South Wales
Tel 01633 265665
Try searching Google see what it finds
Good Curry Restaurant Guide etc.
Regards
Layne ;)
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Hi Layne, This particular curry, what flavours does it have? Sweet, sour, hot? It could be ceylon - does it have a coconutty taste? Describe what flavours it has and then we may be able to help.
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Hi curryqueen, :)
It could be ceylon
Now that Term rings a bell from many years ago..... most Curry houses in this area only served this type of Sauce that was before the the Mass Exodus of Indians to this country to make their fortune and then of course they decided to boil onions by the sack-load make a base sauce as quick as possible to get the shekels in.
It's only my opinion but the first here were the Pakistanis Not Bengali's that's why I think it's of Pakistani Origin because this type of sauce was all you could get back in the 60's and as Ive said in my earlier thread this particular Restaurant has been established since 1961.
To answer your question (I know I babble on )
The Sauce is Not sweet in any way whatsoever
No Coconut whatsoever
Hot Yes (Even a Mild will put your mouth in Orbit)
It has a Very Very Rich Curry Flavour Very Runny and a Very Very Dark Brown Oily Appearance Phew ! ;)
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That place is near me, Ill give it a go!
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Hi All,
Ah The Lahore in newport,recently tried one of their madras sauces, a friend had been for a chicken biriani with madras sauce and bought extra sauce for me to try well,the sauce was extremely dark in colour and had an overwhelming smell and taste of star anise, it was thin in texture and by normal standards very hot in spice content but not unpleasant.there was a large amount of oil floating on the surface which again was dominated by star anise. I wonder wether this
is used in their base or an addition at the final stage, until i try another style dish from there i wont know. will keep you informed,keep questing and good luck
steve e
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Hi All,
Meant also to tell you that this restaraunt was one of the first in Newport along with one in pill that was called the rose of india, its reputation is" you love it or hate it" bit like Marmite tehe, anyway
people who have been going there for "years" comment on the consistency of the quality of the dishes and they always "taste the same". This is like a trip down memory lane thinking back had a curry there in 1970 at the tender age of 16 it was as the menu described it "meat curry madras"
half chips half rice, at that time my only interest was to fill the hunger the illicit lager had created.
Still it begs the question of the "best of breed" theory.
Steve e
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Hi Everyone? :D
Well I'm so happy one of you fellow Curry lovers has tried this excellent Curry (steve e) so I'm assuming there are a few fellow Welshmen in the ranks? ;D
All I can say is a Pilgrimage to this "Curry House " is well worth it and who knows wouldn't it be a thrill for a few of us to get together and have a night feasting and generally getting to know one another (Oh and I want to talk Curry Not Rugby ha ha) Hmmm.
Regards
Layne? ?;)
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Layne
Drat - I seldom go anywhere near Newport but was in that area only a month ago as it happens - hungry too - and could easily have paid this place a visit if I'd known about it then.
>" A True Curry house " they are are not really known for Tandoori etc.
This is an interesting point. Did a 'curry house' style predate a 'tandoori' style in the UK, just like both have tended to be partly superceded by a 'balti house' style?
>I don't know if it's Pakistani or Bengali or what ?
You could ask them if the dish has a regional origin. But whereas 95%+ of BIR chefs are from Bangladeshi origins, I understand the basic style of BIR cooking is based on a speeded-up Anglo/BIR take on North Indian cooking.
>Very Very dark
This sounds a bit unusual, distinctive, their special style, I guess.
>of a runny consistency
This is possible by using more water in the base sauce and not boiling it all off at any time and, of course, by using more oil
>absolutely dripping with oil. There is about half inch of very dark oil floating on the surface
Do you mean even more than in a typical BIR? This would be one reason for the runny texture.
Most of the BIR oil is like dark orange, as you say, so if it's extra dark, that's a bit unusual. I still reckon (a guess) that it's a variation on a BIR theme, though, rather than being any authentic Pakistani or Bangladeshi dish.
>I'm convinced the Chicken is boiled and they Most Definitely use a Base Sauce
Again, does it strike you as very different to most other BIRs, which we believe use these techniques almost all the time?
>in my opinion Indian and Pakistani have completely different styles
>do you know what I mean they are after all different Country's aren't they ?
Well, yes and no, I suggest. Authentic dishes from different regions of the Indian sub continent do have significant differences / styles. But I still guess this place is a BIR at the end of the day, preparing almost any dish in '5 minutes'. Whatever it is, this isn't "authentic" cooking. Also, until a few decades back all of Pakistan, Bagladesh and India were in India, weren't they? Not much different to Lancs being separate to Hants?!
>rings a bell from many years ago..... most Curry houses in this area only served this
> type of Sauce that was before the the Mass Exodus of Indians to this country to
>make their fortune and then of course they decided to boil onions by the sack-load
>make a base sauce as quick as possible to get the shekels in.
Another interesting point. I assumed the BIR curries of the 70s were still based on "Kris Dhillon' type base sauce (in the most general sense). But there has almost certainly been a significant decline in BIR standards (for my taste, at least) over the last 10-15 years so is it possible that the basic approach was changed in most BIRs but is still done in some 'old fashioned way' in Newport? Then again speed of prep /service has not changed much from the 70s to these days.
Regards
George
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A further thought...I posted a short review (and photo) of the Lahore Kebab House a while back. Some of their curries are darker and runny, like you indicate for Newport. And Lahore Kebab House is a Pakistani restaurant, which has a very different style to normal BIR.
Regards
George
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>" A True Curry house " they are are not really known for Tandoori etc.
This is an interesting point. Did a 'curry house' style predate a 'tandoori' style in the UK, just like both have tended to be partly superceded by a 'balti house' style?
Your dead right george, first there was the standard curry house, then Tandoori became the latest craze finally followed by balti
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Layne
But there has almost certainly been a significant decline in BIR standards (for my taste, at least) over the last 10-15 years so is it possible that the basic approach was changed in most BIRs but is still done in some 'old fashioned way' in Newport?
Hi George.
YES You are Exactly right the standards has dropped dramatically in recent years.....the only Curry I can get hold of in my area especially "Takeaways" is the Bog standard Curry which I can cook myself these are handy if Ive had a couple of pints and need a Fix but there is no excuse I shouldn't have to travel 20 miles to get a Curry I Really enjoy and is still being cooked in the same style since 1961.
But there we are a lot of people (especially youngsters) don't know what a good Curry should taste like because they don't know no different !
I suppose everyone has their own favourite individual style and taste Oh well lets put some petrol in the car.
Regards
Layne? ?;)
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Hi Everyone?
Here are Photo's of my favourite Curry of all time I got a take away last night and this is (my opinion) the Best Chicken Vindaloo Curry in all it's glory?the style has not changed in this Restaurant since 1961 Lahore Newport Gwent?? :o
Regards
Layne.? ;)
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Holy crap look at all that Oil !!!!!! It seems all the Take-aways in my area make a very tasty but low fat Curry (bonus !!) ;D
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To emulate a decent curry you need to use all that oil. I wonder with everyone being so health conscious these days this is why standards have dropped. The lack of oil will mean lack of depth in flavour maybe. When I have tried making healthy curries they have not turned out too good - less oil! Just a thought.
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Sorry CQ , but I disagree . I don't think that you need excessive amounts of oil in order to maintain the " standard " . In BIR as well as other genres of food preparation , a balance of both oil , spicing and herbs can produce exceptionally good results . Of course if there is a personal preference for copious amounts of grease in order to achieve the desired flavor - c'est la vie .
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Where I come from all the restaurants use quite a bit of oil. The last few years I have been to the States and hardly any oil used and the taste, texture and end result has been very disappointing. There are people on this forum who will always disagree to agree and we get nowhere. This is because we are all from different places in the world and different regions of those countries. Just a thought.
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And that is what makes this forum great we can disagree & continue in our pursuit,thanks Layne for your pm. ;)
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Where I come from all the restaurants use quite a bit of oil.? The last few years I have been to the States and hardly any oil used and the taste, texture and end result has been very disappointing.? There are people on this forum who will always disagree to agree and we get nowhere.? This is because we are all from different places in the world and different regions of those countries. Just a thought.?
In the US, you wont find BIR style curries - I had never had anything like that until I came to the UK recently...in the US, we have authentic indian food since it is mostly indians that run the restaurants.
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To emulate a decent curry you need to use all that oil.? I wonder with everyone being so health conscious these days this is why standards have dropped.? The lack of oil will mean lack of depth in flavour maybe.? When I have tried making healthy curries they have not turned out too good - less oil!? Just a thought.
I remember once when talking to my local takeaway owner he was remembering the days when they used to shovel ghee in by the load
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I'm for using a lot of oil, i've also tried lowering the qauntities to make a more healthy curry but its not the same. I tend to use quite a bit and drain it of just before eating the curry.
cK
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I do the same as CK if "makin it Oily" drain & serve ;D
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Hi Everyone ?:D
Yes I totally agree I love it with plenty of oil but I wont drain any off !
When I make a Chicken Curry I will start the dry spices of (Cassia,mustard seeds,curry leaves,cloves,bay, in at least 8fl ounces of veg oil and if I make a Lamb/Mutton Bhuna I will always use a mix of half Veg oil and half pure Butter Ghee this gives the bhuna a lovely flavour. everyone has their preferences in the oil department I suppose if you are that worried about the unhealthy oil issue then use olive oil perhaps but how many take-aways / restaurants use olive oil ? not many if any (to expensive) and of course it will give a different flavour the main thing is to enjoy your Curry !
Regards
Layne ? ;)
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Hi Layne,
I've tried olive oil and it's not right, I think the majority of restaurants use the cheapest vats of veg oil they can get there hands on. As for healthy curry I've come to the conclusion the only way is just to eat less but we all no how hard that is :D
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Regardless of whether an oil is healthy or unhealthy its still got tons of calories in, olive oil for example has around 130 cals per TBSP (most veg oils are around 120-130 per TBSP), ghee (veg or butter) is around 135
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I think that you would be hard pressed to find any Indian restaurant globally using olive oil , as it does , regardless of type , impart its own unique flavor . Canola , vegetable or sunflower oil would be a better substitute and is just as healthy .
The Bad Fats -
Saturated Fats - Saturated fats raise total blood cholesterol as well as LDL cholesterol (the bad cholesterol).
Trans Fats - Trans fats raise LDL cholesterol (the bad cholesterol) and lower HDL cholesterol (the good cholesterol).
The Good Fats -
Monounsaturated Fats - Monounsaturated fats lower total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol (the bad cholesterol) and increase the HDL cholesterol (the good cholesterol).
Polyunsaturated Fats - Polyunsaturated fats also lower total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol. Omega 3 fatty acids belong to this group.
Therefore, based on the above classification, the "ideal" cooking oil should contain higher amount of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats and with minimal or no saturated fats and trans fats.
Best cooking oil - The Verdict? As long as you're using fats and oils sparingly in your cooking and preparation, it would be fine to use any one of the following "good" oils. All of the following oils are low in saturated fats and trans fats. Some have high concentration of monounsaturated fats such as olive oil. Choose corn oil, safflower oil, sunflower oil, soy oil or canola oil if you wish to fry foods as these oils have higher smoke point. It is best not to fry with olive oil as its smoke point is only about 190C/375F.
* Good Cooking Oils:
canola oil
flax seed oil
peanut oil
olive oil
non-hydrogenated soft margarine
safflower oil
sunflower oil
corn oil
The following "bad" oils contain high percentage of trans fat or saturated fats. Some, such as coconut oil, even contain more saturated fats than animal products!
* Bad Cooking Oils:
Vegetable shortening
Hard margarine
Butter
Palm oil
Palm kernel oil
Coconut oil
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Well.... Oil be !!!! ;D
CC you are definitely well Oiled lol ;D
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Probably too " slick " as well . ;D