Curry Recipes Online
British Indian Restaurant Recipes - Main Dishes => British Indian Restaurant Recipes - Main Dishes => Madras => Topic started by: daveeb on July 28, 2012, 07:58 PM
-
Howdy folks and fellow curry fans!
A bit of a question here which I would like to get some views on, relating to spices per base in curries.
After some years working on the base and spice mix I now have (I think) all the pieces together and have mastered my final version, my spice mix (or mix powder) is nearly finalised but Im now playing around with quantities:
What do you guys think is the average ml of base needed for (lets say a restaurant Chicken Madras as thats my main) and how much mix powder is put in relation to it.
i.e. 450ml base = 2tsn mix powder etc
Before anybody says, I know different bases have more spices in than others but theyre all probably not that far apart.
The main difference to me is the difference between restaurant and takeaway curries, I make a restaurant style which is lightly spiced but sweet and rich wheras a takeaway version is much more "spicier" with loads more sauce but not as "moreish"
Your comments would be appreciated
Davee b
-
daveeb
I'm sure you will get a variety of replies to this question. In terms of making curries with the Taz Base and Bruce Edward's spice mix, which is the combination that I have used mostly, for a Madras I would use 1 tsp spice mix (and also 2 tsp chilli powder) to 400ml of spice base which is added in two stages. By the time the base is reduced I guess I would have 250 ml of sauce in the curry.
Hopes this helps.
-
Hi Dave
I use around 200ml of base which I thin with equal qty of water to 400ml total, making a fairly thin soup consistency (in the base sauce pan). Then I cook my curry all the time on full power (electric hob setting 6 of 6) so it reduces down to the right final consistency. I find this allows me to cook for around 5 after I add the last of the base and then the consistency of the sauce is right just as the oil starts to separate.
Mix powder - well I've always used 2 level tsp because so many recipes around these parts seem to specify around this level. But now I'm wondering if more powder, maybe a level tbs, would give more flavour.
-
daveeb
I'm sure you will get a variety of replies to this question. In terms of making curries with the Taz Base and Bruce Edward's spice mix,
Stephen, not wishing to detract from the topic here but I am intending to try this combination.
After reading all 12 pages regarding Taz's base probably a few times over just to make sure I've taken it all in I went on to the next stage, Bruce Edward's spice mix.
The search took me here which completely has done my head in tonight (overload ::)) to find there are two versions of it, please help me out and tell me which one you use as I can't face doing anymore research as it's getting on for 1am.
If you could please help me out it would be much appreciated!
http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=4005.msg36283;topicseen#msg36283 (http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=4005.msg36283;topicseen#msg36283)
PS, sorry this would have been more suited sent to your Madras posting :'(... It's getting late!
-
This is Bruce's spice mix that I use:
Coriander / Turmeric / Cumin / Curry Powder 8:7:5:4 parts by volume
I don't add the Paprika which is optional. Of course you can use many of the spice mixes you'll find in the forum - a lot of them a very similar.
There is also a Taz spice mix which I don't use but you can see the similarities:
8 parts or 40 grams of Turmeric
5 parts or 25 grams of Coriander
4 parts or 20 grams of Mild Madras Curry Powder (Mine was Rajah)
4 parts or 20 grams of Cumin
3 parts or 15 grams of Paprika
Hope this helps!
-
Pure and simple and to the point.
Thanks very much.
-
Thanks, still seems to vary between people.
I used to use about 1 tblspn per curry which seems to be what most are doing on here but found it over spices the curry.
I now stick with one tspn per curry but omitted paprika and most of the Haldi and I think my curry is now good enough to call a BIR curry!!
Just the chips to perfect and thats me done!
cheers
-
Up to this point being a relative newbie I have used
BE's
Razors
CA's
No disrespect to anyone else, just have not got there yet !
Not a great deal of difference I find....all first class, but I find when asked for a Tsp. I put in a Dsp.
Does make a difference. Larger, more whole flavour.
Missus likes rice and I like naan or chapati so I make this with 500ml base sauce. The rice sucks it up !!
-
I wouldn't expect to add more than a tbsp of spice (combination of mix powder, chilli powder, tandoori powder), unless i am making a vindaloo or hotter. In this case I would probably be looking to add a good tbsp of chilli or more to one tsp of mix powder. At the end of the day, it's all about personal taste and preference and getting the flavour YOU want. There are no hard and fast rules.
-
Hi there, just an update as Ive found my answer
I spent a few hours in a takeaway last week and found out a few gems...
One of them was that he put 2 tspns if mix powder in a takeaway portion size of madras, however there was a tspn of red massala paste in there too!!
Just thought Id let you know
daveeb
-
I spent a few hours in a takeaway last week and found out a few gems...
One of them was that he put 2 tspns if mix powder in a takeaway portion size of madras, however there was a tspn of red massala paste in there too!!
Seems to be a fairly common addition now. Either the more complex masala paste or just tandoori masala.
-
yeah, this one was made from toms, tikka, tandoori, mint etc etc
He put tom paste in and massala in so I asked why he didnt just put the red massala in, he said the tom paste was just for colour!
-
Hi there, just an update as Ive found my answer
I spent a few hours in a takeaway last week and found out a few gems...
One of them was that he put 2 tspns if mix powder in a takeaway portion size of madras, however there was a tspn of red massala paste in there too!!
Just thought Id let you know
daveeb
The red masala paste does keep popping up here and there ;) I'm sure some of the purists will be shaking their heads >:( What other gems did you pick up on daveeb
-
I was in ther for 3 hours, we made the grabbi, mix powder, fish & chicken tikka, pre cooked chicken, madras, korma, bhuna, keema pilau and the red massala paste - coconut cream in the grabbi, frying the spices to within an inch of their lives, 2 tspn mix in the madras, red massala paste in all the curries it was watching that was the best thing.
"salt!! It goes in absolutely everything and without it the food would be boring" he said and he was right he kept dipping into the salt like a robot!!
Ive made a curry since and it is exactly the same as his
-
daveeb,
i've just switched on to the importance of the amount of mix powder but not yet got it pinned down.
since BE i reduced the amount i was using from 2 tsp down to 0.5 tsp. this does work for some dishes - mainly cream based. although been using same amount in hot fry too.
i now don't think a set amount can be used in all dishes - it needs to be varied. i've yet to go above 2 tsp and have 1 tbsp next on my list to try.
i would exclude anything else from the "sums" ie the red masala etc. it's the powders of the mix powder that's key. chilli is not counted either.
as an example of how tricky it is i put 2 tsp (normally 0.5 tsp) in the tikka masala this weak and the 1st dish for a long time not eaten fully.
i work on 300ml base being starting point for a single TA portion with a 3:2 reduction.
i'm also not that convinced that the level of base spicing is that critical either. i've tried both low and high spiced bases (1% to 7% based on the original onion volume) and don't feel it's significant in the final outcome albeit some spices have a proportionately greater effect ie cumin. coriander is the complete opposite.
something for the winter for me to work on.