Curry Recipes Online
Curry Base Recipes => Curry Sauce, Curry Base , Curry Gravy Recipes, Secret Curry Base => Topic started by: ifindforu on May 13, 2006, 07:53 PM
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CURRY BASE
CUT EIGHT ONIONS 1 GREEN PEPPER AND BOIL.WHEN STARTING TO BOIL ADD A QUATER TEASPOON OF bicarbonate soda AND HALF CUP OF OIL (more flavour is had by boiling about 5 potatoes and removing when boild
AND 1 TEASPOON OF TERMARIC A HALF TEASPOON OF SALT,BOIL FOR ABOUT 5 MINS THEN SIMMER FOR ABOUT 10 MINS THEN LEAVE STAND FOR 10 MINS THEN LIQIDIZE WITHOUT STRAINING THEM,THEN LEAVE TO STAND
IN A SAUCEPAN PUT 1 MUG OF OIL FRY 4 DESERTSPOONS OF GARLIC PASTE,HOME MADE OR BOUGHT AND 2 DESERTSPOONS Of GINGER PASTE AFTER FRYING FOR 2 MINS UNTIL A LITTLE GOLD BROWN, ADD THIS PASTE (1 MUG OF WATER 1 DESERTSPOON OF RAJAH GOLD MADRAS AS WHAT MOST B.I.R. RESTAURANTS USE .2 DESERTSPOONS OF TURMARIC,HALF A DESERTSPOON OF CUMMIN,1 DESERTSPOON OF CORIANDER,1 TEASPOON OS GARA MASALA, 1 TEASPOON OF CHILLI POWDER OR LESS. FRY FOR A FUTHER 3-4 MINS MOVING ABOUT IN THE SAUCEPAN NOT TO BURN.NOW ADD ABOUT 2 HEAPED TABLSPOONS OF DOUBLE CONCENTRATED TOMATO PASTE AND FRY FOR ABOUT 3 MINS ADDING A MUG OF WATER TO STOP BURNING.ADD ANOTHER MUG OF WATER AND FRY FOR ANOTHER 3-4 MINS,ADD A TEASPOON OF ADJOWAN SEEDS,ADD ANOTHER MUG OF WATER AND COOK FOR A FUTHER 5 MINS. NOW ADD TO THE MIXTURE THE ONIONS THAT WERE BLENDED IN THE BEGINING AND MIX ALL TOGETHER.ADD 1 FULL BLOCK OF CREAMED COCONUT AND 1 Tablespoon sugar Plus half teaspoon salt plus 2 chicken stock cubes THATS YOUR BASE To make vindaloo just use chilli powder and squirt of lemon TERRY when making your curry dish PS
I use all purpose seasoning instead of chicken cubes SPRINKLE IN UNTIL YOU ARE HAPPY WITH THE TASTE .as this is what they use in the take aways or retaurants please note,more salt and suger will enhance the taste
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I will look at having a go at this, i will be honest in saying i will not be surprised if it doesn't taste much different from mine, but i will cook with an open mind as always matey ;D
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Hi Terry
Thanks for this
I don't think it will realised, but this is genuine
It's a case of too much information, on this site
I wish I had had this recipe 15 years ago
Vindaloo is a very very simple dish,Thanks as you desribed
The adding water to oil and spices is right too
This brings out the full flavour
I recently have seen quite a bit of restaurant cooking, and the methods you use are nearly identical
I haven't seen bicarb of soda used
Does it go in anything else in BIR cooking?
Were you a BIR chef, then?
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ifindforyou
Many thanks for your recipe, which I look forward to trying. Some people prefer UPPER CASE wording but I'm from the old school. So I've typed it out afresh, in order to be able to use it when I try your recipe. I hope this is OK. For anyone else who prefers lower case letters, paragraphs, line breaks, etc - here's my interpretation:
HEAVILY MODIFIED 16 June 2006 to reflect Terry's move from tablespoon-sized measures to dessertspoon measures for many spices and pastes. I use "dsrt" as the abbreviation for dessertspoon although I'm sure it's not right.
Ingredients for paste ?A?:
1 mug of water
1 dsrt Rajah Gold Madras (as it?s what most BIR restaurants use)
2 dsrt turmeric
0.5 dsrt ground cummin
1 dsrt ground coriander
1 tsp garam masala (brand or mix not specified)
1 tsp (or less) chilli powder (brand and heat level not specified)
Other ingredients:
8 onions, roughly chopped
5 cloves garlic
1 green pepper, roughly chopped
3 pints water
0.5 tsp bicarbonate of soda
0.5 cup of oil
5 potatoes (adds more flavour)
1 tsp turmeric
0.5 tsp salt
0.5 cup + 1 mug of vegetable oil (need to clarify mug size in ml.)
5 dsrt garlic paste (home made or bought)
2 dsrt ginger paste (home made or bought)
2 heaped tbls ?double concentrate? tomato paste
Another two or three mugs of water
1 tsp adjowan seeds
1 full block (assume 200 grams) creamed coconut
1 tsp concentrated tamarind
1 tbls sugar
0.5 tsp salt
Plus: Rajah ?All Purpose Seasoning? - added to taste
Method
A. Make paste ?A?
Add all the ingredients together and mix to a paste. Set aside.
B. Make the base sauce
1. Roughly chop the 8 onions, 5 cloves garlic and 1 green pepper. Cover with 3 pints of water and bring to the boil.
2. Add 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda, 0.5 cup vegetable oil, 5 potatoes, 1 tsp turmeric and 0.5 tsp salt.
3. Boil for 5 minutes then reduce heat and simmer for a further 10 minutes.
4. Remove the potatoes with a slotted spoon.
5. Liquidize the remaining mix until very smooth. Set aside.
6. In a clean saucepan place 1 mug of vegetable oil, 5 dsrt garlic paste and 2 dsrt ginger paste.
7. Fry for about 2 mins until a ?little? golden brown
8. Add paste ?A? and fry for another 3-4 mins. Keep strirring. Avoid burning.
9.. Add 2 heaped tbls double concentrate tomato puree and fry for another 3 mins
10. Add 1 tsp adjowan seeds and a further mug of water. Cook for another 5 mins.
11. Add back the puree from stage 5, together with a 200g block of creamed coconut, 1 tbls sugar, 1 tsp concentrated tamarind, 0.5 tsp salt and Rajah 'General Purpose Seasoning' added to taste, a teaspoon at a time (5ml), up to a suggested absolute max of 2 tbls (30 ml).
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Hi Pete the bicarb is to bring out more taste in the onions and make them softer I forgot to mention that about 5 cloves of garlic can be added to the onions when boiling,sorry
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Thanks George, for putting it down more neatly well done.It just the older you go the less pride one takes in their typing or spelling.Keep up the good work TERRY PS. the amount of water for the onions is about3 pints
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Pete I was not a BIR chef,but have worked in Indian take away and a restaurant for 4 years .You have to be a silent watcher and not show much interest as it will not be revealed to you TERRY
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The bicarb is used to soften the water
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Thanks for the base recipe. I will have a go at this probably tomorrow as I am out of my base gravy. The all purpose seasoning, which make do I buy and does it really make so much difference to when you use chicken stock cubes?
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The bicarb is used to soften the water
I think its likely to neutralise the acid in the onions.
I just read it can be used to tenderise meat as well. What a great tip, thanks to ifindforyou.
Please see:
http://frugalliving.about.com/od/bakingsodapages/a/bscooking.htm
Regards
George
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i Terry,
Managed to get some all purpose seasoning. How much do I use instead of stock cubes?
I have started making this curry base and would much appreciate a quick reply if thats possible. Can't wait to try out this base.
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It's me again, Sorry, I forgot to ask about the potatoes. Can they be used to make a dish or do I just throw them away?
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Pete I was not a BIR chef,but have worked in Indian take away and a restaurant for 4 years .You have to be a silent watcher and not show much interest as it will not be revealed to you TERRY
Does some sort of chicken stock go in all the curry gravies?
The way one restauarnt cooks their potatoes, is with cauliflower
They put loads of oil in a pan with tom puree, spice mix , salt, bay leaves, garlic ginger and a little curry base.
|Basically it cooks in it's own steam, and oil
Have you seen it done like that?
Tell us how
It's so nice, that it could be eaten on it's own
I put a little of the sauce, from the pan with the potatoes, in the final curry
Thanks for your info
A big help
Do you know a tandoori marinade mix?
I saw chicken tikka being cooked on skewers, the other night
I was surprised how they tell if it's cooked
Apparently it is done by touch
If its sloppy then it's not done
If it's firm then it's ready to serve
Their tikka, tandoori is always fresh and excellent
I'm not totally sure of this place's recipe, but it contains yoghurt, tandoori paste,kashmiri masala, salt , lemon juice, fresh corianderand garlic ginger puree
Come on Terry give us the full recipe
Thanks
Pete
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Looking forward to feedback on this recipe. Perhaps the secret :o :o answer is upon us!
Stew
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Tried this base sauce...nice taste , but obvious overtones of coconut ( perhaps a tad too much ) . I would also think that there would be a subtle difference when using either chicken stock cubes or " special seasoning " . For bases to reflect a distinct BIR taste , one has to be very specific with the ingredients - generalizing , by stating one can use one ingredient or another tends to skew the results of the cooking method . I will experiment a little more with this base..until then , I still find both Darth's & Petes' base the frontrunners .
CC
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hiya ifindforu
thanks for a great post can't wait to try it but as with many i do have questions. what happens to the potatoes( are they boiled peeled or whole in their skins) and could they be used in the final vindaloo?. is this a multi purpose base as with others or just for vindaloo as you have posted? no fresh coriander in the base or final dish? or is that a given? all purpose seasoning is it rajah as im sure they sell it in asda.
how much chilli powder to add to the final vindaloo?
how much base does this actually make? is it quite runny or do you have to water down after? do you have any other recipes?
regards
gary
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obvious overtones of coconut ( perhaps a tad too much ) . I would also think that there would be a subtle difference when using either chicken stock cubes or " special seasoning " . For bases to reflect a distinct BIR taste , one has to be very specific with the ingredients - generalizing , by stating one can use one ingredient or another tends to skew the results of the cooking method
cc
I share your concerns. Whether it be recipes in newspapers, celebrity author's cook books or anywhere, why oh why do recipes give options? The recipe may start by saying this is their favourite gravy, cake, curry or whatever and they always make it when anyone important calls. My guess is that they always prefer to make it exactly the same way each time. Either they include the 'option' or they don't!
Regards
George
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Hi curry queen you have to put the all purpose seasoning in last.You add a little at a time until you have a good flavour the potatoes can be used to make bombay aloo
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Ok Pete get the blender out for this tandori or tikka mix. First nput in the blender 1 tub natural yogurt, plus a quater cup of single cream then add a desert spoon of ginger and 1 of garlic.Now add 1 desert spoon of Pataks tandoori paste,1 desert spoon of Pataks tikka paste,and 1 teaspoon of Pataks kashmir masala 1 teaspoon of special spice, a squirt of lemon a shake of salt and some red or yellow colouring.Now add 1 desert spoon of mango powder,and blent all up cut your chicken breast and pour the mixture over it put into freezer bags and store until needed TERRY ps you can add some fresh coriander to the blend if desired
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Hi Curry Canuk maybe cut back on the coconut,but as you say the all purpose seasoning is a genuine must if you want the B.I.R taste and smell.If you are stuck email me and ill chat with you and even send some genuine restaurant powder and all purpose seasoning to you for you to give me your verdict after you have done it by the way George has kindly wrote it down more readable thanks TERRY
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Hi Terry
Made the base last night. My kitchen smelt like an Indian restaurant. It is the BEST I have ever made! Strange how the bi-carb makes the onion base froth! The all purpose seasoning and the large amount of garlic used are definately the missing ingredients that have been needed to make this excellent base. Thankyou so much for posting the base recipe and hope you will stay with us in the future to help.
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Can someone tell me what all purpose seasoning is please (a link would be great) as i wish to make this base soon.
Thanks George for doing the new draft matey ;D
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Can someone tell me what all purpose seasoning is please (a link would be great) as i wish to make this base soon.
Thanks George for doing the new draft matey ;D
Here you go Darth, i think this is the stuff thats used, have seen it in an asian store but never used it....Yet!
http://www.simplyspice.co.uk/purpose-seasoning-p-289.html
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Yes, make sure it is the right one - the name 'all purpose seasoning' is applied to products that are a mixture of chemicals and/or spices for use in Cajun, Jamaican, middle-Eastern, and Indian cooking. And they're all different.
I've got some of the Cajun stuff and there's no way it would work in a curry :o
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I'm gonna give this a shot on the weekend
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Hi,
I don?t know why he didn?t mention it be the author has a web site selling all the ingredients
http://www.ifindforu.com/royalspicebox.htm
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Made a vindaloo using this base last night and it's very, very good, easily one of the best bases I've tried. :o
The all purpose seasoning definitely adds a flavor and smell that I didn't have before, I can't wait to start experimenting and tweaking it some more with what I already use. For me the coconut was just right I thougth that it maybe would overpower everything but it didn't, I was surprised how subtle the taste was.
Thanks Terry for a fantatsic recipe :D
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Found it before i got back to curry forum on simply Spice last night, but Thank you Jon for the link anyway ;)
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I found that Simply Spice have one of those most irritating web sites which try to bar you from copying html text. So I viewed page source and copied the list of ingredients from there. That's put me right off Simpy Spice and I will never buy anything from them.
"Rajah All Purpose Seasoning is a blend of Spices specially formulated to enhance the flavour of meat and poultry. For best results allow 1 teaspoon per pound of meat. Ingredients : Salt, Pepper, Paprika, Sugar, Flavour enhancer, Monosodium Glutamate, Mustard Flour, Free Flow Agent, Aluminium Silicate, Onion, Garlic, Celery, Cumin Seed, Chillies, Herbs."
Now, how much should be used? How many level teaspoons have others used so far, to get results which sound quite promising? The recipe said 2 chicken stock cubes but didn't say how much All Purpose Seasoning. Also I can't understand why it was mentioned as an after thought to stock cubes, if it's so crucial, which I'm sure it is.
If CK says to use the full block of coconut, that's good enough for me. But I'm surprised that you'd find so much coconut in, say a vindaloo, rather than a korma or CTM.
Regards
George
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Hi George,
The finished dish really didn't have a coconut taste just a subtle nutty flavour, one of my locals is like this and im sure this is why now. I think if I was to make a CTM using the base I would follow my usual recipe and add creamed coconut in the final dish as well.
As for the 'APS' try adding a little at a time as per Terrys other post, my base has 2 lvl tablespoons but I think maybe it migth have been better to use less and taste as I go.
cK
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Thanks very much for sharing this, Terry - and thanks also to George for the reformatted layout, and to CC, Curryqueen and Curryking for posting feedback on the result. I've just run out of my last lot of base so I'll be trying this next. :)
One thing I've noticed - Terry's version has a teaspoon of concentrated tamarind added with the coconut block, and I can't see it on George's draft. Was this added by Terry in an edit after George had posted?
I'm interested in this, because my local's menu has brief descriptions like "Madras - hot curry cooked with cinnamon, lemon juice etc" and "Pathia - fairly hot curry cooked with tamarind". I've thought for a long time that they're actually selectively describing ingredients in their base sauce and pre-cooked meat methods in doing this, as it's unlikely that there's this much variation in individual dishes (but it makes it seem so on the menu, without breaking the Trade Descriptions Act ;D ). Anyway:
Those of you that have made this base up - did you use the tamarind?
Ian
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Hi IAN S The purpose of tamarind is to preserve in hot weather,but also gives a little bitter taste which should be overcome with sugar.The reason I cook myself is that being a diabetic I use sweetners instead.By the way,some use citric acid or otherwise known as lemon salt but ill leave that to your own discetion cheers TERRY ps the curry base will taste more authentic using the prper curry powder which is rajah madras gold.
the take aways use eastern star or natco but the first is supirior
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Hi All
I am Raj from Simplyspice, I read George's earlier coment that being unable to copy text from our website is iritating. I am going to have it it disabled first thing in the morning.
We are currently redisigning the website, if anyone has any ideas or suggestion, please let me know.
Regards
Raj
http://www.simplyspice.co.uk/ (http://www.simplyspice.co.uk/)
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Ian
You make some good points. I think restaurant menus are like supermarket food packets and even hair shampoo - they mention the most romantic ingredients, regardless of real significance or usefulness.
I didn't notice tamarind in Terry's original draft but will include it in an update to my reworked draft, together with some other clarifications.
Raj
Your fast response - even being aware of my posting - is most impressive.
Regards
George
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I am Raj from Simplyspice
http://www.simplyspice.co.uk/ (http://www.simplyspice.co.uk/)
Hi Raj,
Any chance of a discount code for cr0.co.uk members ;D
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Hey CurryKing don't you mean, Any chance of a discount code for cr0.co.uk members for bags of the taste. ;D ;)
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Curry King any chance of the format you added the spices you used to make a vindaloo from this base recipe, I'm going shopping tomorrow to pick up everything I need to cook this recipe.
Cheers
Chas
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Hi Chas,
I make a vindaloo as per the following:
http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php/topic,179.0.html (http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php/topic,179.0.html)
The only updates I have made are to add fresh chili at the begining in place of so much chili powder. I also tend to use a bit more spice mix now at least a heaped teaspoon, this gravy is quite flavourful though so I didn't over spice the final curry.
This what you where after?
cK
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Yes, thank you very much I'm gonna give a go this weekend.
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To keep everything less confusing and this thread about the base I have split the posts regarding Terrys Tikka recipe to a seperate topic here:
http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php/topic,932.0.html (http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php/topic,932.0.html)
cK
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Well I've made the base it certainly didn't stink the house out like the KD base (which up to now I've been a fan of) now that alone is a plus.
A strange colour to say the least when I blended the onion base part looked almost like custard but never the less it tasted like a good base for a soup or a broth; OK so far.
Did the second part got a lot of splashes, nothing new, just a messy kitchen again LOL, yet again a different aroma and not a bad taste.
Stage three added everythin as instructed, a lot more froth to scoop off than usual but I stuck with it.
Well a taste, not bad, obviously not a curry at this stage but nevertheless, not bad at all especially when you hit on one or two of the seeds, that was different and quite pleasant.
Overall this base is very promising, I'm gonna cook a Dopiaza later and I will let you know how it turns out.
I have to say at this stage I am very optimistic, thanks ifindforu for the recipe.
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Pics of a Dopiaza from ifindforu base recipe.
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The curry certainly looks a lot lighter in colour compared to my usual efforts, any chance of a pic of your curries ifindforu.
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Very impressive nice colour / texture looking good and a nice oil content well done !
I will post my recipes shortly for
Lamb Bhoona On The Bone.
Layne ;)
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Pretty much what my base looked like, almost looks like a pasanda.
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Hi extrahotchilliecould i ask you did you use Rajah Madras Gols curry powder doing this base, If you do not have any Im awillind to send some free of charge to you just email me your address and ill send.It matters 100% on what curry powder you use,The one I mentioned is used by most restaurants and can only be bought in 10 kilo tins,but ill send you some bagged.Ill leave it up to you TERRY PS different colours of base curry in different restaurants but pasanda has almond powder in it and fresh cream.Hope to hear from you TERRY
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Well what can I say you are totally correct it was on sale; yes 10kg no way could I justify buying that amount; I used east end Madras Curry Powder, its 1:29am and we have been to a party and enjoying it and I don't only mean the party, we are eating the curry I made after a few hours it tastes really good; well done to you and thank you.
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Hi Terry,
If the gold curry powder really is the key, then I need to get hold of some. Having said that I am well pleased with the curry base I made. My Asian store had only very large amounts too, so instead I used Rajah Mild Madras Curry powder.
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Hi can somebody tell me if things are right?
I've made Terry's base but it tastes like a creamed veg soup!
I've put 3 tsp of the 'all purpose seasoning' in but it still tastes veggy! is this right?
my sause looks quite alot darker than that of 'fat les'
Any help would be appriciated
Thanks Buzz
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Hi Buzz
If you read my report I said the same thing it would make a lovely stock for a soup or broth, but trust me make a curry out of it you wont be disappointed; I made a balti out of the base yesterday and it was the real deal, I will post the pictures a little later.
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Hello Terry/Ifindforu,
Please could you clarify something for me:
When you refer to adding 1 tsp of "adjowan" seeds, do you mean "lovage" seeds or "celery" seeds?
I presumed you meant "ajwain" (?), which I've seen translated as either lovage seeds or celery seeds (depending on the recipe book). It seems that, in more traditional Indian curry books, it rather means celery seeds? Please could you clarify?
Thanks
Lovage seeds are the same (just another name)
NOT celery seeds
Ajwain seeds are for sale in Asian supermarkets too
They have a very similar flavour to thyme (which some BIR chefs use instead)
Carefull with them, or you will turn your indian meal, into an italian one!
If you look at the Bruce Edwards curry gravy (in downloads), that has it too
Ajwain is also in the "secrets" recipes
Check out
http://www.simplyspice.co.uk/ajwain-lovage-seed-p-428.html
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Hi Buzz
A couple of pictures of the base I made hope it helps you.
Cheers
Chas
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Thats good to see as it is exactly the same colour as my own 100% clone base gravy which gives us some consistency amongst the chaos,as with my own gravy is it capable of making any curry as long as you opt to leave out the extra hot chillie powder in the first stage.
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I only added 1 tsp of chilli powder as per the recipe, for me thats enough, you can always add more but you sure as hell can't remove it once its in there.
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Hi Chas,
Thanks for the advice. I did read your report but thought the soup was earlier in the making of the base!
My base looks alot darker than yours!
Hopefully i've downloaded a piccy of mine, see what you think :o
Buzz
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Hi Buzz
I agree with you mine tasted like soup in the first stage, but if you look at the ingredients its practically a soup, onions,peppers and potato's.
You picture looks fine, but it needs to be resized, it does look darker than mine but that could just be the lighting.
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This is a picture of curry base as made by Buzz.
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I have tried Terrys' recipe five times to date , including both the original recipe as well as a number of variations . I still find this base far too bland and lacking flavor . I think that base flavor is a key element as a building block in BIR cooking . I also feel that coconut as a primary ingredient in a base is overwhelming . I still consider Darths' , Petes' , and Bruce Edwards' bases as the best because they provide a full-bodied flavor that does not require a lot of overspicing .
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Well buz all I can say is it looks like mine lol did you use double concentrated tomato paste thats what I use
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fat Lez that looks excelent TERRY PS just experiment with it like you are doing
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I have tried Terrys' recipe five times to date , including both the original recipe as well as a number of variations . I still find this base far too bland and lacking flavor.
Have you tried using the all purpose seasoning? For me this and the large amount of garlic makes this base. It could just be a case of all looking for different things again but for me this base is fantastic. Wether or not I would use it all time in place of my regular base remains to be seen I'm going to experiment a little combining the two.
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Hi Terry
Is there any chance you might be able to send me a small sample of Rajah Madras Gold to try when I make your base recipe, please? I've PM'd my address to you.
Can't find it anywhere locally - the nearest store selling it is in London (as far as I can see).
Ian
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Hi Terry,
Yes I used double concentrated tomato puree.
Other Makes I used, which is what I could get hold of from the Asian supermarket were:
East End 'all purpose seasoning'
Rajah 'mild madras curry powder'
Hopefully I will make a curry later and able to post my results. Fingers crossed
Thanks to extrahotchillie for helping me post my piccy of the base. Problems solved with resizing my photo's so can now post myself. ;D
Buzz
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Have you tried using the all purpose seasoning? For me this and the large amount of garlic makes this base. It could just be a case of all looking for different things again but for me this base is fantastic. Wether or not I would use it all time in place of my regular base remains to be seen I'm going to experiment a little combining the two.
I have used the all purpose seasoning , but still find this base is like a sweet vegetable stock with little substance- I shall continue to experiment .
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Blimey, Terry - that was quick! I got your package this morning!
Thanks very much. It looks like you've included some all-purpose seasoning as well; looks slightly different to the Rajah version (which I've already got).
Thanks again
Ian
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Re your request for a good tandoori marinade - I use as the base 1 tub of yogurt, 4 teaspoons of Tandoori mix, 2 teaspoons of Garam Massala, I teaspoon of Chili powder, 1 teaspoon of salt, 1/2 teaspoon of Turmeric and the juice of 1 lemon. Mix it all together and marinade your chicken overnight in the fridge. Try increasing/reducing the amounts above and adding your own variations such as Garlic (fresh or powder), Cumin and Coriander to suit your own requirements.
I've found that they are ideal to BBQ at home, however, if the weather isn't good (normally the case!) I quickly pan fry just to get rid of the excess marinade and then oven cook for a short while - no more than 15 mins dependant upon the size of the meat of course
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Thanks Terry
That was very promt indeed, I owe you big time.
Cheers
Chas
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Thanks Terry so much for the curry powder and all purpose seasoning. Well, that didn't take long, did it! What make is the all purpose seasoning. Thanks again. CQ
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I've made this base now, and a couple of curries using it too. I'm afraid it's way off the mark, for me.
I made it exactly as Terry's recipe states, with no alterations, and with the Rajah Gold and all-purpose seasoning that he kindly sent me.
The fact that CK, CQ and others have said that it produces some of the best curries they've made can only show - I think - how different some of our individual goals in replicating BIR curries must be. Perhaps we're all searching for a different quality, influenced by our favourite restaurants, experiences, and even region of the country.
I now think it's entirely possible that if some of you tried a curry from my favourite local takeaway, you wouldn't like it at all.
But anyway, thanks again Terry for sharing the recipe and making the necessary spices available to us.
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Ive tried this base and was impressed with it, the final tarka stage is essential in reproducing a BIR taste IMHO.
The thing to bear in mind is, like many bases, this produces a very bland base stock/soup with which to work from, the taste and flavour of the final dish comes mainly from the final dish cooking stage in my opinion. With the long frying of spices/onions/tom puree in very hot oil being the key stage.
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I agree Mark, but blandness wasn't the issue for me. I found the coconut and garlic flavours overpowering to the point of unpleasentness, which surprises me - I love garlic and didn't think it was actually possible to put too much into a dish! My partner, however, disagreed with me.
But cooking the spices for the base seperately as part of a tarka was interesting. I might try that again. KD's recipe, of course, does the same thing - but only using turmeric and paprika. Most of the bases I've been working on recently either have the spices fried at the beginning or just added in 'dry'.
I suppose it's just that I'm so close now to what I'm after when I cook curries, this base felt like a step backwards. But I know I'll never be able to resist trying new recipes as and when they appear, and I'm grateful for the opportunity to do so. :)
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Hi and thanks for all your comments. Great to see so many suggestions of adding a few extra spices.I'm always trying to improve every week so yesterday I used some black cadomon and a few bayleaves to my base, bur removed after 30 Min's always adding water to stop drying up .I shall e cooking a chicken or lamb balti this weekend and shall post a pick of it .I offer at my site for crO members 2 bags of powder that makes two pots of curry base the one that Ive posted which includes Rajah gold madras powder also 1 bag of special spice mix enough probably to last half a year also all purpose seasoning and a small bag of ajowan seeds all for ?3 With a low postage of ?1 just visit the site and click on the red curry advertisement box postage is usually within 48 hours TERRY www.ifindforu.com (http://www.ifindforu.com)
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Hi Ifindforu,
I had a go with your base sauce yesterday having brought back from Glasgow everything I need to get serious however I came away without Arjowan seed. I used fenugreek instead.
I have to say that I couldnt resist sticking my head in the pot regularly while it cooled down since the smell was strait out of the best bir in Glasgow 30 years ago.
Thanks for this and I now look forward to cooking with it. I have also decided to buy a stand alone freezer to store all the goodies in the weeks to come.
I cant get this site out of my mind, I am obsessed now
Thanks
Panpot
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I got round to finally trying this base last night, it looks the part and has a very subtle undertone of Indian/curry flavour, i think this is going to be an excellent building block for a final curry.
I was initially concerned about the 3 litres of water to 8 onion ratio as it produces a very runny base, i cooked the final base for an hour to thicken it up.
I can not get Rajah Madras Powder so substituted with Hot Curry Powder, i also left out Coconut Block, Tamarind & All Purpose Seasoning.
Will be trying a curry tonight.
The biggest thing i learned from this process is the making of a paste and then frying it to release the proper flavour, from now on i will be making a paste everytime i cook a curry and frying it off in the initial oil to fully release the flavour....
Stew 8)
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Hi Fat Les
Terry actually mentioned adding the garlic cloves to the onions in a post after George had typed up the first draft, and then George added it in. :) But he did hint that it was optional.
Stew - 3 litres of water? :o Terry mentioned 3 pints - but that's interesting, because I used three pints and ended up adding more to water the base down at the end.
So many people are saying this is a good base. Perhaps I've just got stuck in a rut trying to replicate something else. I'll have to try it again. But I'll definately back off on the coconut.
I did use coconut block when I tried Terry's base, but something I've been using recently (out of necessity, as the shop had sold out of coconut block at the time) is creamed coconut in sachets. You get it in packs of 4 x 50g sachets, and pop what you need in hot water to soften it before cutting the sachet open. It seems to blend in better than the block, and I've added 100g of it to an 8 onion base without overpowering it before, so perhaps I'll try that.
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I cant believe i put 3 litres in when it should have been 3 pints.....what an idiot.
Still it made a reasonable base.
Will try again with 3 pints :-[
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Terry actually mentioned adding the garlic cloves to the onions in a post after George had typed up the first draft, and then George added it in. :) But he did hint that it was optional.
You're dead right - that's exactly how it happened! I trust I interpreted it correctly but perhaps Terry could re-confirm.
Terry has recently made further, extensive changes to the recipe by down-sizing many of the tablespoon (15ml) measures for spices, garlic and ginger to dessertspoon (10ml) measures. At Terry's request via a message, I have modified my re-formatted version of the recipe, also.
The workload building up in the curry quest is enormous! Now, everyone who made the original sauce may want to try the revised version. And what about all the other adjustments and tweaks one can think of. And this is only one base sauce. What about trying half a dozen versions of all the other favourite base sauces? There simply aren't enough days in a year!
Regards
George
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A nice base, i added garlic in both stages and half block of coconut. nothing seemed overpowering to me. Didnt have "the taste" but i believe the secret of a good curry is in actual cooking of a final curry- eg temprature, when to add right ingredients,flames.....
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Didnt have "the taste" but i believe the secret of a good curry is in actual cooking of a final curry- eg temprature, when to add right ingredients,flames.....
Me too
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I am about to make this base, my first recipe from this site. I will let you know how it goes.
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Looking forward to your response.
You can post up some pictures in the Curry Pics section if you get a chance, let us see how you got on
Stew 8)
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Have now made this curry base and im a bit disapionted. I have a few pictures on my phone and I will try and download them but the base its self doesnt taste like a BIR curry to me. I could have done something wrong but it still seems way off the crries from around these parts (northeast).
Will try Darthphal next and post the results.
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Hi lorrydoo,
Sorry to hear your results are not upto expectation. I would say this base sauce is not as complex in flavour as Darth's Base it is however a good building block base to re-create restaurant style at home.
The next step is to make the curry and dont forget a lot of the spicing and flavours come in the final cooking stages which when combined with the base sauce = nice curry.
I know how you feel, you make a base sauce and sometimes its a bit bland, but trust me try one of the recipes for a main dish using the base and see if the magic happens.
Curry on...
Stew 8)
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Thanks for your advice Stew, I think part of the problem with this base is the way I cooked it. I put too much oil in because the recipe called for 'cups' and I mistakenly used a mug! Als, I think I might of burnt the spices at the end.
I did however findthat the finished gravey was darker than anything I had seen before and it was more like a finished curry rather than a base!
I do have a recipe for chiken tika masala that is extreemly good and authentic to BIR curries. It was given to me by a friend and it is flawless. I would post it on here but it probably is already on here somewhere but if anyone wants it I ll post it.
Barry
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Hi lorrydoo,
Go ahead and post it :P
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the base its self doesnt taste like a BIR curry to me. I could have done something wrong but it still seems way off the crries from around these parts (northeast).
I wouldn't give up yet! A base and a curry are two different things. The base is just a building block. If you licked a bit of flour you wouldn't expect it to taste like bread, even though bread is 90% flour.
Base will normally taste quite bland, in my experience - a bit like soup but nothing like a final curry.
Regards
George
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Wheres the best place to post my chiken tika masala recipe? It in PDF format. Oh and by the way thanks for you advice george.
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...if you licked a bit of flour you wouldn't expect it to taste like bread, even though bread is 90% flour
Nice analogy George! I like it! ;D
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Wheres the best place to post my chiken tika masala recipe?
Hi LD,
I've tried Terry's (Ifindforu's) curry base recipe and I found it to be very good....better than Darth's, IMHO, though Darth's is also pretty good.
The place to post your CTM recipe is in the main-dish recipe section (here http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?board=3.0 (http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?board=3.0)) - "new topic" option. Your post would be most welcome!
It's probably best to copy and paste the text of your recipe to the text box in your post. Otherwise, if you prefer, you can simply attach the pdf file (click on "additional options", and then "attach/browse" below the text box)
Regards,
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I have to agree with CA here, this base is one of the best on the forum, up there with Bruce Edwards and Petes special.
cK
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I am going to make this base again as the first time I burnt the spices! Eventhough, it still tasted like a BIR curry I once had back in 1985, so I belive this is the most authentc recipe I have tried upto now.
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Here is ifindforu base I made recently.
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This is the finished base.
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have made this base as per spec and probably a little disappointed. this because of the high expectations and the significant differences in recipe and technique to the other bases i've tried.
it most certainly does pass the threshold for me. i can't rate it for sure till i've cooked with it and will post again. i put it up there with rajver (parker21) & saffron.
i think if you?re not too keen on coconut then you might take issue with the base but as i am a fan then it suits my pallet a treat (i did reduce the cream coconut via tasting from the spec 200gm to 100gm).
a couple of observations:
1) bitterness of onions - i had none at all and the onion cooking stage only lasts 15 mins or so - amazing
2) spice cooking stage - this seemed a lot of phaffing for me (used to just chucking it in and letting the boiling do its magic). putting the pots in and then taking them out has really got me perplexed
3) rajah gold madras curry powder - obviously i too could not buy the gold but the rajah hot madras tasted the best i've tried/made (i'm simply devastated that you can buy such a good powder off the shelf)
4) tamarind - very interesting. not used it before and find there is a trio of flavours which work this base into such a good taste (coconut, tamarind, ajwain)
5) i used ajwain for adjowan which i think is a typo
6) the rajah all purpose seasoning - no longer gutted on the odd bought item being good. this lived up to expectation just as much as the rajah curry powder with one big exception - salt. the taste of the seasoning is 100% spot on - it even has that dreaded celery and yet still tastes brill. the salt does not though - it's weigh ott.
conclusions (so far)
1) it is pretty good and up there with the rest. it's certainly slightly different to what i've made so far ie rajver, saffron, CRO2 base, KD, LB. i need to cook with it now to establish if the difference is significant or not (i don't think it will be - i think the remaining step to BIR is not in the base but in the cooking stage)
2) some bought combination spices are much better than i thought. Some however disappoint hugely due to the addition of cheap unnecessary ingredients ie salt.
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Made my std madras with the ifindforu base and well impressed with the results.
would probably say still not quite the BIR/TA taste but very very close. Close enough infactforme (sorry for the pun) for my needs - make a decent curry at home instead of mash or chips whilst still retaining that frequent desire to have it all done forme at my local BIRTA.
The high proportion of salt in the ?all purpose seasoning? was not a problem in the final dish presumably lost in the volume of the base. What particularly sold it was the combination of coconut, tamarind and ajwain (thyme flavour, although would not say the seeds taste that brill on their own)
In terms of other bases I?ve tried I still like them just as much and suppose the best way of looking at it is how others have put it - they simply reflect the diversity of top notch curry houses that we have in the BIR/TA world ? each being slightly different but just as good.
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hi jerry
try the rajver base it has coconut milk in it but you would not know. i have great results the wife scoffs it do with the occassional hiccup( vindaloo hot and some times phall) but the base is so versatile you can make any of the curries on the menu using it. not normally cooking anything else but the above mentioned but cooked a friend a chicken korma and he and wife loved it.
regards gary
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gary,
just realised you've posted here (just read your post on the pre fried onions).
do i know the rajver base. i most certainly do. would say probably the no 1 fan.
i'm also No 1 fan of your toffee post in terms of cooking/frying technique to get that choking smell.
i use the base and technique to make my own madras, chris303 rogan josh and Curry kings CTM. all i must say are absolutely spot on. i'm currently looking at a propane burner to make the final step to BIR/TA. funds won't allow the trip to aussie to get one of CA's 16 quid super burners though.
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CURRY BASE
CUT EIGHT ONIONS 1 GREEN PEPPER AND BOIL.WHEN STARTING TO BOIL ADD A QUATER TEASPOON OF bicarbonate soda AND HALF CUP OF OIL (more flavour is had by boiling about 5 potatoes and removing when boild
AND 1 TEASPOON OF TERMARIC A HALF TEASPOON OF SALT,BOIL FOR ABOUT 5 MINS THEN SIMMER FOR ABOUT 10 MINS THEN LEAVE STAND FOR 10 MINS THEN LIQIDIZE WITHOUT STRAINING THEM,THEN LEAVE TO STAND
IN A SAUCEPAN PUT 1 MUG OF OIL FRY 4 DESERTSPOONS OF GARLIC PASTE,HOME MADE OR BOUGHT AND 2 DESERTSPOONS Of GINGER PASTE AFTER FRYING FOR 2 MINS UNTIL A LITTLE GOLD BROWN, ADD THIS PASTE (1 MUG OF WATER 1 DESERTSPOON OF RAJAH GOLD MADRAS AS WHAT MOST B.I.R. RESTAURANTS USE .2 DESERTSPOONS OF TURMARIC,HALF A DESERTSPOON OF CUMMIN,1 DESERTSPOON OF CORIANDER,1 TEASPOON OS GARA MASALA, 1 TEASPOON OF CHILLI POWDER OR LESS. FRY FOR A FUTHER 3-4 MINS MOVING ABOUT IN THE SAUCEPAN NOT TO BURN.NOW ADD ABOUT 2 HEAPED TABLSPOONS OF DOUBLE CONCENTRATED TOMATO PASTE AND FRY FOR ABOUT 3 MINS ADDING A MUG OF WATER TO STOP BURNING.ADD ANOTHER MUG OF WATER AND FRY FOR ANOTHER 3-4 MINS,ADD A TEASPOON OF ADJOWAN SEEDS,ADD ANOTHER MUG OF WATER AND COOK FOR A FUTHER 5 MINS. NOW ADD TO THE MIXTURE THE ONIONS THAT WERE BLENDED IN THE BEGINING AND MIX ALL TOGETHER.ADD 1 FULL BLOCK OF CREAMED COCONUT AND 1 Tablespoon sugar Plus half teaspoon salt plus 2 chicken stock cubes THATS YOUR BASE To make vindaloo just use chilli powder and squirt of lemon TERRY when making your curry dish PS
I use all purpose seasoning instead of chicken cubes SPRINKLE IN UNTIL YOU ARE HAPPY WITH THE TASTE .as this is what they use in the take aways or retaurants please note,more salt and suger will enhance the taste
please dont forget to visit us at www.ifindforu.com (http://www.ifindforu.com)
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Am giving this a go. Have followed it to the letter and will report findings. Makes a change from ca's pressure cooker base that I normally make. I've made the original base as shown on page 1, it's frustrating when a base is so popular the posts take an age to go through, and I always end up wondering if on page 27 or whatever there is a magic update!
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Perfect BIR taste.
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I made this base tonight. The taste is pretty amazing given the short time cooking. This might become a new favourite.
Was a bit too generous on the salt during the final stages (recipe kind of stated "more salt and sugar gives more flavour") so it ended up rather salty. I might start over adding the salt only in the final stages AFTER the all seasoning, whose main ingredient is salt too.
Anyway, a true winner based on the first curry I tried. Looking forward to trying other recipes with this!
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Ive never tried this base.
IFFU's posts are always a good read.
I have noticed that a lot of base recipes - particularly the more "authentic" ones always over season the gravy.
Depending on the volume made, I never add more than 1 Tblsp salt. You can always add more later!
Cheers
Mick
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Ive never tried this base.
IFFU's posts are always a good read.
I have noticed that a lot of base recipes - particularly the more "authentic" ones always over season the gravy.
Depending on the volume made, I never add more than 1 Tblsp salt. You can always add more later!
Cheers
Mick
That's very much true! I chucked out the my batch of yesterday and made a new one today. It really was too salty. Good thing is that this base only takes about 2 hours to make, cleaning included.
I have added only pinches of salt where it was asked for and then added three teaspoons APS at the end. Still comes out quite salty (I usually hardly eat any salt, that will certainly play a roll). It's rather the aftertaste this time and the base itself does not taste overly salty when I just slurped it. So my advice would be to really be careful with the APS on this one.
I'm considering making my own APS version without salt for the next batch. In the meantime, this batch is going into the freezer. Looking forward to make some curries with this!
EDIT: added picture of the base. I got 12x 350ml, which is usually the amount I use for a curry for 2 to 3 persons.
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Hi all
I haven't been on this site for so long I can't remember, nice to see it is still up and running. I still use this recipe for my base sauce (slightly modified) and for me it's still the best base sauce recipe.
Regards,
Chas
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I tried this the other day. Although I halved the inclusion of coconut and modified the cooking technique slightly (made a baghaar with garlic, ginger and spices as opposed to boiling them). It's well up there with the best of them.
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I haven't been here for a long time however, I have used Terry's recipe from day one of posting and over the years I have made some of the best curries ever. Look no further for the perfect base sauce. Oh and it's nice to pop into this site once again. :owsome:
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Welcome back, EHC ! Oh, and what a co-incidence — virtually the last words of the recipe are "please note, more salt and suger will enhance the taste". Just a few days ago, and in another thread (https://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=47487.msg184803#msg184803), bhamcurry wrote (https://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=47487.msg184895#msg184895)"because salt, sugar, and fat make everything taste better". What goes around, comes around.
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** Phil.
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Did anyone actually use the Rajah Madras Gold curry powder IFFU stipulated?
I can only find it in bulk here: https://tradewindsorientalshop.co.uk/products/rajah-madras-gold-curry-powder-10kg
The ingredient list doesn't exactly shout "gold" to me.
Ground Coriander, Ground Turmeric, Mustard Powder, Chilli Powder, Bengal Gram (Black Chickpea), Ground Fenugreek, Iodised Salt, Ground Cumin, Ground Bay, Ground Fennel, Garlic Powder
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The ingredient list doesn't exactly shout "gold" to me.
What were you hoping for, Santa ? Pulverised unicorn horn, dried bull's pizzle, fairy dust, gold nanoparticles (https://innovareacademics.in/journals/index.php/ijpps/article/view/9343/6175) ?
P.S. Available here (https://www.tastesensationltd.com/product/curry-powder-rajah-gold-curry-powder-blend/) at less than a fiver for 250gm (the curry powder, that is, not the gold nanoparticles — they are a bit more expensive ...).
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** Phil.
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The use of "gold" could be a descriptor or method of differentiation between products and may not necessarily have any relationship to the actual quality. Cigarettes of a popular brand out here used to come in Red, Blue and Gold packaging for different strengths (ie: levels of harmful pollutants). Perhaps this Curry Powder is a gold colour due to Turmeric being the 2nd listed ingredient.
Simply mixing together guessed ratios of the listed ingredients will not necessarily produce the curry powder replica. It is also possible that the "Gold" is nearly the same as the Rajah Mild Madras Powder available to the general public and simply marketed this way for commercial use in 10 kg packaging. Same ingredients but in a different order, notably with the Chill Powder moved down the list and more filler (Bengal Gram) and the addition of Black Pepper.
Ground Coriander, Ground Turmeric, MUSTARD Powder, Bengal Gram (Black Chickpea), Ground Cumin, Ground Chilli, Ground Fenugreek, Ground Black Pepper, Garlic Powder, Iodised Salt, Ground Fennel.
It would of course be interesting to know if anybody did try this powder and if it made any discernible difference.
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Or even just 'Marketing Speak' for.... Pay more.
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I don't know whether I commented on this already as I'm too lazy to read all the comments but there's a very odd peculiarity in this recipe.
Five potatoes are added and cooked for 15 minutes but they are then removed and never added back!
The claim is that they add more flavour, which I am very doubtful of. What's more likely, in my opinion, is that they are just precooking the potatoes in the early stage of making the base sauce for use in other dishes. I'd be willing to bet good money that the cooking of potatoes has no effect whatsoever on the base flavour. They might add some starch to thicken but there are easier ways to thicken the sauce without using a whole bunch of potatoes.
Very odd.
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Ifindforu says :
[...] the potatoes can be used to make bombay aloo
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Ifindforu says :
[...] the potatoes can be used to make bombay aloo
Yes as I suspected. But the claim he makes is that they add flavour which I think is misleading. I'm about to make this base, sans spuds.
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Ah well, don't say "95% there", then — the spuds are clearly the missing 5% !