So, you've made your base now what? You've got a freezer full curry gravy and no room for anything else, right? This is a way of making curry gravy as you go so freeing up valuable freezer space that just involve pre-preparing a couple of onion pastes and can be knocked up in about half an hour. I haven't tried gravy #1 as it's for creamy korma/ctm style curries which aren't my thing but gravy #2 works a treat for bhuna/madras.

Adapted from ?PRASHAD Cooking with Indian Masters?

GRAVIES

Basic Gravy #1

Yoghurt based gravy for use with Korma/Pasanda style dishes.

Ingredients:-
Whole Garam Masala (5 green cardamom/1 black cardamom/5 cloves/1? cinnamon/1 bay leaf)
150g/ml ghee/oil
250g/1 cup boiled onion paste*
30g/2 tbs ginger paste
30g/2 tbs garlic paste
10g/2 tsp chilli powder
5g/1 tsp coriander powder
5g/1 tsp turmeric
225g/1 cup yoghurt
50g/3 tbs fried onion paste*
30g/2 tbs cashew paste*
100ml cream
1 tsp garam masala powder
Pinch mace powder
Salt to taste
Water 200ml

Yield: approx 700ml.

Whisk the yoghurt.
Heat ghee/oil in handi/saute/chefs pan. Add whole g/m saut? until it crackles.
Add boiled onion paste and saut? for 2 mins.
Add ginger & garlic pastes, saut? for 30 secs then add chilli, coriander, turmeric and salt.
Add yoghurt (off the heat) then add return to heat and add water.
Simmer until oil separates.
Add fried onion paste, cashew paste and cream, bring back to boil then reduce to medium heat.
Add g/m and mace powder and stir.

Total cooking time approx 15/20 mins.

*see below

Basic Gravy #2

A tomato based gravy for use in lamb and chicken curries.

Ingredients:-


Whole Garam Masala (as gravy #1)
150g/ml ghee/oil
125g boiled onion paste*
10g/2tsp ginger paste
10g/2tsp garlic paste
10g/2tsp red chilli powder
5g/1tsp ground coriander
1/2tsp turmeric
1kg tomatoes (seems a lot, I use 14oz tin instead)
30g/5tsp fried onion paste*
30g/5tsp cashew paste
100ml cream (I omit this and add extra water as required)
5g/1tsp g/m powder
1/2tsp green cardamom and mace powder
Salt (to taste)
Water 200m/l (approx)

Yield approx 800m/l

Heat ghee/oil in a handi/saute/chefs pan. Add whole g/m saut? until it crackles.
Add boiled onion paste, saut? for 2 mins.
Add ginger and garlic pastes, saut? for 30 secs.
Add red chilli, coriander, turmeric and salt, stir fry for 2 mins.
Add tomato, stir constantly until oil rises to surface.
Pour in water, bring to boil and then simmer until oil begins to separate again.
Add fried onion paste, cashew paste and cream and bring back to boil, add more water if too thick.
Stir in g/m and cardamom and mace powder, done.

Cooking time approx 35 mins.
 

*see below

Pastes
Boiled Onion Paste

Ingredients:-

1kg onions, roughly chopped
3 bay leaves
3 black cardamoms

Place ingredients in a large pan along with 200mls water.
Bring to boil, simmer until onions transparent and liquid evaporated.
Remove whole spices, transfer onions to blender and whiz to a fine puree.
Note:-The onion/water ratio is crucial to this. Too much and the paste will be runny, too little and
the onions will not cook properly and most likely stick to the pan. The correct ratio is 5:1.
Yield approx 1kg
Fried Onion Paste

Ingredients:-

1kg onions, sliced
100ml yoghurt
Oil for frying

Heat the oil, add the onions and saut? on medium heat until browned.
Transfer to blender, add yoghurt and whiz to a fine paste.

Note:-This paste should keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 15 days.


Cashew Paste

Ingredients:-

160g cashews (broken)

Soak the cashews in water for 30 mins and drain.
Put cashews in blender, add 100ml water and whiz to fine paste.
Refrigerate.


Note:-Will keep for 24 hrs.

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Dunno why this is suddenly news they've been selling halal meat etc round here for years but the local Asian shops are all loads cheaper than any of the supermarkets for things like spices and so on. Is this the beginning of the end for the local Asian shop?

CoR

Gordon f*****g Ramsey in full f*****g flow, you have been warned ;D

Click here


CoR

This is my adaptation of an onion paste from the book Prashad: Cooking with Indian Masters. The book was written in the late 80's by two authors drawing on the expertease of a group of acclaimed Indian chefs in response to what they perceived as the alarming proliferation of Indian cookbooks written by "housewives" and similarly unqualified people! The book sought to establish a written tradition of Indian cuisine, wether or not it succeeded is not for me to say but it has sold 6 million copies to date (read that and weep PC). I had a copy from the library about a year ago and was intrigued by this paste but the book was a little vague as to its use so I didn't make it and have had to attempt to recreate it from memory but the basics are right.

Onion Paste

3 or 4 small/medium onions (preferably red) cut into thin strips
1 or 2 Indian bay leaves
cinnamon stick 4 inch
star anise
4 or 5 whole cloves
1 tbs ginger/garlic puree
4 tbs set yogurt
oil for frying

Heat oil in a heavy bottomed skillet. Add bay, cinnamon, star anise and cloves. Stir spices for 30 seconds or so then add onions and g/g and cook slowly, stirring regularly, until onions are caramelised (can take up to an hour or more, don't rush it). When done remove from heat and allow to cool. Remove whole spices and combine onions with yogurt in a blender and whizz to a smooth paste. Transfer to airtight container and store covered in oil, use as banjara.