Hi chriswg
BIR/TA Bombay Aloo
It is the simplest and quickest of side dishes
Especially if you pre heat the cooked potatoes in the micro!

Method
Heat a chef's spoon of oil, quickly add tsp g&g paste, tsp mixed powder, touch of chilli powder,
chef's spoon tomato dilute, a handful of small chopped onion and green pepper.
Bhun/Stir-fry on med/high heat for 10sec, add potatoes and toss to coat, 10sec
add 2 chef's spoons of warm base sauce and Bhun/Stir-fry on med/high heat for
a minute or so, until the sauce clings and coats the potatoes (dry) add fresh chopped coriander, mix and serve.
(If you want it to be wet, just add more base sauce.)

This is the basic BIR Bombay Potatoes! anything else added to this makes it something else.
e.g. cumin seeds = Jheera Aloo, which I like.
and my favourite, Aloo Manchurian, which is Indo/Chinese and amazing.

Recipes are here and there, Method, Technique and Timing is everything!

I've always used potatoes, in experimenting with new curry dishes,
as they carry the spice flavours and if the flavours don't work for me, I haven't
wasted a good portion of Lamb or Chicken.

976bar
Did you learn your recipe from Jamie Oliver ?

http://www.lifestylefood.com.au/recipes/558/bombay-potatoes

chewy

Hi CT

Thanks again for posting the Madras recipe and your tips on the Vindaloo, which I plan to try ASAP.

Made the Madras a number of times now, and my personal quest for the perfect Madras has been satisfied.

For me, I can't actually taste the Worcestershire sauce, but notice something missing when it is not there!

Hi Solarsplace

They look magic! great colour!
Pleased the PDF has helped you on your quest.


Chewy

Fantastic, what a revolutionary idea, selling spices online, who would have thought....

That reminds me, I saw Elvis down the curry house last night.
He'd just come back from partying with Lord Lucan on the Moon.

As he climbed into his 1955 pink cadiliac ufo he shouted "Hey Chewy, check out currysecrets.com, its an inspiration.
Maybe they could publish a recipe book, curry secrets would be a awesome title!

Hi CA
Thanks  for that! but you missed the technique page:-

Cooking Technique
Controlling high heat. is the secret of a good Madras, the heat brings out the distinct flavour of the Kashmiri chilli powder.
To achieve this with a domestic hob, cover with a lid and turn it up to the highest flame for the last 30 seconds of cooking..
The oil will completely separate and you will have an authentic tasting BIR Madras.

Hi Solarsplace
Worcestershire sauce is "old school" and has been omitted over the generations and replaced with too much bottled lemon juice.
The Tang in Madras = Tomato concentrate, lemon, tamarind.

Back in the day, when I was taught this, Worcestershire sauce was just the Tamarind
substitute and was readily available, the lemon was a wedge of fresh lemon, off the salad counter.
If you try it, I recommend only a dash i.e. three or four drops, because it can be overpowering.

chewy

Pressure Cooker Gharabi
A quick no nonsense method of preparing BIR curry base at home.
I use a 4 litre pressure cooker and I usually make 3 litres of finished base.

To start with, prepare the veg -
1.5kg Good Onions
1 medium carrot,
1 medium green capsicum
 white cabbage (frozen will do nicely) same volume as carrot.
3 inch bunch of fresh coriander/storks.

Put the pressure cooker on medium heat, add 100ml of veg oil, add 2tbsp of ginger garlic paste,
quickly stir fry and cook out (1minute)
Add all the veg, the pan should be just over three quarter full and 90% Onion.
Pour on 500ml or 2 mugs of boiling water and 1tbsp of salt.
Clamp the lid on and turn the heat up high, until the pressure peaks.
Once under pressure, turn the heat down and time it for 20 minutes.

Switch off, transfer to sink and run the cold water on the cooker for a minute
then tip the valve to let the pressure escape.
open and stir in 1tsp of Haldi and stick blend smooth.
(At this stage I pass the gharabi through a food mill/sieve, old school) - optional

Put a clean curry pot on medium heat, add 100ml of veg oil, add 2tsp of ginger garlic paste.
Stir fry and cook out. (30 seconds)
Add 2 heaped tsps of mixed powder and a 100ml of tomato paste mixed with water and
quickly stir fry and cook out (1minute)

Now transfer the gharabi to the curry pot, add two cups of boiling water, mix well
and bring it back to the boil.
'important' leave on a high simmer, a froth will start to appear.
skim the froth off and discard, this will occur three or four times in 10 minutes
You will know when the gharabi is ready, when the froth stops and the oil separates
and starts (as if by magic) rising to the surface.

That's it', a lightly spiced onion water "Gharabi" ready to add to your main event.

If you follow this method as close as you can, you should get good results.

BTW I did a pictoral Madras "how to" in .pdf, for a friend, can anyone tell me how
I can post it here on cR0? as it might be of interest.

cheers Chewy