Hi Stephen,

This reminds me a lot of a dish I used to make, with the addition of garlic powder. I'd really like to make this, but wanted to confirm; are the tablespoons regular or 'chefs'?

Serves 2 greedy people

Ingredients:

Pre-cooked Chicken Tikka (4 large breasts)
100ml Veg Oil
3 tsp garlic paste
2 tsp ginger paste
2 tbsp tom paste (watered down)
2 tbsp Tandoori Masala (I use Pat Chapman's NCB recipe)
1 tbsp Mix Powder (any you like)
1 tsp salt
450 ml Curry Base (I mostly use the Undercover Curry base now)
300ml single cream
1 heaped tbsp almond powder
3 heaped tbsp coconut powder
1 tin coconut cream (preferably a Thai brand, must be cream, NOT milk)
Fresh full fat milk
1 Kasoori Methi
395g Sweetened Condensed Milk (to taste)
Finely chopped coriander leaf (approx 2 tsp)
Red food colouring (3-4 drops)

Method:

1
Mix the tandoori masala, mix powder, kasoori methi, and salt, with enough water to make a paste
2
Mix the fresh cream, almond powder, coconut powder, and coconut cream. Add enough milk to make a thick yet slightly runny paste. I find the powders expand quite a bit, and sometimes I have enough left of this mixture to freeze and use for another curry (a little of this in a Madras is really nice)
3
Heat veg oil until good and hot and then add garlic and ginger paste, stirring continuously for about 1 minute
4
Add tom paste and continue to stir for another minute
5
Add spice paste and cook for another 2 minutes, or until oil starts to separate
6
Add half base gravy and let cook down for approx 2 mins
7
Add remaining base and after 30 seconds bring down the heat a little
8
Add the cream/coconut/almond mixture
9
Add enough milk to get to your required consistency. I like mine to be quite loose/runny (I have a picture posted on the pictures page)
10
Add the sweetened condensed milk to taste. It's how one of my favourite BIR's used to sweeten theirs (Redland Tandoori, Bristol). I use about 3/4 of the can, then just a drizzle on the final dish before serving.

Keep getting a database error when trying to post recipe. Any ideas what's up?

It was Pat’s NCB that set me on the road to developing a deep love of cooking Indian food. Until a friend purchased it for me I was making either bland, or totally over spiced, curries. There are still some recipes in there I use to this day. I’ve also enjoyed recipe’s from Camellia Panjabi’s ’50 Great Curries of India’. I’m afraid to say that Madhur’s recipes have always fallen flat for me, I’ve always wanted to like her food as she’s such a loveable character from my childhood.

As far as TV goes, 'Rhodes Across India’ that aired about 10 years ago got me totally fired up. Remove Gary from the equation (sorry Gary, you’re really annoying in this series) and you have some incredible (non-BIR) dishes being cooked by unsung masters of the cuisine. I highly recommend watching it online! I’m also a huge fan of Rick Stein, so his series will always hold dear to me. His passion for curry is evident throughout, and the Biryani recipe is one of the best I’ve tried.

Whilst on the subject…what are people’s thoughts on ‘The Curry Guy’? He clearly knows a thing or 2, but I’ve often found his recipes don’t live up to the BIR hype.

What a lovely spread!!! What exactly are the curries please?