Topic: Chicken Madras

[joadt]

Made this following Chewytikka's video and using his base sauce. First 5 attempts at this produced something which I thought was a bit oily. Had trouble getting the sauce to thicken. Cut back on the oil to a half chef's spoon and started getting great results - lovely, thick, rich sauce. With less oil in the pan once I put the spices in after the tomato dilute I get more of a paste in the pan. Seems to work for me and the resulting curry is nice and hot. It's very quick to cook - 8 mins for this one I think. Get great pleasure from eating it and love the cooking process too. Want to try his Jhal Frezi next but having problems finding the patak pastes to make the red masala.

[RubyDoo]

Certainly looks good and well done but you really need to resize those pics before posting. 

[joadt]

Sorry about that. How's this?

[joadt]

And another...

[Peripatetic Phil]

A perfect fit, and a nice colour too.  No sign of oil separation, though, which makes me wonder whether you overdid the oil reduction.

** Phil.

[Salvador Dhali]

Looks great, joadt - and the sauce consistency looks spot-on to me, too. Not so thin that it runs everywhere and soaks the rice, but too thick, either. Just how I like my Madras!

Would agree with Phil about the lack of oil separation, but how much you decide to use is down to personal preference. Indeed, I've seen videos of a pro chef in action who also favours the minimal oil approach (see about half-way through http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WCA_BbVJdEs ).

Anyway, keep up the good work!
 

[RubyDoo]

Mmmmmm. As we know pics do not often truly represent colours etc on here. Maybe the oil is ok. Just cannot see it

[joadt]

Ah, thanks for your comments.

how much you decide to use is down to personal preference. Indeed, I've seen videos of a pro chef in action who also favours the minimal oil approach

Yeah, I don't like an oily curry. That's just a personal preference from my very limited curry making experience (I've only attempted a Madras!). My local BIR's Madras is not an oily curry but has great flavours and heat and is lighter in colour and I suppose I was combining the knowledge I had gained from Chewytikka's video and my experience of my local. I was getting seperation when using the full chef's spoon of oil but the resulting curry was disappointing both to the eye and on flavour. I have found cutting back the oil to half creates a sauce I like and there is a subtlety of flavour which comes through which was not present before. Good to know that some pro chefs use smaller amounts of oil too! Thanks for pointing that out.

[Kashmiri Bob]

I reckon joadt has got it just right.  That is exactly how a madras should look in Manchester.  Silky smooth, light, and saucy; flecks of oil separation, as seen in the o/p first pic.  Spot on is that. 

Rob 

[PaulP]

I think it looks very good too. Well done!

Paul