Topic: taking stock

[thomashenry]

Where my head is at right now

BASE SAUCE
I've come to the conclusion that any of the popular base sauce preparations are adequte to make a true BIR with. The Dhillon, the Bruce... any method involving onion boiling and blending is gonna be on the right track. Personally I use the Dhillon. I've tasted the exact sauce in quite a few Biryanai vegetable side dishes over the years, so I know that this base is out there and being used. I think any decent base will do, and it doesn't really matter which one it is, so just use the one you prefer cooking. Based on my experiences, and reading the experiences of those who've had dealing with their local takeaways, I am perfectly satisfied that we have got the base sauce nailed, and that the 'secrets' lie elswhere.

WHAT TO DO TO THE BASE SAUCE
My excitment all those years ago at getting 90% of the way to a BIR, using Kris Dhillons book has been gradually eroded as I realised I was not getting any closer. Dhllion's methods weren't quite getting me there, and my expierments weren't really proving successful. Maybe it is the case that without a professional resutrant style gas hob, we will not quite get there. We don't know this though, and so I think its worth ploughing on.

For vindaloo, what I'm doing at the moment is this: heat generous amount of oil, fry a squirt of garlic puree, add a cup of dhillion sauce, decent salting, good lash of chilli, and blast as hot as possible for 5 mins. Add a few shakes of lemo juice, 1/2 teaspoon of sugar, small squirt of tom ketchup, and a generous tespoon of spice mixture (equal parts of coriander, cumin, turmeric and curry powder). Cook for a few mins more, then and a decent pinch of garam masala, pre cooked chicken and coriander stems and leaves. cook until chicken is warm, then leave to stand for a few mins, so as not to serve it too hot. I find that the lemon, sugar and tom ketchep give a slight tang that definatyl propells this into an authetnic tasting BIR vindaloo....

However, theres more to life than madras and vindaloo, and my big heache at the moment is the 'smokey' hint you get in a good bhuna/jalfrezi. Obviously I use fungreek when making these, but find its not quite enough. The smell you get from a BIR bhuna is very like the smell you get from holding a black cardomman to you nose and inhaling. However, when you grind a BC, you get something very different. Popping a BC into the oil before cooking up a portion does not allow for much flavour of the BC to seep into the sauce.

I feel the BC has major untapped potential here. Does anyone have anything to report on their experiences with them?

[DARTHPHALL]

I`ve used Black cardamons beforebut not in the most successful curries.I think there is potential for more flavor if you use enough of them, & probably like myself & most of the forum members you have an entire cupboard in the kitchen full of your spices (some used only once in our vain attempt to clone a perfect bir curry).

[Curry King]

I thought they are used to precook lamb and maybe in the base sauce but fished out at the end.  Ive used them in the base sauce quite a few times and they didn't make that much of a noticable difference.

[blade1212]

thomashenry, I've not tried this yet, but we are on the same wavelength my friend. I KNOW this will be a fine attempt. I'm planning to use your Tikka recipe to get create my favorite dish - Chicken Tikka Bhunna Madras.

[CurryCanuck]

I have found through both trial & error that dry roastng black cardomons and adding it to a masala blend or stand-alone does impart a smokey flavour to some recipes....spice balance does enter into it though .