Topic: Hey, blossoming cook here :)

[chinois]

Actually I was just helping to ensure Chonois got laid. 

As for the glossiness, I put this down to the copious sugar. BIR kormas (as I remembered them) were just as sweet, but with other flavours also coming the fore -- they were curries!

Cheers Josh! I commend you ;D
I find adding some (hot) water near the end often helps prevent a korma being stodgy. It thickens up as it rests. I find garam masala sprinkled at the end is nice and lemon is necessary to give it balance and stop it being sickly.
What's your favourite then twighlightmagic?

[Cory Ander]

lemon is necessary to give it balance

Nooooooooooo!  Not in a BIR korma! 

Secret Santa will have kittens (which might be fun to watch)!  ;D

[joshallen2k]

The best curry I have made is Murgh Makhani (butter chicken)

Not trying to take the thread on a tangent, but could someone describe clearly what a BIR "Butter Chicken" is?

Over here, butter chicken is by far the most popular among North Americans. Its similar to korma (sweet, mild), but has a definite tomato flavour. Its red, BTW.

Remind me what BIR butter chicken is? I think I had it once, and found it to be like korma, but richer. Definitely yellow with no tomato.

-- Josh

[Cory Ander]

Remind me what BIR butter chicken is? I think I had it once, and found it to be like korma, but richer. Definitely yellow with no tomato.

Are you thinking of a pasanda Josh?  This is very similar to a korma, in taste and appearance, but generally richer?

To my mind, butter chicken (murgh makhani) is the traditional Indian version of the British chicken tikka masala. 

Butter chicken is commonplace throughtout the world (you'd be hard pushed to find a chicken tikka masala in Oz, but butter chicken is commonplace) but less so (or so I thought...perhaps until recently?) in the UK? 

Butter chicken is red, tomatoey and (fairly obviously) buttery. 

It seems to me that the main difference between butter chicken and chicken tikka masala is the use of tandoori/tikka pastes/spices and curry base in the latter but not the former (it being more traditionally prepared).  I'm, not sure that butter chicken usually has tandooried chicken tikka in it either?  Otherwise, they are quite similar.  Perhaps, if they are commonplace in BIRs nowadays, the distinctions have become somewhat blurred?

[chinois]

To my mind, butter chicken (murgh makhani) is the traditional Indian version of the British chicken tikka masala.

That seems to be what i've found. The moti mohal in delhi seems to be credited with creating the original. I have their recipe but havent tried it yet (cheers UB  )
It is on BIR menus though. I think the only time i've had it in a BIR it wasnt the tomato version but was kind of like a korma without the coconut. Not much to it. Others members must have had it more often than me...

[joshallen2k]

I think the only time i've had it in a BIR it wasnt the tomato version but was kind of like a korma without the coconut

Yep. Sounds like what I had.

The reason I ask is that I've made a number of BC recipes to try and replicate what I get over here. Not because I like it, but it seems to be the gold standard over here. I've finally got it, but the recipe doesn't use a base, and is much more complicated than I see a BIR takeaway doing.

Josh

[Stephen Lindsay]

This is the finished product made with the recipe I use - you're right it doesn't have a base, it's made from scratch Josh and as CA says the closest comparison with BIR would be CTM.

[chinois]

This is the finished product made with the recipe I use - you're right it doesn't have a base, it's made from scratch Josh and as CA says the closest comparison with BIR would be CTM.

That looks really tasty Stephen! It looks like a BIR dish to me, like CTM! Does it taste like that? i.e. is it sweet and creamy?

[Stephen Lindsay]

Chinois

I think of it as quite an intense taste because the sauce is made in two stages. The first is a tomato "stock"which is sieved and then to that the second adds the butter and double cream.

Apart from 1 t 2 tsp of honey, there is no sugars added. The sweetness comes from the butter and cream.

Yes it is sweet and very creamy and the calories pile on just looking at it so be careful with that photo!