Topic: 3 Hour Curry Base

[Razor]

Hi Emin-j

Razor,what do you think are the benefits of adding the White Cabbage.

If I'm being perfectly honest, I haven't bothered on the last two batches and not really noticed it missing.  To be fair, I have only added the cabbage on the first 2 batches (made 4 in all) and can't quite remember what it added at the time.

With or without cabbage, I love this base and I love the BIR sweetness and aroma that runs through every single dish that I use it in.

Chewy, maybe you are better placed to answer emin-j's question?  What do you believe the cabbage adds to the base and, do you think it could be omitted without any noticeable differences?

Ray

[chewytikka]

Hi Ray / Emin-j
Cabbage and Green Capsicum are savoury, which helps balance the sweetness of the onions and carrot, just like adding salt to season.
My last base I used cauliflower trimmings, with the same result.
cheers Chewy

[emin-j]

Thanks' Ray/Chewy,I would dearly love to try something different in a base which is why I asked about the White Cabbage but if as Ray says It doesn't seem to make any difference with of without it  this Base appears no different than many were already using/have used and is very similar to the last Base I made but did as Chewy does run it through a Strainer and a very good tip too.
I am keen on using whole Spices and recently bought a Stainless ' Spice Ball ' and my plan is to put Cardamom Pods,Cloves,and Cinnamon Stick into the ball and use this in my next batch of Base to give more of a fragrance to it,using these Spices with Curries from scratch work very well.
Love the Vids Chewy you certainly know your stuff.

[Razor]

Hi Emin-j,

Like I said mate, I can't actually remember what difference the cabbage made.  Chewys explanation makes a lot of sense, so I will include it in my next batch.

I would give this base a go though emin-j, it really does have a fantastic affect on all my curries.

With regards to your suggestions on using whole spices in a base, I have cooked the ABC Balti base many many times.  It also uses whole spices such as , Star anise, cassia bark, mace, cardamom, cloves, cinnamon stick, and bay leaf.  It does produce a very nice base but there is always this 'medicine' like taste that runs through every dish made with it, but because each of the recipes only calls for 120ml of base, you can live with it.

Ray

[emin-j]

Good point Ray one man's Medicine is another mans fragrance 
Will try the Cabbage next time Ray and make my mind up from that,is there anything you can ' put your finger on ' that makes this Base different than any others using the same ingredients ? Never made a Base using the Onions whole mind you 

[Razor]

Hi emin-j

Never made a Base using the Onions whole mind you 

I think it is exactly that, boiling the onions whole and for a long time.  Any other base, including my own, I've always had to add sugar to the final dish but I've never really been satisfied with the kind of sweetness that sugar adds, it's not BIR to my mind.

This base oozes BIR sweetness, and that is purely down to boiling the onions whole.  No need for any additional sugar in any of my curries now, which is great.

Ray

[gazman1976]

Would you say your curries are now 100% BIR Ray?

[emin-j]

Cheers Ray/Chewy, this will be my next Base whole Onions and all 
Just as an aside I have started putting a pinch of Orange food colouring in my Base and it really adds to the look of the Base and Curry's.
ATB.

[PaulP]

Hi Emin-j,

I also have a stainless steel spice ball and used it in my first attempt at the ABC balti base. I have to agree with Ray on this - there is a taste from the whole spices which slightly ruins it for me. I think it was mostly the mace and partly the cassia sticks.

If I made the ABC base again I would look to reduce the quantities of mace and cassia but would stick with the green cardamom, cloves, star anise and bay leaf.

The next base for me is definitely the one in this thread.

Paul

[Razor]

The next base for me is definitely the one in this thread.

Go for it Paul, I'm sure that you will be happy with it.

Ray