Topic: Base sauce and onions

[gazman1976]

Hello,

I was on the phone talking to an Indian chef and quizzed him on the base sauce, he advised to only add the onions first with oil and water and cook until the onions go brown and not just soft, do our members do this already? He then said after that to add the other stuff including spices?

[Stephen Lindsay]

Hey gazman nice post, it reminds of the the debate about whether onions should be pre-fried before adding liquid ingredients or just dropped into the pot and boiled. Logic should suggest that the former would produce a more flavoured base due to the caramelisation of the onions making it sweeter and more intense but I've heard others argue that it produces no effect.

I've never done a side by side comparison so I wouldn't know but as I am toying with the idea of formulating an SL base then maybe that's something worth experimenting with.

[ELW]

I have fryed the onions on low heat in a couple of bases at least over 30mins until, not caramelised, but getting there. I also have not been able to do a like for like comparison, mainly due to the addition of coconut block in one or the other. you would think add an obvious dimension to the base as the contrast between boiled & caramelised onions is stark..must try this!
..ps used caramelised onions in ghee in Mumrez Khan/Rick Stein Karahi a couple of years ago..too much chilli for me, couldn't taste anything else!
regards
ELW

[curryhell]

Now that is an interesting comment Gazman  :.  Food for thought. 
I agree SL - logic says the end result should be better, but does a better tasting base result in a better finished curry?  One would have thought so.
Before discovering the site some two years ago I always fried the onions when making the base which was initally KD's and evolved into my version over the years.  My taste buds told me that the base was far more savoury for doing this and was likely to result in a better finished dish than just boiling them.   I and everybody else was more than happy with the result.  Can i confirm the results were better for this process?  No i can't.  I didn't do the comparison between identical dishes using a boiled onion base and a fried one.  I just suspect that they should be.  I am sure that some one will take up the challenge and prove this to be the case or for that matter disprove it.  I await the results

[gazman1976]

Sorry if I wasn't clear, I don't mean fry the onions first , I mean put in a big pot , fill with white onions peeled but whole and only add water and oil and boil until the onions have turned brown, I imagine this will take anywhere from 3-6 hours, I have seen the Ashoka kitchen making their base and they start it at 10am as I was in the kitchen having a cooking lesson about 5 yrs ago now

Will try this at some point as nothing to lose I guess