Topic: Can Anyone Please Help Me Idendify This Curry ?

[steve e]

Hi All,
Meant also to tell you that this restaraunt was one of the first in Newport along with one in pill that was called the rose of india, its reputation is" you love it or hate it" bit like Marmite tehe, anyway
people who have been going there for "years" comment on the consistency of the quality of the dishes and they always "taste the same". This is like a trip down memory lane thinking back had a curry there in 1970 at the tender age of 16 it was as the menu described it "meat curry madras"
half chips half rice, at that time my only interest was to fill the hunger the illicit lager had created.
Still it begs the question of the "best of breed" theory.
Steve e

[laynebritton]

Hi Everyone?
Well I'm so happy one of you fellow Curry lovers has tried this excellent Curry (steve e) so I'm assuming there are a few fellow Welshmen in the ranks? ;D

All I can say is a Pilgrimage to this "Curry House " is well worth it and who knows wouldn't it be a thrill for a few of us to get together and have a night feasting and generally getting to know one another (Oh and I want to talk Curry Not Rugby ha ha) Hmmm.

Regards
Layne? ?

[George]

Layne

Drat - I seldom go anywhere near Newport but was in that area only a month ago as it happens - hungry too - and could easily have paid this place a visit if I'd known about it then.

>" A True Curry house " they are are not really known for Tandoori etc.
This is an interesting point. Did a 'curry house' style predate a 'tandoori' style in the UK, just like both have tended to be partly superceded by a 'balti house' style?

>I don't know if it's Pakistani or Bengali or what ?
You could ask them if the dish has a regional origin.  But whereas 95%+ of BIR chefs are from Bangladeshi origins, I understand the basic style of BIR cooking is based on a speeded-up Anglo/BIR take on North Indian cooking.

>Very Very dark
This sounds a bit unusual, distinctive, their special style, I guess.

>of a runny consistency
This is possible by using more water in the base sauce and not boiling it all off at any time and, of course, by using more oil

>absolutely dripping with oil. There is about half inch of very dark oil floating on the surface
Do you mean even more than in a typical BIR? This would be one reason for the runny texture.
Most of the BIR oil is like dark orange, as you say, so if it's extra dark, that's a bit unusual. I still reckon (a guess) that it's a variation on a BIR theme, though, rather than being any authentic Pakistani or Bangladeshi dish.

>I'm convinced the Chicken is boiled and they Most Definitely use a Base Sauce
Again, does it strike you as very different to most other BIRs, which we believe use these techniques almost all the time?

>in my opinion Indian and Pakistani have completely different styles
>do you know what I mean they are after all different Country's aren't they ?
Well, yes and no, I suggest. Authentic dishes from different regions of the Indian sub continent do have significant differences / styles. But I still guess this place is a BIR at the end of the day, preparing almost any dish in '5 minutes'. Whatever it is, this isn't "authentic" cooking.  Also, until a few decades back all of Pakistan, Bagladesh and India were in India, weren't they? Not much different to Lancs being separate to Hants?!

>rings a bell from many years ago..... most Curry houses in this area only served this
> type of Sauce that was before the the Mass Exodus of Indians to this country to
>make their fortune and then of course they decided to boil onions by the sack-load
>make a base sauce as quick as possible to get the shekels in.

Another interesting point. I assumed the BIR curries of the 70s were still based on "Kris Dhillon' type base sauce (in the most general sense). But there has almost certainly been a significant decline in BIR standards (for my taste, at least) over the last 10-15 years so is it possible that the basic approach was changed in most BIRs but is still done in some 'old fashioned way' in Newport? Then again speed of prep /service has not changed much from the 70s to these days.

Regards
George

[George]

A further thought...I posted a short review (and photo) of the Lahore Kebab House a while back. Some of their curries are darker and runny, like you indicate for Newport. And Lahore Kebab House is a Pakistani restaurant, which has a very different style to normal BIR.

Regards
George

[Mark J]

>" A True Curry house " they are are not really known for Tandoori etc.
This is an interesting point. Did a 'curry house' style predate a 'tandoori' style in the UK, just like both have tended to be partly superceded by a 'balti house' style?

Your dead right george, first there was the standard curry house, then Tandoori became the latest craze finally followed by balti

[laynebritton]

Layne

But there has almost certainly been a significant decline in BIR standards (for my taste, at least) over the last 10-15 years so is it possible that the basic approach was changed in most BIRs but is still done in some 'old fashioned way' in Newport?

Hi George.
YES You are Exactly right the standards has dropped dramatically in recent years.....the only Curry I can get hold of in my area especially "Takeaways" is the Bog standard Curry which I can cook myself these are handy if Ive had a couple of pints and need a Fix but there is no excuse I shouldn't have to travel 20 miles to get a Curry I Really enjoy and is still being cooked in the same style since 1961.

But there we are a lot of people (especially youngsters) don't know what a good Curry should taste like because they don't know no different !
I suppose everyone has their own favourite individual style and taste Oh well lets put some petrol in the car.

Regards
Layne? ?

[laynebritton]

Hi Everyone?

Here are Photo's of my favourite Curry of all time I got a take away last night and this is (my opinion) the Best Chicken Vindaloo Curry in all it's glory?the style has not changed in this Restaurant since 1961 Lahore Newport Gwent??

Regards
Layne.?

[DARTHPHALL]

Holy crap look at all that Oil !!!!!! It seems all the Take-aways in my area make a very tasty but low fat Curry (bonus !!)  ;D

[curryqueen]

To emulate a decent curry you need to use all that oil.  I wonder with everyone being so health conscious these days this is why standards have dropped.  The lack of oil will mean lack of depth in flavour maybe.  When I have tried making healthy curries they have not turned out too good - less oil!  Just a thought.

[CurryCanuck]

Sorry CQ , but I disagree . I don't think that you need excessive amounts of oil in order to maintain the " standard " . In BIR as well as other genres of food preparation , a balance of both oil , spicing and herbs can produce exceptionally good results . Of course if there is a personal preference for copious amounts of grease in order to achieve the desired flavor - c'est la vie .