Curry

[JSA Aude]

Does anyone have a recette for really good tasting chicken curry (reasonably hot) ?  I have made plenty in the past but the sauce/meat never seems to have the depth of flavour found in resto ones (aaah, what memories!!)  Await with taste buds tingling.

[TWINKLE]

I've PM'ed you.

[Cat]

Depends on what kind of curry you like. The restaurant ones will be a particular type of curry (Jalfrezi, Dopiaza, Masala, Dhansak etc, rather than a generic chicken curry) and will depend for their "restaurant flavour" on different specific ingredients.

I've yet to find a generic curry recipe that is as tasty as a real Indian or Thai recipe.

How about this chicken jalfrezi recipe, with a step-by-step video from a great site http://www.videojug.com/film/how-to-make-chicken-jalfrezi  They've plenty of other Indian recipes as well.

EDIT: hey, they've got a "generic" chicken curry recipe as well, it actually looks pretty good http://www.videojug.com/film/how-to-cook-a-chicken-curry-in-ten-minutes  You can't see me, but I'm drooling [:)]

[Patf]

If you can find fresh spices the flavour etc will be better. I was given a recipe once by an Indian lady while I was living in Manchester and there were plenty of Indian spice shops there. I used coriander seeds, cummin, chilli and turmeric ground together to make fresh curry powder, plus cardomum podsand bay leaves. Then make the curry as in Cat's video. I also thicken with coconut cream and this makes a milder flavour. Haven't made it for ages, apart from a fish curry sometimes.

[sueyh]

If you can get hold of the Patak curry pastes they are superb.  Good flavour without that powdery taste of curry powder.  Very authentic flavour and good recipes on outside of the jar.  Also have a good shelf life once opened.

suey

[Georgina]

[+o(]

I make my own curries and I totally disagree with you.  If you like the real thing these are absolutely barf!

Georgina

[Jinty]

Whew, Georgina

A tad harsh don't you think ?    [:(]

[Gemonimo]

Quite agree with you Jinty. The patak curry pastes are perfectly acceptable and I use them all the time. I do sometimes grin my own spices but only when I have tons of time. My biggest problem is getting fresh coriander and when I grow it, it's a case of now you see it, not you don't as it goes from being a leggy plant to seeds.

[Jinty]

Sounds lovely Geronimo, do they get a big grin or a little grin   [8-|][:D]  

 Love curry myself, unfortunately not many fresh herbs grow up here in the Western Isles, they get blown away, [:P]   but when back over in France, try to cook with as many fresh herbs as I can.

 

 

[Gemonimo]

Saw the typo as soon as I'd pressed the 'post' button! Silly me! Does anyone know if coriander freezes?

[Georgina]

Yeah it's okay. But you can get some frozen already, which is good as fresh at Picard.

[Lou]

I do use Pataks and they're ok as far as quick and easy things go - fresh spices etc will always be better.

The other option we have used a few times (though not the cheapest) are packs of spices "ready-mixed" for a particular curry

You can buy online from Rafi's Spices (based in York) www.spicebox.co.uk and Spice-n-Tice (based in Leicester) www.spicentice.co.uk

I reckon they're pretty good........

Lou

[Benjamin]

I agree about Mr Patak's being quick and easy and acceptable but we found Kohinoor cook in sauces in Tesco when we were in the UK earlier this year. Very authentic  and they come with everything included so there's no choping this that and the other to add (except of course  the meat or veggie bits).

The sauces we found were Haryali Methi Malai, Chicken Tikka Lababdar, Kashmiri Roganjosh, Mughalia Korma and Peshawari Makhani.

Very nice [8-|]

[Georgina]

My god you must have had some bad curries man!! I used to live in the middle of curry city for my sins, but I know the good from the bad at least.

[Suze01]

I have to agree with Georgina (although the jars and pastes can be useful as a quick standby).

As it happens I'm having a curry night tonight.  Here's the menu (buffet style):

- Green Soup (pea/ginger)

- Prawns in a dark sauce (tomato based)

- homemade naan bread

- Pork Dhansak

- Balti chicken in a saffron sauce

- Bombay fish curry (coconut)

- lamb koftas

- Spiced Basmati rice

- Yellow aromatic rice

- Okra in yoghurt

- Chickpeas with ginger and cumin

- exotic fruit salad

- Raspberry Pavola.

All made with fresh individual spices, no pastes, no 'curry powder' [;-)]

Looks like I've got a busy day ahead of me cooking - better get started [:D]

[JSA Aude]

Wow Lisleoise, sounds fantastic, space for another person - don't mind perching on the garden wall!!!!!!  I'm having a crack at a few this evening, though nothing on your scale.  Must start chopping - yuk, onions this time in the morning.  Happy munching, S

[Georgina]

Thank you Lisleoise, at last someone without their tastebuds burnt out by a vindaloo!!!

Here is a recipe seeing as I am feeling like sharing my good taste. No need to buy expensive fish as the spices will be the basis of the meal.  I buy frozen from Lidl (only about £2.20 for six pieces).

The whole spices and green chillies add background flavour but are not overly hot (the seeds and membranes of chillies contain the heat and they are not exposed to the curry), so this is mild enough for the children to eat and enjoy.

Ingredients
2 tbsp vegetable oil
half tsp brown mustard seeds
4 cloves
6 green cardamom pods, lightly crushed
1 large piece cinnamon stick
1 small onion, finely chopped
5cm/2in piece fresh ginger, peeled and quartered (you can find this at Intermarche and Geant)
2 large garlic cloves
1 tsp ground coriander
300ml/10½fl oz coconut milk (intermarche was cheapest for this)
2-4 green chillies, left whole
salt, to taste
100ml/3½fl oz water
10 curry leaves (you can miss this out)
½-1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
¾ tsp garam masala
500g/1lb 2oz salmon or firm white fish fillets, cut into large pieces
To serve
2-3 tsp lemon juice
50g/2oz fresh coriander leaves and stalks, chopped (buy frozen from Picard tastes stronger)

Method
1. Heat the oil in a non-stick pan, add the mustard seeds, cloves, cardamom pods and cinnamon stick and stir fry for 20 seconds (be careful, the seeds might pop). Add half of the chopped onion and fry for 4-5 minutes until soft.
2. Meanwhile, place the remaining onion, the ginger, garlic, ground coriander and 100ml/3½fl oz of the coconut milk into a blender or food processor and blend to a smooth purée.
3. Add this mixture to pan along with the whole green chillies and salt, to taste. Cover with a lid and cook over a low heat for 12-15 minutes, giving the pot an occasional stir.
4. Add the remaining coconut milk, the water, the currry leaves, black pepper and garam masala and the fish and leave to cook undisturbed for about 3-5 minutes, until the fish is opaque and cooked through.
5. To serve, stir in the lemon juice and coriander. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary, then pour into bowls and serve with rice.

[Christine Animal]

Thank you for that recipe Georgina !  I'm just hoping that Lisleoise will give us all her recipes after she's got through her wonderful evening;  Fancy preparing all that, sounds absolutely out of this world.   [:)]

I just closed my eyes and, hmmmmm, I could smell it !

 

[mint]

Yes, Georgina, thank you indeed.  In fact, I think I'll make that for Christmas.  OH does not eat meat but does eat fish and that was a good tip about leaving the chillies whole.

[Georgina]

Please tell us how to make nan breads Lisleoise.  And whilst you are at it, please open a restaurant thanks.[:)]

[Geordie girl]

Or a takeaway[:D]

[Suze01]

Phew, that was a lot of cooking!

The naan bread dough was made in the bread machine then shaped and cooked in the oven.  I just used the ingredients list from one of my Indian recipe books and put them in the machine in the correct order with the addition of black onion seeds (nigella).  The ingredients were milk, yogurt, egg, sugar, salt, plain flour, baking powder and dried yeast.  I did a trial run earlier in the week as I'd never tried it before.  They were very good.

Think I'll have a quiet weekend now [:)]

Thanks for the recipe Georgina, I'll try that one, sounds good.

[johnnyboy]

Apparently its all about the base sauce,there is a small book called "The Curry Secret" and it describes how to make a base for all types of curry.To make a given type,it tells you what to add to the base and what quantities etc.

Cannot find it at moment due to house move,but will post details if and when I find it.

From memory,it is mainly tomatoes(de-seeded and skinned) finely chopped onions,which is then pureed and cooked.Can't remember if you add garlic at this stage or later, so long since I used it due to good supply of local restaurants!

Must get hunting!!

Johnnyboy.

[Scooby]

[quote user="Lisleoise"]Phew, that was a lot of cooking!

The naan bread dough was made in the bread machine then shaped and cooked in the oven.  I just used the ingredients list from one of my Indian recipe books and put them in the machine in the correct order with the addition of black onion seeds (nigella).  The ingredients were milk, yogurt, egg, sugar, salt, plain flour, baking powder and dried yeast.  I did a trial run earlier in the week as I'd never tried it before.  They were very good.

Think I'll have a quiet weekend now [:)]

Thanks for the recipe Georgina, I'll try that one, sounds good.

[/quote]

Sounds exactly like the recipe I use Susie - also made in the bread machine.  You would never go back to the pieces of supermarket cardboard marketed as naan breads after eating freshly made ones [:)]

[Clair]

[quote user="johnnyboy"]Apparently its all about the base sauce,there is a small book called "The Curry Secret" and it describes how to make a base for all types of curry.To make a given type,it tells you what to add to the base and what quantities etc.[...][/quote]

Johnyboy,

This book?