Making my curries taste like the ones I eat in restaurants?

[bullseye 10]

Many thanks Katy - I will certainly give that a whirl. Concerning the oil, should I just use a good quality vegetable oil or something else?

 

Ok try this:

 

Gram (ground chickpeas) flour about 1 1/2 cups

3 green chillies chopped

1 onion thinly sliced

1 small tomato thinly sliced

Bunch of fresh green corriander

1 tablespoon of cummin seeds

1 tablespoon of salt

1/2 teaspoon of turmeric

1 tablespoon of garam masala

1 small potato thinly sliced into circles

 

Mix everything together and add water carefully so you have a stable "enough to scoop up onto a spoon" mixture which you can drop into hot oil easily but make sure its not too runny and fry them while turning them over until golden brown.

 

If you find that they are too hard once cooked you may need to add more finely chopped onion or more water but make sure the onion or potato isnt chopped too fine as it will not hold to the batter when frying and you will have a pan full of small floating onion pieces etc

[InTheDark 10]

These receipes involve a bit of cooking though 40-45 mins and this is not what they do in a restaurant or take away.

 

What I want to know is what do they already have cooked and how do they make a curry in about 6mins?

 

I reckon:

 

The basic sauce will have already been made (what is it?)

The meat will have been cooked and spiced.

The veg will have already been part boiled.

 

I have the "Curry Secret" book from Chris Dhillon and it's good but it's still not the same.

 

What's the missing ingredient?

[Bago 10]

These receipes involve a bit of cooking though 40-45 mins and this is not what they do in a restaurant or take away.

 

What I want to know is what do they already have cooked and how do they make a curry in about 6mins?

 

I reckon:

 

The basic sauce will have already been made (what is it?)

The meat will have been cooked and spiced.

The veg will have already been part boiled.

 

I have the "Curry Secret" book from Chris Dhillon and it's good but it's still not the same.

 

What's the missing ingredient?

Well, of course all home cooked meals at home are based on a lot more TLC than the ones which are adapted in a commercial basis. A lot of ingredients are prepared before hand anyway. When the service runs for the evening, youjust put the building blocks together.

 

Meat is always cooked fresh. Sauces can be prepared before. It is just adding meat to the sauce, and cooking a further 10-15 minutes.

 

My friend was saying that, it is quite rare to find a restaurant which have cooked the meat with the actual curry sauce and stewed. That's fairly rare in restaurants, and the ones you cook at home will be better cos you will end up stewing the sauce with the meat, and it makes it tastes very very different.

 

I still remember this fantastic curry that I had in Akbar, and it was nothing that I had tasted before. I noticed that they fried the lamb to have crispy edges before cooking in the sauce. It gives a totally different flavour to the meat. Some meat are just added to the sauce, and it is like boiling it in liquid, but this one wasn't, and it sealed the meat. Which I thought was very unusual as well.

 

Oh, don't use just tasteless meat off the bone. Use meat on the bone too to give it a different flavour into the sauce.

[Weeowen 10]

Try this site.

 

http://www.desicookbook.com/

 

Seems to have lots of ideas

[KatySereen 10]

You can use any type of cooking oil, I prefer olive oil. Most restaurants etc pre cook the meat and just add a sauce when they get an order and add a few spices to it to make it hot, mild etc. The main thing to get right is the frying of the meat once the juice has evaporated and if you add a handful of dry fenugreek leaves at this point you will get the most mouth watering smell ever, trust me!

 

 

Many thanks Katy - I will certainly give that a whirl. Concerning the oil, should I just use a good quality vegetable oil or something else?

[*Banjo* 10]

On my last visit to York I came across the Spicebox store where they bag up all the freshly ground and picked spices etc. for making your own curry at home.

 

Tastes nowt like the curry in a jar job from the supermarket - all you do is follow the instructions on the packet which typically involves adding 300mg of water, something like a tin of chopped tomatoes, and 1 kg of uncooked meat/veg of your choice. The packs are £3.95 but they do make a lot of curry. Got one on the slow cooker as we speak for tonights and tomorrow nights supper.

 

You can find out more and order online at http://www.spicebox.co.uk/ and before anyone asks I've nothing to do with the firm. Simply that since I discovered these packs I haven't ordered one take away curry since. The Phal is my favourite as it spicy but has such a depth of flavour rather than just out and out heat.

 

When I read this thread I immediately went online and ordered one of these packs, cooked it yesterday for tea today and it was amazing! I too will not be ordering take away again! Thanks for the tip:thumbsup:

[zweena 10]

Try Madhur Jaffereys cookbooks, they are amazing and she very well describes how spices get their flavour from what you do to them.

 

Get your spices from an indian shop like Shah's rather than the supermarket. You'll save money and they are just a whole lot better.

 

And we get our meat from halal butchers, and often use goat from them, or mutton.

[katkin 10]

somewhere in the house Im sure Ive still got the Pat Chapman video and if I can find it I'll let you know what the base sauce is

[JonnyRandom 10]

When I read this thread I immediately went online and ordered one of these packs, cooked it yesterday for tea today and it was amazing! I too will not be ordering take away again! Thanks for the tip:thumbsup:

 

Me too, first time i've cooked for the mrs in ages. No more takeways in this house now! thank's for the tip frenchie.

[komal 11]

3 teaspoons coriander powder

 

 

1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder or paprika

 

 

1 teaspoon fennel seeds

 

 

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

 

 

1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder

 

 

1 x 0.5 cm fresh ginger

 

 

2 garlic cloves

 

 

200 ml coconut milk

 

 

2 tablespoons cooking oil

 

 

1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds

 

 

1/2 teaspoon fenugreek seeds or mustard seeds

 

 

5 cm cinnamon stick

 

 

225 g onions finely chopped

 

 

1 tin chopped tomatoes

 

 

salt

 

 

juice of 1/2 lime or lemon

 

 

 

-

Put the coriander powder, chilli powder or paprika, fennel and cumin seeds, and turmeric powder into a blender and grind. Add the ginger and garlic, and 2 tablespoons of water and puree in the blender to a thick paste.

 

 

Drain the tomatoes and keep the juice!

Heat the oil in a cooking pot and fry the fennel and fenugreek (or mustard) seeds and the cinnamon stick for 10 seconds. Add the onion and fry on low heat until lightly coloured. Add the spice paste and sautee for 7 minutes. Add a few drops of water if it sticks to the bottom of the pot.

Then add the tomatoes and saute for 2-3 minutes.

 

 

Pour the tomato juice in a measuring jug and fill up with water to 1/2 pint (about 300 ml). Add salt to taste.

Add to the pot, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes to make a smooth gravy. Add the coconut milk and bring to the boil. Add the lime juice, taste and add more salt if necessary.