Any curry experts out there??

[silverback mike]

Hi Folks,
My latest fad is to make curries using proper spices and all that rather than jars. The majority are spot on.

One question though.... My chicken tikka masala is not red, it's orangy ish. My previous experience of takeaways and sit ins is that they are rather more colourful, and red.

I've followed a decent recipe, it tastes fine, and has the right constituency, but it's not red.

Research has shown that there is a spice called tandoori masala, however this isn't in the recipe.

Or do I throw some red food colouring in.

Thanks in advance in answering my 'burning' question.

Mike.

[Fleegle]

The red is created by mixing 10 red Scotch Bonnet chillies in the blender and mixing it to your curry.

Yours

Fanny Craddock

[silverback mike]

[B.J.W]

silverback mike said:

Hi Folks,
My latest fad is to make curries using proper spices and all that rather than jars. The majority are spot on.

One question though.... My chicken tikka masala is not red, it's orangy ish. My previous experience of takeaways and sit ins is that they are rather more colourful, and red.

I've followed a decent recipe, it tastes fine, and has the right constituency, but it's not red.

Research has shown that there is a spice called tandoori masala, however this isn't in the recipe.

Or do I throw some red food colouring in.

Thanks in advance in answering my 'burning' question.

Mike.

Have the same issue - none of the supermarkets seem to stock 'proper' tandoori masala. Best place to look is at an Indian food shop.

[jas xjr]

use paprika for red colour.not very strong tasting and will give you a strong red colour

[fatboy b]

A proper tikka masala is not red.

Next.

[Herbie58]

According to the indian lady who taught me, it's food colouring.

[silverback mike]

jas xjr said:

use paprika for red colour.not very strong tasting and will give you a strong red colour

Now there's a thought

[silverback mike]

Herbie58 said:

According to the indian lady who taught me, it's food colouring.

[Adenauer]

All aboard the food and drink bus.

It's food colouring.

[DeputyDawg]

fatboy b said:

A proper tikka masala is not red.

Next.

This ^^^

[jas xjr]

silverback mike said:

jas xjr said:

use paprika for red colour.not very strong tasting and will give you a strong red colour

Now there's a thought

i am of indian origin as is my wife. we also have a business where we teach people to cook genuine indian food

[cal72]

Try here, i have had problems finding the ones i need from supermarkets and such.

http://www.spicesofindia.co.uk/acatalog/Basic-Indi...

[silverback mike]

ahh I see, so my efforts were probably correct.

Looks nice red though.

Or have I just hit the nail on the head...

[Miguel Alvarez]

hahaha go for the scotch bonnets.

Joking aside you do realise that the majority of the curries people eat in the UK have colouring added as most (insert brush/tar smiley) English men expect their curries to be bright vivid colours.

[silverback mike]

Thanks Cal

[plasticpig]

It's a mix of different spices not a spice in itself. Its red because it includes red chilli powder and paprika.

[CypherP]

This is quite a weird thread. Why are you more concerned about the colour of the food, over the taste and smell?

If you've made a good curry and the recipe works, then I'd be more than happy with that. Especially seeing as it's already been highlighted that it shouldn't technically be red anyway.

I'd stick with your recipe and make it as it is, instead of fannying around with food colouring just to make it look like the one you'd bought from a takeaway.

[silverback mike]

May be weird to you but I simply wondered why every restaurant curry I have eaten of this ilk is red, mine wasn't and I was following an authentic recipe from the beginning.

[cal72]

A plain masala is more brown in colour, a tikka masala does have a reddish tinge to it due to the meat is cooked then added to sause and tomatoes do add a slight colour to.