My mission is to create the ULTIMATE curry
Discussion
Hello everyone,
I am going to develop a recipe for the perfect curry - which I am titling the Ultimate.
The idea is that this becomes a staple on any Indian Restaurants menu, and becomes the sauce of choice for all curry lovers.
Instead of a family ordering a Chicken Tikka Massalla, Chicken Kirma, Lamb Bhuna and King Prawn Madras, I want the order to be 2 Chicken Ultimates, 1 Lamb Ultimate and 1 Ling Prawn Ultimate!
The dish is going to be hot and sweet, thick, velvety, rich.
I haven't actually made the sauce yet, but I have conceived a recipe in my head which I am going to start with and develop in small batches.
Before I start, let me know your opinions on the below:
2 large onions, half a carrot and a few cauliflower florets - boiled until soft.
Puree the above with 2 green finger chillis and a red chilli.
Heat tablespoon of ghee and fry the puree - adding a teaspoon of hot curry powder, ground coriander, methi, tumeric, cloce of garlic and a pinch of fresh ginger
Add a tablespoon of tomato puree, tablespoon of ground almond and about 50g of creamed coconut
I want the curry 'Tandoori Red' so I will add a drop of colour
Thin the sauce with chicken stock and cook for a few hours
Finish with fresh coriander, cashew and lemon juice
Is this going to be the best curry sauce ever - if not, what would you change?
I am going to develop a recipe for the perfect curry - which I am titling the Ultimate.
The idea is that this becomes a staple on any Indian Restaurants menu, and becomes the sauce of choice for all curry lovers.
Instead of a family ordering a Chicken Tikka Massalla, Chicken Kirma, Lamb Bhuna and King Prawn Madras, I want the order to be 2 Chicken Ultimates, 1 Lamb Ultimate and 1 Ling Prawn Ultimate!
The dish is going to be hot and sweet, thick, velvety, rich.
I haven't actually made the sauce yet, but I have conceived a recipe in my head which I am going to start with and develop in small batches.
Before I start, let me know your opinions on the below:
2 large onions, half a carrot and a few cauliflower florets - boiled until soft.
Puree the above with 2 green finger chillis and a red chilli.
Heat tablespoon of ghee and fry the puree - adding a teaspoon of hot curry powder, ground coriander, methi, tumeric, cloce of garlic and a pinch of fresh ginger
Add a tablespoon of tomato puree, tablespoon of ground almond and about 50g of creamed coconut
I want the curry 'Tandoori Red' so I will add a drop of colour
Thin the sauce with chicken stock and cook for a few hours
Finish with fresh coriander, cashew and lemon juice
Is this going to be the best curry sauce ever - if not, what would you change?
Carrots are a staple in a lot of the 'base sauces' made.
A base sauce is usually a load of onions, some carrot, some green pepper, oil and spice, cooked until mush and blended up into a sauce. All curries are then made from that sauce.
In my dish, the carrot and Cauliflower will be pureed so you wont see them.
A base sauce is usually a load of onions, some carrot, some green pepper, oil and spice, cooked until mush and blended up into a sauce. All curries are then made from that sauce.
In my dish, the carrot and Cauliflower will be pureed so you wont see them.
Definitely need more ginger than a pinch and more garlic. I aim for a good thumb sized of both - added to the onion mix before boiling/frying/pureeing. I sometimes use some garlic during thr sauce frying/meat/veg part of the cookign process and add thin slices of ginger at the end with the coriander
Also - no cumin? you definintely need that. I often put in whole seeds and let them cook with the sauce, or else a good teaspoon of ground cumin is fine.
I'd skip the colouring and use paprika instead - more natural and if you used smoked paprika gives you something a bit extra too.
I reckon if you are making from scratch, you can make your own curry powder mix. This can be done my yourself, you have almost listed it above anyway: Cumin, Coriander, Turmeric, Fenugreek, Bay, Cinammon/nutmeg, star anise & chilli powder is a good base. Loads of varieties add extras can be added depending on what you want as an end result.
You will want some salt - you need this to balance the sweet & salt & sour taste (sugar from onions and coconut milk, add some sugar/jaggery too?, sourness from lime/tamarind).
If you check out a few indian food websites (Mamta's Kitchen is a good palce for ideas http://www.mamtaskitchen.com/ ) you can see what you might need for the perfect sauce!
Also - no cumin? you definintely need that. I often put in whole seeds and let them cook with the sauce, or else a good teaspoon of ground cumin is fine.
I'd skip the colouring and use paprika instead - more natural and if you used smoked paprika gives you something a bit extra too.
I reckon if you are making from scratch, you can make your own curry powder mix. This can be done my yourself, you have almost listed it above anyway: Cumin, Coriander, Turmeric, Fenugreek, Bay, Cinammon/nutmeg, star anise & chilli powder is a good base. Loads of varieties add extras can be added depending on what you want as an end result.
You will want some salt - you need this to balance the sweet & salt & sour taste (sugar from onions and coconut milk, add some sugar/jaggery too?, sourness from lime/tamarind).
If you check out a few indian food websites (Mamta's Kitchen is a good palce for ideas http://www.mamtaskitchen.com/ ) you can see what you might need for the perfect sauce!
Edited by prand on Thursday 2nd May 16:52
prand said:
Definitely need more ginger than a pinch and more garlic. I aim for a good thumb sized of both - added to the onion mix before boiling/frying/pureeing. I sometimes use some garlic during thr sauce frying/meat/veg part of the cookign process and add thin slices of ginger at the end with the coriander
Also - no cumin? you definintely need that. I often put in whole seeds and let them cook with the sauce, or else a good teaspoon of ground cumin is fine.
I'd skip the colouring and use paprika instead - more natural and if you used smoked paprika gives you something a bit extra too.
I reckon if you are making from scratch, you can make your own curry powder mix. This can be done my yourself, you have almost listed it above anyway: Cumin, Coriander, Turmeric, Fenugreek, Bay, Cinammon/nutmeg, star anise & chilli powder is a good base. Loads of varieties add extras can be added depending on what you want as an end result.
You will want some salt - you need this to balance the sweet & salt & sour taste (sugar from onions and coconut milk, add some sugar/jaggery too?, sourness from lime/tamarind).
If you check out a few indian food websites (Mamta's Kitchen is a good palce for ideas http://www.mamtaskitchen.com/ ) you can see what you might need for the perfect sauce!
Thanks Prand! I will experiment with the levels of garlic and chilli.Also - no cumin? you definintely need that. I often put in whole seeds and let them cook with the sauce, or else a good teaspoon of ground cumin is fine.
I'd skip the colouring and use paprika instead - more natural and if you used smoked paprika gives you something a bit extra too.
I reckon if you are making from scratch, you can make your own curry powder mix. This can be done my yourself, you have almost listed it above anyway: Cumin, Coriander, Turmeric, Fenugreek, Bay, Cinammon/nutmeg, star anise & chilli powder is a good base. Loads of varieties add extras can be added depending on what you want as an end result.
You will want some salt - you need this to balance the sweet & salt & sour taste (sugar from onions and coconut milk, add some sugar/jaggery too?, sourness from lime/tamarind).
If you check out a few indian food websites (Mamta's Kitchen is a good palce for ideas http://www.mamtaskitchen.com/ ) you can see what you might need for the perfect sauce!
Edited by prand on Thursday 2nd May 16:52
No cumin is a deliberate decision - I understand it is in 90% + o all curries but I don't want it in this. Tumeric will suffice I think.
Agreed on salt - fresh lemon juice will go in also.
Pferdestarke said:
I think your base sauce is lacking somewhat. I think you need to learn how to make a classic curry sauce first and then adjust the flavour from there.
If you boil anything it loses flavour in the water. You want to concentrate the flavours by caramelising and reducing.
I think the base may be lacking.If you boil anything it loses flavour in the water. You want to concentrate the flavours by caramelising and reducing.
Agreed on losing flavour in the water but that is the point with the onions. I think Indian restaurants do this and home cooking doesnt - which is why I find most home made curries leaving a raw onion aftertaste.
Erm, Turmeric will suffice as an alternative to cumin?!
I'm quite glad you're not cooking this for me!
Have a look at some Indian recipe books, madhur Jeffrey's curry bible has many many variations to experiment with, plus there is Kris Dhillon's Curry Secret which describes how to make the perfect restaurant curry base. Which dows indeed boil up the onion!
I also think you need to look at what you do with the meat. I would recommend this is marinated in ginger, garlic, turmeric, aome salt, some yoghurt possibly, and then pre cooked (roasted, fried or grilled in the tandoor!) before being added to the sauce. Unless you are stewing the meat for a long time it won't pick up the flavour of the sauce so well.
I'm quite glad you're not cooking this for me!
Have a look at some Indian recipe books, madhur Jeffrey's curry bible has many many variations to experiment with, plus there is Kris Dhillon's Curry Secret which describes how to make the perfect restaurant curry base. Which dows indeed boil up the onion!
I also think you need to look at what you do with the meat. I would recommend this is marinated in ginger, garlic, turmeric, aome salt, some yoghurt possibly, and then pre cooked (roasted, fried or grilled in the tandoor!) before being added to the sauce. Unless you are stewing the meat for a long time it won't pick up the flavour of the sauce so well.
rjo333 said:
I think the base may be lacking.
Agreed on losing flavour in the water but that is the point with the onions. I think Indian restaurants do this and home cooking doesnt - which is why I find most home made curries leaving a raw onion aftertaste.
No they don't, cook LOTS of onions on a low heat for aaaaaaaaages. Trust me, the missus is Indian.Agreed on losing flavour in the water but that is the point with the onions. I think Indian restaurants do this and home cooking doesnt - which is why I find most home made curries leaving a raw onion aftertaste.
That is the basis for any good curry.
prand said:
Erm, Turmeric will suffice as an alternative to cumin?!
I'm quite glad you're not cooking this for me!
Have a look at some Indian recipe books, madhur Jeffrey's curry bible has many many variations to experiment with, plus there is Kris Dhillon's Curry Secret which describes how to make the perfect restaurant curry base. Which dows indeed boil up the onion!
I also think you need to look at what you do with the meat. I would recommend this is marinated in ginger, garlic, turmeric, aome salt, some yoghurt possibly, and then pre cooked (roasted, fried or grilled in the tandoor!) before being added to the sauce. Unless you are stewing the meat for a long time it won't pick up the flavour of the sauce so well.
I hate tasting cumin in curry - it epitimises the supermarket curry in a jar to me.I'm quite glad you're not cooking this for me!
Have a look at some Indian recipe books, madhur Jeffrey's curry bible has many many variations to experiment with, plus there is Kris Dhillon's Curry Secret which describes how to make the perfect restaurant curry base. Which dows indeed boil up the onion!
I also think you need to look at what you do with the meat. I would recommend this is marinated in ginger, garlic, turmeric, aome salt, some yoghurt possibly, and then pre cooked (roasted, fried or grilled in the tandoor!) before being added to the sauce. Unless you are stewing the meat for a long time it won't pick up the flavour of the sauce so well.
As for the meat, I agree. I'm going to marinate in yoghurt, garlic and ginger - then griddle on a high heat for a few mins before adding to the sauce.
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