I guess I must be like many other curry lovers who have gone through the various stages of home curry making in the quest for the perfect home curry. From curry powder, to blending my own from fresh spices.

Recently I've been suprised at how many commercial Indian curry restaurants use pre made pastes as a base from which they then adjust to give their own identity. Most people wouldn't ever know that a paste was the starting point. I've even seen them on the shelves of award winning establishments when they've been on TV.

I've been experiementing with many pastes and have been really suprised at how well the paste-based curries turn out and many of my guests have been shocked at how simply I now make what many think are my best curries. And as they all ask "how I did it", I thought I'd start a thread for those interested to share some of those ideas with others ..... you never know there might be more curry lovers out there traveling the same path .....

My current favourite curry has to be the easiest I have ever made. The presumption of anyone reading it will be that it can't be good. But it is.

One of the great advantages of the meal is that I can prepare it first thing in the morning whilst the boss is still in bed snoring and my cooking is basically complete for lunch. The curry goes into my hot pot for slow cooking and my rice is in the zoji. So all is complete before 8am.

Here is my mildish Madras.

1/2 Jar Pataks Madras paste
1 can Easy fried onion and one can of coconut milk blended to a thick fine paste
I can of cream of tomato soup
Sugar or sweetener to taste
Around 800 gms of chicken wings or thighs
(optional: frozen (or dried) kafir leaves)

I simply fry the paste in a little oil for a few minutes to remove the harshness. I gradually add the onion/coconut mix and fry the mixture for a few more minutes. I add the cream of tomato sauce and sweeten, add the chicken and put the lot into the hot pot on slow until lunch. The kaffir leaves are added before I serve to give the smell, freshness and a touch of lift. I sometimes add a touch more liquid chilli subject to who is eating it. I mop off any floating oil or fat before I serve it using kitchen roll.

The preparation takes 5 minutes and it is one of the best curries I have made.

I use a similar'ish approach with Kormas and others.

This doesn't sound like it can possibly be good but most who taste it think it is.

Any other ideas ..............?

If only we didn't have amazing curry take-away just down the street!

That said, this method looks like it's worth a try... I'm thinking lamb Korma. ^

I actually just skip using the paste and mixing ingredients. and buy Pataks Tiki Masala Sauce!

ITS AMAZING especially with jasmine rice. I just add some hot pepper and garlic to it.

I use the Pataks Korma paste for this and it's pretty much the same approach as above including the tomato soup which gives slight tomato but adds the creaminess without the cream. But I also add a fair amount of ground almond and dessicated coconut and a good slug of yoghurt. I use one of the large cans of coconut milk for korma - the msaller for the madfras above. I also add a fair amount of extra sweetening. Korma also really enjoys the slow cooker and to be honest I enjoy using neck lamb fillet which is pretty similar in price as cheap lamb in the UK but is much softer and less prone to toughness.

I cant get on with pre made pastes, this is what I use


• 2 cups of cut cauliflower (cut into small florets) or 2 large tomatoes cut into small wedges
• 2 medium potatoes (cubed into bite sized pieces)
• 1 inch shredded ginger
• 3 teaspoons coriander powder (dhania)
• 1 teaspoon cumin powder
• 1/4 teaspoon turmeric (haldi)
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper ( lal mirch)
• 3 tablespoons water
• 3 tablespoons oil
• Pinch of Asafetida (Hing) or 4 garlic cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds (jeera)
• � teaspoon coriander seeds
• 2 green or red chilies, sliced in long pieces
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 teaspoon salt (to taste)
• 2 tablespoons of chopped cilantro (green coriander)
• 1/4 cup water as needed


1. mix the shredded ginger, coriander powder, cayenne pepper, turmeric, and 3 tablespoons of water to make a paste.
2. Heat the oil in a pan Add hing and cumin and coriander seeds to the oil after seeds crack add the bay leaves and chilies and stir for a few seconds. add the spice paste and stir for a minute until spices start leaving the oil.
3. Add cauliflower, potatoes, 2 tablespoons of water and salt. Mix well. Cover the pan and cook on medium for about 15 minutes until the vegetables are tender

An uncanny resemblance to http://www.ifood.tv/recipe/aloo-gobi-1

"Cut and paste" but not "Pataks paste"!

I guess if you find the pastes unsuitable but can used the spices once opened fairly quickly then they'll always be an understandable preference some have for the fresh spice route.

And I can smell your Aloo Gobi now from my position up the A303 .....

We love this recipe for Chicken Makhani, and it's super easy with the crock pot!

http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/2008...an-butter.html

it did start life as a Manjulas kitchen recipe but has become personalised by adding cumin seeds, garlic, chillis, onion,bay leaves and tomatoes and some others. a 100g bag of coriander powder or cumin powder doesnt last long enough to go stale in our house!
I have been learning the basics of what each spice does in a recipe for a while and have perfected a personalised recipe for several dishes.
The Anjum Anad (BBC food) recipe for vindaloo is excellent, 3 chillis so tingly but not violent on the palate.
I am a Home Economics teacher and make most things from scratch because I like the pleasure of painstaking preparation and cooking

if you want to try the spices PM me and I will send you some ready mixed!

That's extraordinarily kind - very much appreciated.

I'm so far down the paste path I fear I'll never be back .......

The reasons are simple from my perspective. The whole thing about cooking obsession is to learn how to get the food exactly like you want it and then - and this is where the blend your own spice mix is tougher - to be able to replicate it exactly.

I know that theoretically with careful wheighing etc it should be quite easy but in practice with so many variables it's tougher. And there's the freshness issue of spices. And also - as you know - there's no rules about what constitutes a korma or a madras - it's what suits you within the wide description of "milder and creamier" and "hotter" for each. From what you said, your pleasure is as much about learning the effect of each spice as about the finished dish.

My motive is simply to encourage those that are intimidated by "the mix your own spice mix from scratch" route - and it can be discouraging and dissapointing as well as intimidating - to at least get in the kitchen and use pastes and think "yep ... I can make a half-decent curry and didn't think I could ..."

Roast chicken Tikka with spiced potatoes for dinner tonight! a different take on Roast dinner, can you smell it from Devizes???

http://www.kitchensofindia.com/globa...ada_sauces.asp

I really like these jarred sauces - far better than Sharwoods / Pataks etc. I make a mean paneer curry with the cilantro one and the tomato one is pretty good too. They do pastes as well as the jarred sauces, and horror of horrors, do MRE style ready to eat versions (and the paneer one is actually not bad for a ready meal!)

If you dont mind making things up and stroing them then keep

(1) cumin coriander poder (mixed i 1 cumin to 2 coriander

(2) ""Garam masala"" recipe available anywhere or opm me

(3) Bay leaves
(4) chilli podwer and turmeric 1 tsp each more chilli for more spice

handy

A simple curry then is just onions chopped//sliced and fried until golden then pop in (4) and fry for 1 minute, then pop in (1) and (3) and fry for 2 mins then pop in the meat/chicken/veggies, saute for 3-5 minutes then add youghurt/tomoatoes/coconut milk/water depending on your taste and mood, and cook until meat/chicken/veggies are done then sprinkle (2) above , garnish with chooped coriander and you have a curry!