Easy curry from scratch

[Rob85]

Who loves a good curry? Well over the Christmas period I had an advert come up on facebook from a company called Tastesmiths. Basically you order curry packs that have everything you need to do a certain kind of curry, dry spices and chillis etc....short of an onion and chopped tomatoes and your chosen meat. I decided to give them a go and we ordered 6 packs or assorted things and being honest it totally blew my mind.

I always found cooking spicy food from fresh spices and ingredients was less likely to give me the Yits than a takeaway full of additives and preservatives.

For anyone that loves cooking up a nice curry I highly recommend them.

I have used chicken in them all apart from the tex mex chilli one and I haven't had the Korma yet but I reckon these would do well with game meats as well as chicken. I'm thinking if I can get a rabbit it might go well with the Korma.

[oscarsdad]

Buy a copy of “the curry secret”. You’ll never bother with a takeaway again as the recipes are nicer and healthier - plus you know where the meat came from rather than dodgy takeaway source of “meat”. 

[Mungler]

Yes another vote for the curry secret here. Swear by it and make a home made curry once every 10 days.

[oscarsdad]

7 minutes ago, Mungler said:

Yes another vote for the curry secret here. Swear by it and make a home made curry once every 10 days.

The second curry secret has a better recipe for the base as it doesn’t stink the house out but the first book has better curry recipes in my view. 

[Walker570]

I don't know what secrets my wife keeps but from what we have in our spice trays she always seems to be able to provide a tasty meal.  Pheasant breast meat left over from a roast , curried tonight and personally I like it poured over a large baked potato, split open and buttered first.   

[Rob85]

18 minutes ago, Walker570 said:

I don't know what secrets my wife keeps but from what we have in our spice trays she always seems to be able to provide a tasty meal.  Pheasant breast meat left over from a roast , curried tonight and personally I like it poured over a large baked potato, split open and buttered first.   

My missus would use the leftover curry sauce as a warm or cold dipping sauce for tortilla chips. 

 

37 minutes ago, oscarsdad said:

Buy a copy of “the curry secret”. You’ll never bother with a takeaway again as the recipes are nicer and healthier - plus you know where the meat came from rather than dodgy takeaway source of “meat”. 

I'll have to look into that book. The wee packs delivered to us have all the dry spices etc and the chillis, real handy packs. Ultimately I'll probably invest in building up my own spice tray once I get the know how of what to use and when

[Mungler]

1 hour ago, oscarsdad said:

The second curry secret has a better recipe for the base as it doesn’t stink the house out but the first book has better curry recipes in my view. 

Hahahaha

I have an enormous cooking pot and would do a VAT of the base sauce on an outside gas ring because of the smell.

Now we clear the kitchen of all fabric, open windows, turn on the extractor and blitz it in one session - that’s 3 to 4 sacks of onions and every large pot we have to hand.

I used to peel the fresh ginger and fresh garlic on a noble quest for fresh and fresh flavour, but it’s BS and I now use the large jars of lazy garlic and lazy ginger.

[samboy]

I like a curry but i'd rather use pataks paste than all that faffing about. 

[Yellow Bear]

53 minutes ago, Mungler said:

I used to peel the fresh ginger and fresh garlic on a noble quest for fresh and fresh flavour, but it’s BS and I now use the large jars of lazy garlic and lazy ginger.

Likewise 👍

[Farmboy91]

2 hours ago, Walker570 said:

I don't know what secrets my wife keeps but from what we have in our spice trays she always seems to be able to provide a tasty meal.  Pheasant breast meat left over from a roast , curried tonight and personally I like it poured over a large baked potato, split open and buttered first.   

I normally do the same with lamb, I don't think you can beat the extra flavour a bit of meat from a Sunday dinner gives to a curry, even better if there's some leftover gravy 👌

[oscarsdad]

11 minutes ago, samboy said:

I like a curry but i'd rather use pataks paste than all that faffing about. 

Utterly incomparable to what some effort from the curry secret can produce. 

[paul1966]

do you need a cupboard full of various spices to make a good curry ? Or are there just a few favourites people use 

[Farmboy91]

8 minutes ago, paul1966 said:

do you need a cupboard full of various spices to make a good curry ? Or are there just a few favourites people use 

Gararm massala, turmeric, cumin, fresh onion garlic and ginger are normally what I would use, then fresh chilli for the heat. 

Then tinned tomatoes with or without coconut milk.

Sometimes I squirt some tomato sauce in too, rounds it off nicely.

Edited January 3, 2021 by Farmboy91

[fatchap]

I like a homemade curry, any one will do. apart from a Korma thats not a curry its a desert. And I like it served in one of those giant Aunt Bessie's Yorkshire puddings. The wife and me cannot make yorkshire puddings if our lives depended on it.

[Jim Neal]

Funnily enough I've just been prepping tomorrow's dinner... pheasant curry!  Butter chicken pheasant for the missus & kid and a nice warming dhansak for me.

7 hours ago, Rob85 said:

Who loves a good curry? Well over the Christmas period I had an advert come up on facebook from a company called Tastesmiths. Basically you order curry packs that have everything you need to do a certain kind of curry, dry spices and chillis etc....short of an onion and chopped tomatoes and your chosen meat. I decided to give them a go and we ordered 6 packs or assorted things and being honest it totally blew my mind.

I always found cooking spicy food from fresh spices and ingredients was less likely to give me the Yits than a takeaway full of additives and preservatives.

For anyone that loves cooking up a nice curry I highly recommend them.

I have used chicken in them all apart from the tex mex chilli one and I haven't had the Korma yet but I reckon these would do well with game meats as well as chicken. I'm thinking if I can get a rabbit it might go well with the Korma.

 

 

That's an interesting way of going about it - is it worth what is presumably an extra cost compared to knocking up your own dishes from scratch?  Oh and I like the triple carb hit by the way, a touch of class with the chips

Interesting recommendation for the cook book, I've just had a look on Amazon for The Curry Secret, seems like you can pick up the original version used for only a few quid so I'll give it a go, thanks 

This is my curry bible: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Three-Sisters-Indian-Cookbook-Delicious/dp/0857200275/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=three+sisters+indian&qid=1609708512&s=books&sr=1-1

@samboy if you really like your curry bursting with flavour, get a book or two, invest in a range of spices and a few basic kitchen accessories and you'll never buy a jar of tasteless paste again!  It's a world apart when you make your own   Also, if you make a decent sized batch you can portion it up and freeze it so if you want a yummy curry but haven't got the time all that's needed is your accompaniments which are usually quick to prepare.  Winner!

@fatchap two secrets to yorkies: 1) Your oil needs to be hotter than satan's jockstrap, top shelf maximum warp for at least 10 minutes prior to adding your batter.  2) Whisk your batter mechanically really really well to get plenty of air in it, immediately before pouring in to the scalding hot oil.  Use either a hand blender with whisk attachment, mixing paddles, or whatever attachment in a food processor that will whip it up the best.  My recipe is 2 large eggs, 70g plain flour and 100ml semi-skimmed milk, if that helps.  Don't use self-raising flour else you'll end up with a little biscuit in the bottom of the tray 😂

Edited January 3, 2021 by Jim Neal

[Jim Neal]

3 hours ago, paul1966 said:

do you need a cupboard full of various spices to make a good curry ? Or are there just a few favourites people use 

When you start off making your own from scratch you will need to go out and buy a fair few different spices, but they last literally forever.  I have just finished the last of what I called my rocket fuel chilli powder that must have lasted me over 7 years!  I bought it from a local corner shop, never heard of the brand but it was literally many times hotter than supermarket stuff you get in a little pot.  I used to use the thin end of a teaspoon to measure it out!!

A decent pestle & mortar is a good investment, as is a good quality food processor and a hand blender with a few different attachments.  A decent chopping board, selection of good quality knives (keep them sharp!), big heavy-based frying pan and a couple of decent sized saucepans and you're good to go.  You accumulate kitchen stuff as you need it, so if you enjoy cooking spend a little money on the kit and it will be even more enjoyable

[fatchap]

@Jim NealThanks for the directions but Aunt Bessie's Yorkie puds are pretty damn fine. But if I could smuggle the yorkie puds out of a Toby Carvery because they are unbeatable.

[Jim Neal]

4 minutes ago, fatchap said:

@Jim NealThanks for the directions but Aunt Bessie's Yorkie puds are pretty damn fine. But if I could smuggle the yorkie puds out of a Toby Carvery because they are unbeatable.

Give it a go, you've got nothing to lose!

[Mungler]

This thread prompted me on Sunday to knock up another batch of curry sauce; I’ve now got 15 litres of potent ‘green’ sauce (which is liquidised boiled onions, garlic and ginger) which I have poured into 1 litre plastic lid takeaway container boxes.

I’ve knocked this batch up to be a little more concentrated - the plan is 1 litre of green to 1 litre of what is tomato pasata to give 2 litres of red curry sauce which will then do a family of 5 for various strength curries and some sides.

The sauce means that I can throw together a from scratch curry in about 25 minutes and I know exactly what’s in the sauce (unlike the jar stuff).

Mind you I’m 2 days on and my fingers still stink of garlic and onions 😆

I did treat myself to a new 20 litre stock pot off amazon. 

[oscarsdad]

12 minutes ago, Mungler said:

This thread prompted me on Sunday to knock up another batch of curry sauce; I’ve now got 15 litres of potent ‘green’ sauce (which is liquidised boiled onions, garlic and ginger) which I have poured into 1 litre plastic lid takeaway container boxes.

I’ve knocked this batch up to be a little more concentrated - the plan is 1 litre of green to 1 litre of what is tomato pasata to give 2 litres of red curry sauce which will then do a family of 5 for various strength curries and some sides.

The sauce means that I can throw together a from scratch curry in about 25 minutes and I know exactly what’s in the sauce (unlike the jar stuff).

Mind you I’m 2 days on and my fingers still stink of garlic and onions 😆

I did treat myself to a new 20 litre stock pot off amazon. 

I think I’ll be doing similar - need to add some onions to the online shopping! It makes a massive difference cooking the chicken etc in the green sauce I think. 

[39TDS]

On 03/01/2021 at 21:41, Jim Neal said:

I have just finished the last of what I called my rocket fuel chilli powder that must have lasted me over 7 years!  I bought it from a local corner shop, never heard of the brand but it was literally many times hotter than supermarket stuff you get in a little pot.

Tandoori masala. Sainsburys sell it if you are in an ethnic part of the country on their "Foods of the World" aisle. Cheap as anything for a bag of it.

[Lloyd90]

On 03/01/2021 at 16:08, Mungler said:

Hahahaha

I have an enormous cooking pot and would do a VAT of the base sauce on an outside gas ring because of the smell.

Now we clear the kitchen of all fabric, open windows, turn on the extractor and blitz it in one session - that’s 3 to 4 sacks of onions and every large pot we have to hand.

I used to peel the fresh ginger and fresh garlic on a noble quest for fresh and fresh flavour, but it’s BS and I now use the large jars of lazy garlic and lazy ginger.

Find those lazy jars awful. They’re preserved in vinegar or something and just makes your entire meal taste of vinegar. 

[Rob85]

1 hour ago, Lloyd90 said:

Find those lazy jars awful. They’re preserved in vinegar or something and just makes your entire meal taste of vinegar. 

I think it's the preservatives and MSG that's hidden away in the lazy jars and curry sauces that set my guts off after a curry. The ones I had there are prepacked fresh chilli and ginger and garlic with the dry spices there too, the Madras one I had the other day was hot enough to get a sweat on and clear the sinus' a bit but the day after still didn't result in a toilet horror story.

Buying the spices in bulk is probably the cheapest way to go but for storage and an already planned meal I think the packs from tastesmiths were reasonably good value. I still have the korma Masala one to make and it gives you a choice of going mild or hot and spicy....im favouring hot and spicy!

[Fatcatsplat]

4 hours ago, Lloyd90 said:

Find those lazy jars awful. They’re preserved in vinegar or something and just makes your entire meal taste of vinegar. 

Agreed - Prepping garlic is easy with a crusher and ginger is a doddle - Peel it with a teaspoon - and comes away dead easy.

Have a look at Rajah or East End spices - They're dirt cheap and if you store them in airtight dark containers, they will last a while - Air, moisture and light are the enemy of dried herbs/spices, so keep 'em dry and dark.

Regrettably i live in a household where we all have vastly different curry preferences, so can never batch cook unless it's a bland, middle of the road compromise.

I do have a terra cotta pot tandoor in the garden though and make a mean tandoori and tikka, plus you can't beat a home made, fresh naan bread - The shop bought ones are just a bit pants

 

[Mungler]

Is there an easy way to peel garlic? The last batch cook of base sauce I did needed just under 1/2 kilo and life is far too short for peeling / crushing that quantity of garlic.