Thread: Make a curry just like the UK Curry Restaurant

Hi All
I often think about things I would miss if I lived outside the UK... Being an avid curry eater, a decent curry would defo be up there (probably just above family and friends)

I like a traditional curry (well traditional UK curry restaurant style) and I would assume there are a few on here that like the same, so here is a recipe that makes it.

Nearly all currys start with a "Massalla Gravy" The following recipe makes A LOT of gravy obviously make it smaller if you want however I tend to make up this much and then freeze it into smaller, portion sized, bags.

Massalla Gravy Ingredients
1/2 pint ghee (purified butter, veg oil will work)
6 onions pureed (use a food processor)
5 tablespoons garlic puree
4 tablespoons ginger puree
4 cans chopped tomatoes (puree in the food processor)
6 tablespoons tomatoe paste
3 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons sugar
Mix the following spices with water to make a paste
4 tablespoons mild curry powder
2 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons tumeric


Recipe

• Take a 3rd of the ghee (or oil) and melt it.
• Add the garlic and ginger puree and fry it off for about 2 mins.
• Add another 3rd of the ghee/oil (let it melt)
• Add the spice paste (cook it out for 5 mins)
• Add the rest of the ghee/oil
• Add the pureed onion (fry for 10/15 mins)
• Add the pureed tomatoes
• Add salt and sugar
• Leave to simmer for 1/2 hour to 45 minutes should be thick but pourable consistency (think tomoato ketchup) you can loosen with water if it drys out.

Once you have made this the currys you can make are endless... Dopiaza, Bhuna, Madras, Jalfrazi ect...

I will post a recipe for a Madras using this gravy next (with pictures if i can)... All you will need after that is some poppadoms, 15 pints and a punch up.

Bogso

Could you explain about what exactly is ghee?
Your recipe look just great, thanks. There is a new Indian Restaurant here in Chiang Rai, but quite expensive, and I do love cooking at home.

http://www.itv.com/Lifestyle/Food/Br...i/default.html

I saw this one on "Britians best dish" and copied it, awesome curry although its more complicated than the OP's, but well worth it.

Originally Posted by lannaman

Could you explain about what exactly is ghee?

clarrified butter

Originally Posted by good2bhappy

Originally Posted by lannaman

Could you explain about what exactly is ghee?

clarrified butter

Probably wont make it clearer!

Its butter where by the milk solids have been removed. The advantage is that you can take it to a higher heat. Normal butter "chars" (burns) at quite a low temperature. Clarified butter lets you get much hotter temperature for frying etc. Last longer as well.

However, it does impart a distinctive "flavour" (and aroma) that some people don't like.

I've just looked up ghee in Wiktionary and here is the result:

There are two kinds of ghee. Usli ghee or clarified butter is used rarely, partly because of its expense and partly because Indians consider it "heavy". The more commonly used ghee is a mixture of various vegetable oils.
Retrieved from "ghee - Wiktionary"

Look like we had better use oil!

Thanks for the explanation but no hope of getting hold of ghee in Chiang Rai! So l will definately be using oil.

Originally Posted by lannaman

Thanks for the explanation but no hope of getting hold of ghee in Chiang Rai! So l will definately be using oil.

You might be surprised. Its often sold in green tins - I got some in a supermarket in bangkok. It might be one of those things you need to actively look for.

ali bongo restaurant in Kanchanaburi is the real thing, owned by a manchester lad

to clarify butter just melt it a slow temp and once melted pour off the clear butter and leave the cloudy milky stuff in the pan and throw it away.

Ghee is unsalted butter.

Originally Posted by Jesus Jones

Ghee is unsalted butter.

Uhm. No, its not.

as blackgang explained above ghee is clarified butter, standard veg oil will do the same job... Enjoy

I made the Masala Gravy this afternoon following your directions. The garlic. ginger, paste and onions smelt just wonderful as I fried them, however I think the recipe is much too heavy on tomatoes whose taste in the finished gravy drowned out the other ingredients.
Four big ice-cream tubs are now cooling in the freezer. The test will be when I make the Madras next week, I'll let you know my opinion.
Anyway, thanks for the recipies, I look forward to you posting more.

I love indian tucker also, thanks for the info.

Can never work out why Indian restaurants are so expensive as there aint that much to it ?????

Originally Posted by terry57

I love indian tucker also, thanks for the info.

Can never work out why Indian restaurants are so expensive as there aint that much to it ?????

Only ever found one Indian in BKK worth a second trip which is disappointing after living in Malaysia where they are all good and excellent value for money.
We would go out to one, twice a week, real Indian and never tired of it although it did make one stink a bit (like a real Indian.)
I downloaded all of that Indian bird ( Anjum Arnun?) on UK TV who does Indian cooking, delectable she is, and the foods good as well.

Originally Posted by lannaman

Toms dominate the taste buds. I made the Masala Gravy this afternoon following your directions. The garlic. ginger, paste and onions smelt just wonderful as I fried them, however I think the recipe is much too heavy on tomatoes whose taste in the finished gravy drowned out the other ingredients. Four big ice-cream tubs are now cooling in the freezer. The test will be when I make the Madras next week, I'll let you know my opinion. Anyway, thanks for the recipies, I look forward to you posting more.

I agree, all this gravy is is a base, once you do the madras you will notice the other flavours (I hope anyway) :-) Let me know...

Originally Posted by peterpan

I downloaded all of that Indian bird ( Anjum Arnun?) on UK TV who does Indian cooking, delectable she is, and the foods good as well.

Her stuff is on the BBC website

BBC - Indian Food Made Easy - Homepage

Hi Bogso
The madras was very tasty, thanks. Got any more recipes? We're all waiting!

Glad you enjoyed it, I will post another one this afternoon...