2012 Cooking Club Week 2b: Indian Resturant curries

Im posting this up as there has been a lot of recent interest in Indian curry. Ive see this done in a few different restrants down through the years and have mastered it myself. the steps are the same from place to place with slight variation on the base gravy.
I have been making these curries for years so feel free to ask any questions...

the basic steps are
1. make ginger/garlic paste.
2. make the generic spice mix called "mix" or "curry masala"
3. make curry base.
4. Pre cook your chicken.
5. make a portion of curry using previous step ingredients.

the whole process will take about 3 hours so maybe try it on a lazy saturday or sunday afternoon. Ive given the recipes for the 3 main curries please try these first!



edit:- See Post #202 for simplified/altered versions of some of the recipes below.


Indian Restaurant Curry recipes

Ginger and garlic paste
30g ginger
30g garlic
2tbs water
Add the ingredients to a blender and blend to a paste consistency.

Curry Masala
This is the generic Indian curry powder used in Indian restaurants.
2tbs ground coriander
2tbs ground cumin
2tbs paprika
3tbs ground turmeric
1tbs garam masala
2tbs curry powder

Mix these spices well and keep in an airtight container.

Curry base gravy
200ml Vegetable oil
2tbs ginger and garlic paste
7 medium onions
1tsp salt
2 medium carrots
1 green pepper
2 green chillies
Water
2tbs curry masala
½ can of plumb tomatoes
Handful of fresh coriander leaves

Heat the vegetable oil in a large pot and add the ginger and garlic paste and sauté for two minutes. Add the onions and salt and sauté for 5 minutes. Add the carrots, green pepper and chillies and sauté for a further 10 minutes.
Add just enough water to the pot to cover the vegetables and bring to the boil. Then add the remaining ingredients and boil for 25 minutes.
Turn off the heat and blend the contents of the pot, with a hand blender. The consistency should be of a thinish soup. Water can be added to thin the curry base gravy if necessary, i usually do.
This curry base gravy will keep in the fridge for 3 days, after which, it will lose its flavor. I normally freeze it, in take away cartons. Each carton holds 5 ladles of curry base gravy, with which I can make 2 curries, any time I feel like it!


Cooking the meats (4 portions)
4tbs vegetable oil
4 bay leaves
3 cinnamon sticks
4 green cardamom pods
1 chopped onion
1tbs ginger and garlic paste
½ tsp of salt
4 chicken breasts diced/lamb
Water to cover the meat
1tbs curry masala

Heat the oil and add the whole spices. When the cardamom pods swell add the ginger and garlic paste, onion and salt. Sauté for 5 mins, then add the remaining ingredients. Bring to the boil then simmer for 45mins, stir occasionally. The chicken will absorb a all the great flavours and become very tender and succulent. If cooking lamb, it will need to cook for 3 hours so add water every hour to stop the pot going dry.


Pilau Rice
2tbs oil
2cups basmati rice
3 cinnamon sticks
3 star anise
6 green cardamoms
1tsp cumin seeds
6 cloves
3cups water
1tsp turmeric

Wash the rice and soak it in water for 20mins, then strain off the water.
Heat the oil in a large pot. Add the cardamom pods, cinnamon sticks, star anise and cloves. When the cardamom pods swell add the cumin seed, wait 10 seconds then add the rice, water and turmeric. Bring to the boil, then immediately put the lid on the pot, reduce the heat and cook for 6 minutes (do not remove the lid during this 6 minutes). After the 6 minutes, remove the lid and allow the steam to dissipate. Stir the rice and leave to stand for 5 minutes. Stir the rice again until all the steam dissipates, this takes a further 5-10 minutes. Then put the lid on until you are ready to use it or it will become lumpy.

Notes on curries
After completing all the prep above we are now ready to make curries. Curries are usually prepared in individual portions to order. Each curry should take only 6 minutes to cook. If you can imagine in a restaurant setting, an order is taken by the serving staff and passed on to the kitchen. In the kitchen they need to cook the curries in individual portions for the customer and it needs to be done fast.
The cooking techniques need to be followed accurately and the ingredients need to be exact amounts as the overall balance of flavours at the end is critical for best results.
The amount of oil used may seem excessive but it is critical to the cooking process. Reducing the amount of oil used will give poor results, unfortunately.

Chicken/Lamb Madras (Serves 1)
1 chef spoon of vegetable oil
1tsp ginger and garlic paste
1 ½ tbs tomato puree
1tbs fenugreek leaves
1tbs curry masala
1tsp chilli powder
⅔ tsp salt
3 ladles of curry base gravy
1 portion of precooked meat
½ a tomato
2tsp lemon juice
2tbs chopped coriander leaves

Heat the oil in a pan on high heat. Add the ginger and garlic paste and sauté until the edges start to turn brown. quickly add the tomato puree and all the spice to the pan. Immediately add 2 ladles of curry base and stir in fast. Add the 3rd ladle of curry base, the tomato and precooked meats and stir. Cook on high heat for 4 minutes. Stir in the lemon juice and coriander leaves. Cook on high heat for a minute and serve.


Chicken/Lamb Rogan josh (serves 1)
1 chef spoon of vegetable oil
1tsp ginger and garlic paste
1 ½tbs tomato pure
2tbs plain yogurt
1tbs fenugreek leaves
1tbs curry masala
1tsp paprika
⅔ tsp salt
3 ladles of curry base gravy
1 portion of precooked meat
½ a tomato
2tbs chopped coriander leaves

Heat the oil in a pan on high heat. Add the ginger and garlic paste and sauté until the edges start to turn brown. Add the tomato puree and yogurt, stir in and then add the spices. Immediately add 2 ladles of curry base and stir in fast. Add the 3rd ladle of curry base, the tomato and precooked meats and stir. Cook on high heat for 4 minutes. Stir in the coriander leaves. Cook on high heat for a minute and serve.


Chicken/Lamb Korma (serves 1)
2tbs vegetable oil
2tbs creamed coconut (from a block)
2tbs ground almond
1tbs sugar
½tsp salt
2 ladles curry base
1 portion of precooked meat
100ml cream

Heat the oil in a pan and add all the ingredients except the cream. Cook on a high heat for 5 mins. Turn off the heat and stir in the cream.