Indian MNers help please :)

[nappyaddict]

In your opinion are any of these shop bought curry jars worth buying?

Pataks sauce
Pataks paste
Sharwoods sauce
Sharwoods paste
Loyd Grossman sauce
Aldi specially selected sauce with the powder in the lid

TIA :)

Pataks would be my choice, even my mum has been known to use them on occasion (and she's proper Indian in that she still wears a sari or shalwar kameez every day, even in the British winter). Sharwoods and Lloyd Grosman are nasty. Haven't tried the Aldi one.

I've always quite liked Seeds of Change, so maybe give that a try if you see it.

Another vote for Pataks and I think most Indians I know would also go that. I've only used the pastes though, not the sauce.

Same as Karma. Pataks pastes all the way (never jarred sauces). Just add to fried onions, with meat/chicken/fish/veg then liquid of choice (tinned toms, coconut milk or splash of water). I sometimes add a bit extra garlic/ginger/chilli if necessary I always keep a jar when I want to knock up a quick curry (and can't be arsed to make from scratch like my mum does)

Forgot to say if you have Jamie Oliver's Ministry of Food book, there is a whole chapter on curries and he recommends Pataks pastes too. Good if you need inspiration on variations.

Pataks pastes all the way, Mum and Dad use them as easy marinades. Do avoid the sauces, they are a bit acidic and ick.

No I wouldn't and most Indians I know wouldn't buy them either. What people will buy are Patak's pickles but not the sauces or pastes.

However, the reason we do not buy it is because the taste is not what we are used to. Ive grown up in India and ready made sauces are simply not used there at all. If you are happy with the taste then go for it and do what MooM suggests - supplementing the sauce with some fresh ingredients.

Agree with Mo, because by nature the curry sauces bear little or no relation to the diverse (healthy) regional food that most Asians cook at home! Doesn't need to be swimming in oil

Sorry OP went off topic there. Would also recommend looking in your local Asian grocers. There are often rows and rows of packet spice mixes with recipes on the back which are fairly cheap and are a good way to add authentic flavour to a basic curry base (fried onions, ginger/garlic/chilli) if you are feeling more adventurous.

MDH Spice Mixes

I'm not Indian and usually make Indian meals with all the spices, but if I am in a hurry and want something instant I always use Patak's pastes as well. I agree with ScienceRocks that Sharwoods are nasty (in fact I think their entire range is) and have never enjoyed any of Lloyd Grossman's sauces.

Pataks for sure, but I also make a ginger/garlic/onion paste & fry that off first & then use a couple of tablespoons of Pataks for about 4 chicken breasts.

Not quite as good as doing it from scratch but still pretty yummy!

Pataks paste

I'm not Indian but make a lot of curries. Pataks paste is okay but Waitrose do one by Veeraswamy which is v v good.

I always add fresh onion, garlic, chilli, coriander, lemon juice (or tamarind paste) and dried cumin and mustard seeds (or a combo thereof), even if using a paste.

The best ready made curry sauce are IMHO homepride. I think people ignore them because they do not have an Indian sounding name.

They give you something like a takeaway would taste.

Wow, I am surprised, I know no Indian cook who uses any of the things in your list. However, they would use the packets recommended by MooMinCow.

Most Indian people are not looking to make the sort of curries you would get in a takeaway, though, as the Indian food cooked at home is usually quite different. Most of the curries in a standard takeaway menu are not everyday dishes in Indian households.

Pataks pastes would be my choice out of your list though i'm only half Indian.

That would be assuming you didn't have the time to make from scratch or persuade your Dad to supply you with sauces like i do

I'm not Indian, but have spent the past 30 years learning how to make British Indian Restaurant (BIR) style curries. Many Indian/Pakistani/Bangladeshi restaurants will use Patak's Tandoori, Tikka and Kashmiri pastes in their tikka and tandoori dishes, but other than that, not much.

To make a BIR curry, you're better off making a big batch of base sauce/gravy and freezing it in portions. www.secretcurryrecipes.com/curryforum/index.php is a good site to find base sauce recipes, and other recipes to use them in. Also, look for Curry2go on YouTube - bloke called Julian demonstrates the methods he uses to make BIR curries, bhajis etc. - his recipes work, and I particularly like his Vindaloo.