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Original poster

Tell me the secret of a great curry

163 replies

PurpleSky300 · 30/08/2023 18:05

So, I love curry and for years, I’ve been trying all kinds of recipes for my favourites (jalfrezi, karahi, ceylon) – BIR-style ones on YouTube, cheat’s gourmet powders and blends, random things from Internet blogs, you name it.

They’re never terrible but they’re never fantastic. Every time I come away thinking “meh” – it’s a bit bitter, or too tomatoey, or lacking sweetness and nowhere near the quality you’d get in a restaurant. So what’s the secret to getting it right consistently? I’m following recipes but maybe I’m not fully understanding what the ingredients ‘do’?

OP posts:
Crikeyalmighty · 30/08/2023 23:05

I do a really nice one from hairy bikers diet book called I think coconut beef curry - it's a dry curry, think fennel seed and spice flavoured meat rather than much sauce and at the end you end up with a kind of beefy mush which you then dry fry , along with thinly sliced onion rings till they are soft and brown and melt into it. I do it every Xmas Eve- it's totally delicious with coconut rice.

Original poster
PurpleSky300 · 30/08/2023 23:28

Thank you so much for your replies and recipes so far - this thread is making me want to clear my diary, buy some ghee and1kg of onions and go to town on frying them for ages to get the right taste. I've got some great fresh spices to use and can ground them down. I got hold of some fenugreek leaves which I use quite a bit. How would I use asafoetida / how much should I use?

OP posts:
Original poster
PurpleSky300 · 30/08/2023 23:30

hartof · 30/08/2023 22:12

How do you get the smell out of your house? DH and I started cooking curry's last year from the Richard Sayce book. Always had great results but we can't get the smell out of the house for days! Our kitchen has 4 windows all open and the extractor fan on and we keep the door shut.

I would recommend the curry compendium book, there's lots to read before you get to the recipes and they have qr codes for you tube videos.

I always wondered this too! Especially if you're cooking onions for half an hour first - I always feel weirdly antisocial cooking curries as it is 😂

OP posts:
Parkmama · 30/08/2023 23:46

Black salt. Smells like rotten eggs. Tastes amazing and is the difference between home made and take away

ReviewingTheSituation · 30/08/2023 23:49

@HollyGolightly4 I LOVE the Dishoom book. The things I've made from it have tasted just like they did in the restaurant.

The chicken biryani is so, so good. It's surprising easy (if you buy tubs of crispy onions rather than making them!) and very impressive if you're entertaining. The recipe is available online though, so you don't actually need the book for that one.

The butter chicken is also amazing, and the matar paneer too...

Autieangel · 31/08/2023 02:23

Cream or coconut milk in the sauce

Butter in the rice

RampantIvy · 31/08/2023 06:49

I am craving a curry now.
I first got into making Indian food from scratch when Madhur Jaffrey did a TV series on Indian food back in the 1980s. I remember when it was difficult to find fresh coriander. I always use her recipe for garam masala - I never buy it pre-made. I also have the Indian Restaurant cookbook by Pat Chapman.

I agree that doubling up on spices is often the way to go

Rivergardens · 31/08/2023 06:59

My Indian housemate always cooked meat on the bone and left the bone in the curry, also always used fresh tomatoes chopped and never tinned.

@hartof when I cook fish I put on the HEPA air filter we have for DH hay fever, it’s a portable unit.

Ýsette · 31/08/2023 07:11

chilliplant634 · 30/08/2023 18:14

I agree with the others. Generally I find most people attempting curries don't take time frying/caramelised the onions until they are very melty and brown. Then add garlic and ginger. Fry briefly (it starts to burn quickly). Then add tomatoes and spices. I actually prefer tinned tomatoes for a lot of curries (unless it's a karahi) and the sauce needs to be really cooked down. It should be cooked until its all melted in and uniform. No obvious tomato lumps. The sign of it being ready is that you will start to see the oil/ghee separate from the tomatoes. Then you know its ready for adding meat etc. Make sure you use enough ghee.

Can I ask a question

What fat should I use to fry fry fry the onion?

stiltonbriecheddar · 31/08/2023 07:14

I swear by The Curry Guys books.

bellac11 · 31/08/2023 07:18

So cooking with spices that still have Woolworths labels on them might not result in tasty dishes?.......

mildlydispeptic · 31/08/2023 07:19

Loving this thread!

MindPalace · 31/08/2023 07:35

For PP, tej patta is bay leaf.

Songlines · 31/08/2023 07:35

It's 07.30 and I'm craving curry for breakfast!
Thank you for the tip about how long the onions need, this sounds like a game changer.

CornishGem1975 · 31/08/2023 08:49

Haven't read the whole thread for me, but it's more onion. More onion makes for a thicker base.

Pashazade · 31/08/2023 08:58

@bellac11 I reckon you might have to start over with your spice collection! 🤣🤣

chilliplant634 · 31/08/2023 09:43

Ýsette · 31/08/2023 07:11

Can I ask a question

What fat should I use to fry fry fry the onion?

Show quote history

It's your choice. I know some families who like to use sunflower oil etc or an oil with a higher smoke point. I personally have gone back to using ghee. I think it's healthier than a lot of processed oils. You can buy small tubs from sainsburys if you live in a larger city and want to try it.

If I am cooking a chicken curry with one whole chicken (in pieces) then I normally start off with about 2 tbsps of ghee. It ends up cooking enough food for a family of 4 to eat at least twice. I don't think that's an excessive amount of fat when you divide it per portion.

Even if you look at Italian or other types of western cooking you will notice the same thing. You will see videos of Gordon Ramsey or Jamie Oliver saying "1 tablespoon of oil" and then proceed to put about 5 tablespoons worth of oil in.

You need fat in a dish to give it flavour.

CurlewKate · 31/08/2023 10:41

Chetna Makan on YouTube. Transformed my curries.

CurlewKate · 31/08/2023 10:44

And yes, onions. Any recipe that says "8-10 minutes" or even "6-7 minutes" is LYING!!

CurlewKate · 31/08/2023 10:45

And using ghee makes a huge difference too.

RampantIvy · 31/08/2023 10:54

Adding ghee to my shopping list

Gx44tyh · 31/08/2023 11:05

I need to restock my spices

Rosiepeta · 31/08/2023 11:52

Everyone is right about the onions! And also make base gravy!