I think you are right Al. I've often thought about just making a basic base like this. You can adjust the curry with the spices as needed while cooking it. I think adding something fatty like condensed milk or some kind of cream might help with the texture generally but a simple base is a good idea. I think the complicated base gravies come from restaurants using up bits and pieces of food that would go to waste. Have a few potatatos used in Vindaloos going to waste? Throw it in the pot. Have some lefter over coriander stalks from using the leaves in garnishes? Throw it in the pot and so on. Same with peppers tomatoes and the other ingredients often used in bases.
I was going to make the same comment. I never made Al's base gravies because they were too elaborate for me. I just made a base gravy with onions, tomato and a bit of garlic. The onions and the tomatoes are where you need to cook for longer for better flavour and that's why restaurants prep the gravy hours earlier. Any other ingredients you just add when assembling the curry. Though I do like Al's addition of carrot. I think that's a good idea. Good job Al! Looks great!
Emigrated to Cyprus a few years ago from UK. Great to hear you are moving here! Regular viewer of the channel and learning to make a good curry because of your tips!
Cheers Al, very similar to my base gravy, but I add a green pepper, tomato and a dollop of garlic/ginger and you will be SET, that is S-imple, E-asy and T-asty, and that curry looked rather splendid.
Gotta try this Al, I must confess I am stuck with your 30min Garlic Chilli Chicken Masala. It’s just the best ever and wows everyone who tried it. Keep em coming, you are amazing mate 👍🏼
Watched the video late last night, woke up this morning and just finished making it. All I’ve got to say is OMG, I’m never frying onions to caramelise again lol the taste is exquisite 🤙🏿
Hi Al, you are an extreemly talented man , chef and your speciality is authentic British indian curries . Stay in the UK , as some people are sayiny that you wish to move on or out of the UK . Once gone , we have lost yet another exellent talented chef.😊
You're a legend Al. Thanks to your videos and spice mixes i now make my beloved Madras as good as any BIR or takeaway and saves me a fortune! Follow his instructions to the word guys. Awesome
Would be good to get your scores on the three off base gravy’s you’ve made WRT which one is more BIR. Also love to see a series on side dishes at some point Keep up the good work Al
Looks great. I notic a lot of people cook your curries and store them in the foil containers you can get. What is the best advice for heating these back up in the oven, what sort of temperature and time from chilled?
We've been using our soup maker for base gravy for about a year now. So quick and easy and you don't need to make huge batches. I wouldn't go back to using a stock pot.
I remember finding your channel during the first lockdown and after years making OK curries, with the odd good one, you gave me the missing pieces to my curry jigsaw, mainly the base gravy secret. I've moved onto authentic longer cooked curries now with whole spices more so, so don't use the base these days. Still love watching the channel. I'd love to buy you a pint to say thanks one day.
Al you really need to make a recipe book. Possibly some info on where certain ingredients that are not so easy to come by in the regular supermarket can be obtained. I know we all use the internet but to know of some good specialist markets/ stores that you might use. A book with your recipes and some background info would be a great addition to any curry lovers kitchen. Keep up the great work
Al! When I make a curry, why does my gravy never take on that grainy appearance that yours does? My gravy always has a smooth consistancy a bit like custard. Help!
Prob depends on the curry and what you use in the beginning ie onions etc. Don't over blitz your base and make sure you caramelise after every portion of base 👍
Al, I’ve followed your channel for years! Keep up the good work mate!! I’ve a quick question: you specialise in BIR - but would you consider a traditional version of one of your recipes? And secondly, you revised your base gravy recipe, are there any other curries you have that you would revise ?
Very nice video again Al, curries in Spain are shocking you need to educate them. My in laws live just south of alicante and when we go benidorm there no better. Absolutely rubbish, you can't beat a bir curry thanks for your all knowledge cos I've made some belters and the Spanish Indians need to learn aswell
I was starting to drift off the channel but how you’ve brought me back after watching that .. ❤ wow amazing… I’ve made your 30 minute and game changer… but this will blow there minds… can’t wait to have good people round and cook them this….
Nice one Al , that's just what i need a simple Base recipe , i actually stopped making it because of all the stuff i had to keep getting 🥴, I'm back on it now , I'm assuming its ok for Freezing ? . Cheers Al
Hi again , i have a question to ask you Al and that is this , thst if i recall rightly and in the esrly days of your beeinvon youtube , you showed how to prepare lamb for curry in bulk and in advance just like you showed how to pri prepare chicken in the same way . Have you tsken this video off and if so is it posdible to put it back on again as i would really appreciate it. Many thanks 😊
Great vid Big Al! Is there any reason you use oil and not ghee to start the process? I know you’ve said about olive oil before so just curious why not Ghee?
Just made the new base gravy brilliant just a little tip is to get some zip seal food bags pour 2 ladle spoons of gravy into them and freeze them get them out as needed
I often thought this Al, are all the old ingredients required in the base so I'm gunna try this 30 minute easy recipe but I'm thinkin surely the resteraunts put all your original ingredients in for a reason ?
Hi Al, no need to ask why you want to upsticks and move to Cyprus, but two big questions (anyone please, also), roughly what is a realistic outlay£, and is there an Aldi(you know what I mean), a super store for British pallets?
I've just watched this video which I will be making very soon, We have noticed all the curry house around us now serve up very heavy curries which we really don't like so we will give this one a try, looks great also the curry houses have dropped the small vegetable curry with the Biriani for some type of slurry that reminds me of baby food. Yuk! ....so keep up the good work.
I remember a few years back I had a tiny little paperback book called 'The Curry Secret' possibly a Pat Chapman pre Curry Club book. Anyway that had in it a recipe for base gravy not dissimilar to the one you have made here Al. The only difference if my memory serves me is that it had quite a bit of ginger, garlic and turmeric in it. A lot of the comments are saying the version you have made here will be handy for when they are away from home, true, but what I often resort to for base gravy when away is a basic supermarket curry sauce in a bottle, the cheaper the brand the better. Not the pastes the sauces in the tall bottles, I thin them down and blitz them if needed and there's usually enough for a few curries. Hope that's useful for someone. Keep up the brilliant work Al.
I bought “The Curry Secret” book by Chris Dhillon about 30 years ago and when I was watching this video I was thinking how similar the processes were, although the Chris Dhillon book did use garlic and ginger and only spices used were turmeric and paprika.
@@ianbrown5873 From what you say that is probably the book I am thinking of, thanks for the info. Unfortunately I have lost it, or mislaid it, if it ever turns up it would be interesting to compare. I made the base gravy up once from it and there was stacks of it, can't remember if it was any good. That was in the early days of my curry journey.
@@ianbrown5873 Update, just did a quick google after writing back to you and yes that's the book and there is a pdf version. You were right there was paprika and also tomatoes which I'd forgotten so is very similar to Al's latest version.
Superb. I live in rural France and getting the exotic ingredients is difficult. One question...Kasouri Methi. Is there a more commonplace alternative ? Thanks UPDATE I've found it on Amazon. 👍
@nickiroberts532 I think Al had a recipe of how to make mix powder from individual spices, might be possible from what you can get from the supermarché
Looks great! You switch between the non-stick die-cast aluminium pan to this aluminium pan. Is there a reason why? Is non-stick only suited for the 30 minute curries? I just bought a die-cast aluminium pan, that's all.
Al thank you so much for all what you do! A couple of questions, you list for 1 portion, how do I deal with the spices etc when I scale up to 4, I'm sure I don't just quadruple everything? Secondly, my partner is a real Korma person, how to I tailor this recipe down so that both of us can eat it? Thank you so much!
As this is true BIR, you don't scale up. you cook individual portions. If you want scaled up curries I suggest you use the 30 min series which are all curries for 4. thx
This has solved a problem for me with base gravy and don’t have a lot of room to store loads of it making it in those big batches. Will give a try soon ! Meanwhile, cooking the vindras for the first time tonight with a few cold ones and rugby on. Happy Friday Al ! 🍻
I will see this one as the basic base gravy, as I like your other methods. Also, I keep the base a little thicker and freeze it in batches within plastic boxes, then thin it out when using it, takes up less space. Appreciate the fast track method though, but you’re a day late, as I cheated last night in a rush and bought the jar type with spices on top from Aldi (Madras). 😂
That's right, less is more. I know it applies to the Bolognese sauce I kept trialing and erroring for months. Now it has no garlic, no herbs and no stock. It comes out the best leaving those things out. It's just olive oil, pancetta, onion, carrot, celery, beef, white wine, passata, tomato puree and milk... in that order. 🍝
Al! How could you do this? I've been following your version 2 base gravy recipe for quite a few years. I must have made it at least 25 times - using half-quantities and cooked until thick so it takes up less space when freezing (I add water when cooking). Anyhow, your Madras looks delicious and I'll give your new gravy version a go. I imagine the recipe could come in useful when cooking away from home.
Absolute quality. The speedy base grave will make it quicker and easy to make. I’m making this tomorrow. Thanks Al, great stuff 👍
I think you are right Al. I've often thought about just making a basic base like this. You can adjust the curry with the spices as needed while cooking it. I think adding something fatty like condensed milk or some kind of cream might help with the texture generally but a simple base is a good idea. I think the complicated base gravies come from restaurants using up bits and pieces of food that would go to waste. Have a few potatatos used in Vindaloos going to waste? Throw it in the pot. Have some lefter over coriander stalks from using the leaves in garnishes? Throw it in the pot and so on. Same with peppers tomatoes and the other ingredients often used in bases.
I was going to make the same comment. I never made Al's base gravies because they were too elaborate for me. I just made a base gravy with onions, tomato and a bit of garlic. The onions and the tomatoes are where you need to cook for longer for better flavour and that's why restaurants prep the gravy hours earlier. Any other ingredients you just add when assembling the curry.
Though I do like Al's addition of carrot. I think that's a good idea.
Good job Al! Looks great!
You are very confident in your cooking and in your instructions. Thanks a lot, I am going to make this.
Loving the base gravy Al. Can’t wait to make that at the weekend
Emigrated to Cyprus a few years ago from UK. Great to hear you are moving here! Regular viewer of the channel and learning to make a good curry because of your tips!
I believe he was referring to a Euro passport to retire to Spain, not Cyprus.
He's using Cypress to get his foot in the door
Al you have always been a defining channel that i find i can listen to no matter what im doing and enjoy !
Thanks 😁
Cheers Al, very similar to my base gravy, but I add a green pepper, tomato and a dollop of garlic/ginger and you will be SET, that is S-imple, E-asy and T-asty, and that curry looked rather splendid.
hmm, interesting to use the fresh ginger and garlic in the base rather than the final product.
Cheers Al.definitely giving this a try 👍
Gotta try this Al, I must confess I am stuck with your 30min Garlic Chilli Chicken Masala. It’s just the best ever and wows everyone who tried it.
Keep em coming, you are amazing mate 👍🏼
Watched the video late last night, woke up this morning and just finished making it. All I’ve got to say is OMG, I’m never frying onions to caramelise again lol the taste is exquisite 🤙🏿
Wow did you make the Curry as well?
Hi Al, you are an extreemly talented man , chef and your speciality is authentic British indian curries .
Stay in the UK , as some people are sayiny that you wish to move on or out of the UK .
Once gone , we have lost yet another exellent talented chef.😊
Much better life can be had in Cyprus. But would probably always keep one for in the UK
Quite envious of your European heritage, my plan was to retire to Portugal. Which has been scuppered.
I wanted to retire to Italy. No chance now.
i went from watering mouth to salivating to outright drooling 😋🤤
Al! Great video and ideas, curry looked amazingly delicious! Keep up the good work Sir! 🙂😋❤
Good luck Al on the new chapter of your journey.
You're a legend Al. Thanks to your videos and spice mixes i now make my beloved Madras as good as any BIR or takeaway and saves me a fortune!
Follow his instructions to the word guys. Awesome
Wow, thanks
Thanks Al!
Looks amazing and good luck with your Spanish venture 👍
Would be good to get your scores on the three off base gravy’s you’ve made WRT which one is more BIR.
Also love to see a series on side dishes at some point
Keep up the good work Al
Hi, I like to cook this with Ghee or coconut oil as I am not keen on vegetable oils. But a great base curry.
There’s now no excuses for anyone to make your BIR curries! Well played sir! 👏🏼 X
Looks great. I notic a lot of people cook your curries and store them in the foil containers you can get. What is the best advice for heating these back up in the oven, what sort of temperature and time from chilled?
Loved this! I’m thinking of doing the base gravy in my soup maker. Thank you.
Excellent idea!
We've been using our soup maker for base gravy for about a year now. So quick and easy and you don't need to make huge batches. I wouldn't go back to using a stock pot.
I remember finding your channel during the first lockdown and after years making OK curries, with the odd good one, you gave me the missing pieces to my curry jigsaw, mainly the base gravy secret. I've moved onto authentic longer cooked curries now with whole spices more so, so don't use the base these days. Still love watching the channel. I'd love to buy you a pint to say thanks one day.
Al you really need to make a recipe book. Possibly some info on where certain ingredients that are not so easy to come by in the regular supermarket can be obtained. I know we all use the internet but to know of some good specialist markets/ stores that you might use.
A book with your recipes and some background info would be a great addition to any curry lovers kitchen.
Keep up the great work
the nicest curries ive ever made
Al! When I make a curry, why does my gravy never take on that grainy appearance that yours does? My gravy always has a smooth consistancy a bit like custard. Help!
Prob depends on the curry and what you use in the beginning ie onions etc. Don't over blitz your base and make sure you caramelise after every portion of base 👍
Why do most takeaways curry sauce taste like tomato and nothing like the 80s curry sauce 😢
Just what I need on a Friday evening after a couple of beers 👍
great food mate and i don't blame you for leaving this broken England at all
Looks absolutely amazing!
Can't wait to see the recipe! 😊
Al, I’ve followed your channel for years! Keep up the good work mate!! I’ve a quick question: you specialise in BIR - but would you consider a traditional version of one of your recipes? And secondly, you revised your base gravy recipe, are there any other curries you have that you would revise ?
There are loads of traditional. Go to my playlists. I will redo many curries in the future
Very nice video again Al, curries in Spain are shocking you need to educate them. My in laws live just south of alicante and when we go benidorm there no better. Absolutely rubbish, you can't beat a bir curry thanks for your all knowledge cos I've made some belters and the Spanish Indians need to learn aswell
I was starting to drift off the channel but how you’ve brought me back after watching that .. ❤ wow amazing… I’ve made your 30 minute and game changer… but this will blow there minds… can’t wait to have good people round and cook them this….
Nice one Al , that's just what i need a simple Base recipe , i actually stopped making it because of all the stuff i had to keep getting 🥴, I'm back on it now , I'm assuming its ok for Freezing ? .
Cheers Al
Thanks Al. My normal base mix makes 12 containers full. Is it simply multiply ingredients for larger quantity ?
Cheers 👍
Hi again , i have a question to ask you Al and that is this , thst if i recall rightly and in the esrly days of your beeinvon youtube , you showed how to prepare lamb for curry in bulk and in advance just like you showed how to pri prepare chicken in the same way .
Have you tsken this video off and if so is it posdible to put it back on again as i would really appreciate it.
Many thanks 😊
It's still there th-cam.com/video/QUGShL-VsBk/w-d-xo.htmlsi=Tn_rtLFBxL0tyA4B
proper!!
Great vid Big Al! Is there any reason you use oil and not ghee to start the process?
I know you’ve said about olive oil before so just curious why not Ghee?
Ghee is expensive and it has a certain flavour that's not too everyone taste. Your can use it if you like it
Just made the new base gravy brilliant just a little tip is to get some zip seal food bags pour 2 ladle spoons of gravy into them and freeze them get them out as needed
Quick question - when you freeze then, do you need to take the out and let them defrost prior to use? Or can you just throw it straight into the pan?
@@thekenneth8232 I defrost them put in a pan and warm it up so when you put it in the curry it up to temperature not cooling the curry down
I often thought this Al, are all the old ingredients required in the base so I'm gunna try this 30 minute easy recipe but I'm thinkin surely the resteraunts put all your original ingredients in for a reason ?
Made it for tea tonight. Spot on 👍. Accidentally made myself a phaal curry. Put in 1 tbsp of chilli powder instead of 1 tsp 😂
Great 👍
making this on sunday.... looks magic
Looks banging
Hi Al, no need to ask why you want to upsticks and move to Cyprus, but two big questions (anyone please, also), roughly what is a realistic outlay£, and is there an Aldi(you know what I mean), a super store for British pallets?
Great video Al, thanks so much!
I've just watched this video which I will be making very soon, We have noticed all the curry house around us now serve up very heavy curries which we really don't like so we will give this one a try, looks great also the curry houses have dropped the small vegetable curry with the Biriani for some type of slurry that reminds me of baby food. Yuk! ....so keep up the good work.
I remember a few years back I had a tiny little paperback book called 'The Curry Secret' possibly a Pat Chapman pre Curry Club book. Anyway that had in it a recipe for base gravy not dissimilar to the one you have made here Al.
The only difference if my memory serves me is that it had quite a bit of ginger, garlic and turmeric in it.
A lot of the comments are saying the version you have made here will be handy for when they are away from home, true, but what I often resort to for base gravy when away is a basic supermarket curry sauce in a bottle, the cheaper the brand the better. Not the pastes the sauces in the tall bottles, I thin them down and blitz them if needed and there's usually enough for a few curries. Hope that's useful for someone.
Keep up the brilliant work Al.
I bought “The Curry Secret” book by Chris Dhillon about 30 years ago and when I was watching this video I was thinking how similar the processes were, although the Chris Dhillon book did use garlic and ginger and only spices used were turmeric and paprika.
@@ianbrown5873 From what you say that is probably the book I am thinking of, thanks for the info. Unfortunately I have lost it, or mislaid it, if it ever turns up it would be interesting to compare. I made the base gravy up once from it and there was stacks of it, can't remember if it was any good. That was in the early days of my curry journey.
@@ianbrown5873 Update, just did a quick google after writing back to you and yes that's the book and there is a pdf version. You were right there was paprika and also tomatoes which I'd forgotten so is very similar to Al's latest version.
Brilliant stuff Al, away on holidays this week, not a fkn Indian restaurant to be seen, have myself primed up to make one of yours on Sunday night. 👍👍
You are very welcome to come and settle down in Spain anytime!
Superb. I live in rural France and getting the exotic ingredients is difficult.
One question...Kasouri Methi. Is there a more commonplace alternative ?
Thanks
UPDATE
I've found it on Amazon. 👍
Yes same with the mix powder! Isn’t posted to france 😢
@nickiroberts532 I think Al had a recipe of how to make mix powder from individual spices, might be possible from what you can get from the supermarché
Actually that is a great video and recipe.. it’s that quick.. And Easy 👍
I still need to buy a second freezer 😂
What are the quantities of carrot and onion for the base gravy please , as it doesn’t say in video and no recipe in ingredients ? Thanks
It's in the description under the title
@@pezzyp1492he’s just added it in as I contacted him and he said he had now added it in thanks
Looks great!
You switch between the non-stick die-cast aluminium pan to this aluminium pan.
Is there a reason why? Is non-stick only suited for the 30 minute curries?
I just bought a die-cast aluminium pan, that's all.
You get better results when cooking smaller quantities of base gravy in an aluminium pan..
Hi Al,
Just tried to buy an apron but getting an error message saying you've removed them from sale. Are you out of stock?
They are not for sale. New stock coming
Fantastic!!👍
Thank you! Cheers!
All the very best Al! 👍
Looks great Al 👍 definitely trying this
Al thank you so much for all what you do! A couple of questions, you list for 1 portion, how do I deal with the spices etc when I scale up to 4, I'm sure I don't just quadruple everything? Secondly, my partner is a real Korma person, how to I tailor this recipe down so that both of us can eat it? Thank you so much!
As this is true BIR, you don't scale up. you cook individual portions. If you want scaled up curries I suggest you use the 30 min series which are all curries for 4. thx
This has solved a problem for me with base gravy and don’t have a lot of room to store loads of it making it in those big batches. Will give a try soon !
Meanwhile, cooking the vindras for the first time tonight with a few cold ones and rugby on. Happy Friday Al ! 🍻
Will be making this in the morning as I've chicken tikka masala for 4 tomorrow night. Als tikka recipe over charcoal obviously
Question to all dose a curry taste better the day after or not I’m on the side of the day after garlic chilli lamb tonight for tea 😀
I will see this one as the basic base gravy, as I like your other methods. Also, I keep the base a little thicker and freeze it in batches within plastic boxes, then thin it out when using it, takes up less space. Appreciate the fast track method though, but you’re a day late, as I cheated last night in a rush and bought the jar type with spices on top from Aldi (Madras). 😂
So the other base gravy ingedients omitted are like cabbage..peppers etc surely cooked in 30 mins also
?
How many curries will be base gravy make Al?
I thought aluminium was banned from commercial kitchens, ?
Love Cyprus fair play 👍open a little curry house sorted 😂😂😂
10:55 Looks delicious. I love this new V3 Base
Al I can't stop cooking your recipes and its left me skint
Wow, im drooling now!😋❤
Silly question - if I wanted to cook this for 4, would I just quadruple the ingredient list?
Oh that does look good. Keep up the great work and thank you.
Hope you enjoy
Bass gravy bro
Superb Chef!!
Looks like another winner Al
That's right, less is more. I know it applies to the Bolognese sauce I kept trialing and erroring for months. Now it has no garlic, no herbs and no stock. It comes out the best leaving those things out. It's just olive oil, pancetta, onion, carrot, celery, beef, white wine, passata, tomato puree and milk... in that order. 🍝
Where do you buy the gas burner?
4:46
Brilliant! 😊
All married men that cook Al's curry / any curry know exactly what he means!
😂
It looks great. Can you tell me what you are cooking it on please?
Looks like a gas stove to me, may be wrong but it does look like it
Want to give this a go but I can't find the recipe for the base gravy? Thanks
It is literally in the video
😂😂😂@@rhome4206
Damm you. Ive been craving curry all day😂 my mouth was watering. And I have all the ingredients in🤔❤👌
Time for a cook book my man
Al, possibly some favourite side dishes for future content. 😊
Not another curry show makes his by just roasting onions another good way too 👍
Great video, thanks for your time!
Have you ever made a BIR fried rice video?
Yes, Biryani. Check it out
Nice one mate!
Fantastic stuff! quick question, how many times can you freeze defrost the base gravy?
I, like you, often have base left over. I often refreesze it and re-use it again without any issues
Links aren't for the aluminium deep sided karai in the video unfortunately
How much chicken, roughly? Not in ingredients list. Does the quick base make enough gravy to cook chicken pieces in and add to the curry?
I use 7/8 cubes of chicken. You can use the base. I used tikka though
Al! How could you do this? I've been following your version 2 base gravy recipe for quite a few years. I must have made it at least 25 times - using half-quantities and cooked until thick so it takes up less space when freezing (I add water when cooking).
Anyhow, your Madras looks delicious and I'll give your new gravy version a go. I imagine the recipe could come in useful when cooking away from home.
All the bases are great and work. This is just a quick and simple one that I use
Good luck with the citizenship and property hunting in Spain. We were in Galicia recently, lovely area.
Fabulous..🤗
Where do you get your frozen garlic-ginger paste?
Sainsbury
Superb video.
Don’t be a viewer, be a doer.
Quality
AL- great video. Can this Base Gravy be used in conjunction with your other base gravy dishes. Thanks 🙏🏻
Yes, absolutely
the link for the pan you used isnt the same pan that you boiled the onions in?
No
Would love to move to paphos, good luck Al!
Brilliant video.....just less oil next time 😂
Al... love your ppsts and all the lovely recipes.
Al, could you use a pressure cooker to cook the base gravy?
Yes, plressure cookers are great for base
Hi Al,what brand of Kasouri Methi do you use? I bought the Eastend one but it doesn't seem to taste or smell of much.