Mamta's Kitchen - A Family Cookbook





Chinese Curry Sauce - Like the Take Away

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On 05/12/2008 03:12am, DarJos wrote:

I was delighted to find the recipe for Chinese curry sauce on your site.

I made this sauce but unfortunately it did not work very well!! It may be that I did not cook ?out? the flour at the start of the recipe. It had a bland, flat taste although I could taste the chilli!!!

Are you able to advise me where I went wrong please. I am sure it was me and not the actual recipe though. 2 tablespoons plain flour and 2 teaspoons curry powder, right?

Any advice or comments would be appreciated.

Thanks - DarJos

On 05/12/2008 08:12am, Mamta wrote:

Which of the 3 recipes did you try DasJos? None of them are mine, so I will need to test it again.

Mamta

On 05/12/2008 10:12am, Lapis wrote:

spices need to be cooked in oil before they give up their full flavour, so starting with flour would not be how I would do it.

Which ever recipe you want to follow, I would start by frying onions, garlic, ginger and chillies in oil, once cooked, I would liquidize it, return to the pan, and add the spices or curry powder if you must ;?) After the spices start to give off their aroma, add the flour to form a roux, then water/stock/milk until you have a smooth sauce. Add salt to taste, but I wouldn't add msg, it isn't really needed in a sauce like this. If you want more flavour, add tomato or mushroom ketchup.

HTH

On 05/12/2008 01:12pm, Danbob wrote:

Apologies for straying off topic, but where, incidentally, might you use MSG in your cooking Lapis? Where you do use it; is there a specific reason for doing so?

On 05/12/2008 02:12pm, Lapis wrote:

I don't and never will, but acknowledge that some foods (cheese, mushrooms, cooked tomatoes, soy sauce, seaweed) have plenty of 'natural msg', or at least, glutamic acid, probably the largest amount of any amino acid in protein molecules.

Glutamic acid, per se, is not bad, over use of msg is the contention, I think?

One of the recipes for curry sauce mentioned it, so I thought I would add my opinion.

On 06/12/2008 08:12am, Mamta wrote:

Hello DarJos

You have already had an excellent response to your query, not sure if you have been to see it!

Looking at all 3 recipes this morning, I see that you used the 1st recipe, which has been in top 20?s from the day it was posted here. People have not complained, so I am assuming that it (the 1st recipe specifically) is good and works.

I intensely dislike Chinese Curry Sauce, so never make it. However, I do accept that it is a popular recipe in UK, the reason why I asked my friend, a great Chinese cook, to write it for me. Unfortunately, I have been extremely busy with guests and visitors, so haven't had time to experiment with it recently. I suggest that you either try it exactly as it is written or try the 3rd recipe, by Steve Lister, who is a regular contributor here and a good cook.

Chinese curry sauce does use a huge amount of curry powder in relation to the amount of flour. MSG is only a flavour enhancer. Personally, I am not in favour of adding any chemical additives to food, but I know that many ready-cooked foods do have them, especially Chinese restaurant foods. If I was making it, I would leave MSG out, salt is good enough for me! I agree with Lapis totally on this.

Mamta

On 06/12/2008 11:12pm, DarJos wrote:

Thank you all for your time and replies.

Yes, Mamta you are right, it was the first curry sauce from your 'top 20' list that I was referring to. As I said, I think it may be because I didn't cook the flour 'out' as I did follow the recipe exactly as printed. I will give this another go though and see if this remedies my problem.

Steve, thanks for recipe, I do make quite a few different styles of curries but was feeling nostalgic for the good old British curry sauce.!!! (I live in Australia)

Merry Christmas all, and again thank you for your time and suggestions.

DarJos

On 14/12/2008 02:12pm, A Willerby wrote:

Originally posted by A Willerby on 14/12/2008 at 02:23pm

Edited by Mamta for using unacceptable language. We understand that you did not like the recipe, but there is no need to be nasty to the contributor.

Original post;

"That recipe was absolutely rubbish and bore no resemblence whatsoever to any Chinese curry sauce that I've ever tasted. Waste of time. The person who recommended it on the basis of getting from a Friend who worked in a Take away obviously has no taste buds."

On 14/12/2008 02:12pm, Big Barry wrote:

Originally posted by on 14/12/2008 02:25pm

Edited by Mamta for using unacceptable language

Original Post;

?I TOTALLY AGREE WITH YOU...IT WAS WORSE THAN ...."

On 14/12/2008 05:12pm, Girl S wrote:

I don't understand why people are so keen to replicate take away foods at home. Is it just a way of trying to impress people?

On 15/12/2008 09:12pm, Winton wrote:

In defence of this recipe I have made it several times always with good results. As I invariably forget my local Chinese take-away is closed on a Tuesday the recipe, quick and easy to make, has saved me several times.

For a quick and easy curry simply stir-fry some onions and garlic, a cubed green pepper, then chicken and finally the sauce. I have made it for Chinese friends who called the result 'very Hong Kong.' The only thing that gave me away was I served it with basmati rice!

On 15/12/2008 09:12pm, AskCy wrote:

Girl S, people try to make them at home so they can have it whenever they want without having to trek to the place and fork out a small fortune !

Steve

On 16/12/2008 04:12am, Mamta wrote:

I am glad to hear that it works or you Winton :-).

I don't mind people criticising my taste buds, but to use rude words for people who have taken the trouble to share their recipes/ideas with us is not good ;-)!

Mamta

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