BristolUK

VH red Thai and Vindaloo are both max strength. Lovely with Rosé wine, even a cheap one for around $10

I'm a bit reluctant to use the paste on it's own but I do buy it. On it's own I worry I make it too strong or too weak. With curry powder I never do too weak but I might make it too strong. But I routinely use concentrated cream of mushroom as a thickener. If I have too much curry powder, then I use a bit more of the cream of mushroom so the taste is more or less the same.

If I did that to the paste version it would change the taste too much.

Sometimes I fancy a mango curry or the tikka masala and I add a bit of the paste to give it a boost.

Essentially I'm a coward when it comes to my own sauces and I prefer the sure thing.

magnumpi

Oops my bad I just took a guess at the price, being lazy and not checking, thinking I was sure it was 1:25 when it's actually a whopping 1:50 a can.

Shirtback

On the theme of curry paste: Blue Dragon brand is cheap (here) but very bland . I've been known to chuck in harissa to remedy that.

Patek sauces & pastes seem to have disappeared from local stores sadly (they were always reliable).

On the very rare occasions I over spice a curry, a spoonful or 2 of coconut milk calms it down, without making it watery.

Oink

Just make your own. A basic sauce.

3 tbsp vegetable oil
200g plain yogurt, lightly whisked or coconut milk
(cashew or almond paste if you want it a bit thicker)
1½ tsp chilli powder (or mild paprika)
1 tsp curry powder
½ tsp turmeric
1 tsp fennel powder
½ tsp cumin powder
1 medium onion, finely chopped
3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
2.5cm piece of ginger, finely chopped
2 tbsp tomato puree
150ml water
½ tsp ground cardamom powder
1 tsp crushed dried fenugreek leaves

Whisk the yogurt and mix in the chilli powder, fennel powder and cumin powder. Stir the spiced yogurt and set aside.

Heat the oil in a non stick pan (preferably a wok shaped one)

Add the chopped onions and sauté until they begin to soften for 4-5 minutes.

Add the chopped or pasted (I just chuck both these into a little food processor and add water to make a paste) garlic and ginger and fry for a couple of minutes as it cooks.

Turn the heat to a low setting and add the spiced yogurt or coconut milk. Stir well for a minute and add the nut paste if you're using. Stir for 2-3 mins.

Tip in the tomato puree and stir for a further 2 minutes. As the curry starts to leave oil from the sides of the pan add either meat or veggies or both, water and salt to taste.

Bring to a boil and simmer for 15-30 mins stirring ever so often until the flavours and cooked all the way through.

Add the cardamom powder, crushed fenugreek leaves.

Optional chuck in some fresh coriander/cilantro and ginger at the very end. Simples.

dbd33

Also raita; just slice a cucumber, throw it in a bowl of yoghurt and smush it about a bit, add salt and pepper if you have any. Cooling and as authentic as chicken tikka masala.

Oink

You mean too much chilli? Impossible.

BristolUK

That's good to know.
What happens with what's left? Does it keep or is it so cheap it doesn't really matter if you end up throwing it away?

dbd33

Give it to the chickens. Chickens love garam masala.

BristolUK

What's a complicated one?

That's about 8 too many ingredients for me.

Shirtback

The coconut milk? It's ~99c/a can here (I have no idea why!). It freezes okay once opened: I freeze leftovers in small portions, or keep it in the fridge for a day or two & make fruit/spinach smoothies or pancakes.

Shirtback

I'm not too bothered about authenticity & I don't think anyone using VH etc sauces/pastes would be too bothered about that either.

Not just chilli . I've been known to muck up proportions of all sorts of spice(S)...

BristolUK

So, cheap then. Coconut milk ice cubes. Neat.

Absolutely. What's authentic anyway? There must be at least 20 variations of most curries.

Stick Vindaloo in google images and there don't seem to be two alike. There's one even looks like a Vesta version

Siouxie

I can get the sauces but not the paste - and I do miss the balti paste! You can buy them from Amazon.ca though, if that's of any help.

Shirtback

Thanks for the link . I'm trying to make my own as much as possible these days.

Late last night I recalled another brand ( name escapes me right now) which is very good, I've only ever found it in IGA.

not2old

Check out the products from Lee Kum Kee. Their curry sauce which is actually a thick paste. is a 190ml jar. One to two table spoons per one-litre liquid

Curry Sauce

check any ethnic store, usually found in the chinese supermarkets, as do the 'international section' in the major supermarkets

I buy three jars at a time


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