Why are my curries not as good as a take-away?

[SickThings]

Why do home made Indian meals never taste as good as the ones you get in a restaurant or take-away? Even when you follow the recipes from Indian cook books to the letter they just do not taste as good.

[Scarlett]

That's a good question. I guess it must be the actual combination of ingredients they use, and genuine indian things like ghee that we tend not to use. You could say the same about Chinese. It could be things as simple as how long they leave that half cooked rice in a washing up tub under the sink, or the temperature in which it is cooked etc
Why not ask to do work experience at your local Indian restaurant and do the washing up etc, and learn to cook there!

[Kinetic]

Indian takeaways in this country are nothing like the actual curries of real India and are packed FULL of sugar, salt and taste-enhancing additives! This is the reason you cant attain their fast-food essence. Try a Madhur Jaffreys recipe off the internet for some real authenticity!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/database/tan dooristylechicken_7235.shtml

[whiffey]

Agreed, but you can get quite close. Fry in ghee, it smells rank but adds flavour. Secondly, when you fry the onions, fry until moderately burned, with chopped garlic (I use English Provender Lazy Garlic from a jar). You can even buy ready fried onion from Asian shops, don't use the tinned ones. Lastly, use a jar of Pataks sauce, it's what many of the restaurants themselves use.

Yesterday I cooked a chicken vindaloo in just 20 minutes with these lazy ingredients, and while it is not as good as a takeaway, it's the closest I've yet got. The flavour improves on freezing too.

[Gef]

It's not that they don't taste as good it's just that they taste different. I agree with Kinetic. A genuine Madhur Jaffrey curry is delicious and it's not full of sugar etc.

My kids (now adults) much prefer my Mulligatawny soup. chicken in a fried onion sauce and lamb and potato curry etc to anything which can be bought.

However, we do buy takeaways when we want something different.

If you prefer the restaurant ones then you will have to keep buying them.

[ganesh]

I use lots of ghee,cook the onions and garlic with loads of fresh coriander,add a rich curry paste (pataks is good),water and a tin of tomatoes. Add the veg,and cook slowly until thick and tasty. Even better,re-heat later and top with more coriander..mmm

[society]

using the right ingredients is the key. in restaurants they use everything fresh and 'homemade'.