Last weekend’s rerun of Recipes That Made Me featured Mein Host, Shazia, visiting a home in Bradford where the lady of the house, Shadia, demonstrated how she made Lamb Masala to a recipe that has been passed down through the generations. The – secret ingredient – was the inclusion of – Basaar – which I will describe as a Kashmiri Garam Masala.
Hector is always looking for – a new flavour – however, there was a possibility that here could lie the answer to what makes a Bradford Curry so special. Basaar was ordered online. KRK in Glasgow’s Woodland’s Road may well stock it, but in keeping with the current travel restrictions, Hector was not venturing that far. Red Chilli, Coriander, Turmeric, Cumin, Ginger, Garlic, Fenugreek, Nutmeg, Cardamom, Clove, Mace, Black Pepper, Cinnamon and Mustard Oil are the listed ingredients of the purchased Basaar, a veritable – Curry Powder. The Fenugreek is the only source of Methi going into the BBC’s recipe. How can you make a Curry in Bradford without copious Methi?
Jeera Masala is also part of the recipe published on the BBC programme’s website, this I could make myself. 50g each of Coriander Seeds and Cumin Seeds were dry roasted in the wok.
After some cooling on a plate, these were ground together creating 90g of Jeera Masala. Where did the other 10g go?
Another feature of Shadia’s demonstration was the cooking of the Lamb for some forty minutes separate from the Masala. I find the plethora of online video clips and also recipe books seem to magically cook Lamb in nothing like a realistic time. Lamb needs some ninety minutes, or twelve in a pressure cooker. As I have been told by my Curry Gurus, Lamb should not be cooked from scratch in the Masala, the later will inevitably burn. I have also found everything sticking to the pot to be an issue. Those who have been following this website over the years will have seen my own cooking of – Lamb Curry – evolve, the slow cooker has given impressive results so far this year.
The brew made from Garlic, Cardamom, Curry Leaves and Cinnamon Bark is very close to the standard Whole Spice – Garam Masala – I have been using for years. 
That the non-Meat elements would have to be separated from the half cooked Lamb felt like an alien instruction. The Basaar had better be good.
Shadia’s demonstration clearly used more Oil than is in the published recipe. I followed the recipe, adding Water at every stage as per instructions. This was going to create a Masala which is an anathema to Hector, but hey ho, let’s stick with it, something different this way comes.
The quantity of Tomatoes puzzled. Again Shadia had worked the relatively small amount of Tomato into her Onion-Garlic-Ginger Mash, cooking until the Oil separated. This was never going to happen in my pot given the horrendous amount of added Water.
Two Chillies only are stated in the recipe, plus a whole Capsicum. The latter was never going into any Curry created by Hector. Instead, two large Green Chillies would replace these.
The chap in my local Asian Grocer took the time to remind me that large Green Chillies are not powerful. As I held up both bags:
One is for me, the other for my wife.
He didn’t ask the next obvious question, decorum at its finest.
Despite the supermarkets almost giving Legs of Lamb away presently, I was not going to commit the full kilo to the is recipe, 500g would do, I would therefore require an Interesting Vegetable. In the same episode, Shazia visited another Bradford home where an Okra Curry was featured. The washing and drying of the Okra was the lesson to take on board. I have often wondered how Chefs can present firm Okra and not the slimy vegetable that appears in Hector’s House. As a consequence, Marg is not a fan of Okra, perhaps this would get her on board.
The Okra was added near the end of the cooking along with the Coriander. There was still way too much Water even having attempted to reduce the Masala before adding the greens. The last ten minutes of cooking was therefore quite aggressive. On decanting two portions to karahi, the Masala remaining at the base of the pot had something approaching an air of respectability.
Lamb Masala
No way was Hector going to serve – Soup. Still, the reduced Masala remained thin, watery, and did not have the Oily sheen that a worthy Shorva would possess. Already I was apologising to Marg:
I wouldn’t call this – Curry. It’s closer to a Spicy Lamb Stew.
The lack of Oil and Tomatoes had cemented my reservations.
There was a kick! As always Marg was quick to register this. Two small Green Chillies only, the Basaar must have been the source. This impressed.
Pleasant, but still not a Curry. I then remembered that I had not added the final – pinch of Jeera Masala. I sprinkled some over that which remained in the karahi. There was an immediate and marked improvement. This was as good as adding Salt, as I recall from some twenty three years ago when I last added Salt to a plated meal. I suspect that the Jeera Masala may become an extra condiment on the table.
The Meat as expected had been very well cooked and the taste of – Lamb – itself came over strongly. Despite having been cooked in the Masala for some forty minutes, there was no sense of – Curry – coming from the Meat. At this point I have to clarify my perception. It is not – Curry – which is predominant in these pages but – Karahi. My understanding of the primary difference between the two is the further frying of the Meat and Masala in Oil to create the – Karahi – sensation. Today’s three measured tablespoons is the least Oil I have ever used to start a Curry.
The Okra was easily the best I have ever served. Marg ate some, recognised the improvement, but most of hers crossed the table. This was probably the most Okra I have ever eaten at one sitting. I shall therefore be holding back on trying Shazia’s recipe for Okra Curry.
There was Spice, there was Seasoning, however, a depth of Flavour was lacking. If I attempted this again I would quadruple the Oil and Tomatoes, and where was the Methi? Why did Shazia go to homes where the classic Bradford Curry was not on show. Rick Stein once visited Bradford’s Karachi (Social Club). His Lamb and Spinach Karahi recipe based on that experience has been in the public domain for approaching twenty years. Maybe the producers wanted something different, which is also why I attempted this Curry today.
I will stand by my recipe for Lamb Bhuna which dates back to my Curry Course at Anniesland College.
My fellow diner had the last word:
Lovely tender Lamb in a thin sauce, with plenty pieces of Okra to add to the flavour. A different Curry from Hector. I can’t say it was your best.