How the FUCK do I make AUTHENTIC curry? Everytime I make it comes out BLAND and WEAK

Buy capsaicin powder and add to taste
>molecular
>gastronomy

is it just a matter of adding enough spices to get that rich curry flavour? am I simply not putting enough or am I missing some secret ingredient?

Maybe, it depends on the spices you buy and how you make the curry.. some supermarket spices can taste a bit weak and you need to add a little more than if you buy whole spices and grind them youself.
When you fry the spices just get them aromatic and a little darker in color but try to make sure you don't burn them because the curry will get a bitter and the spices will lose flavor.

Find an Indian or Asian supermarket or spice mart and try some different spices if there is one nearby.

we have all the proper spices like cumin seeds, cardamom pods, tumeric, garam masala, mustard seeds etc but it just doesn't taste authentic.

are there any secret ingredients or something I'm missing?

how do you make curry?

what's authentic?
most indians use curry powder

like it tastes like the kind you get in a restaurant . I've also known some people whose parents made it like that kind of real taste.

my curry just tastes weak and doesn't have a lot of flavour. like a watered down curry basically, even though I cook it down a lot

I make curries weekly OP and they are usually amazing. Are you following recipe exactly? How old are your spices?

It might just come down to practicing and testing using more or less to taste.
Low and slow for longer times can help build richer curries as well, just use tougher meats so it doesn't turn to mush if you cook for longer times.

Use Ghee over other oils, and use a lot of fat and salt.

This book has been recommended to me for curry recipes before ISBN-10: 1904920357 "50 Great Curries of India"

I don't really have a go to recipe yet, I usually just google different recipes for ingredients then follow a rough rule of;
Fats then oinions then spices then brown the meat and add vegetables and liquids, simmer down for a couple of hours.

You could also try stock instead of water for more flavor.

>Are you following recipe exactly?
yes

>How old are your spices?
not sure desu, they still all have a really strong smell

>even though I cook it down a lot
How long are you reducing it for? You could be over cooking it.

I always put the whole spices in with the oil before the onions. That helps with flavour.

tamarind

>Use Ghee
Ok I'm not doing this, does this make a big difference?

I'm not adding any fats either. Just oil and salt, onions, stock and spices

I did use a stock last time and it was slightly better but still not close to what I want

like 1 hour or so, maybe a bit more

I will get this, thanks user

I have no idea what you're trying to make because curry is a lot of things

If you're thinking of takeout restaurant stuff try adding some pepper and coconut milk

maybe mustard oil as well if you are using vegetable oil.

Yes I forgot that, usually the coconut milk ones are my favourite ones. I add that too sometimes but I've just been annoyed each time when I try to make it out and it still comes out with nowhere near enough flavour

You realised that's just the recipe for the base to curries right? So restuarants use a couple of cups of this base for every curry they do and add way more spices so it's unlikely to taste like any British takeaway curry just like that.

Use one of CookingInRussia's recipes -- they're involved and do require time and quite a few steps, but it's the closest I've ever made to restaurant quality.

Some people don't like ghee and some do, so that can be personal preference but it is more 'authentic' to use ghee i guess.

yes

>Then I used another recipe using the curry base with more spices and the chicken and stuff.

It's not what spices you use, but how you use them. Toasting, then grinding has a different flavour than raw spices added to a stew liquid. Also, cooking them in oil and letting them infuse creates yet another result. It's almost more important HOW you cook them rather than what spices you use.

these look good user thanks

I usually put the spices with the oil and onions

Absolutely not. Most Indians do use store bought garam masala and some pre-made spice mixes like karhai masala etc. But no Indian uses curry powder. Most might not even know what it is.

Whole, or do you grind them into a powder first? That also impacts flavour. Last thing: if you smell the curry a lot, it's probably because you're cooking it too quickly. The relatively volatile compounds that make up flavour of spices and ingredients get released into the air when the masala is cooked too fast. Good curry takes hours not minutes to make.

Dear god... you made the right move, user.

Toast your spices. Some spices are oil soluble so toast them in your ghee. If your curry doesn't taste as strong as the restaurant, that would have a lot to do with it.

FFS. This thread again. Start here: syvum.com/recipes/inc/ Go to desi market and get the proper spices. Poo in the loo food is not hard.

Okay I have no idea why people are making it sound to tough but making a curry is pretty easy. Whole spices ground before cooking does add a lot of flavor but pre-ground isn't bad either. Oil, cumin, cinammon stick, chopped ginger garlic and onions in. Cook till transparent. Add salt and turmeric. Add tomatoes. Reduce to paste like consistency. Add coriander powder, red chilli powder and garam masala. A bit of water so the spices don't burn. Lower the flame. Cream. Water to get to desired thickness. Lightly toasted fenugreek crushed over the curry. Add and meat or vegetables and cook for 5 10 minutes. Garnish with cilantro. Serve.

Couple of pointers, unless you've mastered making small portions don't try to make a week's supply in your first attempt. Half a big red onion 1-2 garlic cloves, 1/4" ginger and two tomatoes should make about two servings or one large serving of curry. Keep salting little by little and tasting as you go to get a feel of how flavours actually develop to give you that depth. If nothing freshly ground coriander is worth looking into. Use enough fat and enough salt but don't overdo it.

Use more cumin than the recipe tells you to.

The three biggest epiphanies I've had when cooking curry, in no particular order:

1) Spices matter a lot. Whole, toasted in a dry pan, and ground when you need to use them is best. If you are using powder then shop around--different brands vary GREATLY in quality. That also applies to the coconut milk if you are making a curry which uses that.

2) To quote some old Indian guy from an episode of No Reservations: "the color has to come from the onions". If you're cooking an Indian-style curry that has a lot of onions in it then cook them low and slow, just like you were carmelizing them for French Onion Soup. Cooking the onions alone can take almost an hour. Low and slow until you get a rich brown color.

...and as with any other dish, the recipe is a guideline, not something you follow exactly. Different ingredients have different strengths of flavor. You might have to use more or less of a given spice based on how strong yours is. Taste and adjust.

Are you remembering to wipe your ass with your bare hands?

>>be me
Him not talking to you is the right decision

Try this.