Hot hot hot (Patak's Original Madras Curry Paste)

Member Name: devevre

Product:	Patak's Original Madras Curry Paste
Date:	03/02/03 (1283 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: good flavour, no E numbers, economical

Disadvantages: oily

One of the staples of our week-day cuisine is Patak's Madras Curry Paste. It is not something that I would ever have decided on a whim to buy, but luckily a friend introduced it to me. I hope to introduce it to you. It is well worth buying if you like tasty home-made curry with a minimum of work.

Patak's Madras Curry Paste is not a sauce, but a thick paste. Because of this, it goes much farther than a jar of curry sauce of the same size. I tend to use about two tablespoons of curry paste whenever I make curry for two people, and the jar lasts for months.

I was also impressed by the fact that Patak's products do not contain E numbers. The Madras curry paste lasts for up to six months in the fridge; I think this must be due to the large amount of oil that is in it. Still, compared to the large quantities of dubious looking E numbers and preservatives in other curry sauces, I would rather have a bit more oil!

The best way that I have found to prepare curry using this curry paste is to fry some chopped onions with two tablespoons of Madras paste (oil isn't necessary because of the already high oil content of the paste), then add a tin of chopped tomatoes (including the liquid), and then add vegetables like cauliflower, broccoli, green beans and potatoes. I like to steam the vegetables just so they are tender on the outside but still crunchy on the inside, and then add them to the mixture of tomato and madras paste. Then I add a bit more water and put the lid on and let the vegetables simmer gently in the liquid until they have absorbed the flavour and are cooked to the right consistency.

The flavour of Patak's Madras paste goes nicely with rice, especially if the curry is made quite liquid. If it is made quite dry, it is good by itself also, or with naan bread. I've even eaten it quite happily with ordinary brown bread, but then I am a student!

My favourite trick, though, really tastes wonde

rful with the madras paste. I take two bananas and fry them in butter (sinful but worth it for the flavour) until they are almost caramelized, gooey, and browned on the outside. Then I serve the madras curry on top of rice, and top it with a dollop of the caramelized banana. The sweetness of the banana contrasts wonderfully with the tangy tomato flavour and the sharp spice of the curry paste.

Really delicious. My favourite Patak's curry paste - and of course Patak's is my favourite brand of curry paste, whatever the kind - quick, tasty, and even healthy. I hope I've managed to convince you, because I'm still glad that somebody convinced me!

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