662858 Tue Oct 27 18:27:43 -0700 2009 16 27 General Chowhounding Topics 0 5136041 I sometimes feel like making Indian food for dinner, but don't have the time to start a curry from scratch. I've tried a couple of the Patak's sauces and think that they are pretty good in a pinch, plus they're easy to find where I live. I'm wondering about other lines of Indian sauces that I've not tried: Maya Kaimal, etc. Any recommendations? Tue Oct 27 18:27:43 -0700 2009 1114540 cheesemaestro 1 5136694 do you have an indian store close by ? there are dried mixes available by sanjeev kapoor and shan masalas which really are pretty simple to use. dont need a lot of other things to make a curry in a snap. there are times when i use the crockpot before leaving for work to make dals and other types of curries which benefit from slow cooking. Wed Oct 28 05:01:32 -0700 2009 5136041 76259 foodwich 2 5136855 The Shan brand masalas offer a broad array of recipes and can save as much time as Patak's pastes. You might also find that keeping ginger-garlic paste in the refrigerator can be a time saver as well. How is Sanjeev Kapoor? I just noticed his packets starting to proliferate the stores in my area, though I thought that they were wet pastes. Wed Oct 28 06:33:24 -0700 2009 5136694 68363 JungMann 2 5137231 Yes, there are a couple of Indian groceries nearby. I'll definitely check them out. As for the Sanjeev Kapoor dried mixes, what ingredients (besides the meat) typically have to be added to make a curry? How do the results compare to using a sauce like Patak's? Wed Oct 28 08:51:00 -0700 2009 5136694 1114540 cheesemaestro 3 5138451 sanjeev kapoor does a cooking show on indian tv called khana khazana and he has these mixes for curries etc. last year i took a few packets of mixes on vacation with me so i could use for curries. they are ok i felt the mixes lack the oomph of the 'cooked from scratch' meal, but in when you are in a hurry, they work which is important. there are different kinds of dry mixes, some you just add meat of your choice others, depending on the curry you would add other ingredients. Wed Oct 28 15:17:46 -0700 2009 5137231 76259 foodwich 1 5136848 I concur with the Indian grocery recommendation -- you might even ask an employee if they can point you in the right direction. But my big rec. for this question is to take a Saturday some weekend (or really, you could do it in one ambitious night) and make Hetal and Anuja's Punjabi masala in bulk, portion it out and freeze it. Then on a weeknight you're minutes from seriously good Indian food. http://showmethecurry.com/odds-ends/how-to-make-masala-in-bulk.html Works well with ANY sauce that doesn't have dairy. I've done it with korma too -- just make the sauce up to the "add vegetables" point and before the "add cream" point, then freeze in ziplock bags or ice cube trays. Wed Oct 28 06:29:34 -0700 2009 5136041 256229 LauraGrace 2 5136890 Great idea here. I'm gonna try this next time I make a few dishes. What might be a drawback for me is that I LOVE the fact that each time I set out to make a gravy dish, they come out so differently each time. (I never follow recipes to a TEE. I just can't.) Wed Oct 28 06:47:18 -0700 2009 5136848 111530 gordeaux 2 5139816 great video, thanks. I am definitely going to make some of this soon. Thu Oct 29 07:07:56 -0700 2009 5136848 280735 tcamp 1 5137369 There's an absolutely amazing upscale Indian restaurant in DC called Rasika and they have started canning their sauces. Not sure where you are, but they may ship to you. Wed Oct 28 09:50:23 -0700 2009 5136041 87249 katecm 1 5137969 Maya Kaimal's sauces are good, but not worth the expensive price tag IMO when you can get Patak's for less with equal to or better results, especially the curry pastes (not the simmer sauces) Wed Oct 28 12:42:16 -0700 2009 5136041 235517 annapurna7 1 5139792 Thanks everyone. I'm getting the sense that curry pastes and dry mixes are equally good, if not better alternatives to jarred sauces. I'll definitely check them out. Thu Oct 29 06:58:39 -0700 2009 5136041 1114540 cheesemaestro 2 5142287 I do want to add, use the dry mixes and pastes but also add in some fresh ingredients whenever possible to enhance their flavor. whenever i use the dry mix, its just as a flavor enhancer not following the recipe completely on the packet. play around with it to suit your taste and that will be the best way to use them. Fri Oct 30 04:52:51 -0700 2009 5139792 76259 foodwich 1 5139927 No Indian markets where we live, so we're limited to what we can find at World Market, Fresh Market, and a couple of Thai grocery stores. Patak's isn't bad, but can seem a little heavy on the tomato sometimes. One of our default meals when no one feels like doing anything in the kitchen is Tiger Tiger's chicken tikka sauce, (World Market is a US distributor) chicken, rice. Would stay away from the Shere Khan products. They reformulated last year and the new sauces are awful- lost all the flavor complexity in favor of making it sweeter and fattier. Thu Oct 29 07:43:52 -0700 2009 5136041 11781 beachmouse 1 5160270 although not as good as from scratch of course...but Walmart has a yellow curry powder that is great! it comes in a gold can (Watkins is the brand). Also target sells Tikka Masala sauce ina ajar from Archer Farms that is great in a pinch... Fri Nov 06 04:16:57 -0800 2009 5136041 245954 Ldganung 1 5161274 For years I've gone to Indian restaurants, ordered something like chicken tikka masala or chicken makhani, and been asked when I was done if I wanted to take the sauce (no chicken left) to go. (This always puzzled me - sauce to go?) Last time I did, and let me tell you it was a revelation! I heated it up, put some precooked chicken in there, and got three more meals out of it. Fri Nov 06 10:55:23 -0800 2009 5136041 10992 katya 1 5163302 My own solution is Trader Joe's line of Indian Fare...use the pouched veggies or legumes as SAUCES...add sauted onion, garlic, meat, poultry, fish, shellfish...make fresh fragrent basmati rice, buy your naan or pita and have on hand hot pickled lemon condiment and chutney of choice. I make a nice raita to go with...getting hungry. Sat Nov 07 09:28:48 -0800 2009 5136041 261036 garlic17 1 5163963 Only because the Kokoman Tikka Masala ad has been advertised here lately do I know about it, but has anyone tried it? Sat Nov 07 16:11:40 -0800 2009 5136041 73756 enbell