Basic base for a curry?

Hi All,

After a basic base for a curry i.e something I can add curry powder too, stir and serve :P
 
A tomato base doesn't work or im not doing it right.....
 
help!

Chicken
Tin tomatoes
1 Onion
Curry power
Garam Masala powder
bay leaf
 
can add diffrent spices' Cinamin
 
i have probs missed loads off just trying to think off top my head.

Sweat off a diced onion,add curry powder,cumin and garam masala,cook for a few mins then add a tin of chopped tomatos and some water....I like to chuck in a bit of tabasco for extra heat..Blend it up then add your chicken,beef or whatever you fancy and just let it simmer down...You may have to thicken with cornflour at the end depending on the consistency.....

tomatoes are the base for most curries mate

ive tons to learn!!

Fry some onions - the browner they are the more of a madras taste you will get, add in some chopped/crushed garlic with the onions, if you like your curry hot then add some chopped chilli's, add the uncooked meat, stir in your choice of spices, paprika, cumin, corinader, tumeric, garam massala, curry powder (and cook through),  add any other veg you fancy,  drain some of the juice out of your tinned tomato's and pour the rest in (i find the juice too watery and when the tomatoes are cooked they will provide enough liquid), if you fancy a saag curry, add spinach, or if you fancy some carbs in your curry add either potato or sweet potato, then let cook. The longer you cook it for (on a lower heat) the better it will taste!
 
My personal favourite is to cook it and let it cool for a while before reheating back up to a necessary temperature.

Best thing to do mate is to sweat off your onions but first clarify some butter,just put butter in a pan and let it heat gently,the fat out of the butter will rise to the top leaving it clarified,then add your spices,I go for cumin,cardomom,chilli powder,curry powder,cinnimon,cloves,whole dried chilli's and 2 star anise,make sure you cook the spices off or they will taste bitter and grainy then add a tablespoon of tom puree and brown it off then add a drop of red plonk just to deglaze your pan,this should give you a sause base,if your using chicken dont add it until 25 minutes from the end or it will over cook and taste rancid,if its beef then add it after you deglaze pan then add your tinned toms and top up with a pint of water bring to the boil then reduce the heat to a light simmer for around 2 hours,this will leave the sauce nice and thick,dont season it until the end though,the more you reduce a sauce the more intense the salt becomes,there is an old wives tale that you lose 90% of salt during the cooking process,its nuts mate,its intensifies,I been a chef for 9 yrs now and ive know no different,good luck with the curry mate....if you or anyone needs any hints or tips feel free to pm !!

dry-fry some whole spices, either a bought mix of coriander seed, cumin, fennel seed, clove, cardomom and possibly Star Anise or Cinnamon, or a mix you make up yourself.  NEVER buy ready-ground spices, always buy whole and toast and grind them yourself.
 
tip them, hot, into a mortar and pestle, and pound up
 
back in your pan, sweat off finely chopped onion, greated ginger, chilli and garlic.  add tumeric and your spice powder.  add some pulped tomato and coconut milk (equal quantities) and blitz in a blender. 
 
if you like (and, i do) add lemon

^Great recipe, though I don't know if some people can distinguish the difference between freshly roasted spices and shop bought ground spices... I've cooked curries with both and my guests love them both.
 
Basic base for a curry, if you're wanting to add just your standard curry powder, would be some tinned chopped tomatoes or passata (finely blitz tomatoes) usually used n italian cooking, some cream, yoghurt, could use some stock depending on what curry you're making, chicken, lamb, veg etc... If you are using stock, don't add any salt at all as the stock will be full of it!