Getting that authentic Indian restaurant taste

[whiffey]

Without grinding your own spices and all that stuff, using a commercial sauce, what is the closest you have come to creating the restaurant taste at home ? I'm cooking a chicken vindaloo (+++) by burning finely chopped onion in Flora, adding 2 chopped habaneros and a tablespoon of garlic from a jar, 600g chopped chicken, a can of chopped tomatoes, and a jar of Patak's Vindaloo sauce. It is absolutely brilliant and I am eating it from the saucepan non-stop. What is the best you have done, from jars ?

[crete]

from a jar ? apricot jam

[whiffey]

Nooooooooooooo, silly Scottish person, I meant a curry.

[ganesh]

I like pataks curry pastes,just add about a third of the jar mixed with some water and a tin of tomatoes. They are quite spicy but the Korma one is quite mild,and tasty!

[jump79]

I don't like making curries from jars, not very fresh ... better to buy currie packets and dry spices as fewer preservatives are used.
Also not healthy to eat from pan, i hope you are using a spoon!

[Gef]

Always use recipes from Madhur Jaffrey's Indian Cookery book. When I want the restaurant taste I buy a take-away.

[Kerplunk]

Buy from here: http://www.spicebox.co.uk/

Brilliant !!

[whiffey]

Thanks everybody.

And kerplunk, I have just ordered the phall masala and a few others from Rafi's

[Kerplunk]

Excellent, follow the instructions on the packets and you won't go wrong. You can also freeze the packs to keep them fresh if you have bought a few.