# Better bought than homemade



## Julia9054 (13 Apr 2020)

Ok. I am really, REALLY bored.
Prompted by some smug woman on Twitter posting her recipe for home made custard creams, what food items do people think are better bought than home made?
My starter for 3:-
Custard creams
Soreen malt loaf
Heinz tomato soup


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## Smudge (13 Apr 2020)

Bread..... for the simple reason i could never be arsed to make bread.


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## Julia9054 (13 Apr 2020)

Smudge said:


> Bread..... for the simple reason i could never be arsed to make bread.


All bread has its place from the ponciest artisan sourdough to the guilty secret hangover value white sliced!


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## Cycleops (13 Apr 2020)

Although it's passed you can add Hot Cross Buns to that list.


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## Eziemnaik (13 Apr 2020)

My short list:
Ketchup
Mustard
Cheese


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## Smudge (13 Apr 2020)

Beer.... I couldn't be bothered making that either. Or wine.
Plus i've never had any home brew of any alcoholic drink that has tasted as good as what i can buy in a shop.


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## Joffey (13 Apr 2020)

Another vote here for beer.

Dairy products, condiments, biscuits and cordial are my other nominations.


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## Milkfloat (13 Apr 2020)

To be honest, most things.


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## welsh dragon (13 Apr 2020)

Jaffa cakes. 
Do nuts
Ice cream (of any kind)


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## Smudge (13 Apr 2020)

Milkfloat said:


> To be honest, most things.



True, there really is too many to list due to the hassle of making them.


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## Julia9054 (13 Apr 2020)

Smudge said:


> True, there really is too many to list due to the hassle of making them.


Imagine someone else has home made all the things for you so you don't need to bother.
Going on taste/quality alone, what would still be on your list?
Beer - definitely.


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## PeteXXX (13 Apr 2020)

Crumpets


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## Smudge (13 Apr 2020)

Julia9054 said:


> Image someone else has home made all the things for you so you don't need to bother.
> Going on taste/quality alone, what would still be on your list?
> Beer - definitely.



Yes i see your point. Probably curry, neither myself or anyone i know, has ever made me a curry as good as the one from my local Indian takeaway.


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## Smudge (13 Apr 2020)

I would add that i dont include shop bought curries in that.... they are always crap imo.


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## Julia9054 (13 Apr 2020)

PeteXXX said:


> Crumpets


That one just caused a heated discussion in my house!


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## Phaeton (13 Apr 2020)

PeteXXX said:


> Crumpets


Do you mean of the lady of the night flavour or pikelets


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## sheddy (13 Apr 2020)

Bicycles.


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## Julia9054 (13 Apr 2020)

Phaeton said:


> Do you mean of the lady of the night flavour or pikelets


Either would be a welcome diversion right now. Especially if the former had home baked the latter.


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## Mo1959 (13 Apr 2020)

With my lack of cooking skills...........everything!


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## DaveReading (13 Apr 2020)

I did a cookery class many years ago, and one week we made After-8 clones, well worth the hassle.


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## PeteXXX (13 Apr 2020)

Phaeton said:


> Do you mean of the lady of the night flavour or pikelets


The 2nd one..👍🏼


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## glasgowcyclist (13 Apr 2020)

I suppose it depends on your kitchen skills. Any of my breads is better than the industrial stuff. 

My brother makes Amaretti biscuits and jaffa cakes that beat anything in the shops. And no supermarket sells a better Victoria sponge than my wife's.


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## PeteXXX (13 Apr 2020)

Phaeton said:


> Do you mean of the lady of the night flavour or pikelets


And by Pikelets, do you mean crumpets, or small medieval weapons?


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## Eziemnaik (13 Apr 2020)

How about things that shops/restaurants/pubs never get right and are always better at home?
I would include the following:
Sunday roast (logistics are complicated so you are almost always bound to get it reheated)
Macaroni cheese (similar case)
Scones (cant beat fresh scones, nobody is ever gonna do these for you to order, not even harrods)
Any sort of BBQ


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## alicat (13 Apr 2020)

Clothes.


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## Phaeton (13 Apr 2020)

PeteXXX said:


> And by Pikelets, do you mean crumpets, or small medieval weapons?


Are they not just small pikes for the dwarfs in The Lord of the Rings?


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## raleighnut (13 Apr 2020)

Apart from Vinyl records almost everything can be better home made, you just need the skills.


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## Mrs M (13 Apr 2020)

Haddock and chips (from “The Bay” in Stonehaven)


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## roadrash (13 Apr 2020)

Cycleops said:


> Although it's passed you can add Hot Cross Buns to that list.


Hot cross buns all year round at road rash towers


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## slowmotion (13 Apr 2020)

Gin.


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## Mrs M (13 Apr 2020)

To go with the fish supper!


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## gbb (13 Apr 2020)

Beer, tried brewing it once, no doubt made a hash of it, hated it.


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## Gunk (13 Apr 2020)

The one thing you can’t replicate at home is fish and chips and a beer on the beach with good friends.


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## steveindenmark (13 Apr 2020)

Crisps
Fish and chips

But Jannie made a mean pesto today.


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## contadino (13 Apr 2020)

Most things that I've invested the time to try and make have turned out to be better than shop-bought.

Notable exceptions were my chocolate which was such a lot of effort for so little. Soap wasn't great. My spoons all warped (but, bless her, the wife still insists on using them.) Cassata - which sagged and turned out so big that most went off.

On the flip side, things that I wouldn't even think about buying in nowadays...

1 bread and rolls (with the exception of panettone)
2 biscuits (as in cheese and biscuits)
3 mayonnaise
4 yoghurt and cream cheese
5 jams and pickles
6 Xmas fudge
7 breakfast cereal
8 compost


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## cyberknight (13 Apr 2020)

PeteXXX said:


> Crumpets


cant get crumpet in our home unless we choloroform the kids


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## snorri (13 Apr 2020)

Mrs M said:


> To go with the fish supper!


Aye, the vinyards o' Steenhive are a wonder to behold.


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## Electric_Andy (13 Apr 2020)

I've tried making mayonnaise before, but it didn't come close to Hellman's. Actually it didn't come close to supermarket own brand


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## Beebo (13 Apr 2020)

slowmotion said:


> Gin.


i know you are joking but I think it is illegal to distill alcohol in domestic premises anyway.


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## Smudge (13 Apr 2020)

Marmite..... doubt anyone has even tried to make this top stuff at home. But if they did, it would probably turn out like that disgusting Vegemite.


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## BrumJim (13 Apr 2020)

Mrs M said:


> To go with the fish supper!
> View attachment 514844



Ohh, you've got me all nostalgic now. Once drove from Inverness to Stonehaven to meet up with some fellow Fiat Coupé enthusiasts. It was a fantastic drive over through the best of the Grampians and the clear, twisty roads, and great evening light in Stonehaven where we parked on the quay as one of the drivers knows the harbourmasters and had a good natter. Even managed to understand a few words from one of the other drivers who was a shrimp fisherman. Then we drove up to a hill above Stonehaven to see the evening sun. Can't recall if we had any fish and chips, but I now want to replicate that journey again, but definitely with fish and chips this time.

Just got to choose the car.

(sorry to bring cars into a cycling forum)


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## slowmotion (13 Apr 2020)

Beebo said:


> i know you are joking but I think it is illegal to distill alcohol in domestic premises anyway.


Entirely illegal and I don't but I know of some people who do.


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## Stephen Piper (13 Apr 2020)

Running out of mayonnaise in these troubled times led me to investigate making my own (so as too avoid a shopping trip). this easy method worked extremely well, using a 'stick blender': 
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j3xx8Bpau0E


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## slowmotion (13 Apr 2020)

Stephen Piper said:


> Running out of mayonnaise in these troubled times led me to investigate making my own (so as too avoid a shopping trip). this easy method worked extremely well, using a 'stick blender':
> View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j3xx8Bpau0E



That's the method I used too. It works really well. You can experiment using different types of oil.


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## Eziemnaik (14 Apr 2020)

Amd if you add a clove of garlic you get all oli


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## Moodyman (14 Apr 2020)

We made butter for the first time this weekend. We succeeded, but when factoring the cost of double cream, electricity and the messy blender, it makes more sense to buy a cube of Lurpak or similar.


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## EltonFrog (14 Apr 2020)

PeteXXX said:


> Crumpets


No. Just no. Shop bought crumpets are vile portions of old mattresses.


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## glasgowcyclist (14 Apr 2020)

Moodyman said:


> We made butter for the first time this weekend. We succeeded, but when factoring the cost of double cream, electricity and the messy blender, it makes more sense to buy a cube of Lurpak or similar.



Butter is worth making at home because it's quick, easy and cheap.

A 250g block of supermarket's own brand butter is about £1.60, or £6.40/kg.
A 600ml tub of double cream costs £2 and that will give me a yield of 400g of butter in five minutes.

The electricity cost for a 300 watt hand mixer for five minutes is tiny, probably about tuppence max.

So at this stage I can have 400g of butter for around £2, that's just £5/kg so already cheaper than shop bought. Add to that I also now have 200ml of buttermilk, which would cost me 80p in the supermarket, and it's even more worth it.

BUT, I wait until the cream is on the short-dated shelf where I can buy it on the best before date for 10p for 600ml. It's actually better to use cream that's at that date or just beyond, it churns into butter faster. (It also speeds up the process if you take it out of the fridge and let it get to room tempereature before churning.)

So now I'm getting 400g of butter for 10p or 25p/kg, plus that lovely buttermilk that I can use in making my bread. That's an absolute bargain!


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## neil_merseyside (14 Apr 2020)

glasgowcyclist said:


> Butter is worth making at home because it's quick, easy and cheap.
> 
> A 250g block of supermarket's own brand butter is about £1.60, or £6.40/kg.
> A 600ml tub of double cream costs £2 and that will give me a yield of 400g of butter in five minutes.
> ...


Method please, I'm asking you as you don't mention mess!


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## glasgowcyclist (14 Apr 2020)

neil_merseyside said:


> Method please, I'm asking you as you don't mention mess!



My stand mixer has a clear perspex shield which limits the mess. Then there’s always the old style churn (modern copies are available) which keep everything contained.


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## PeteXXX (14 Apr 2020)

Custard..
Much easier to use Birds Custard Powder and a microwave 👍🏼


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## screenman (14 Apr 2020)

Wine.


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## Easytigers (14 Apr 2020)

Curry...no matter how many recipes, jars etc nothing beats a takeaway!


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## Julia9054 (14 Apr 2020)

Pastry


Easytigers said:


> Curry...no matter how many recipes, jars etc nothing beats a takeaway!


Ooh - disagree strongly! Takeaways not a patch on home cooking. The 3 men in my family currently competitively cooking lockdown curry recipes. (I fat!)


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## Salty seadog (14 Apr 2020)

Time machines. 🤫


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## Salty seadog (14 Apr 2020)

EltonFrog said:


> No. Just no. Shop bought crumpets are vile portions of old mattresses.



Someone's not putting enough butter on.


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## Ming the Merciless (14 Apr 2020)

Baked beans


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## rogerzilla (14 Apr 2020)

TInned pies


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## Easytigers (15 Apr 2020)

Julia9054 said:


> Pastry
> 
> Ooh - disagree strongly! Takeaways not a patch on home cooking. The 3 men in my family currently competitively cooking lockdown curry recipes. (I fat!)


If you post a recipe, I'll happily give it a go...but yet to be convinced!


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## BrumJim (15 Apr 2020)

Julia9054 said:


> Pastry



I think that the key with pastry is patience. Make it the day before, put it in an airtight container and put that in the fridge for a day and it comes out lovely and springy. However most people who know more about cooking than I ever will scoff at the idea and think that this is way too long.


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## Julia9054 (15 Apr 2020)

BrumJim said:


> I think that the key with pastry is patience. Make it the day before, put it in an airtight container and put that in the fridge for a day and it comes out lovely and springy. However most people who know more about cooking than I ever will scoff at the idea and think that this is way too long.


Pastry making involves voodoo. My mum and sister both make pastry and have loads of rules eg hand temperature for getting it just right. They look down on me for using the bought stuff but I genuinely can't tell the difference. Pastry definitely falls into the "life's just too short" category


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## raleighnut (15 Apr 2020)

Easytigers said:


> If you post a recipe, I'll happily give it a go...but yet to be convinced!


The thing is not to try with Pastes and 'Cook In' sauces but to use real spices and then experience is what is needed, different 'Curries' call for different techniques and cooking methods and you need to know exactly when to add which ingredient. Chillies for example come in many different 'heats' and flavours so saying "finely chop 2 Chillies" can have a vastly different effect depending on the variety used.


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## BrumJim (15 Apr 2020)

Julia9054 said:


> Pastry making involves voodoo. My mum and sister both make pastry and have loads of rules eg hand temperature for getting it just right. They look down on me for using the bought stuff but I genuinely can't tell the difference. Pastry definitely falls into the "life's just too short" category



I use a mixing machine and put the blades in the freezer before use. Advantage is that it is quick and consistent. No doubt many aficionados would scoff greatly at such gross cheating and complain about the heat generated, but works for me.


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## Julia9054 (15 Apr 2020)

Easytigers said:


> If you post a recipe, I'll happily give it a go...but yet to be convinced!


This is the book at the moment. It also comes in app form


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## Pale Rider (15 Apr 2020)

Curries.

The fine differences of regional Indian cuisine and aromatic herbs and spices are lost on me.

Medium meat curry and boiled rice is my simple taste for Anglo-Indian cuisine.

The microwaveable ones from the shop are just as good as anything I've ever made or had in a restaurant.

They vary a little, my latest find is Chicken Tikka Massala from Spar.

A genuine treat, and no social distancing queues to get one at my local outlet.


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## Eziemnaik (15 Apr 2020)

How about thai red or masaman or penang?
What I like a little bit of good quality paste and some coconut milk always gives great and replicable results


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## Ridgeway (15 Apr 2020)

Milk


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## Deafie (23 Apr 2020)

EltonFrog said:


> 🤢 🤮 🤢 🤮
> 
> I used to hate crumpets until I made my own.


I'd like to have a go at making my own, you can get them in the shops here but they are a bit pricey and a bit meh! Could you post your recipe,please


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## EltonFrog (23 Apr 2020)

Deafie said:


> I'd like to have a go at making my own, you can get them in the shops here but they are a bit pricey and a bit meh! Could you post your recipe,please


https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/crumpets


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## Deafie (23 Apr 2020)

EltonFrog said:


> https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/crumpets


There seems to be some controversy regarding the recipe in the comments section, do you follow the recipe as written or have you modified it in some way, as suggested by some of the reviewers?


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## Smudge (23 Apr 2020)

Even Matt Tebbutt, supposedly a chef, couldn't make crumpets on Food Unwrapped. He made a right mess of it, so they went to the factory to see how they are made.


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## EltonFrog (23 Apr 2020)

Deafie said:


> There seems to be some controversy regarding the recipe in the comments section, do you follow the recipe as written or have you modified it in some way, as suggested by some of the reviewers?


As written, I cant see the comment on an iPhone.


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## Bonefish Blues (23 Apr 2020)

Easytigers said:


> If you post a recipe, I'll happily give it a go...but yet to be convinced!


This one.

https://atannaskitchentable.recipes/2011/12/01/madhur-jaffreys-chicken-in-a-fried-onion-sauce/

Seriously, make this, and the garam masala too - it's one I've been making for 30+ years and it's just the best.


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## dodgy (23 Apr 2020)

Pale Rider said:


> The microwaveable ones from the shop are just as good as anything I've ever made or had in a restaurant.



You must have been in some truly terrible Indian restaurants. That is just inconceivable, we have the supermarket ones sometimes, they're ok as a TV dinner but not even in the same league as a proper 'sit down' experience in a restaurant.


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## further (23 Apr 2020)

cassoulet


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## Julia9054 (23 Apr 2020)

further said:


> cassoulet


Bought and eaten in a restaurant in rural France.
I‘m sad now.


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## oldwheels (24 Apr 2020)

dodgy said:


> You must have been in some truly terrible Indian restaurants. That is just inconceivable, we have the supermarket ones sometimes, they're ok as a TV dinner but not even in the same league as a proper 'sit down' experience in a restaurant.


There are some terrible Indian restaurants but it depends when you go. Once I had been on the road driving for hours and arrived in Glasgow on a Friday night about 2200. Stopped at a fairly upmarket place near the top of Kelvin Way as handy for parking. We had been there before and it was very good. However we discovered that at that time on weekend nights you got the same slop regardless of what you ordered. Obviously catering for the pub exit market. After a short and pointed discussion we left and they did not even try to pursue us for the price.


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## dodgy (24 Apr 2020)

Good point, in general the restaurants that ply the 'after pub' trade are not that great. Anyone been to Mowgli? Unlike any other Indian restaurant I've visited before but absolutely superb. One for a treat.


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## Archie_tect (24 Apr 2020)

Mowgli in Oxford was a revelation... definitely return there when we're allowed out to visit Master A_T again...


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## PeteXXX (25 Apr 2020)

Salty seadog said:


> Someone's not putting enough butter on.


Best with jam & cheese 🍴


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## biggs682 (25 Apr 2020)

I intend to make a rhubarb crumble tomorrow 
And then promptly eat some of it as part of our evening meal


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## Easytigers (25 Apr 2020)

Bonefish Blues said:


> This one.
> 
> https://atannaskitchentable.recipes/2011/12/01/madhur-jaffreys-chicken-in-a-fried-onion-sauce/
> 
> Seriously, make this, and the garam masala too - it's one I've been making for 30+ years and it's just the best.


Just tried it...to the letter...and just ok...my son who has hollow legs, left some! Yet to be convinced :-(


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## Bonefish Blues (25 Apr 2020)

Unprecedented. Genuinely so. That's authentic homestyle Indian curry.

It's even better on day 2 mind


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