Indian Curry - Help identifying what makes up a "tarka base"

GavTNewbie

I would like to think that I can cook a curry as well as the next man, and in the past Ive cooked curries using herbs/spices in a dry-curry sort of way, also cream based curries, including thai green and some cracking recipes using not-your-standard ingredients, like mange tout, sweet potato and the like.

Now, recently I came across an absolutely astoundingly good takeaway meal from my local (Ashoka Glasgow West End since you ask).  The meal was Chicken Tikka Karahi Bhoona and it was simply amazing.  Now, what I want to know is – does anyone know what a “tarka base” is ?  The recipe says they use it but Ive never heard of it and google surprisingly shows very little about it, or how to recreate it at home.

Does anyone have any knowledge of how to make it, what the ingredients are etc ? If so, Id be delighted if you could share

FYI – the Karahi Bhoona is described in the menu as “A host of spices sautéed in a rich tarka base with an abundance of capsicums and onions”.

Solomon Grundy

I thought Tarka was the same as Tikka but a bit "Otter"?

IronGiant

great joke

As "R" looks very much like a "K" I suspect it is a typo that got past whoever typed up the menu.  Either that or the typer deliberately slipped that joke in under the Boss's nose

Dave

mikeycubed

Thanks for that, coffee all over my desk now

GavTNewbie

right moving on....

seems Ive been a tad dense here... thanks for pointing out the err in my ways a hot tikka sauce it is then

IronGiant

A quick scour of the internet reveals it to be a very common typo so probably isn't one after all...  Looking into it, it looks as if it may be the technique of seering spices in ghee, either at the beginning of the cooking process or as a drizzle to pour over the finished dish, rather than a specific sauce in itself.  

Dave

GavTNewbie

Also known as a Chaunk...

acid007

"Tarka" is pulses based, lentils being the favourite.

Sid

IronGiant

good find, thanks

Sid, tarka daal does seem to be a popular tarka dish.

Dave