Topic: Bitter curry problem

[Chil]

Hope you can help; I am, occasionally, creating an unwanted, bitter curry sauce. Can you tell me why, how to avoid it and, if possible, how to recover the sauce, please?
 
To create a curry sauce I often use pureed garlic, onion, ginger and a little water as a base. This is fried gently for 10-15 minutes until it starts to take on some colour, but not too much. I then add a can of tomatoes with curry powder, cumin, salt, pepper, etc. Sometimes the sauce turns out bitter/sour. Adding sugar does not help.

So far as I know, I am not burning the garlic/onion/ginger - no burnt smell or colour. All ingredients are fresh.
 
I think it is something to do with the onion/garlic/ginger mix, because this can smell odd when cooking - very soapy smell, I would say.

This sounds daft, but could it be some sort of chemical reaction between the base ingredients?

[pete]

If you puree onions, before cooking, you will always get a bitter horrid taste.
You need to boil them, in a little water, for at least half an hour.
Puree them then and they will have a sweet taste
Check out the curry sauces section
http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?board=2.0

[Chil]

Thanks, Pete.

[DARTHPHALL]

Also are you cooking in Aluminium Pans ?
As we have had new members asking about bitter tastes in their Curries before, sometimes it is caused by the ingredients reacting with the soft metal of their Pots & Pans etc..
Hope this is of some help.
DARTHPHALL..... .....

[raygraham]

Hi,

The pans may be the problem in the bitter taste.
I bought a very large 14" Wok which is heavy cast iron and made by "Bodem". It comes with a glass lid.
It is the best kitchen tool I have ever bought. It has a very thick heavy base and it gets mega hot, doesn't stick and nothing burns in it at all.
It is also almost big enough to take the full contents of Darths 30 Onion base! Although it cost ?40 I don't think you can beat it for curry making.

Regards

Ray

[Mark J]

Is it on this page ray : http://www.pots-and-pans.co.uk/acatalog/Bodum_Products.html

[raygraham]

Hi Mark,

Yes, that's exactly the one! I got mine in Fenwick's in London but it is good value on the site you found and postage is pretty good seeing as it weighs a ton. Like the description say's it holds heat and has a very even heat distribution too.
It's just a bit tricky to wash as it is a bit big for my sink!
A cracking piece of kit though!

Ray

[Ashes]

Burnt spices also make curries bitter, make sure they dont stick to the bottom.

[Curry King]

I agree with ashes, if the spices turn too dark its game over your better of binning it and starting again.? You need to fry them enough so the curry is not powdery but overcook and its bad, i've done it enough times.? Im sure half the "taste" comes from frying the spices just right.