Curry Recipes Online
Beginners Guide => Trainee Chefs / Beginners Questions => Topic started by: goncalo on February 01, 2013, 04:32 PM
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I was wondering how you go about making your own tomato sauce. I've looked at the recipe from c2g, where Julian suggests using double-concentrate and for each part of sauce, add 2 same parts of water and then for each litre of watered down tomato sauce, add 1 tbsp of tandoori masala and let it rest for 2 hours.
Now, I don't know about you, but here the tomato sauce comes in a tube and it's not quite very precise or pratical to be squeezing it into a spoon to water it down, so I'm hoping there is a better way around this and I'm sure there is, so any thoughts would be gladly welcome :)
Also, your thoughts on adding tandoori masala to the tomato sauce would be welcome, as this is one of those things from the c2g book, like "bassar", that I can't quite put my finger on.
n.b: I'm referring to the tomato sauce/paste we generally throw in around the time G&G stops sizzling
Thanks
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Tinned plum tomatoes blended for me every time in the making of a curry.
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Tinned plum tomatoes blended for me every time in the making of a curry.
Cool, thanks h4ppy-chris. Any additional spices added to the sauce? :)
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I did originally go down the line of Julian's mix with a touch of tandoori massala. Must say, having used it both with and without I cannot see, taste even, the difference when used in this proportion. Won't bother in future. As far as measuring out the concentrate I think we are back to the thorny old subject of shall we get out our postal scales. I think not. No doubt someone will disagree. ;) A rough measure is fine by me with this stuff. Many of CA's recipes require the tom mix and he suggests 3 parts water to one of paste concentrate. Again, I have not noticed too much difference. 3:1 , 2:1, either way it is a means of getting the tomato into the oil etc. More water will afford less opportunity to burn but also take more time to dissipate.
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Tinned plum tomatoes blended for me every time in the making of a curry.
Why? ;D
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I'm also curious about the difference when using plum tomatoes.
I believe that this is one of the critical areas in cooking a curry. All the curries I've made that haven't been up to scratch have when I've analysed the process, had either too much puree mixture or not liquid enough. This is using recipes that I know well.
l cook on induction and it could be that too much lowers the temperature too much. Not really enough evidence yet.
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Gagomes just squeeze it into a small bowl and add twice as much water, simple. Otherwise, you could use pasata.
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Or if you are not happy doing it by eye, stick it on the scales and do it by ml. I still maintain that the ratio is not tooooooo critical reference my previous comment regarding the reduction of the water content.
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Tinned plum tomatoes blended for me every time in the making of a curry.
I use both tomato puree (it's puree gagomes, not sauce, if it's in a tube) and blended tinned tomatoes. You have to be careful with the tomatoes though because some brands are very acidic. I use LIDL plum tomatoes most often as they are cheap and very nice.
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If the tubes are a struggle Gagomes, try to get a tin of puree.
(http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/imagehost/pics/ca2aba887457ae59adf3598ea75647df.jpg)
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Tinned plum tomatoes blended for me every time in the making of a curry.
I use both tomato puree (it's puree gagomes, not sauce, if it's in a tube) and blended tinned tomatoes. You have to be careful with the tomatoes though because some brands are very acidic. I use LIDL plum tomatoes most often as they are cheap and very nice.
what price do you pay SS, never thought of buying them from LIDL
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Tinned plum tomatoes blended for me every time in the making of a curry.
Why? ;D
Tinned plum tomatoes are not as acidic as tinned chopped tomatoes or puree.
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Tinned plum tomatoes blended for me every time in the making of a curry.
I use both tomato puree (it's puree gagomes, not sauce, if it's in a tube) and blended tinned tomatoes. You have to be careful with the tomatoes though because some brands are very acidic. I use LIDL plum tomatoes most often as they are cheap and very nice.
what price do you pay SS, never thought of buying them from LIDL
I shop at Lidl a lot - 400g tin tomatoes about 34p
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For those that use blended plum tomatoes, do you need to dilute it?
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For those that use blended plum tomatoes, do you need to dilute it?
No just pop the whole contents of the tin in a jug and blend.
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For those that use blended plum tomatoes, do you need to dilute it?
No just pop the whole contents of the tin in a jug and blend.
I meant in the curry!
If the recipe calls for 2 tbsp of tomato paste do you just use 2 tbsp of blended plum tomatoes or would you dilute with water to get the 2 tbsps?
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"If the recipe calls for 2 tbsp of tomato paste do you just use 2 tbsp of blended plum tomatoes"
Yes.
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I have a TFE ( turkish ) store near me. Tinned toms are even cheaper ( and better ) than Lidl up the road. Fresh meat spot on and they also do the vast majority of spices that anyone may need. What more could a ruby builder want?
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If the tubes are a struggle Gagomes, try to get a tin of puree.
(http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/imagehost/pics/ca2aba887457ae59adf3598ea75647df.jpg)
That's the same as i use, i just get a big tub empty the whole tin into it and add two of the tins of water then add tandoori Powder and mix well.
Keeps in the fridge for weeks.
I must say that if a recipe asks for tomato puree then use tomato puree, i make a Balti recipe which asks for 1 tbsp tomato puree but yesterday didn't have any so used blended tinned tomatoes and the result was not even close to the original recipe that used tomato puree.
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Tinned tomatoes v whole tomatoes... You wont notice many green pieces in whole tomatoes however chopped ones do tend to have more.
Its an industry way of sneaking them in.
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Tinned tomatoes v whole tomatoes... You wont notice many green pieces in whole tomatoes however chopped ones do tend to have more.
Its an industry way of sneaking them in.
What do you mean?
By the way. I've followed h4ppy-chris and used 1 tin of 240g of plum tomatoes ("pomodori pelati" in lidl), placed it in the blender and threw in a tsp of tandoori, blitzed and mixed. I did not remove the seeds and didn't notice anything bad in the only curry that I did using the tomato sauce. but I suppose I can remove them next time.
Part of my confusion has always been the many terms:
Tomato Puree
Tomato Paste
Tomato Sauce
Passata
Sometimes I find it hard to understand what a recipe refers to, as some of these are used interchangeably (and some less so.)
As for the "chopped tomato" tins, the reason why I can think the results can be a tiny bit bitter, is because these as a rule still have the peel on
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"If the recipe calls for 2 tbsp of tomato paste do you just use 2 tbsp of blended plum tomatoes"
Yes.
Huh?
Two tablespoons of tomato paste (puree) is quite different to 2 tablespoons of blended tinned plum tomatoes.
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Tomato Puree
Tomato Paste
Tomato Sauce
Passata
Indeed it can be confusing.
Tomato puree is tomato concentrate which comes in small tins, bottles and commonly tubes. It's what Americans call tomato paste. They're one and the same thing. Puree and paste is passata reduced right down to a concentrate.
Tomato sauce is what us Brits would call ketchup, Americans call it Ketchup but they call blended tomatoes tomato sauce. So if you take a can of plum tomatoes and blend it, that's what Americans call tomato sauce.
Passata is blended and sieved tomatoes.
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"If the recipe calls for 2 tbsp of tomato paste do you just use 2 tbsp of blended plum tomatoes"
Yes.
Huh?
Two tablespoons of tomato paste (puree) is quite different to 2 tablespoons of blended tinned plum tomatoes.
This is what i mean you are not going to get the same results from just using blended tinned tomatoes instead of tomato puree, you will lose the intensity which the tomato puree brings when fried in oil plus the spices. Blended tinned tomatoes are a little too watery.
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"If the recipe calls for 2 tbsp of tomato paste do you just use 2 tbsp of blended plum tomatoes"
Yes.
Huh?
Two tablespoons of tomato paste (puree) is quite different to 2 tablespoons of blended tinned plum tomatoes.
This is what i mean you are not going to get the same results from just using blended tinned tomatoes instead of tomato puree, you will lose the intensity which the tomato puree brings when fried in oil plus the spices. Blended tinned tomatoes are a little too watery.
Honestly, I've had the best results using blended plum tomatoes so far. I've never managed to get as good of a flavour and/or consistency with actual paste! Let alone the fact that, if the tomato paste is pre-fried as you say, you are bringing down extra oil content by not using it (though admittedly, it'd probably be the least important aspect :)
I wonder if you did try it?
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Honestly, I've had the best results using blended plum tomatoes so far. I've never managed to get as good of a flavour and/or consistency with actual paste!
Did you dilute the paste with water?
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"If the recipe calls for 2 tbsp of tomato paste do you just use 2 tbsp of blended plum tomatoes"
Yes.
Huh?
Two tablespoons of tomato paste (puree) is quite different to 2 tablespoons of blended tinned plum tomatoes.
This is what i mean you are not going to get the same results from just using blended tinned tomatoes instead of tomato puree, you will lose the intensity which the tomato puree brings when fried in oil plus the spices. Blended tinned tomatoes are a little too watery.
Honestly, I've had the best results using blended plum tomatoes so far. I've never managed to get as good of a flavour and/or consistency with actual paste! Let alone the fact that, if the tomato paste is pre-fried as you say, you are bringing down extra oil content by not using it (though admittedly, it'd probably be the least important aspect :)
I wonder if you did try it?
If i did try what?
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Honestly, I've had the best results using blended plum tomatoes so far. I've never managed to get as good of a flavour and/or consistency with actual paste!
Did you dilute the paste with water?
The tins of tomato plum from lidl come with tomato water content already, so you generally don't need to. However, I did add 3 extra tbsps of water to about 240g (as written on the tin). It didn't change the consistency drastically, but it's very similar to what I see when I mix 1 tbsp of paste + 2tbsp of water.
If i did try what?
If you did try blend a tin of peeled plum tomatoes (skinless, this is important. In my local LIDL (in Dublin) they are sold as "pomodoro pelati" in tins of 240g) and use them instead of diluting paste. There is a difference, but in my experiments, it is much better, however, your mileage may vary...
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Why would i say that i had tried blended tinned tomatoes instead of puree if i didn't, bit of an odd thing to say. I don't know what you are trying to accuse me of here.
The recipe i used is from the other site for Balti, which is the closest yet to some of my local T/A and Restaurants.
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Why would i say that i had tried blended tinned tomatoes instead of puree if i didn't, bit of an odd thing to say. I don't know what you are trying to accuse me of here.
Not at all, no one's trying to accuse you of anything and apologies if I came across as accusatorial! I just didn't understand from your previous message if you tried it in an actual curry or if you were just speaking of the consistency at a visual level. Let me quote:
This is what i mean you are not going to get the same results from just using blended tinned tomatoes instead of tomato puree, you will lose the intensity which the tomato puree brings when fried in oil plus the spices. Blended tinned tomatoes are a little too watery.
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I've blended and sieved (yes get rid of those horrible pips and bits) a tins of toms before, but it seemed like too much hassle.
Especially as Lidl do the small cartons of passata, really cheap, so the job is already done for you.
I found you had to use a little more of it because I felt you didn't get the intensity of the watered down puree.
Nowadays I use them both mixed together. In a tub, 2 heaped Tblsp puree mixed with 5 of water, then add whole small carton of passata and mix.
I will use about half of it for 2 large curries and freeze the remainder for the next curry session.
Best of both worlds and works well for me.
Martin
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If the tubes are a struggle Gagomes, try to get a tin of puree.
(http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/imagehost/pics/ca2aba887457ae59adf3598ea75647df.jpg)
That's the same as i use, i just get a big tub empty the whole tin into it and add two of the tins of water then add tandoori Powder and mix well.
Keeps in the fridge for weeks.
I must say that if a recipe asks for tomato puree then use tomato puree, i make a Balti recipe which asks for 1 tbsp tomato puree but yesterday didn't have any so used blended tinned tomatoes and the result was not even close to the original recipe that used tomato puree.
Read the posts.
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I've blended and sieved (yes get rid of those horrible pips and bits) a tins of toms before, but it seemed like too much hassle.
Especially as Lidl do the small cartons of passata, really cheap, so the job is already done for you.
I found you had to use a little more of it because I felt you didn't get the intensity of the watered down puree.
Nowadays I use them both mixed together. In a tub, 2 heaped Tblsp puree mixed with 5 of water, then add whole small carton of passata and mix.
I will use about half of it for 2 large curries and freeze the remainder for the next curry session.
Best of both worlds and works well for me.
Martin
Thanks Martin! I will give that one a try too, as it seems simpler to get done (though in the process of blending, I already include a tsp of tandoori massala, so the blending works out as a mixing process too)
I guess at the end of the day, you use what makes sense to you and whatever works. I've been happy with my blended plums, but that doesn't mean I'm sticking to "what works", as I ideally, I will want to replicate my favorite restaurants food! :-)
I'm sure there is much discrepancy between BIR TAs, from north to south, so I guess the key is to experiment :-)
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I'm more confused than ever!
What do the BIR's use?
Paste/puree/passata/blended plum toms?
Or different from place to place?
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I'm more confused than ever!
What do the BIR's use?
Paste/puree/passata/blended plum toms?
Or different from place to place?
you're getting the idea uclown. Some use both depending on what dish they're cooking and other use one or the other ??? Ideally find out what your local uses if that's the BIR you're trying to replicate. Nobody said this BIR lark would be simple or an exact science ;D
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So what exactly is tomato puree? When i look for tomato based products i dont see any saying puree.
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So what exactly is tomato puree? When i look for tomato based products i dont see any saying puree.
As I said in my previous post, it's tomato concentrate. Basically passata (sieved tomatoes) which has been boiled down to a very concentrated form. It usually says on the tube "Double Concentrate" Here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/tomato_puree (http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/tomato_puree) that's what it looks like. Here's a tube: http://www.tesco.com/groceries/Product/Details/?id=254879475 (http://www.tesco.com/groceries/Product/Details/?id=254879475)
Please don't confuse tomato puree with with pureed (you can see where the confusion comes in) or blended plum tomatoes - they're quite different things. The most important of which is that one has had virtually all its water removed (puree) and is in a very concentrated form and one still has a lot of water still in it - blended plum tomatoes.
The major difference between them in terms of BIR cooking is the amount of reduction you'll need to do to remove the water elements. The reason tomato puree is mixed with water prior to being added is because if you add puree direct to hot oil, it will burn and stick to the bottom of the pan very quickly. By diluting tomato puree with water, you gain more control over exactly when all the water has evaporated, the oil separates and you start to get slight caramelisation of the puree sugars as it starts to turn a darker shade. This shade darkening is caramelisation.
The purpose then of puree rather than blended plum tomatoes is the slight caramelisation of the puree sugars, the dark red/brownish colouring and texture.
You cannot achieve all of those things with blended tomatoes.
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Gagomes.... Have a look here: http://www.waitrose.com/shop/ProductView-10317-10001-9593-Essential+Waitrose+Double+Concentrated+Tomato+Puree (http://www.waitrose.com/shop/ProductView-10317-10001-9593-Essential+Waitrose+Double+Concentrated+Tomato+Puree)
I've used Waitrose just because its website lends itself to easy linking without needing to be logged in, but you'll find the same product in every supermarket in the country, often in the same aisle as the dried pasta.
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Thanks guys. So the double-concentrated tomato puree is what I call tomato paste and comes in those tubes. All good then. :)
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Thanks guys. So the double-concentrated tomato puree is what I call tomato paste and comes in those tubes. All good then. :)
Do give it a try, because you'll get a quite different taste experience using watered down tomato puree cooked in the way I described over simple blended plum tomatoes.
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Thanks guys. So the double-concentrated tomato puree is what I call tomato paste and comes in those tubes. All good then. :)
Do give it a try, because you'll get a quite different taste experience using watered down tomato puree cooked in the way I described over simple blended plum tomatoes.
Thanks spicyokooko. I will definitely give it a try :)
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Hi, guys!
"If the recipe calls for 2 tbsp of tomato paste do you just use 2 tbsp of blended plum tomatoes"
Yes.
Huh?
Two tablespoons of tomato paste (puree) is quite different to 2 tablespoons of blended tinned plum tomatoes.
Personally, I would double the amount.
If I have the time, I simply use fresh, whole, chopped tomatoes, which I let cook, most of the times, together with onions, spices and what else the recipe calls for, into a pureed tomato sauce. If it has to be quick, I use store-bought tomato puree - not tomato paste / the concentrated tomato out of a tube, but also pureed tomato sauce. I think it's important, that that the puree only contains tomatos, water and/or a little salt. Some products contain herbs and/or citrus acid, e.g.
Greetings!