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Curry Base Recipes => Curry Base Chat => Topic started by: steevee00 on March 18, 2013, 07:18 PM

Title: Cooked up the Zaal base
Post by: steevee00 on March 18, 2013, 07:18 PM: Hi all
I had a go at Zaals base at the weekend

2kg onions
1/4 white cabbage instead of potato , Used Chewy tikka,s recipe using cabbage in the base,
same spices as Zaals recipe ,adjust to suit quantity ,easy on the chili,
spices cooked in oil,instead of veg ghee. 2 chefs spoons worth (think a bit more ,next tine)
Akhni stock

(http://i1221.photobucket.com/albums/dd465/steevee00/P1000704.jpg)

sieved out the rough stuff

(http://i1221.photobucket.com/albums/dd465/steevee00/P1000706.jpg)

It left this fiborous material.

(http://i1221.photobucket.com/albums/dd465/steevee00/P1000707.jpg)

Added the spices (couple of bits of garlic sticking out there !!!

(http://i1221.photobucket.com/albums/dd465/steevee00/P1000705.jpg)

consistency of base

(http://i1221.photobucket.com/albums/dd465/steevee00/P1000709.jpg)

nearly done

(http://i1221.photobucket.com/albums/dd465/steevee00/P1000710.jpg)

I did like the fragrance of the Akhni stock in the base ,may be a little less cinnamon next time in the Akhni stock for me .

This made approx 2.5 litres of base sauce

cheers
Title: Re: Cooked up the Zaal base
Post by: Salvador Dhali on March 19, 2013, 09:31 AM: That looks spot on. Just a quick question though. You mention that you may use less cinnamon next time, which made me wonder if it was actually pukka stick cinnamon you used and not cassia, which is much more common in Indian cookery and is what usually goes into akhni stock.

See: http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=newtip&dbid=31 (http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=newtip&dbid=31) for the differences.

Certainly, if it was stick cinnamon then its distinctive flavour would come through much more strongly in the base than cassia.
Title: Re: Cooked up the Zaal base
Post by: steevee00 on March 19, 2013, 07:26 PM: Nice one Salvador

I used Cinnamon stick (bark) from Supreme .

does the cassia have a less distinct aroma / flavour

cheers
Title: Re: Cooked up the Zaal base
Post by: Salvador Dhali on March 19, 2013, 09:40 PM: Quote from: steevee00 on March 19, 2013, 07:26 PM
Nice one Salvador

I used Cinnamon stick (bark) from Supreme .

does the cassia have a less distinct aroma / flavour

cheers

Yes, cassia bark (which is sometimes referred to as 'bastard cinnamon') definitely has a less distinct aroma / flavour, and lends itself more to spicy dishes, whereas proper stick cinnamon is more suited to sweet dishes.
Title: Re: Cooked up the Zaal base
Post by: Malc. on March 19, 2013, 11:18 PM: I would say that Cassia has a unique flavour just as cinnamon does. Though the two are similar I would say that cassia is less refined and has a muffled taste which I find quite overpowering even when used sparingly in a base. Cinnamon I find has a much more refined flavour but can be very intense.

My experience has lead me to use less cassia than stated in recipes. Could it be due to the brand of cassia, possibly.
Title: Re: Cooked up the Zaal base
Post by: spiceyokooko on March 19, 2013, 11:41 PM: I find cassia has a slightly more earthy flavour to it and cinnamon a much sweeter more fragrant flavour.

I don't use cinnamon in any BIR Cookery it's too sweet and overpowering, I only only cassia bark.

You also need to be careful when using cassia bark and Indian tej pata bay leaves together as the Indian bay leaf (which is the leaf of the cinnamon/cassia related tree) has a cassia flavour to it which European laurel bay leaves don't have.