Curry Recipes Online
Curry Photos & Videos => Pictures of Your Curries => Topic started by: Dai Dhansak on September 25, 2006, 08:24 PM
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I have now completed my first ctm using Curry Kings recipe and Ifinfora's base, i marinated the chicken for 48 hours and cooked in a fan assisted oven on about 220oc for about 15 mins until starting to blacken on the edges, when i added this to the masala sauce it looked a bit off putting but it still tasted great, i cannot wait to do another one.
Thanks for the recipes, your comments would be as valuable as ever.
Cheers
Dai.
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Looks fab ! ;)
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Looks great to me ! I've made this twice now and it really has become a family fave.
I get the black bits too, but they disappear after a long-ish simmer in the sauce. I think it's only the marinade coating and not the meat :)
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I wouldn't worry about the black bits myself but if you wanted you could always try cooking the tikka covered with some foil or maybe cook them on a lower heat. Personaly I like the charred taste and they are even better barbecued if you can.
cK
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Thank you for the feed back much appreciated, gives you confidence to carry on. I have not tried it as yet, so i will have to let you know if it tingles the taste buds, i am keeping it till Friday night and i am going to have a go at a Pilau rice.
TTFN
Dai >:(
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Hi Dai,
Congratulations Dai, it looks great! :)
Just a couple of comments/questions regarding chicken.......
- I'm a little wary of marinating chicken for too long. I usually marinate chicken overnight, or for 24 hours (in the fridge, of course). For me, 48 hours is the maximum, provided I'm certain that the chicken is really fresh
- I see that you also plan to keep your chicken tikka masala for 4 days or so before you eat it (presumably in the fridge)? I'm surprised that you can resist it for so long! :P I rarely keep cooked chicken curry for more than a day or so in the fridge. I prefer to freeze it if I'm not going to eat it immediately, or within a day or so
Maybe I'm being overly cautious with chicken? What do other people think and do?
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I think that four days is pushing the limit - this will not improve the flavour but rather tend to break down the fibre of the meat so as to render it a congealed mass with no texture or body - might as well be eating a pudding . Any marinade that contains acid, alcohol or salt should not be used for very long, because it will chemically "cook" or denature the food in it. Marinate food in these marinades for less than 4 hours. Marinades that contain citrus juices, especially lemon or lime juice, should be used for only two hours or less. Marinades that contain no salt, acid or alcohol can be marinated overnight or, in some cases, longer.
Although marinades thwart bacterial growth and help extend food's life, remember that the food in them is still raw and must be treated as such.
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Thanks CurryCanuck,
...some very interesting and informative points that you make about the marinating process :)
.....I guess I was specifically thinking about the health aspects of storing chicken too long?.......
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Its great so many people are showing off their efforts, i always forget once the foods on the table to take a pic - gg
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Hi
Cory Ander - I should have made myself a bit clearer with my intentions, i did marinate my chicken for 48 hours, i then made my ctm, which is now in the freezer waiting my attention which will be on Friday night, i am going to try a pilau rice by Pete so i will let everyone know if it tasted nice.
CurryCanuck - Thanks for your thoughts, was 48 hours too long, i did not have a real choice as i set it off on Friday night and only had time on Sunday to complete things. I would not have left it any longer than that though, after cooking ctm i froze it as soon as it was cool. I cannot wait for Friday to devour it.
Thanks all for your feed back.
Dai :(
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Hi Dai,
Thanks for clarifying that! :P
....I just wasn't keen to see you risk poisoning yourself! ;)
....hope you enjoy your meal on Friday!
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Hi Everyone
I did my pilau rice on Friday to go with my pilau rice, i followed Pete's method of finishing it off in the oven, as you can see from the picture i had a little problem controlling the food colouring as it came out of the little jar, a bit heavey handed to say the least, apart from that the whole meals was very nice. But as i froze down my ctm i think it definitely took away some of the flavour, but i enjoyed it all the same.
Pilau Rice by Pete's method.
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Hi Dai,
If you used powdered food colours, I presume that you dissolved them in a little water before applying them?
I use liquid food colours for colouring rice (but I use powders for dishes such as tikkas and tandooris). Although liquid food colours are a little less vibrant than powders, I think they are easier to use and apply when colouring rice.
I have posted a photo of coloring rice here: http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=1180.msg10342#msg10342 (http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=1180.msg10342#msg10342)
Keep up the good work! 8)
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With regard to keeping times for fresh food because of my business I have to comply with the Health & Hygiene and FSA regulations so I would certainly not recommend such long marinade and storage times. As guide you should think of the whole process time rather than individual bits. If you are using fresh chicken then 4 days for the whole process is really your safe maximum. So you only need to marinade for 4 hours but overnight is better - max 24 hours. Cook on a high heat to reach a minimum temperature of 80 degrees centigrade very quickly then reduce the heat for the remainder. You should then cool it down as quickly as possible and put it in the fridge. Maximum safe chilled storage time at 8 (preferably 5 degrees) degrees centigrade is three days, then you must freeze or discard it. If you freeze it you must only store it for 6 months max in a 3 star and you must cook and eat it as soon as it is defrosted
On the subject of defrosting, if you can avoid it, never use a microwave as this changes the flavours and textures. Let it defrost in the fridge and heat it gently in a covered pan. Nearly all of my recipes have had to be redesigned so that they can be frozen (because that is the nature of our business), so I shall lob some tips on to the hints & tips topic at some time.
Happy Cooking
C P
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Hi both
Cory Ander - Thank you for the feedback, i did use liquid food colouring straight out of the bottle but i had no control over the way it came out, it came out in big splodges, i will have to find a more refind method for contolling the flow. I think your pictures are ace, and will definitely try out your methods as soon as i can, At the moment i cannot eat my ctm's quick enough to move onto something new but i am beginning to glow a bit red around the gills. :'(
Chilli Prawn - Thank you for your feed back also, should i say unfortunately or fortunately that i am the only curry eater in my household so i have to freeze my curries down. I would prefer not to as i feel that freezing does take something away from the flavour, and you can not beat freshly cooked food.
Could you clarify the temperature, you say 80 degrees centergrade, this seems to be a low heat when the fan oven goes up to 220 degrees or have i got this wrong. Would you not put the chicken in to the oven when it has already reached the hottest it could go, this is how i interpreted the recipe i followed. Don't worry about the six month thing, they will be devoured well before that but i do understand. ;D
Bye for now.
Dai
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Hi both
Cory Ander - Thank you for the feedback, i did use liquid food colouring straight out of the bottle but i had no control over the way it came out, it came out in big splodges, i will have to find a more refind method for contolling the flow. I think your pictures are ace, and will definitely try out your methods as soon as i can, At the moment i cannot eat my ctm's quick enough to move onto something new but i am beginning to glow a bit red around the gills. :'(
Chilli Prawn - Thank you for your feed back also, should i say unfortunately or fortunately that i am the only curry eater in my household so i have to freeze my curries down. I would prefer not to as i feel that freezing does take something away from the flavour, and you can not beat freshly cooked food.
Could you clarify the temperature, you say 80 degrees centergrade, this seems to be a low heat when the fan oven goes up to 220 degrees or have i got this wrong. Would you not put the chicken in to the oven when it has already reached the hottest it could go, this is how i interpreted the recipe i followed. Don't worry about the six month thing, they will be devoured well before that but i do understand. ;D
Bye for now.
Dai
Hi Dai. Chicken does not need to be cooked for very long if it is off the bone, 20 mins is probably the max but it depends on the temperature(s) used. I mentioned 80 degrees C as this is the lowest temp for killing off bacteria. I realise I made a mistake, the rules are you must at least attain a temp of 80 inside and out for the chicken to ensure that the bacteria is killed off; we have to use a probe. If your recipe calls for higher temperatures that is OK; I think that sometimes people overcook chicken (and Pork) to be on the safe side. However, practice and confidence will prevail I am sure.
With regard to powdered food colouring; except for the liquid vegetable colours, not are guaranteed safe, i.e. the Jury is still out. The majority are from ground minerals! The reason they are still allowed on the shelves (but I don't think you will find them in family supermarkets) is that the user is warned and therefore should take professional responsibility. The FSA (Food Standards Agency) keep a close monitor on them and they publish a lot of useful information on their site as well as on other subjects. We very rarely intentionally use artificial food colourings, except what is in pastes etc. We do occasionally make rainbow rice for special events etc; red, green, orange, yellow. Your example is excellent. We make ours as follows, and you need a steady hand.
These are only approximations, you must experiment; but whatever you do, do not make concentrated amounts and do not use too much. Place a small amount 1/8 teaspoon (less than a pinch)of powdered colouring in a cup or glass pot, and add 1 or 3 tablespoons of warm water (depends on the strength of colour you require). Stir a leave for a few minutes.
We put our rice in large rectangular catering trays to dry and cool, so the next bit is easier for us; you will have to devise your own method. I suggest you put some rice on a separate plate. Now in a confident stroke let the colour drip on to the rice in one corner of the dish. Do the same in each corner. Leave the rice for a few minutes for the colours to infuse, do not mix the rice at this stage. Then we stir the rice gently, or in your case add the rice back to the pot and stir gently.
As always here is a tip. Rice is potentially the most lethal product you use. It contains a nasty enzyme that unleashes itself if you do not cook and store the rice properly (use within 4 hours if left open, or chill and freeze). Restaurants (BIRs included ) all abide (or should do) by this as it is very easy to track back sources of Ceres (the bacteria) which can be a killer. I will post more on the tips thread.
Happy cooking
C P
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CP, thanks for the informative post, most of the old hands on here will probably already know this but for newbies like myself it is welcome info. Even though it has frightened the life out of me!
I had no idea that rice can be dangerous. I usually cook a batch and put it in the fridge where it could remain for a week before it is eaten. I always make sure that it is reheated thoroughly but is it ok to keep it in the fridge for this long? If I decide to freeze it can I stick it in the microwave frozen when I need it or do I have to defrost it first?
I try not to freeze my curries or rice, in the past they have taken on a bit of a watery mushy texture when recooked, clearly I'm doing something wrong.
Dai, I too use the liquid food colourings and I agree if you try to use them straight from the bottle they are impossible to control and also the colour is too concentrated. As already mentioned I dilute mine in an egg cup and sprinkle onto the rice with a small spoon. I've found that the rice needs to be reasonably dry though because the wetter it is the more the colouring spreads.
Listen to me I think I'm an expert now ::)
Any views welcome
John
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That looks absolutely spectacular, definitely better than any restaurant. Keep it up. :)