Curry Recipes Online
Curry Chat => Lets Talk Curry => Topic started by: Mag1973 on February 04, 2008, 01:44 AM
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I have a Pakistani friend that has recently opened a takeaway in Sunderland,I have to admit the meals are excellent though a bit lacking on the portion size. ;D
I now have a dilemma,I have talked about my love for 'curries' for a long time with him and he now wants me to work there and amongst other duties he has said I can learn off the chef.The problem is it is a 7 days a week operation from around 5pm till way after midnight and I have other things I need to do regarding friends,family and what I term 'night work' mainly to do with coding various sites and repairing pc's.
Do I go for it and try to fit everything else into a morning/afternoon timeframe or do I carry on as normal but wish I'd said yes and learn from an excellent chef ?.
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Do I go for it and try to fit everything else into a morning/afternoon timeframe or do I carry on as normal but wish I'd said yes and learn from an excellent chef ?
Do the job until you get a decent base sauce and Madras recipe then quit ;D
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Do it! 8)
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LOL, I'm with Bobby on this one!!!! ;D
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Far too good an opportunity to miss. Go for it!
Regards
George
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Takeaway great. Sunderland - mmmmmm.
Go for it.
;)
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you got to do it mate. love it crO members now are working in incognito ;)
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I agree too, what an opportunity GO FOR IT! cq
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Sounds like an opportunity not to be missed, but at the end of the day it`s down to you. I dont think anyone here would think any less of you if you chose not to do it. If you did choose to go for it, how great would that be :o ... No pressure!! ;D
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I dont think anyone here would think any less of you if you chose not to do it.
to be honest, I would hold it against you Mag - not in a sinister way, just a very deep sense of prolonged disappoint in you because you've not gone the extra mile.
On the other hand, if you do it, I will worship you - not in a weird way....
Go on, you know it makes sense.
PS. Do what Bobby says, but could you also blag Veg pakora, Chicken Tikka and a nice bhoona dish and then quit.
:D ;)
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I've been pondering this for a while and I may have an answer that doesn't tie me to the takeaway for 7 nights a week.
I'm going to offer him about a 'deal', a while back he asked me about making a website for him, my deal will simply be that I will make him his site if he will allow me to go in and watch how his chef prepares the food, I think he may go for that.
Fingers crossed ;D
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Be careful he doesn't get suspicious that you might appear a bit desperate to de-brief the chef. If he wants you to work there, he would presumably pay you at least the minimum wage of about 6 pounds an hour.
You make it sound as though you will forgo the wages AND throw in a free web site.
I'd just agree to work there for at least 6 pounds an hour. Then watch and learn.
Regards
George
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This could/should be a none starter.
Pls consider what your doing. Inform your friend
of the truth and what your upto.
I think you should look after yourself and
you friendship first.
Graeme.
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Work there for a bit, it'll be a good experience anyway. Dont worry about the money as i assume you'd do it for free anyway.
George, the mimimum wage isnt ?6 an hour. I think it's ?3.40 if you're under 18, ?4.80 for under 22s and ?5.52 for over 22s. That said, being an exception to the law is so easy for an employer most ignore it. It's more of a guidline rather than a law.
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so what happend mag? did you get the job or a look in?
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George, the mimimum wage isnt ?6 an hour. I think it's ?3.40 if you're under 18, ?4.80 for under 22s and ?5.52 for over 22s. That said, being an exception to the law is so easy for an employer most ignore it. It's more of a guidline rather than a law.
My six quid was an approximation but I didn't realise there were so many variations with age. Is it really only 3.40 for under 18s? Shameful! Thank you. I've learned something!
Regards
George
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Sorry, I've been really busy for a while but tonight I finally found the time to take my friend up on his offer to 'pop into the kitchen' anytime I wanted to.
The first thing that struck me was the fact that I seem to have more spices in my cupboard than he has in his kitchen, on mentioning this to him he simply asked me why I needed so many. :o
Him and his guys were quite busy so I never really had time to quiz him in any detail (and also because I was busy scoffing all the food he kept asking me to taste). ;D
Amongst the freebies he plied me with was a carton of what he calls his 'masala mix', he then gave me a quick run through of how to use it to create a Madras, (he knows its my wifes favourite curry).
I came home and knocked up a base from the Saffron recipe and added the few spices I saw him use (including his masala mix) and the result was the nearest I have ever come to recreating the taste of the BIR (or at least the BIR as it is in the NE).
He seems to work on the principle that using spices for the sake of it is pointless and that making a BIR should be simple and effortless, and from the taste of his dishes I have to agree.
I'll hound him like mad now to find out his 'masala mix' recipe and to a lesser extent his base as his 'mix' worked quite well with the Saffron base.
He knows I visit a BIR forum and has no problem with that though I would obviously ask him before posting anything he may not want me to.
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Mag1973,
What's in the masala mix, which curries is it used in and how much?
The exact ingredients and method used for the base are key to know as well.
I agree with the minimal and simple approach to spices and otherwise.
Please stick with it and gather whatever info you can!!!
Thanks,
Josh
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Mag,
I seem to have more spices in my cupboard than he has in his kitchen
i too have come to this conclusion.
for me the even the behind the scenes day in the life that u had/have is real interesting stuff - keep posting
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Be really good to find out what is in that masala mix 8)
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I thought of trying a similar deal. There's a new BIR opening right under my flat and I've chatted to the guys setting it up briefly. The hob's they were putting in looked sinister! ;D
Anyways, I'm a programmer by trade and noticed by the business card that they have no web site. I think I'm going to ask if I do them a reasonable site (probably take me maybe 10 hours or so), would they take me through a base sauce and Madras because I'm super interested in Indian cooking but can't seem to get it quite right at home. They can only say no...
Anyways, I better see if their curry's any good first. If not I'll knock some up and take it downstairs to let them try it! :P
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Go for it BB, thats the thing the worst that can happen is they say no, good luck 8)
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I'd give it a try if I were you BB,like CK says you haven't anything to lose, and you may gain a lot.
I watched my friend prepare his base yesterday but hit a problem almost straight away when I asked him the quantities of each ingredient as his answer was "I don't measure, I just know".
Of course I came home and tried a rough scaled down version trying to equate the quantities I saw.
I use an extra hot chilli powder and so misjudged the amount when using the base to make a madras, the curry tasted fine but nearly blew my head off, I'm going to remake the madras tomorrow using a smaller amount of chilli powder and force 2 of my friends to test it for me.
His base is quite simple compared to some and he uses a LOT less oil,just enough to put a film over the base is the way he put it.
Its a waste of time me putting the base up at the moment because in the final 10 minutes he turns the heat up and adds his 'masala mix' and I haven't yet coaxed the recipe out of him.
I also need to work out a definitive scaled down version depending on the outcome of future taste tests.
My wife is already sick to the teeth with eating curry and being my 'taste tester' ;D
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Keep at it! Looking forward to your reports!
-- Josh
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His base is quite simple compared to some and he uses a LOT less oil,just enough to put a film over the base is the way he put it
very much agree - i've been amazed how good an "onion only" base tastes with very few spices (turmeric & paprika)(see the CR0 development base thread).
same again on the oil - i now believe the only reason for using more oil is to reclaim. too much oil left in the base definitely reduces the taste significantly.
know exactly how the good lady "taste tester supremo" is feeling - mine keeps telling me the same ;D
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I think this may be a case of different practices at different restaurants.
The Saffron base - acknowledge by many to be a good one - uses plenty of oil, and per SnS, they do not reclaim oil.
-- Josh