Curry Recipes Online

Beginners Guide => Trainee Chefs / Beginners Questions => Topic started by: ted_paper on March 23, 2008, 08:00 PM

Title: How do I get the oil to rise to the surface of a curry base?
Post by: ted_paper on March 23, 2008, 08:00 PM: Hi,
This is my first post after browsing the forum and trying a couple of base sauce recipes. My problem is that the oil does not seem to separate at any stage during cooking or blending! Am I missing something?
Thanks
Title: Re: Oil floating
Post by: SnS on March 23, 2008, 10:13 PM: Hi Ted.

Welcome to the forum.

Firstly, some don't rate the oil separation as important as others. I think it may be important, so I like to see at least some.

At the end of the day, I suppose it all depends on which bases you've tried and whether oil separation should be expected, as the recipe says.

If the recipe says the oil should start to separate at a particular point, then generally that's what should happen.

SnS ;D
Title: Re: Oil floating
Post by: Bobby Bhuna on March 23, 2008, 11:09 PM: Hey there and welcome.

In general, the oil will rise to the suface after blending and simmering gently for a while. Thick bases (e.g. the popular Darth base) tend not to give up much oil, wheras thinner bases (e.g. the also popular Saffron base) seem to be keen to let it rise to the surface.

For me, the key is very gentle heat for a fairly long period of time. The base gets darker and the oil floats to the surface. I'm lead to believe that many BIRs make their large pot of base and leave it on a gentle heat all night so that it's always ready to use. This suggests that the prolonged simmering won't damage the base sauce.

Hope this helps! :)
Title: Re: Oil floating
Post by: ted_paper on March 24, 2008, 07:30 AM: My sauces were fairly dense so that might explain things...
Thanks for your reassurances!!
Title: Re: Oil floating
Post by: tonymexico on July 11, 2008, 01:41 AM: Quote from: ted_paper on March 24, 2008, 07:30 AM
My sauces were fairly dense so that might explain things...
Thanks for your reassurances!!
Dear Ted, you might find it helpful to have a kettle of boiling water on standby when you cook your sauces and curries. Sometimes the heat and different ingredients make the sauce a little too thick. Never add cold water as this not only affects the cooking process, it will wash out a lot of the essential oils released by the spices. The water also helps the oil to have something to float upon, just don't add to much at a time more can always be added but its harder to dry the sauce out if you over wet it. I find about 2-3 tablespoons at a time works fine.
Title: Re: Oil floating
Post by: JerryM on July 11, 2008, 08:11 AM: above answers sum it up (thin/watery, lowest simmer, time ~hrs not mins).

only thing i've noticed is if u stir during the simmer u will keep the oil in the base, if u leave it without stirring it will eventually rise and separate.

http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=2684.msg23835#msg23835 (http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=2684.msg23835#msg23835)
Title: Re: Oil floating
Post by: SKAZE on October 19, 2008, 05:04 PM: I did the bruce base and curry last night and when cooking the main dish the oil didnt really seperate, what do i need to do to make this happen?
Title: Re: Oil floating
Post by: JerryM on October 20, 2008, 07:07 AM: Skaze,

have put my thoughts here http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=2815.msg27367#msg27367 (http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=2815.msg27367#msg27367)

best wishes.
Title: Re: Oil floating
Post by: kid curry on October 21, 2008, 03:45 PM: Yes bobby is right somtimes they will cook overnight or first thing in the morning so the base can simmer for a good few hours.