Curry Recipes Online
Curry Chat => Lets Talk Curry => Topic started by: emin-j on August 07, 2009, 09:54 PM
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Hi All ,
Got my big day tomorrow ,a three hour cooking lesson at the Myrisitica Indian Restaurant in Bristol 8)I'm just hoping it gets down to the nitty gritty and smelly old oil and stuff ;D but I think it's a bit posh for that . Still be a good experience though I hope :D
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Good luck and looking forward to the post!
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Say hi to Bhaskar from me. (You might have to explain I was the loon calling him out of the blue with lots of curry cooking questions!)
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Still be a good experience though I hope :D
Got to be one of the best possible experiences for me. i am in no doubt you'll have a great time.
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Wow ! what a day .
A BIG BIG thank you to Amit the owner and host for today's Cooking Experience.
As soon as we walked in the door to the Restaurant we were greeted by Amit and asked what we would like to drink ,complimentary of course :)and from then on he just kept topping us up with drinks whenever we wanted all day !Lucky we were dropped off and picked up ;D
We started the Class with a little ' guess the Spices ' competition but the Spices were in Original seed form and not powder and all the containers were covered with cling film so you could'nt smell them ,I didnt do bad and scored 11 / 12 ;D the one I missed was Black Salt.
By then the Chef was ready for our first lesson ,Chappli Kebab ( sort of minced lamb burger with Onion and Spices )the minced Lamb was mixed in a large mixing bowl by hand with Onion and Spices mixed in then made into a Burger shape then cooked on a frying pan shaped like a hot - plate with a drop of oil sprinkled over it ,they also make a mint and mango dip to garnish the finnished Kebab and they were Deeeelicious :o Then we went onto little Onion Pakoras also with another dip - very nice :P
we then did a Chicken Tikka Masala ,Prawn Chettinad ,Vegetable Dal ,Plain Naan ,and a Peshwari Naan in the Tandoor.
We sat down to lunch then and were served like King's and Queens by the Restaurants waiters and then out came the Indian Red and White Wines for us to try :o All the meals were delicious and so was the Wine ;D
We all had a go at making Chocolate Samosas for our Deserts and that was fun , we all did well though.
Amit was a fantastic host and very passionate about the quality of his Restaurants meals.
The BIG surprise for me is that the Restaurant do not make a massive container of ' base sauce ' instead they make the sauce at the start of the Curry (follow on to next post)
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When I write a largish post the text just goes out of site at the bottom of the box and although I tab down it just keeps disappearing !
Anyway the Base Sauce ,I asked Amit about using old oil ? No , only fresh Vegetable oil ,BUT they do not make a base sauce and according to Amit it is only T/Aways and Restaurants combined with a busy T/A that would use a Base Sauce ,this is purely to save on cooking time and unnecessary for the home cook.
I was interested to see how the Chef would ' make a sauce 'from scratch ??? He started by putting two large Chef's spoons of (this Curry would be about 3-4 portions) oil into an aluminium frying pan then about 10 TBS of finely chopped English Onions and fried for about 10 or so mins until caramelised then added about a cereal dish of finely chopped fresh Tomatoes,he continued frying and pulping the mixture with his spoon then placed his spoon in the pan and started filling it with a mixture of fresh green chillies and ginger ( chopped finely )fresh chopped garlic ,salt,spice mix ,chili powder ( they make all their own spice powders from seed )then stirred this in and continued to fry and pulp ,I couldn't see much of a sauce at that point but then he added about half a pint of water :o and there it was a fantastic fresh made sauce using fresh ingredients ,how could it not be good !He then added some single cream ( tikka masala )then the precooked chicken cooked for another few mins then added some fresh Coriander and it was done 8)
The flavour of that Curry was unbelievable .
There were 10 of us at the Class today and everyone had a fantastic day ,the family and me will definitely book for a meal at the restaurant but also sign up for another class in January.Phew ! what a day................... ;)
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On the curry side of things, it seems to me that he gave a "home version" of the lesson.
I would have thought that a base sauce would be a must, whether they are a takeaway, or a sit-down, whatever.
Did you get any specific recipes?
-- Josh
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Hi Emin, glad to hear you enjoyed it 8)
Please would you confirm the naan recipe and how they made and inserted the Peshwari filling?
Thanks,
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When I write a largish post the text just goes out of site at the bottom of the box and although I tab down it just keeps disappearing !
Yes, I get the same problem using Internet Explorer 8. Selecting "compatibility view" from the "tools" menu helps a lot (but doesn't totally eradicate the problem).
See here for more information: http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=3594.0
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On the curry side of things, it seems to me that he gave a "home version" of the lesson. I would have thought that a base sauce would be a must, whether they are a takeaway, or a sit-down, whatever.
I agree. I'm sorry to say I fear the lessons were dumbed-down an completely modified for the purpose of showing the visitors anything except the real thing. That's why I suggested in another thread that before agreeing to pay much money for a lesson, it seems almost essential to draw up a contract or sound understanding of some sort.
Take the CTM - I guess if it tasted great (as good or better than the normal restaurant output), then who cares whether a different recipe/approach was used. Did these dishes taste the same as the normal restaurant output?
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emin-j,
well pleased u all had a real good day.
surprised they had black salt (more pink than black). i'd put my recent purchase in the bottom draw but will now get it back out as i've not tried it yet.
it matters not to me but the "no base" does not sit well at all - just on the practical front. i'm not saying the make from scratch won't produce a top notch result -i know that's not the case as i've made from scratch before myself. i just don't see how it would work in a busy restaurant unless there are a lot of staff. for example if 4 people order different dishes do they make a 4 portion base and then split it.
anyhow as i say it matters little to me as i have no intention of not using base. it's the beauty of it for me - in simple terms - make big base pot/lot's of effort then make each dish/little effort.
main reason for the post was did u spot anything else that was not as u'd have expected.
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On the curry side of things, it seems to me that he gave a "home version" of the lesson.
I would have thought that a base sauce would be a must, whether they are a takeaway, or a sit-down, whatever.
Did you get any specific recipes?
-- Josh
I think you are missing the point joshallen2k,we are talking a QUALITY Curry here not your T/A mass produced stuff.A takeaway only use a base because given the amount of Curries on a T/A menu and the time they have they could not produce the goods quick enough using fresh products,Just think how good your first Curry is made from freshly made base ,if you freeze the rest it is just never the same is it. The Restaurant have four Chef's and can produce food very quickly especially if the customer requires a starter this gives them the time to make the proper Curry using all fresh ingredients ,Curry Base is for Speed and Convenience NOT quality..
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Hi Emin, glad to hear you enjoyed it 8)
Please would you confirm the naan recipe and how they made and inserted the Peshwari filling?
Thanks,
Hi CA,
I will be receiving all the recipes soon but regarding the Naan - The Chef made a small Orange sized ball of dough using plain flour then rolled the ball in Coconut then made a hole in the middle of the ball and poured in some ground nuts then rolled the dough into a plate sized piece then threw it about a bit :o ad placed it in the Tandoor.
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On the curry side of things, it seems to me that he gave a "home version" of the lesson. I would have thought that a base sauce would be a must, whether they are a takeaway, or a sit-down, whatever.
I agree. I'm sorry to say I fear the lessons were dumbed-down an completely modified for the purpose of showing the visitors anything except the real thing. That's why I suggested in another thread that before agreeing to pay much money for a lesson, it seems almost essential to draw up a contract or sound understanding of some sort.
Take the CTM - I guess if it tasted great (as good or better than the normal restaurant output), then who cares whether a different recipe/approach was used. Did these dishes taste the same as the normal restaurant output?
Hi George ,
What we were shown IS the proper way to make a Curry ,we have a family friend who is Indian and he and his family are well into their cooking and are well pleased to see how passionate I have become about Indian food ,but they shake their heads when I talk about Curry Base ( as in making a potfull for future use )now I understand what they meant.
We made the Curry Base from fresh ingredients at the start of the Curry gradually building on it to produce a fantastic tasting Curry ,this is a superior quality Indian Restaurant and they use all their own ground Spices and fresh Ginger/Chilies/Garlic .The owner Amit is so passionate about the food they produce he will answer any questions and is so pleased to see people showing interest ,a really nice genuine guy.
Curry Base is for speed and convenience NOT quality.
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emin-j,
well pleased u all had a real good day.
surprised they had black salt (more pink than black). i'd put my recent purchase in the bottom draw but will now get it back out as i've not tried it yet.
it matters not to me but the "no base" does not sit well at all - just on the practical front. i'm not saying the make from scratch won't produce a top notch result -i know that's not the case as i've made from scratch before myself. i just don't see how it would work in a busy restaurant unless there are a lot of staff. for example if 4 people order different dishes do they make a 4 portion base and then split it.
anyhow as i say it matters little to me as i have no intention of not using base. it's the beauty of it for me - in simple terms - make big base pot/lot's of effort then make each dish/little effort.
main reason for the post was did u spot anything else that was not as u'd have expected.
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Hi JerryM
Yes the Restaurant have four Chef's permanently cooking and can produce meals very quickly.I to was a little disappointed not to see a big pot of base on the side of the hob but after watching the cooking of the CTM my Curry cooking practices have been taken up a level .The ingredients used to ' create ' what eventually becomes the sauce are basically the same as you would use making a Base Sauce, BUT, this sauce is created using all FRESH ingredients no pastes here ! Green Chillies/Ginger/Garlic all their Spices are what they grind themselves,how,by using all these fresh ingredients not produce the best possible tasting Curry ? Curry Base is for Speed and Convenience NOT quality . Just think about when you make your Curry from a freshly made base - always better than the ones that follow I'v found.
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What we were shown IS the proper way to make a Curry
I know what you mean but I suggest there's no single 'proper' way to make a curry and what you were shown is almost certainly not the BIR approach, which is what this forum is mostly about.
>they shake their heads when I talk about Curry Base
I know people associated with top notch Indian restaurants, both in this country and in India - not your typical BIRs. My understanding is that they use base sauces much of the time. Perhaps your chap stands out and, if his curries are even better for it, then great, i.e. if his restaurant really does cook from scratch and he has the time to do it, before customers get tired of waiting.
>they use all their own ground Spices
They would say that, wouldn't they!
>Curry Base is for speed and convenience NOT quality
I partly agree with you. My best curries, in absolute terms, are still those made from scratch, using recipes from Madhur Jaffrey et al. But they are not BIR curries. That's the difference. BIR curries may not be as good but I still like them, hence my interest in this forum.
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You've only got to look at their menu (e.g. Baby Squid, Rabbit Varuval, Organic Black Cod, Achari Venison, Sea Bass Fillet, etc, etc, and NO Madras, Phal, Jalfrezi, Dhansak, Patia, Dopiaza, Kashmiri, Ceylon, Korma, Passanda, etc) to realise that this is a very upmarket Indian restaurant and not typical of you run-of-the-mill BIR.
It probably isn't too surprising that they don't use traditional BIR cooking methods...for better or for worse...depending on your personal preference, of course....
I think their prices probably reflect this too (being perhaps twice what you might pay for a run-of-the-mill BIR dish).
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You've only got to look at their menu (e.g. Baby Squid, Rabbit Varuval, Organic Black Cod, Achari Venison, Sea Bass Fillet, etc, etc, and NO Madras, Phal, Jalfrezi, Dhansak, Patia, Dopiaza, Kashmiri, Ceylon, Korma, Passanda, etc) to realise that this is a very upmarket Indian restaurant and not typical of you run-of-the-mill BIR.
It probably isn't too surprising that they don't use traditional BIR cooking methods...for better or for worse...depending on your personal preference, of course....
I think their prices probably reflect this too (being perhaps twice what you might pay for a run-of-the-mill BIR dish).
Hi CA ,
Yes a very upmarket Restaurant ,Vindaloo is listed under ' old favourites ' on their menu and they will cook anything the customer asks for but yes ,they do 'specialise '.The BIG thing for me was the not using a pre made base sauce and the flavour of the finished Curry like I have never tasted from any other Restaurant or T/A ,to produce a 'fresh' Curry base from 'fresh' ingredients for each individual Curry has got to be a winner and the proof of the pudding was definitely in the eating :)
This method would also enable them to make a individual base sauce to suit the individual meal and not 1 spoon Chili powder = Madras , 2 = Vindaloo ,3 = Phal etc like you no doubt would find in a T/A.I am definitely sold on the quality of individually made base sauce over 3ltrs of 'kept in the freezer' sauce ,it was ok until I tried the 'real deal ' :o
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What we were shown IS the proper way to make a Curry
I know what you mean but I suggest there's no single 'proper' way to make a curry and what you were shown is almost certainly not the BIR approach, which is what this forum is mostly about.
>they shake their heads when I talk about Curry Base
I know people associated with top notch Indian restaurants, both in this country and in India - not your typical BIRs. My understanding is that they use base sauces much of the time. Perhaps your chap stands out and, if his curries are even better for it, then great, i.e. if his restaurant really does cook from scratch and he has the time to do it, before customers get tired of waiting.
>they use all their own ground Spices
They would say that, wouldn't they!
>Curry Base is for speed and convenience NOT quality
I partly agree with you. My best curries, in absolute terms, are still those made from scratch, using recipes from Madhur Jaffrey et al. But they are not BIR curries. That's the difference. BIR curries may not be as good but I still like them, hence my interest in this forum.
>They would say that, wouldn't they!< Yes George they actuelly do :) They showed us the still warm seeds ready to grind also gave us the name and address of the place of where they buy their seeds ,Amit the owner is very passionate about the food his Restaurant produces and he gets a buz from helping people with any questions on cooking, he is a very genuine guy.
> My best curries, in absolute terms, are still those made from scratch, using recipes from Madhur Jaffrey et al. But they are not BIR curries. <
Yes George ,Your 'best' Curries are the ones you made from scratch , and what we had was not what you would normaly get from your usual ( although still very tastey ) Restaurant or T/A, They used fresh Garlic not paste fresh Ginger not paste ,fresh Tomatoes not Puree their own fresh ground Spices , all this put their Curry way above any Restaurant / T/A i have visited and thats a fair few ;D
Hope you continue to enjoy your BIR Curries George and so will I ;D but when I make one at home It will be a proper Curry.
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what we had was not what you would normaly get from your usual ( although still very tastey ) Restaurant or T/A..all this put their Curry way above any Restaurant / T/A i have visited and thats a fair few...when I make one at home It will be a proper Curry.
Steady on Emin! :P I'm sure this place produces exquisite curries, using more traditional Indian cooking methods. Nevertheless, I think it's incorrect to say that these curries are any more "proper" than typical BIR curries cooked using typical BIR cooking methods.
If these curries, cooked using these methods, floats your boat, great, stick with it.
However, many members here wish to replicate typical BIR curries using typical BIR cooking methods.
"Quality" is very much in the eye of the beholder. You might determine "quality" to be curries provided by this restaurant, at their prices, and cooked by more traditional means, whereas others (me included) might determine "quality" to be curries, provided by typical BIRs, using typical BIR cooking methods, at half the price. Neither is more correct, but both constitute "quality" (in the eye of the beholder)...i.e. the right product at the right price! :)
Irrespectively, I, for one, would certainly be interested in learning more specifics (e.g. recipes, etc) about how they produce their curries 8)
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Hi emin
Did they let you know what was in their spice mix?
I am sure that dry roasing and grinding fresh spices is key to any good curry. This as well as fresh ingredients has got to produce the best results..obvious really.
As per everyone else...surprised by the lack of base! I'm sure even Bruce Edwards says he makes two bases a week at home. I guess there is more than one way to achieve a good result. But what makes a good result great? Could it be a few beers first ;D ;D
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I am sure that dry roasing and grinding fresh spices is key to any good curry. This as well as fresh ingredients has got to produce the best results.
You might be correct CurryCrazy, but I doubt that is what most BIRs do!
As Emin suggests, most BIRs are trying to chuck out curries quickly, in volume, at low cost, and with minimal margin...hence why they can't do some of these more elaborate things.
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Yep - agree CA.
As I've mentioned before, BIRs are a busness and at every step they would have to watch the bottom line.
To use the freshest "just made" ingredients would cost (produce and labour) but this restaurant has decided on a niche market (with deep pockets). Got to justify the extra cost somewhere.
I'm sure the food is excellent but probably not what this site is trying to acieve.
More cheap and cheerful than artsy fartsy. ;D
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Irrespectively, I, for one, would certainly be interested in learning more specifics (e.g. recipes, etc) about how they produce their curries 8)
I agree. Me too! Emin's place sound slike it produces superior curries. If he can write up any recipes and they're in the same class as Madhur Jaffrey's recipes, then I'd be far more likely to serve those, than many BIR dishes, to be honest, at least for a dinner party.
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we are talking a QUALITY Curry here not your T/A mass produced stuff.
I don't doubt it for a minute. This place sounds top notch. I also don't doubt that they dry roast and grind their own spices, and catch their own baby squid!
But it really depends on what you (and I, and others on the forum) are trying to reproduce.
For me, that's traditional BIR fare. (Madras, CTM, Vindaloo...) And to me that means a base, cheap spices, and likely plenty of corners cut (oil, etc).
Where I live (Toronto), there are dozens of "nouveau" Indian restaurants. The food in most of these is excellent, and probably not dissimilar to the restaurant you got your lesson from. But I'd take a grubby Chicken Madras, pilao and naan from a high street BIR (that produces the taste) anyday!
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what we had was not what you would normally get from your usual ( although still very tasty ) Restaurant or T/A..all this put their Curry way above any Restaurant / T/A i have visited and that's a fair few...when I make one at home It will be a proper Curry.
Steady on Emin! :P I'm sure this place produces exquisite curries, using more traditional Indian cooking methods. Nevertheless, I think it's incorrect to say that these curries are any more "proper" than typical BIR curries cooked using typical BIR cooking methods.
If these curries, cooked using these methods, floats your boat, great, stick with it.
However, many members here wish to replicate typical BIR curries using typical BIR cooking methods.
"Quality" is very much in the eye of the beholder. You might determine "quality" to be curries provided by this restaurant, at their prices, and cooked by more traditional means, whereas others (me included) might determine "quality" to be curries, provided by typical BIRs, using typical BIR cooking methods, at half the price. Neither is more correct, but both constitute "quality" (in the eye of the beholder)...i.e. the right product at the right price! :)
Irrespectively, I, for one, would certainly be interested in learning more specifics (e.g. recipes, etc) about how they produce their curries 8)
Quite right CA,perhaps Authentic is a better word ;D I will be receiving recipes from Amit the owner and I will find out the Ingredients of their Spice mix and their Garam Masala , they don't use Curry Powder by the way ;)
Your comments regarding prices I agree with on a commercial scale but as a home Curry Maker I cant see it breaking the Bank using fresh ingredients over Pastes and Puree.
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Hi emin
Did they let you know what was in their spice mix?
I am sure that dry roasing and grinding fresh spices is key to any good curry. This as well as fresh ingredients has got to produce the best results..obvious really.
As per everyone else...surprised by the lack of base! I'm sure even Bruce Edwards says he makes two bases a week at home. I guess there is more than one way to achieve a good result. But what makes a good result great? Could it be a few beers first ;D ;D
Like that one CC ;D but did stay in control ;)
You probably mean lack of pre made base ? yes I was also surprised and very sceptical at first until the Chef 'created' the base from fresh Onions ,fresh Tomatoes etc etc to make a sort of pulp then added some water and the fresh base was born :o he then added Spice mix Chili powder salt then the precooked Chicken ,fresh Coriander and a squirt of single cream and finished with a really nice CTM.
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Irrespectively, I, for one, would certainly be interested in learning more specifics (e.g. recipes, etc) about how they produce their curries 8)
I agree. Me too! Emin's place sound slike it produces superior curries. If he can write up any recipes and they're in the same class as Madhur Jaffrey's recipes, then I'd be far more likely to serve those, than many BIR dishes, to be honest, at least for a dinner party.
Thankyou George ,it's all in good fun at the end of the day ;)
But for meafter spending months over a hot stove :D making this base and that base a bit o this and a bit o that and now shown by a 5* Authentic Indian Chef how to produce a fantastic Curry 'on the night' including a fresh made base every time ,Ive got to go with that.I will always follow the forum with interest but I think my Curry path has taken another direction and it doesn't include making any more premade bases :D
I am expecting recipes in pdf format George I'll send them to you asap.
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I'd take a grubby Chicken Madras, pilao and naan from a high street BIR (that produces the taste) anyday!
Like you, I still rate the best BIRs as producing tasty food although, in my opinion they are nearly always beaten for my palate, at least, by most 'top notch' Indian restaurants serving more 'authentic' food. It sounds like Emin's find might be in the latter category.
To repeat one para of a post I made on another thread here, today:
On Friday, I had another very disappointing meal in a BIR in another part of the UK, where I know there are loads of BIRs. My friends suggested going to their favourite but I'm sorry to say I didn't rate the food very highly at all. I know there are recipes on this site which produce better results than this typical, sad, average 2009 BIR junk.
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we are talking a QUALITY Curry here not your T/A mass produced stuff.
I don't doubt it for a minute. This place sounds top notch. I also don't doubt that they dry roast and grind their own spices, and catch their own baby squid!
But it really depends on what you (and I, and others on the forum) are trying to reproduce.
For me, that's traditional BIR fare. (Madras, CTM, Vindaloo...) And to me that means a base, cheap spices, and likely plenty of corners cut (oil, etc).
Where I live (Toronto), there are dozens of "nouveau" Indian restaurants. The food in most of these is excellent, and probably not dissimilar to the restaurant you got your lesson from. But I'd take a grubby Chicken Madras, pilao and naan from a high street BIR (that produces the taste) anyday!
Nice one joshallen2k ;)If you can find a Restaurant that will make you a Chicken Curry from scratch using all fresh ingredients you might be surprised to find there is Curry life outside of traditional BIR ;)
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Nice one joshallen2k If you can find a Restaurant that will make you a Chicken Curry from scratch using all fresh ingredients you might be surprised to find there is Curry life outside of traditional BIR
Anything's possible! I wish it works out to be true, I really do. I just think that the "taste" that has made the old-school BIRs a British institution since the 70's, is more likely to be down the road Haldi is on, with the reused oil.
I'm sure that using fresh, quality ingredients, and without a base - would yield great tasting results... but would the taste be there?
Maybe there's another "taste" that you get from scratch/fresh cooking, that satisfies the palate in a similar (or better) way, but the only way to test that would be to use the recipes.
Eagerly awaiting the recipes :)
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Nice one joshallen2k If you can find a Restaurant that will make you a Chicken Curry from scratch using all fresh ingredients you might be surprised to find there is Curry life outside of traditional BIR
Anything's possible! I wish it works out to be true, I really do. I just think that the "taste" that has made the old-school BIRs a British institution since the 70's, is more likely to be down the road Haldi is on, with the reused oil.
I'm sure that using fresh, quality ingredients, and without a base - would yield great tasting results... but would the taste be there?
Maybe there's another "taste" that you get from scratch/fresh cooking, that satisfies the palate in a similar (or better) way, but the only way to test that would be to use the recipes.
Eagerly awaiting the recipes :)
Me too joshallen2k ,
Not being a hypocrite or anything but when I got home after my day at the Restaurant my Wife asked 'Where's my Curry then ' and if I would have asked before all the hobs were turned off and the Chef cleaned up I could have ordered a Curry for the Wife to take home.But she settled for a Curry from our local T/A and I couldn't resist a Madras either ;D ;D And no it wasn't a patch on the earlier Curry I had ,it just tasted like a watered down version ??? oh dear here we go again :D :D
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Glad you had a good day Emin. I too think some of the best curries I have eaten are the traditional type. Having said that, I do hanker after a BIR curry , like that of the late seventies - eighties. I will always still make traditional Indian food as well. Looking forward to the recipes.
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emin-j,
clearly a real big and interesting topic.
just so i can get my head round it. if 4 different mains orders come in do they make 4 dishes from scratch or does the "10 min base" reach a point when they split it into 4 portions and then cook/finish the different dishes.
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emin-j,
clearly a real big and interesting topic.
just so i can get my head round it. if 4 different mains orders come in do they make 4 dishes from scratch or does the "10 min base" reach a point when they split it into 4 portions and then cook/finish the different dishes.
Hi JerryM,
I can only guess really as I didn't ask that particular question ,but there are four full time Chef's plus a team who prepare for the Chef's , I did ask about turnaround for meals and Amit the owner said most customers have a starter which is quick to prepare and by the time they have finished their starter their main course will be ready,Amit also said with a smile that the speed the Chef cooked the CTM in our cooking lesson was very slow compared to a busy night in the restaurant and was only for our benefit.
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Glad you had a good day Emin. I too think some of the best curries I have eaten are the traditional type. Having said that, I do hanker after a BIR curry , like that of the late seventies - eighties. I will always still make traditional Indian food as well. Looking forward to the recipes.
Hi qprbob,funny you should mention the quality Curries in the 70s and 80s I was only thinking of that myself at work today and have seen it mentioned many times on the forum.
Could it be possible that back then Curries were cooked from 'scratch' and as Indian cooking grew in popularity T/A realised that if they were going to keep up with demand they would have to prepare for the rush in advance and the ' Curry Base ' was born , :-\ I dunno.
The CTM we had on Saturday was cooked from scratch the base being made up of chopped Onions,chopped fresh Tomatoes,chopped fresh Ginger,chopped fresh Garlic and Green Chillies ,can you imagine the flavours in that base from all the natural liquids that came from those ingredients :o the finished Curry tasted so fresh and you could taste all the flavours with a balance that was just right :)
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Nice one joshallen2k If you can find a Restaurant that will make you a Chicken Curry from scratch using all fresh ingredients you might be surprised to find there is Curry life outside of traditional BIR
Anything's possible! I wish it works out to be true, I really do. I just think that the "taste" that has made the old-school BIRs a British institution since the 70's, is more likely to be down the road Haldi is on, with the reused oil.
I'm sure that using fresh, quality ingredients, and without a base - would yield great tasting results... but would the taste be there?
Maybe there's another "taste" that you get from scratch/fresh cooking, that satisfies the palate in a similar (or better) way, but the only way to test that would be to use the recipes.
Eagerly awaiting the recipes :)
Hi joshallen2k
< I'm sure that using fresh, quality ingredients, and without a base >
That was the beauty of making the base from scratch and gradually building on the base to a completed CTM .By using all fresh chopped ingredients and creating a 'pulp'by slowly mashing it all together using the back of his Chef's spoon can you imagine all the natural flavours from the juices released in that base :-* other than the spices he added about half a pint of water and there was the base ,he then went on to add the precooked Chicken ,single Cream ,and fresh Coriander.
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emin-j,
this post by Kid Curry should be of interest http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=3098.0 (http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=3098.0).
the big problem i had at the time was getting the onions to cook through. nowadays i might be able to do it ok. given u're comment on cooking time the chef must cook on high heat - can u give more details on how he cooked the dish.
the other thing stopping me from this route is the ability to add small quantities of various ingredients (coconut block for example) without them becoming too small to maintain accuracy hence chucking the base out of balance. the base i make most of the time is 7 portions so interestingly not that different in volume terms (assuming they always cook a 4 portion "10 min base" then split).
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Hi emin-j
Sorry to ask for more info but did you notice whether the tomatoes were skinned and deseeded, and had the chillies been deseeded as I guess they could add some unwanted heat.
Thanks
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emin-j,
this post by Kid Curry should be of interest http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=3098.0 (http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=3098.0).
the big problem i had at the time was getting the onions to cook through. nowadays i might be able to do it ok. given u're comment on cooking time the chef must cook on high heat - can u give more details on how he cooked the dish.
the other thing stopping me from this route is the ability to add small quantities of various ingredients (coconut block for example) without them becoming too small to maintain accuracy hence chucking the base out of balance. the base i make most of the time is 7 portions so interestingly not that different in volume terms (assuming they always cook a 4 portion "10 min base" then split).
Hi JerryM
I really do believe every main course that is ordered is made from scratch, each Curry having it's own base ,mind you I suppose if the Chef had orders for 4 CTM he would make them together :-\ the CTM he cooked for us was about a 3 - 4 portion Curry purely because along with the other two main courses he cooked these meals were to be shared between the 10 of us in the cooking class.
Yes they would need to cook on high heat for speed to keep up with demand the owner did say he was cooking real slooow for our benefit ( you would have loved the flames on the second main course he cooked :o :o
This is how the CTM cooking went. ( ** this made about 3-4 portions ** )
The Chef put 2 large Chef's spoons of fresh vegetable oil in a aluminium frying pan ( his spoon is bigger than mine :).
He then placed about 3/4 of a cereal bowl of very fine chopped Onions in the pan
these were fried until caramelised and just started to brown.
He then placed about the same amount of fine chopped fresh Tomatoes ( not peeled or deseeded )in the pan and continued to fry until this was breaking down into a pulp this needed plenty of action with the spoon squashing it all about.
He then put in a heaped Chef's spoon of fresh mixed Green Chillies and fresh Ginger ( chopped fine inc seeds )sorry I don't know the ratio off Chillies to Ginger it was made up in a small icecream tub hopefully when I get the recipes I can be more helpful.
Then a heaped Chef's spoon of fresh finely chopped Garlic.
He continued to fry for about 3-4 mins ( guess ).
He then placed his spoon in the frying pan and placed in the spoon - about 2 teaspoons Chili Powder ,teaspoon ? of Salt ,about a tablespoon of spice mix or their own make Garam Masala ( sorry for being a bit vague but I expected to be given the recipes at the end of the cooking class and not have to wait for them or I would have taken notes :-[ )
He then stirred the contents of the spoon into the Curry for 1-2 mins then added about 1/2 - 3/4 of a pint of water ,this now had become the sauce ( base )he then took the cooked Chicken from the Tandoor broke the Chicken into smaller pieces and placed in the Curry ,stirred for a short time then added about a tablespoon of fresh Coriander leaves , stir in and ready to serve.
Sorry for not being more accurate at the moment,I think the important bit is the Fresh Onion/Tomatoe/Ginger/Chili/Garlic part which is quite accurate you could probably add you usual Spices to that to complete your Curry ,I hope the recipes turn up soon :'(
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Hi emin-j
Sorry to ask for more info but did you notice whether the tomatoes were skinned and deseeded, and had the chillies been deseeded as I guess they could add some unwanted heat.
Thanks
Hi matt3333 ,
Tomatoes not skinned or deseeded Chillies not deseeded but all was very finely chopped. :o
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Hi Emin
Sounds like you had an amazing time. Have you tried replicating this recipe since you got home? Did it work?
I've got a lesson with a local BIR tomorrow so it will be interesting to see the differences between an upmarket restaurant and a local TA.
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you would have loved the flames on the second main course he cooked :o :o
u know me too well. just out of interest what was the 2nd main.
thanks for the excellent instructions. i have some time today and will give it a go - i'll make my std madras as i know the taste best.
i bet they have a machine for chopping the onions fine.
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Hi Emin
Sounds like you had an amazing time. Have you tried replicating this recipe since you got home? Did it work?
I've got a lesson with a local BIR tomorrow so it will be interesting to see the differences between an upmarket restaurant and a local TA.
Hi chriswg
It was a great day ,the owner Amit was the perfect host ,I'm sure you will have a good day too .Take a pad and pen with you , you wont remember half of what goes on ::) Saturday is my Curry day ;)
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you would have loved the flames on the second main course he cooked :o :o
u know me too well. just out of interest what was the 2nd main.
thanks for the excellent instructions. i have some time today and will give it a go - i'll make my std madras as i know the taste best.
i bet they have a machine for chopping the onions fine.
Hi JerryM
2nd main was Prawn Chettinad . Good luck with the Curry , like you I haven't had much luck with Onions but after seeing how small they were chopped and there was no ' bits ' of Onion in the finished Curry I know I have some work to do ::)
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This is how the CTM cooking went. ( ** this made about 3-4 portions ** )
I must say your outline recipe reminds me of my very early attempts at cooking some kind of very basic curry, before I'd even got as far as finding The Curry Secret book or the first Pat Chapman publications. Unless you've missed out some key ingredients like cream, coconut and/or one or two other things usually found in CTM, it doesn't strike me as like any CTM I've ever tasted or made.
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emin-j,
i gave this my best shot. for me the principle is the ultimate dream - produce restaurant quality on the spur of the moment. currently i have to think a week ahead and make base to fit in.
i think the "fine" cutting is critical and something i was unable to do well enough.
i measured out the ingredients which gave the following recipe (based on x4):
oil 120ml (i used 4 tbsp for 1st go and 6 tbsp on 2nd go)
3/4 bowl onion 170g (about 12 tbsp)
3/4 bowl tomato 240g (about 12 tbsp)
ginger 4 tbsp/green chilli 3 tbsp (about 20g in total)
garlic 7 tbsp (~60g)
chilli 2 tsp
salt 1 tsp
spice mix 1 tbsp
water 600ml
fresh coriander 1 tbsp
1st i tried to make a 1 off portion using the restaurant method but all at my normal high heat cooking temp. total disaster - burnt. cooked in ~10mins
i then realised that my pan was big enough afterall and decided to cook the 3 off remaining portions in 1 off go. i changed the method slightly. ginger and green chill fried in oil 1st before onion. after onion starting to brown temp turned down low. kept low until spice added and heat up high. i also added 1 tsp of tom puree with the spice.
this 3 off batch was to me more like a 1 off portion (albeit slightly larger than my norm 200ml finished).
this dish was OK - it was eaten up. the ginger was out of balance for me. the onion was cooked fine and had a hint of caramelised and a sort of texture. i think Chillihead has referred to similar in using a collander as opposed to blending when making a base.
i am sure with time u could better perfect this method. clearly the restaurant has already done so. for me i'm not sold on it for the following reasons:
1) i can't get the "fine" chopping which is critical without spending an excessive amount of time
2) my curries using base already taste as good as i need and this method would require a step backward which the family are not happy with
3) i'm still not convinced that the ability to fine tune a base with small amounts of ingredients - say coconut block is realistic and therefore "the 20 min base" can never be as good on the taste front (accurately enough to maintain consistency).
4) i can see how this dish/base can be cooked in under 20 mins. this is too long for my home needs when i have different orders to meet from the family. i currently often make 3 to 4 different dishes on a night each in under 5mins ea. the key point is i can sit with the family and not feel i'm a slave to the stove.
well worth a try - i really enjoyed giving it a go. i am sure this method is crackable. i'm just not in for the journey.
pics
ingredients, burnt 1 st go, 3 off portion (to follow)
http://i266.photobucket.com/albums/ii262/jerrym07/20%20Min%20Base/20minbase002.jpg (http://i266.photobucket.com/albums/ii262/jerrym07/20%20Min%20Base/20minbase002.jpg)
http://i266.photobucket.com/albums/ii262/jerrym07/20%20Min%20Base/20minbase003.jpg (http://i266.photobucket.com/albums/ii262/jerrym07/20%20Min%20Base/20minbase003.jpg)
http://i266.photobucket.com/albums/ii262/jerrym07/20%20Min%20Base/20minbase004.jpg (http://i266.photobucket.com/albums/ii262/jerrym07/20%20Min%20Base/20minbase004.jpg)
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This is how the CTM cooking went. ( ** this made about 3-4 portions ** )
I must say your outline recipe reminds me of my very early attempts at cooking some kind of very basic curry, before I'd even got as far as finding The Curry Secret book or the first Pat Chapman publications. Unless you've missed out some key ingredients like cream, coconut and/or one or two other things usually found in CTM, it doesn't strike me as like any CTM I've ever tasted or made.
Well spotted George ,The Chef added a good squirt :) of single cream when he added the Chicken .oops !
-
emin-j,
this post by Kid Curry should be of interest http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=3098.0 (http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=3098.0).
the big problem i had at the time was getting the onions to cook through. nowadays i might be able to do it ok. given u're comment on cooking time the chef must cook on high heat - can u give more details on how he cooked the dish.
the other thing stopping me from this route is the ability to add small quantities of various ingredients (coconut block for example) without them becoming too small to maintain accuracy hence chucking the base out of balance. the base i make most of the time is 7 portions so interestingly not that different in volume terms (assuming they always cook a 4 portion "10 min base" then split).
Hi JerryM
I really do believe every main course that is ordered is made from scratch, each Curry having it's own base ,mind you I suppose if the Chef had orders for 4 CTM he would make them together :-\ the CTM he cooked for us was about a 3 - 4 portion Curry purely because along with the other two main courses he cooked these meals were to be shared between the 10 of us in the cooking class.
Yes they would need to cook on high heat for speed to keep up with demand the owner did say he was cooking real slooow for our benefit ( you would have loved the flames on the second main course he cooked :o :o
This is how the CTM cooking went. ( ** this made about 3-4 portions ** )
The Chef put 2 large Chef's spoons of fresh vegetable oil in a aluminium frying pan ( his spoon is bigger than mine :).
He then placed about 3/4 of a cereal bowl of very fine chopped Onions in the pan
these were fried until caramelised and just started to brown.
He then placed about the same amount of fine chopped fresh Tomatoes ( not peeled or deseeded )in the pan and continued to fry until this was breaking down into a pulp this needed plenty of action with the spoon squashing it all about.
He then put in a heaped Chef's spoon of fresh mixed Green Chillies and fresh Ginger ( chopped fine inc seeds )sorry I don't know the ratio off Chillies to Ginger it was made up in a small icecream tub hopefully when I get the recipes I can be more helpful.
Then a heaped Chef's spoon of fresh finely chopped Garlic.
He continued to fry for about 3-4 mins ( guess ).
He then placed his spoon in the frying pan and placed in the spoon - about 2 teaspoons Chili Powder ,teaspoon ? of Salt ,about a tablespoon of spice mix or their own make Garam Masala ( sorry for being a bit vague but I expected to be given the recipes at the end of the cooking class and not have to wait for them or I would have taken notes :-[ )
He then stirred the contents of the spoon into the Curry for 1-2 mins then added about 1/2 - 3/4 of a pint of water ,this now had become the sauce ( base )he then took the cooked Chicken from the Tandoor broke the Chicken into smaller pieces and placed in the Curry ,stirred for a short time then added a good squirt of single cream and about a tablespoon of fresh Coriander leaves , stir in and ready to serve.
Sorry for not being more accurate at the moment,I think the important bit is the Fresh Onion/Tomatoe/Ginger/Chili/Garlic part which is quite accurate you could probably add you usual Spices to that to complete your Curry ,I hope the recipes turn up soon :'(
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emin-j,
i gave this my best shot. for me the principle is the ultimate dream - produce restaurant quality on the spur of the moment. currently i have to think a week ahead and make base to fit in.
i think the "fine" cutting is critical and something i was unable to do well enough.
i measured out the ingredients which gave the following recipe (based on x4):
oil 120ml (i used 4 tbsp for 1st go and 6 tbsp on 2nd go)
3/4 bowl onion 170g (about 12 tbsp)
3/4 bowl tomato 240g (about 12 tbsp)
ginger 4 tbsp/green chilli 3 tbsp (about 20g in total)
garlic 7 tbsp (~60g)
chilli 2 tsp
salt 1 tsp
spice mix 1 tbsp
water 600ml
fresh coriander 1 tbsp
1st i tried to make a 1 off portion using the restaurant method but all at my normal high heat cooking temp. total disaster - burnt. cooked in ~10mins
i then realised that my pan was big enough afterall and decided to cook the 3 off remaining portions in 1 off go. i changed the method slightly. ginger and green chill fried in oil 1st before onion. after onion starting to brown temp turned down low. kept low until spice added and heat up high. i also added 1 tsp of tom puree with the spice.
this 3 off batch was to me more like a 1 off portion (albeit slightly larger than my norm 200ml finished).
this dish was OK - it was eaten up. the ginger was out of balance for me. the onion was cooked fine and had a hint of caramelised and a sort of texture. i think Chillihead has referred to similar in using a collander as opposed to blending when making a base.
i am sure with time u could better perfect this method. clearly the restaurant has already done so. for me i'm not sold on it for the following reasons:
1) i can't get the "fine" chopping which is critical without spending an excessive amount of time
2) my curries using base already taste as good as i need and this method would require a step backward which the family are not happy with
3) i'm still not convinced that the ability to fine tune a base with small amounts of ingredients - say coconut block is realistic and therefore "the 20 min base" can never be as good on the taste front (accurately enough to maintain consistency).
4) i can see how this dish/base can be cooked in under 20 mins. this is too long for my home needs when i have different orders to meet from the family. i currently often make 3 to 4 different dishes on a night each in under 5mins ea. the key point is i can sit with the family and not feel i'm a slave to the stove.
well worth a try - i really enjoyed giving it a go. i am sure this method is crackable. i'm just not in for the journey.
pics
ingredients, burnt 1 st go, 3 off portion (to follow)
http://i266.photobucket.com/albums/ii262/jerrym07/20%20Min%20Base/20minbase002.jpg (http://i266.photobucket.com/albums/ii262/jerrym07/20%20Min%20Base/20minbase002.jpg)
http://i266.photobucket.com/albums/ii262/jerrym07/20%20Min%20Base/20minbase003.jpg (http://i266.photobucket.com/albums/ii262/jerrym07/20%20Min%20Base/20minbase003.jpg)
http://i266.photobucket.com/albums/ii262/jerrym07/20%20Min%20Base/20minbase004.jpg (http://i266.photobucket.com/albums/ii262/jerrym07/20%20Min%20Base/20minbase004.jpg)
Good effort JerryM(http://www.easyfreesmileys.com/smileys/free-happy-smileys-369.gif) (http://www.easyfreesmileys.com/Free-Winking-Smileys/)
I'm sure you are dead right about the size of the chopped Onions ,I would say that ' minced ' was more like it as there was no sign of any pieces of Onion in the finished Curry.
The Photo of your ingredients look very similar to the Chef's ( except the onion ;) )I think your list of ingredients look good too.I think it so important to make sure the Onions/Tomato/Garlic/Ginger are worked long enough to become a paste ,this is what gives the Curry the smooth sauce.
Shame it wasn't so successful this time but you were on the right track.
I am hopefully going to give it a go on Saturday so we'll see what happens :-\ still waiting for the recipes tho ::)
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emin-j,
best of luck for Saturday.
the onion is for defo critical along with it's cooking stage. i think u would need a proper "chopper" to cut the onion fine enough but maintain a consistent shape. i've tried grating and that does not work (http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=3393.10 (http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=3393.10)). i have made onion paste (which is kind of similar) in 2 ways: blend onion 1st or at the end. trouble is i can't see blended working either.
i've no real experience of traditional cooking which did not help. it did take me back to pre KD1 days when i used to make curry from scratch using butter, onion, chopped tomato and a made up spice mix from a lady on wolverhampton market.
on your go i'd be wary of the ginger. in the 1st go following the restaurant method it did not cook out and i chopped very fine. on the 2nd go there was just too much of it.
i might also reduce the tom puree slightly to say 1/2 tsp as in this sort of curry u want it subtle. if u're adding cream (which i didn't as i made madras) u won't notice the need for it.
best wishes,
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Well >:( had a go at my ' Curry from Scratch ' and it took me ages to prepare ,not easy to cook ,and tasted crap :-\ The recipe I had been given was for a CTM but I wanted a Madras so only used the Onion,Tomato,Garlic,Ginger,Chili part of the recipe which was the ' base sauce ' from that I turned to my favourite Madras recipe from sNs and used the spices from that recipe plus a tsp of Paprika for the colour properties.The Curry ended up thick,almost flavourless and a sharp taste of Tomato.
Then when looking at the recipe and thinking back to our Curry Class last week it came to me ( too late )the recipe was showing far to much Onion and Tomato compared to what the Chef used ,I have linked to some photo's a couple at the cooking class and some of my efforts 'warts n all'. I intend to rethink this recipe and correct the ingredients and have another go until I get it right :-[
http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/eminj1951/CurryFromScratch1?authkey=Gv1sRgCJzrr8qFjZfhbQ&feat=directlink
http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/eminj1951/CookingClass?authkey=Gv1sRgCPj48ra4zq7XWg&feat=directlink
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Great photos... too bad the curry didn't turn out. It looked too thick and chunky for sure.
Do you think you were given duff recipes?
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emin-j,
very strange. my effort was not flavourless and no sharp taste of tomato - in fact i had to add 1 tsp of puree to pep it up.
i don't like numbers but to give u a feel for how mine turned out i'd say 7/10.
ps from the pics i think u used x2 tomato that i used. (i actually used same amount of tomato but something like x2 onion).
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Great photos... too bad the curry didn't turn out. It looked too thick and chunky for sure.
Do you think you were given duff recipes?
Hi joshallen2k , The recipes do not show what the portion size is ie ' this recipe will make four portions ' or whatever , also I am in contact with the owner of the restaurant who has promptly answered questions but he is not the Chef,at the moment I do not have confidence in the answers I am getting but I am working on it ??? On a positive note I do have confidence in the process I was shown it just needs some fine tuning :) To rub salt into the wound my Daughter who was also at the Cooking Class decided to order a Curry from the Restaurant where we had our Cooking Class and have it delivered ,as she only lives over the road she sent a little taster over ,and yes ,it was fantastic :'( ;D
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emin-j,
very strange. my effort was not flavourless and no sharp taste of tomato - in fact i had to add 1 tsp of puree to pep it up.
i don't like numbers but to give u a feel for how mine turned out i'd say 7/10.
ps from the pics i think u used x2 tomato that i used. (i actually used same amount of tomato but something like x2 onion).
Yes very disappointed in my first ' from scratch ' effort ,I was making a 2 portion Curry and the recipe shows 250gms of Tomatoes and the recipe showed no Onions :o so after an email to the Restaurant owner he came back ' sorry 100gms of Onions ' but thinking back to our Cooking Class the Chef only used half that amount of Tomatoes and less Onion ( look at the photo on the link of the Chef starting the CTM that's not a lot of Onions ! )and that was to be a 3-4 portion Curry !
<
ps from the pics i think u used x2 tomato that i used. (i actually used same amount of tomato but something like x2 onion). >
Can you please clarify JerryM .
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emin-j,
feeling for u. not good when the youngster's start getting coy.
clarification: i used 170g onion and 240 tomato. it seems a good ratio. if i made again i would most probably use this as a 2 portion not the 4 as per spec.
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emin - my guess is that it's wrong to consider the first 80% of that recipe to be a 'base sauce.' It's not. It's just the first 80%. I douibt if it's designed to be a multi-purpose sauce like proper base sauce is.
The recipes for CTM and chicken madras are very different. I'm not surprised you ended up with a relatively poor end result. In my experience, you can't go changing recipes like that and expect a favourable outcome.
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emin - my guess is that it's wrong to consider the first 80% of that recipe to be a 'base sauce.' It's not. It's just the first 80%. I douibt if it's designed to be a multi-purpose sauce like proper base sauce is.
The recipes for CTM and chicken madras are very different. I'm not surprised you ended up with a relatively poor end result. In my experience, you can't go changing recipes like that and expect a favourable outcome.
George ,
80% of any Curry is the base sauce , the ingredients used ie Onions,Tomatoes,Ginger,Garlic,Green Chilies are I believe the most common ingredients used for a base sauce ,the Chef used these same ingredients to make all the meals he made at our Curry Class and it was only the change in Spices or adding Cream etc that separated the dishes.I did not add cream to my Madras attempt just my usual Spices ,I am 99% sure it was the excess of Tomatoes and Onions I used that ruined the Curry.
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I am going to Bristol tomorrow for 3 days working and staying over. I'm gonna give this restaurant a try :)
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I am going to Bristol tomorrow for 3 days working and staying over. I'm gonna give this restaurant a try :)
Nice one 976bar :D You can watch the Chef cook ! The kitchen is in full view of the restaurant.
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Hi Emin-J,
Well I went to the Mystirica in Bristol on Wednesday night as planned and what a fantastic experience.
It's good to be able to watch the Chefs in action with the open Kitchen :)
I opted for the Prawns 65. Delicious fresh water black prawns in a hot and spicy batter. This came with a salad which included olives!! and a mint and mango dipping sauce. The prawns were really succulent and well fresh.
I next opted for the gost do-piaza, which is basically a well spiced lamb stew, with safron baked pilau rice and a plain naan bread. As soon as I tasted the stew, ginger, cloves and cinnamon came through, then the spicy tomatoey lamb which was so succulent and really good quality, then finally the caramalised onions broke through... Not a hot dish, probably around the Bhuna mark but the flavours were awesome and not something I have experienced in a BIR for a long while....
I took some pictures which made the manager come over and I explained that you had been there for a cookery class and had recomended the restaurant on here and we sat chatting for around 15 minutes. he was very friendly and excited that we had discussed his restaurant on here so much.
As I said I have taken some pics which I will try and post on here, but given my last attempt, I wonder if they will come out??!!
Well done and many thanks for recomending this restaurant. I would certainly recomend it to anyone visitng Bristol :)
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A couple more pics :)
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Phew ! That's a relief ! ;) 976bar ,Thank you for taking the time to checkout the Myristica ,it really is quite special I think and it sounds like you enjoyed yourself :D
I really enjoyed my Cooking Class, the owner Amit is such a genuine guy and helped make the day such a success .Did you watch them cook your meal ? Have you had a rethink on any of your Indian cooking :)
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Hi Emin-J,
I have tried making base sauce for the past 2 years and still maintain that I make a better curry from scratch.
I also attended an Indian Cookery Course at The Safron House - Rickmansworth earlier on in the year, where we did similar stuff, the spice trail etc and more importantly the medicinal purposes of spices too. The chef that taught us had a masters in Food science, so she really knew her stuff. We went on to produce Garam Masala, a fantastic "Chicken Chilli Marinade" and there were 4 of us on the course and a slight increase or decrease of any spice produced a completely different flavour as we all tried each others. Some were hotter, or had more ginger or garlic etc.....
We also did a fish masala marinade and one for paneer, we made Riatu (fresh yougurt & cucumber dip), The original Bombay potatoes, Vegetable samosas, Vegetable Bhajis (I've posted the recipe on here), they were fantastic and vegetable pakoras.
We then marinaded the Chicken and fish with our marinades and left them to "fester" as it were for about an hour then cooked them. The food was real quality Indian food and not a base in sight.
So all in all pretty much a day like yours. They hold a second day which I will book when I can afford it based on main courses :)
I highly recommend these cookery courses to anyone here, they give you such an in depth knowledge of spices etc.......
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I am glad you enjoyed your food mate
but if i had five prawns in batter tossed on a plate with a bit of salad it would be going straight back to the kitchen
i have never seen prawns cooked in a thick batter like that before in any indian restaurant i have visited liverpool ,manchester , bradford etc
And as for olives well that says it all
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LOL Billycat.
Maybe you should venture further afield?...... :)
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lol 976bar
how much further do you recommend ?
maybe sprinkle a few water chestnuts on as garnish !!! ;D
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LOL Billycat :)
No, I was thinking more in terms of the restaurants you frequent.....
Take a look at this one. I've been here many times and the food is fantastic :)
http://www.bombaybrasserielondon.com/ (http://www.bombaybrasserielondon.com/)
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LOL Billycat :)Take a look at this one. I've been here many times and the food is fantastic :)
http://www.bombaybrasserielondon.com/ (http://www.bombaybrasserielondon.com/)
I agree. I've been there a few times and the food is very good but IMHO, it's not really BIR. Personally, I like it more, at a price, but it's not BIR.
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Hi George,
Your absolutely right, it isn't BIR but that was just the point I was trying to make to Billycat. Authentic Indian cuisine can be just as tasteful if not sometimes moreso...
Don't get me wrong, you still can't beat a good BIR also :)
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Your absolutely right, it isn't BIR but that was just the point I was trying to make to Billycat. Authentic Indian cuisine can be just as tasteful if not sometimes moreso...
Don't get me wrong, you still can't beat a good BIR also :)
I go further! Most 'authentic' meals I've had from places like the Bombay Brasserie and Indian restaurants in India and Dubai, knock spots off any BIR dish, for my taste, at least.
There are separate sections on the forum for (a) BIR and (b) authentic dishes with the main focus probably being on BIR. The 'danger' here on 'Lets talk' is that anything goes and it may get a bit confusing as to what we're all aiming for between a BIR and authetic-tasting end result. My main interest in making a BIR curry from scratch is to produce a BIR tasting end result by using 'authentic' type methods. As I said, I think I've alreadty achieved it, by making such a small base.
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976bar
i am not knocking were you eat at all
what i am knocking is the presentation
and show me an authentic / bir dish with OLIVES
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Billycat,
You are absolutely right!! I have to admit, I've never had any indian dish with olives before either :)
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976bar
i am not knocking were you eat at all
what i am knocking is the presentation
and show me an authentic / bir dish with OLIVES
And no chips either billycat ::)
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Chips ????
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Just had a quick search on the net , some Indian Salad recipes do contain Olives.
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Emin
come on mate its getting boring now
you know what i was getting at
lets just drop it now eh
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As has been stated before, this up-market and traditional Indian restaurant is not respresentative of a typical BIR.
I'd also be surprised to see olives in a typical BIR (but chips, yes ;))
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in a typical BIR (but chips, yes ;))
i now have a 2nd black sheep in the family. the daughter has never got into Indian (black sheep No1). the lad has now decided to have chips with his TA instead of garlic naan. i just can't believe it. he even spent a good deal of time in a BIR kitchen before the age of one.
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I guess there are standards and there are standards..... ;)