Curry Recipes Online
Curry Chat => Lets Talk Curry => Topic started by: Mikka1 on October 31, 2009, 05:34 PM
-
Ok I guess some of you might think I'm carrots right now for suggesting this but.........
You know I keep talking about fruity sweet taste? What annoys me so much about it is that I know it, remember it from somewhere....
The only thing that is compatible without being on the realm of the insane is the common carrot. On looking I am finding lots of recipes calling for carrot in Vindaloo. 2 usually. It's much stronger than just a carrot aroma but yah never know? After all a lot of folks but carrots in the base...
-
Mikka,
carrots in the base are a must for me. i do feel (like all the ingredients) they have to collectively be in balance (nothing overpowering the rest). carrot does have more leeway than most though. i've also made just onion base and from this know that too much carrot does not mean better curry. i use 200g carrot in 800 onion. i feel this is the max limit.
on mains i'm very sceptical on the use of carrot. it just does not sit in the BIR taste for me as a directly added ingredient at frying time.
i still think the fruity sweet taste is mango chutney. i haven't got round to making base yet to try it out for sure.
-
I agree on these points Jerry. It would have to be a sooper carrot! In any case. ;D
Trouble is of course we are talking about this in the rain and with no chance to measure and gauge tastes in the real world you'll never explain a taste properly will you?
To me though its something very like the the feel of a carrot or something like it? It's overpowering in some cases and in others just a hint. But its there. You know how Tandoori Chicken always smells like Tandoori Chicken right? I can tell what it is from the aroma and it drives me nuts since its familiar.
I said Carrot because if it were not for this overpowering and lovely aroma you would think it were a Lamb stew wit Carrots and potatoes. Does that make more sense? Hmmm so you use a quarter of the amount compared with onions? That's very interesting thank you. I rarely measure stuff to be honest..
I was in fact thinking more of the sauce really too Jerry. I was also thinking of frying off the Carrot to caramelize it, I don't really know at this point but I will find it, I'm so darned close which is why my meals get ruined sometimes through tinkering.
Had a good meal last night though, however I never get enough sauce that I can save on my meals.
Great input Jerry thanks very much indeed.
-
Mikka,
it's essential to narrow down what's missing to the base or the dish recipe. if not already i'd try the as spec base from this site. there are quite a lot to choose from. i use rajver and saffron. Admins & SnS2008 get good review. CA's AKA & Ashoka etc are very good too. Ifindforu is good but slightly different.
u've probably done this already. is it base or dish?
-
I can now formally announce it ain't carrots although the do have a place in the base.... (song there) ;D
I'm thinking its my old friend Ajwain now. I did add some in some spice oil and reheated my dinner with watered down sauce. (Much better sauce). Trouble is I don't know how much to add? I see Bruce also mentioned this for the base.
Another thing I've started doing is adding green chillies with the garlic/Ginger/Spices. This fills out the middle ground nicely. (I'll post a pic later).
Cheers Jerry.
-
I can now formally announce it ain't carrots although the do have a place in the base.... (song there) ;D
I'm thinking its my old friend Ajwain now
How an earth would ajwain seem so familiar to you Chi..um...Mikka? :-\
The only place I've ever seen its use mentioned is in Bruce's curry base recipe.
From carrot to ajwain! Quite an extraordinary leap! :o
-
That's a toughy.... ;D And the other. ;D
Erm. Well, you see....
It's like this...
I just don't know! ;D
What I do know however is that when I used a marinade with Ajwain/Yogurt/Tamarind base and some spices is that I got a carbon copy of just one restaurant. (I missed Tamarind in my posted meal and boy does it show too.)
I will post the recipe of course I just need to dig it out.
But......
This dish as good as it is. Was no where near the others as regards that undefined element. I'll find it, I know I will.
MikChika ;D
How an earth would ajwain seem so familiar to you Chi..um...Mikka? :-\
The only place I've ever seen its use mentioned is in Bruce's curry base recipe.
From carrot to ajwain! Quite an extraordinary leap! :o
-
Hi Mikka
Have you tried making a base starting with frying the onions before boiling them? I find this caramelisation gives a much sweeter taste to the base which might be what you are looking for.
-
Ah no this I have not tried at all, thanks for suggesting it I might give it a go sometime.
Cheers. ;D
Hi Mikka
Have you tried making a base starting with frying the onions before boiling them? I find this caramelisation gives a much sweeter taste to the base which might be what you are looking for.
-
Hi Mikka
Have you tried making a base starting with frying the onions before boiling them? I find this caramelisation gives a much sweeter taste to the base which might be what you are looking for.
This is just how Admins new Base is started ( frying Onions ) , try tasting boiled Onions then taste fried Onions - no contest ;)
-
try tasting boiled Onions then taste fried Onions - no contest ;)
True, but no BIR is going to fry their base onions, there's just too many. They boil them.
-
try tasting boiled Onions then taste fried Onions - no contest ;)
True, but no BIR is going to fry their base onions, there's just too many. They boil them.
True Secret Santa , I suppose it's more caramelize than fry , maybe that by caramelizing the Onions first we can get that much closer to the BIR taste which they achieve by boiling in water ( with oil added ) for God knows how long and the base is ' on the heat ' all the hours the T/A is open which would probably be impractical for the home Curry cook.
The Admin's New Base Sauce ( with fried / caramelized Onions ) was taken from a Recipe used at a Indian Restaurant in Bradford.
-
I think the frying of onions first has some merit. I know I've seen fried onions lying around here and there and some precook chicken with onions.
What I am trying to do is NOT replicate an Indian Kitchen. It's impossible at home in any case for me. I'm just concentrating on taste and I really don't care how I get there in all honesty. ;D
-
Mikka,
the ifindforu base introduced me to ajwain. it's quite a nice little touch - not for everyone. i then came across fennel and now use that in place of ajwain.
on the caramelised onions i find the fact that there is oil in the base then boiling does the same trick. i also reduce the water initially to increase the proportion of oil (limit water to 20% of initial onion volume ie 300ml in 800g base). i then add extra water to make the base right after blending. i know not strictly BIR practice and it "caramelized" don't make a huge difference but i've stuck to it.
to convince yourself u would need to do a side by side.
http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=3366.0 (http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=3366.0)
-
Thanks for the link again Jerry.
I don't know about fennel for me really. I like a hint of it but nothing much more than that. I think both are very strong aren't they? When I added Ajwain to a marinade it really did the trick.
Do you think in all honesty its just about timing the spice in cooking? No matter what the heat, no matter what the spice so long as you know its properties? Cumin can be quite sweet for instance...
Mikka,
the ifindforu base introduced me to ajwain. it's quite a nice little touch - not for everyone. i then came across fennel and now use that in place of ajwain.
on the caramelised onions i find the fact that there is oil in the base then boiling does the same trick. i also reduce the water initially to increase the proportion of oil (limit water to 20% of initial onion volume ie 300ml in 800g base). i then add extra water to make the base right after blending. i know not strictly BIR practice and it "caramelized" don't make a huge difference but i've stuck to it.
to convince yourself u would need to do a side by side.
http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=3366.0 (http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=3366.0)
-
the ifindforu base introduced me to ajwain. it's quite a nice little touch - not for everyone. i then came across fennel and now use that in place of ajwain.
One place I find that ajwain really works well is in tikka marinade for king prawn. It was a one of the few hold-outs from my pre-CR0 cooking days.
Try a sprinkle in your next KP tikka. I find it adds something very positive.
-- Josh
-
Josh,
i like the idea of a little ajwain in tikka. have u tried it for chicken.
Mikka,
i do think timing of the spice cooking is important (and very hard to judge). i used to follow the "toffee" approach to frying the spices (effectively dry frying - took ages to even get proficient). i then did some frying trials (can add link) and switched to adding water & some base. i also did some very very slow cooking trials and was amazed how good the taste was. i just recently switched back towards the toffee approach (1/2 way house) of adding the tom puree straight from the tin but still adding a little base. the verdict for me is still out. in short i think timing is directly related to heat and why it is so difficult to do in practise.
i also think if u over cook the dish becomes darker. u don't always want this so i tend to undercook as std.
it's a real subject for me - at proably the crux of it all.
-
Since trying mango chutney in my pathias and dansaks i am convinced a lot of places use it, and not necessarily just in those two curries. Of the two best takeaways near me i know they both use it because i can taste it. The dishes with chutney in taste better and are the ones my friends agree 'are the real deal'. It's not necessarily a secret as i have seen it listed as an ingredient on menu items.
I use TRS sweet mango chutney which contains mango, sugar, salt and acetic acid as it is the type used by BIRs. ?4 for 3kg.
-
That's interesting. Since the flavour I am looking for is quite distinct, it does not alter only in levels of intensity I would think that it has to be something jar bought perhaps if all else doesn't nail it.
Since trying mango chutney in my pathias and dansaks i am convinced a lot of places use it, and not necessarily just in those two curries. Of the two best takeaways near me i know they both use it because i can taste it. The dishes with chutney in taste better and are the ones my friends agree 'are the real deal'. It's not necessarily a secret as i have seen it listed as an ingredient on menu items.
I use TRS sweet mango chutney which contains mango, sugar, salt and acetic acid as it is the type used by BIRs. ?4 for 3kg.