Curry Recipes Online
Supplementary Recipes (Curry Powders, Curry Paste, Restaurant Spice Mixes) => Supplementary Recipes (Spice Mixes, Masalas, Pastes, Oils, Stocks, etc) => Topic started by: Razor on May 31, 2010, 09:55 PM
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Hi Guy's,
Been working on this a while now, tweaking it here and there to use with my base http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=4596.0 (http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=4596.0)
I've made my last 7 curries using this blend now, and I'm really happy with the results. It's versatile enough to use with the milder dishes too. Here goes;
Razor's Mixed Spice Blend
Please note, all measurements are in level teaspoons, 5ml. All spices used are of the Rajah brand, but you could use any decent brand such as East End, TRS, Nacto and so on......
3 tsp Tumeric
3 tsp Ground Coriander
3 tsp Mild Madras Curry Powder
2 tsp Ground Cumin
2 tsp Paprika
1 tsp Methi Powder
1 tsp Salt
1 tsp Garlic Powder
0.5 tsp Ginger Powder
0.5 tsp Garam Masala
Measure each quantity into an air tight container, give it a really good shake and store in a cool, dry place, away from direct sunlight.
You could use my spice mix in place of your usual but I couldn't vouch for the final taste as I can with my base, using CA's methods.
Ray :)
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Hi Razor, appreciate the effort and enjoy testing different spice mixes.
The only thing there that stands out to me is the tsp of salt. I personally like to measure salt separately, since it has a huge effect on the finished dish. I've settled on about 1/3 tsp of salt per restaurant-sized curry. A quarter tsp isn't enough, and I find half a teaspoon too much. (Note I also use MSG, which is a sodium of some sort, so I'm not sure how much that adds).
The rest of it looks OK to me.
I also wonder about (to a lesser degree than the salt) the methi powder, ginger powder, and garam masala. When I break down the ingredients of commercial curry powders, its often methi, asafoetida, cloves, bay leaf, etc. So I wonder if you add a lot of that separately (methi and garam), as well as a large proportion of curry powder (its tied for your #1 ingredient in the mix) I wonder if your mix is a little curry powder-ish.
Note that I have not tried it, but that would be my initial observation. No knock intended, I appreciate the experimentation and glad you enjoy the results.
-- Josh
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Hi Josh,
Thanks for the review :)
With regards to the salt, methi and GM, yeah I totally understand where you're coming from but, I designed the mix to compliment my base, which also has varying amounts of these ingredients.
What I was/am trying to achieve in my curries, is to get a real savoury note to them. Of course, all of the spices will help me achieve that to some degree, but methi, ginger powder, salt and GM seem to to take it to the next level (for me anyhow) and the ginger and GM give the blend a background warmth, unlike chili powder which can be a bit unpredictable. Note, that I do not add chili powder to the blend! Like you with salt, I prefer to add it at the dish stage.
I would like to try this blend with another base to see what effect it would have on the final taste. I usually make 2 different bases, mine and CA's. I have never tried it with CA's, always stuck to his curry masala but next time I knock up a batch, I will give it a go.
Another point to note, my base does release a bit of oil when frying (intentional ::)) so when I start off my dish I only add 1 tbs of oil to the pan and a chef's spoon of my base. I let this sizzle for a minute, to release a little bit of oil, then I add my g/g paste, then 2 tsp of my spice blend off the heat. Then I proceed with the standard methods.
Appreciate your thought Josh, and thanks for taking the time to give it a read :)
Ray :)
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Ray, with the extra salt that you've added, which does seem quite a bit, do you still add salt when cooking the finished dishes?
I understand that you have balanced this recipe against your base, but I wonder if perhaps it is the base that needs adjusting as you seem to have quite alot of additional elements in the spice mix as well as the salt, Garlic and Ginger Powder for example.
Incidentally, I have until now been using Schwartz Mild Curry Powder, but picked up a bag of East End Mild Madras from Tesco recently. I was quite taken back as to how different the two are. The East End is alot sweeter overall with I think Fenugreek seemingly being the the more dominant smell in the Schwartz.
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Hi Axe,
The salt only makes up 4.25% of this blend. As for adding it in the final dish, I taste, taste, taste as I go along ;D The reason being is, sometimes I do prefer my food saltier and sometimes I don't.
The ginger and garlic, is typical in Balti spice mixes, and because I started out making Balti before BIR, It is something that I have missed using other spice mixes/masalas.
As for my base, I'm really happy with it, and wouldn't want to adjust it to suit the spice mix, I'd prefer to go the other way around. My base smells really savoury, almost like a curry sauce in its own right, which is what I had in mind when I was designing it.
Curry powders do vary quite alot from brand to brand. I've tried a few different brands now but I'm stuck on Rajah. For me, it smells like 'curry' ;D it even taste like 'curry' on a finger dip test. I have no qualms in using it for these reasons. I also think the East End brand is very good too, but I still prefer Rajah, just!
There is also Rajah Gold, but I haven't come across it and to be honest, I'm not sure what the extra ingredients in it could be to warrant having 'Gold' in the title?
Ray :)
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Ray,
I Hope you don't mind me saying but the percentage of salt in your recipe is actually 5.88% ;) :P ;D
If your happy with both the base and the spice mix, that is all any of us can ask for. Have created different recipes for the main dishes to suit your base and spice mix. If not, what recipes have you tried using then for?
I'm interested as i'd like to play around with my own ideas but would like to a get a measure of where I should be.
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Hi Axe,
I Hope you don't mind me saying but the percentage of salt in your recipe is actually 5.88%
Correct, must have been having a blonde moment, I did 85/5x100 = 4.25, when I should have done 5x100/85 = 5.882, call it 6% to save argument ;D
Still, 6% doesn't seem to bad to me :)
I have tried it on madras x4, Jal Frezi x 1 and CTM x 2, using CA's method but replacing with my base and spice, and leaving out the spiced oil. I've also added the onion paste twice to the madras, that I have mentioned recently, which improved the dish IMO.
I'm going to have a serious crack at all the classics this month and compile a bit of a "portfolio" of dishes. I hope to post them up with photo's of the end dishes 'ala CA'
I'm comfortable with my Madras, Vindaloo, Jal Frezi, CTM, Korma but I need to work on Pathia, Bhuna, Dopiaza, Rogan Josh. The one I really want to crack though is the Dhansak. This was my first ever curry back in the very early 80's and it was absolutely beautiful. I've tried many a recipe, but never recreated what I had that day. I think I need to crack the Tarka Dhal recipe first, then get on with the Dhansak. And I'm thinking, mango in there somewhere?
Ray :)
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Hi Razor
Interesting looking mix, on the salt front why not just omit it from the mix and then salt the base and or recipe to taste.
M
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Hi Matt,
Good question.
Ok, I just done another Madras tonight for myself, and a medium plain curry for the better half. I put no extra salt in either dish whatsoever and they were perfect, even if I say so myself ;D
Now as my good friend Axe rightly pointed out, the salt forms about 6% of the spice blend, so the in the overall dish, the percentage would be greatly reduced. I think adding salt does give the dish a savoury note, but I wouldn't like to hazard a guess as to what quantity to put in if I omitted it from my spice blend, and it is for that reason as to why I add it to my blend.
Hope that goes some way to answering your question mate :)
Ray :)
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The one I really want to crack though is the Dhansak....I think I need to crack the Tarka Dhal recipe first, then get on with the Dhansak
You might want to try using tinned lentils (blended), instead, Ray? I know of (highly rated) British Indian Restaurants that do this......it wouldn't surprise me to find that many do!
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Hi CA,
The one I really want to crack though is the Dhansak....I think I need to crack the Tarka Dhal recipe first, then get on with the Dhansak
You might want to try using tinned lentils (blended), instead, Ray? I know of (highly rated) British Indian Restaurants that do this......it wouldn't surprise me to find that many do!
Thanks for the advise. How would you go about this? Would you just blend the lentils or would you replace tinned ones for dry ones and proceed with a recipe?
I did try Blades Tarka Dhal but It just didn't come out right. When it cooled down, it went like cement :( which I'm guessing is wrong?
Another thing, most Dhansak's these days seem to be very mild, but as I remember, my first did have a bit of background heat and I would describe it as medium strength, although, I am also aware that as this was my first ever BIR curry, perhaps even a small amount of spicing would have been hot to me?
Any advise would be much appreciated :)
Ray :)
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Another thing, most Dhansak's these days seem to be very mild, but as I remember, my first did have a bit of background heat and I would describe it as medium strength, although, I am also aware that as this was my first ever BIR curry, perhaps even a small amount of spicing would have been hot to me?
I often wonder how much of an effect that this might have on the old question. Certainly, tastebuds do get use to heat over time. I also think that restaurants have toned down the dishes for changes in consumer demand. I know certainly the IG tone down certain dishes for this reason.
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Axe,
I've also considered this theory too. I wonder at what point in time did they (BIR's) start to tone down their dishes? I certainly can't put my finger on it!
The trouble with this whole 'old/new' thing is, the permutations are endless :(
The regional variances,
The origin of the chef,
The amount of ale consumed ::)
The good and the not so good restaurants
The time of service,
Each of which can apply to the old or new style. It's going to be difficult for us to replicate any dish, from any era and get the whole forum to agree, that we have cracked it.
With that said, I am getting some really good results using my base, spice and onion paste, very much lending itself to what I remember as 'old' style BIR. I made a Madras last night which was excellent. I didn't add any extra salt, and I'd run out of tomato puree, so I used.......wait for it........tommy ketchup instead :o
This along side my onion paste add a lovely sweetness to the sauce, without adding any sugar, which I was well chuffed with ;D
I'm actually thinking of replacing the tom puree with the ketchup as standard but, I will need to prove it out a few times before I settle on this.
Ray :)
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If you can get remotely close to what you remember, then it has to be winner. Even if it isn't in other peoples books.
Funny you should mention Ketchup, i've seen all manor of chef's use this in varying ways. Again if it works, why not! I had considered actually playing around with a tin of Tommy Soup in an effort to make CTM. But as it is where it started apparently, I thought i'd give it a go anyway.
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Axe,
I had considered actually playing around with a tin of Tommy Soup in an effort to make CTM. But as it is where it started apparently, I thought i'd give it a go anyway.
Check out this recipe mate http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=1823.0 (http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=1823.0)
Ignore the base, I think any mildy spiced one will do, but check out the main recipe, both soup and ketchup in there!
Ray :)
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Just out of interest Ray, have you cooked it since?
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Hi Axe,
I have and it's ok, the wife likes it, but I'm not into CTM and Korma's.
It might be worth a go though?
Ray :)
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I made a Madras last night which was excellent...I'd run out of tomato puree, so I used.......wait for it........tommy ketchup instead :o.
It's been discussed many times over the year Ray. It wouldn't surprise me in the least to find that the BIR tomato paste is in fact a tomato-paste/ketchup blend as this would give a looser paste as is often found in the BIRs.
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It wouldn't surprise me in the least to find that the BIR tomato paste is in fact a tomato-paste/ketchup blend as this would give a looser paste as is often found in the BIRs.
The IG Tomato Puree could certainly be described as looking very much like Tomato Ketchup. There again, they do mix the puree with oil and garlic, which could also give the same effect, or so it would seem.
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Hi SS
It's been discussed many times over the year Ray. It wouldn't surprise me in the least to find that the BIR tomato paste is in fact a tomato-paste/ketchup blend as this would give a looser paste as is often found in the BIRs.
I've often wondered about this myself. Certainly in the East webcam, you can see that their tom paste is quite runny. I have also thought that, when watering down tom paste with water, and adding a pinch of sugar, it's very similar to ketchup.
And if I'm not mistaken, don't they us 'Catsup' (Ketchup) in traditional Indian food, which I've seen in many cookbooks?
Ray :)
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Another thing, most Dhansak's these days seem to be very mild, but as I remember, my first did have a bit of background heat and I would describe it as medium strength, although, I am also aware that as this was my first ever BIR curry, perhaps even a small amount of spicing would have been hot to me?
Hey Razor, my own experience of Dhansak would also be that they are at the milder end of the spectrum and I do think that curryholics build up resistance to heat over time.
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Hi ray
made your spice mix up yesterday and did a chicken madras with it tonight must say one of the tastiest i've done
jamie
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Hi Jamie,
Thanks for giving a go mate. Like I've said previously, I created this spice blend to complement my base, so which base did you use and what method?
Thanks again Jamie,
Ray :)
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Hi ray
I used ca's base its what i had left in the freezer but when i did ca's base this time i had cooked out the spices 1st like you do with your base as for method it was a mixture of ca's recipe and my own having used lemon dressing instead of juice and i also add some dried fenurgreek leaves to mine because i like the flavour
Jamie
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Hi Jamie,
Sounds all good to me. I also add dried methi, for the very same reason as you.
Ray :)
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Your spice mix looks to be on the money Ray - i like the addition of salt.
Every component should be seasoned, so why not the spice mix? That's the same conclusion i came to.
Chefs in BIRs and in india have told me the importance of adding salt early so that you are cooking with the salt. Gordon ramsay stresses the importance too.
This is why i wrote my earlier post today on another of your threads about cooking rice.
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Hi Chinois,
That's my way of thinking also. It doesn't seem as harsh a taste when used to cook with, plus, it has time to bring out the flavours in the other ingredients, than it would if it was just used at the end.
Ray :)
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Razor,
interesting mix - looks derived from Kushi.
have you tried dry methi in place of the powder at all. i ask as the powder and me don't mix but i can now stand the dried in small qty or well fried.
i'm quite settled on the mouchak but like to always have a 2nd mix on stock so to speak and will give this a go next. i currently have kushi 2nd but like the addition of paprika in your mix.
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Hi Jerry,
As with any of my recipes, I try to look at the best bits in others, and use them, combined with what I feel are worthy additions. There is a definite inspiration from the kushi in there, I:E curry powder, garlic powder ginger powder. As for the paprika, it's there mainly for it's taste but it also helps me achieve a colour that is more akin to authentic BIR. Word of warning though, make sure that the paprika is pretty fresh, old or stale paprika will ruin the spice mix and any dish made with it!
As for the methi powder, I Love methi. To me, it epitomises the BIR aroma. It also adds the savouriness that I like. It can be powdered Methi seed or dried Methi leaf, it just has to be in there for me.
Ray :)
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To me, it (methi/fenugreek) epitomises the BIR aroma.
Agreed. Chilli, cumin and methi are surely the three key spices; omit any one, and you have to ask yourself "can this still be authentic BIR ?".
** Phil.
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Agreed,
I'm a deffo Methi fan.
Might even start putting it on my cheese, & onion pack up. ;D
CArl...