Curry Recipes Online
Beginners Guide => Trainee Chefs / Beginners Questions => Topic started by: currycouncil.com on October 24, 2010, 04:50 PM
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Hi, Which is the best type of potato to put in a curry?
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Hi, Which is the best type of potato to put in a curry?
For BIR curries, maybe Roosters ? We used those last night, and they seemed fine. You need a waxy rather than a floury potato so that it doesn't break up, and Roosters straddle the waxy/floury divide. For Thai curries, little new potatoes are excellent, but they need to be large enough to peel.
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Hi CC,
I agree with Chaa, waxy potatoes are better as they hold their shape once cooked, and are a little more robust than the floury variety.
I would go for something like; Belle de fontenay, Maris Peer, Charlotte. Maris piper, king Edward and Rooster are also suitable.
Ray :)
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Try using a can of precooked new potatoes in salt water. Every supermarket should sell several varieties. They are quick to use and taste good. They also have the right waxy consistency.
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Thanks all, great tips...
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precooked new potatoes in salt water...They are quick to use and taste good..
Chris your taste buds must be seriously out of whack mate. I've yet to find a palatable tinned spud.
But perhaps I'm just not looking hard enough. ???
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I'm surprised at the recommendation of Rooster potatoes. The only pack I ever bought was from LIDL and I tried to boil them to make mashed potato. The damned things completely disintegrated in the water, I'd never had a disaster like it before or since!
Perhaps I got a duff batch? ???
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I'm surprised at the recommendation of Rooster potatoes. The only pack I ever bought was from LIDL and I tried to boil them to make mashed potato. The damned things completely disintegrated in the water, I'd never had a disaster like it before or since!
Perhaps I got a duff batch? ???
I think you must have done, Santa (although Lidl seem to have discontinued stocking Roosters of late). Since discovering them a few years ago, my wife and I have used them in preference to virtually everything, including King Edwards by which I swore until then. Roosters really do seem to be the best yet "one potato does all", and they have an ever better flavour than KE. We roast them, boil them, mash them, make Bratkartoffeln from them, and even use them for chips if we run out of ready-made (cut into slices, parboil slices, cut into chips and flash-fry at 190C).
** Phil.
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Looks like it's time for me to try another bag from another source then if they're that versatile.
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Rooster's for me make the best roasties without a shadow of doubt. crispy on the outside, fluffy on the inside.
Ray :)
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Rooster's for me make the best roasties without a shadow of doubt. crispy on the outside, fluffy on the inside.
Ray :)
Seconded !
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Roosters for me as well use them in my Actifry for chips and roasties and they make wonderful mash and baked potatoes, very versatile. And for Bombay Potatoes.
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I guess we are all different but I don't like the Rooster potato, I find they have a high water content, which I personally don't like. Best roasting potato I have ever tried is the Orla, ASDA sell them seasonally as an extra special brand.
As for curry I use the little Charlotte but i'm sure BIR's simply use white / baking.
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I think roosters are terrible spuds...Vivaldis are far superior IMHO ;)
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God we can't even agree on something as mundane as a spud!
What chance do we have agreeing on something as complex as a curry? ??? ;D
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I grow & supply Asian Shops round Brum. The most popular variety by far (99%) are Romano
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Hi
But what is the other 1%, or is that a secret? lol
Regards
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Hi Comis
They sometimes buy a few whites perhaps for their occasional non asian clientelle. Really its all down to price Im afraid. I read the occasional post specifying "salad potatoes", red onions, Spanish onions etc and I just laugh. These guys put price first and quality second (or sometimes third!) They all use Dutch onions if they're cheaper than British - which they usually are. At the end of the season, if theres a shortage, they will buy Spanish. All depends on availability.
I was once told that if youve got some poor quality produce, the asian restaurants will buy it. If its really, really crap then the Chinese restaurants will buy it
This is all fact my friends.
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...snip...
I was once told that if youve got some poor quality produce, the asian restaurants will buy it. If its really, really crap then the Chinese restaurants will buy it
This is all fact my friends.
Hi
Interesting post thanks!
Do you think this still applies to the BIR type restaurants that genuinely put out food that is a class way above the average? obviously a back ally TA is going to buy as cheap as they can get, but what about the so called 'up market' restaurants? or are they all the same and just have chefs that can make the best of anything?
EDIT: Although this is a potato thread - I'm still convinced that Spanish onions make a better base - and this would be logical if they were in fact the cheapest ones to buy at the time :P
Thanks
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Hi
I know what you mean about the onions, usually Dutch second class at my Asian grocer, the cheaper the better. Will look out for the spuds though, as you say too much put into it on some details.
Regards
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If its really, really crap then the Chinese restaurants will buy it
This is all fact my friends.
Mick I don't believe that for a second. Of all the cuisines Chinese is the one that needs good quality produce because everything is cut up into chunks and is right there for you to see in the finished dish whether it is quality or not.
There's no base sauce like Indian cooking where poor quality ingredients can be hidden.
I just don't believe it
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Hey SS Sorry for the delay in replying. I dont frequent the site as much these days. I think I've gone full circle now and find it generally less interesting as most of the topics raised have been discussed before. In answer to your reply; The Chinese have a saying " If it has lived...then you can eat it" but they dont specify a timescale lol!
I know what you mean about not being able to disguise the quality of the veg but sometimes poor quality produce (Im thinking in terms of potatoes mainly) are sold to the catering trade in the form of outgrades / peelers. These are essentially a good spud with a blemish/mark on that can be removed with a knife after they have been through the rumbler. The final quality of the produce is not compromised, it just takes more prepping to get there and a little bit more waste. As far as Chinese Restaurants go on the potato front: they seem to prefer to buy the frozen par-fried chips. My Asian wholesaler friend tells me (and has confirmed it to me again today) that he can usually shift onions that have started to shoot a bit to the chinese restaurants. He does have to occasionally dump a few though that he cant sell.
If you think about tomatoes: the riper they are the sweeter they are so it follows that if they buy a box of toms that are past their "best by" date there a probably a few casualties in the box but the good ones will be very good - if you know what I mean?
I would also add that the "posher places" would possibly buy better produce two of three times a week direct from their local wholesale market