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Curry Photos & Videos => Curry Videos => Topic started by: madstwatter on November 21, 2011, 09:27 AM

Title: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: madstwatter on November 21, 2011, 09:27 AM
I believe DalPuri has already posted a link to the Secret Ingredients video but check out this Madras recipe and some of his others. There is a base gravy to come soon I believe.

How to make Madras (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GlThV2STccM#)
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: Curry Barking Mad on November 21, 2011, 10:56 AM
Interesting looking place.
Judging by the passing foot traffic and shutters, it looks like they serve directly to passing foot trade.
Also note the use of portable burners as opposed to a commercial range.
Mick
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: Peripatetic Phil on November 21, 2011, 11:06 AM
What nationality do you chaps think the narrator/chef is ?
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: Les on November 21, 2011, 11:40 AM
What nationality do you chaps think the narrator/chef is ?

I recon Indian/Turkish/born in England, his name is Julian  ;D Watched the Madras and Bhuna vid's, Not that impressed :-\ almost both the same,(apart from the lemon in the madras) no peppers or tomato in the Bhuna, >:(

HS
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: curryhell on November 21, 2011, 11:58 AM
What nationality do you chaps think the narrator/chef is ?

I recon Indian/Turkish/born in England, his name is Julian  ;D Watched the Madras and Bhuna vid's, Not that impressed :-\ almost both the same,(apart from the lemon in the madras) no peppers or tomato in the Bhuna, >:(

HS

I thought that a little odd too :-\.  Recipes on here are far better and i would have thought more tasty :).  Be interesting to see how this develops though.  Could give Dip a run for his money.  Seems as though he's running a similar sort of establishment.  Wasn't impressed with the finished look of his naans though :(.  I though UB's thread on CBM's recipe produced far better looking results 8).
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: Stephen Lindsay on November 21, 2011, 12:43 PM
No fenugreek either?
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: Razor on November 21, 2011, 07:36 PM
It's interesting he uses terms like 'mix powder', 'base sauce' and 'spiced oil'. Perhaps he's aware of this site, Mick's site and possibly others, and is showing us what he thinks we want to see. Or were BIRs using those terms for years before these curry-related web sites came into being?

Yeah, I picked up on this too.  Before my time with cr0, I'd never heard the term 'BIR' before.  I had heard of base sauce and mixed powder but I think I got them from recipe books?

Makes you wonder if he is former member of cr0 or the other forum?

Good luck to him, and I wish him every success.

Ray :)
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: fishy on November 21, 2011, 10:51 PM
Has he any other vids? i cant seem to find him on youtube, i like this one.

Cheers Fishy
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: curryhell on November 21, 2011, 11:07 PM
Has he any other vids? i cant seem to find him on youtube, i like this one.

Cheers Fishy

There's five in all at the moment.  Check them out and see what you think:

http://www.youtube.com/user/leviteish?blend=3&ob=5#p/u/1/Cr0FkryXrBA (http://www.youtube.com/user/leviteish?blend=3&ob=5#p/u/1/Cr0FkryXrBA)
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: fishy on November 21, 2011, 11:31 PM
Thanks Curryhell, i enjoyed the naan vid, the bhuna was a bit runny though.
Cheers
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: curryhell on November 21, 2011, 11:38 PM
It's interesting he uses terms like 'mix powder', 'base sauce' and 'spiced oil'. Perhaps he's aware of this site, Mick's site and possibly others, and is showing us what he thinks we want to see. Or were BIRs using those terms for years before these curry-related web sites came into being?

Yeah, I picked up on this too.  Before my time with cr0, I'd never heard the term 'BIR' before.  I had heard of base sauce and mixed powder but I think I got them from recipe books?

Makes you wonder if he is former member of cr0 or the other forum?

Good luck to him, and I wish him every success.

Ray :)

Agree with you Ray.  All the best to him. Though, he couldn't have been a member of this forum otherwise he'd know how to cook bhuna properly ;) ;) ;)
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: bamble1976 on November 22, 2011, 08:42 AM
I think we agree you dont need to get a blasting flame to make a good curry but those burners are tepid at best!  His madras was quite runny as well and didnt seem to get up to heat for very long!

Barry
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: natterjak on November 22, 2011, 11:52 AM
What nationality do you chaps think the narrator/chef is ?

English! Not sure why you think he's not? Maybe you've spent too long living in Kent Phil, if you're regarding a northern accent as evidence of foreignness?  :D
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: chewytikka on November 22, 2011, 11:56 AM
Hi All
Looks like a small business start up unit and more than likely just a dial up.
Not really a good marketing advert for his business, but good luck to him.

His Madras, he needs to crank the gas up and cook that garlic and spice out.

His Bhuna, be disappointed if I ordered that, not a Bhuna.
HaHaHa everyones a critic. ;D ;D

Just a guess, but his base will probably be minimal, just have to wait and see ::)

Bhajie oil, that old chestnut, the deep fat fryer oil is Knackered and dumped
every 2/3 days in all the restaurants I know.

One time Bhajie oil, which is cooked in a pan on the stove top, is filtered and recycled in some restaurants,
but not really a curry secret. ;)

I like his dinky spice deck though, I could do with one of those. :D

cheers Chewy
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: Peripatetic Phil on November 22, 2011, 11:56 AM
English! Not sure why you think he's not? Maybe you've spent too long living in Kent Phil, if you're regarding a northern accent as evidence of foreignness?  :D
No, it was exactly the opposite !  2nd-generation immigrants often speak with a very local accent, and I was just intrigued to know whether he was ethnically English or whether his family originated elsewhere.  Hotstuff wrote "I reckon Indian/Turkish/born in England", so it's not only me who wonders whether his accent may be fooling us.

** Phil.
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: George on November 22, 2011, 12:26 PM
His Madras, he needs to crank the gas up and cook that garlic and spice out.
His Bhuna, be disappointed if I ordered that, not a Bhuna.

You speak as though you're a master chef who can produce dishes which would be in most folks' top 20% of BIRs in terms of fine flavours. You may well be, but are you? I think someone asked before, but did you answer? What's your background that gives you such apparent knowledge?

I say good luck to him, also. It's a good video.  Why are so many people being so critical?
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: Les on November 22, 2011, 12:40 PM
OH Well, here we go again ;D

HS
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: loveitspicy on November 22, 2011, 12:53 PM
Has anyone tried to PM Julian - i cant seem to get through to him on youtube - might be something to do with the powers at B here in Thailand - STRAIGHT  contact with the guy would work the best i reckon - i just cant get onto him - so if someone else could we would all know all - and What about inviting the guy to the forum????

I WISH HIM THE VERY BEST WITH HIS VENTURE - I know how hard it is to get going and with everyone tastes NOT the same - it can be a pain in the arse!!!

best, Rich
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: madstwatter on November 22, 2011, 01:26 PM
I really hope he continues to add more videos as I find them informative and well put together especially for the beginners amongst us.

Everybody has an opinion on how things should be done but I am sure most would agree that videos and posts from the likes of Julian, Dipuraja and Abdul can only benefit our curry community.

I generally cook a Madras and a few tips he has given i.e Tandoori Masala, sprinkling of Garam Masala at the end and Bhaji Oil have made me want to get back in the kitchen and start cooking again. It is easy to discount methods and recipes etc but in my experience curries can taste completely different from restaurant to restaurant let alone region.

Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: Peripatetic Phil on November 22, 2011, 01:40 PM
Nice to see some positive reviews.  My personal belief is that he has learned his skills from fora such as this, but that is surely no indictment, and if he can educate and inform via YouTube (2/3 of the BBC's mission), so much the better.  "More power to his elbow", as they say.

** Phil.
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: natterjak on November 22, 2011, 04:23 PM
The videos are certainly well produced with clear camerawork and audio, plus Julian's commentary contains plenty of descriptive info. He deserves credit for that.  Personally I didn't fancy the look of his naan but maybe when you're cooking with a camera pointed at you the end result can suffer a little?
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: curryhell on November 22, 2011, 05:39 PM
I know how hard it is to get going and with everyone tastes NOT the same - it can be a pain in the arse!!!

best, Rich

Now isn't that the truth :o.  We all think we're looking for one thing but are we?  My ideal vindaloo is not yours, which isn't Fred's which is different again from Bert's .............and so on and so forth.  What we're really looking for is the key pointers, whether they're the base ingredients and cooking method or cooking techniques and timings as well as any other nugget of knowledge.  The total aim of which is to  enable us to create our favourite dishes which tastes close if not better than what we get from our locals and which will enable us to have a reasonable stab at any other dish on a  menu.  It's taken me 20 odd years to get this far and will probably take me another 20 to get somewhere near closer >:(.  We don't do this for a living and there is nobody to mentor us full time.  Our only true recourse is this forum which was around to help when many of us started this endeavour.  We do it becasue we enjoy it, relish the challenge and occasionally have that special moment where we nail something that had eluded us.

Quote
I WISH HIM THE VERY BEST WITH HIS VENTURE -

And so do i Rich.

Keep the videos coming, they will be invaluable to someone starting out for the first time, informative to someone who has dabbled a bit, interesting to us seasoned cooks and of little interest to the experts. 

Rant over  :-X.  I still think his naan looks naff though ;)

Dave
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: hampshire hog on November 22, 2011, 10:14 PM
Cut to the chase - just cooked 2 madras's using this technique - one of the best I've ever produced

Depth of flavour suppased anything I've achieved using all combinations of base and spice mix here on CRO

We all chase and re invent the wheel every weekend - this video nails it for me

Hats off and good luck - try it dont slag it off ;D ;D
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: Peripatetic Phil on November 22, 2011, 10:24 PM
Good review, HH; I think you are the first to comment after trying it.  However : what recipes did you use for base, curry masala, and tandoori masala ?

** Phil.
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: hampshire hog on November 22, 2011, 11:06 PM
Good review, HH; I think you are the first to comment after trying it.  However : what recipes did you use for base, curry masala, and tandoori masala ?

** Phil.

Hi Phil

Its my own base - developed over the last 2 years - been tweeking tweeking etc - but as a newbee here I've not posted as TBH as you know new comers seem to get shot down in flames here on CRO by the more established members - having said that if tonights results are anything to go on it seems to blow alot of the theory into the weeds - technique/method is key

Spice mix again its my own - been a massive fan of CA's spice mix but tweeked it to suit my base & main dish - treid vitually every one here now

Tandoori - well I'm afraid that was straight out of big Tesco's in a Natco bag - seems good too me

Spiced oil - using Chalice mild curry oil for the main dish at the moment - got loads of CA's spiced oil which I use in the base

So all in all I'm closer now in the last week thanks to the video's than in the last 25 years of eating/cooking curry

I will post my base/spice mix shortly though - but I will hold fire as I've a Sunday buffet session in a local resturant where I will go in and cook with BIR chef's so might pick up a few more tips - so watch this space
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: Peripatetic Phil on November 22, 2011, 11:18 PM
It's my own base - developed over the last 2 years - been tweeking tweeking etc - but as a newbee here I've not posted as TBH as you know new comers seem to get shot down in flames here on CRO by the more established members - having said that if tonight's results are anything to go on it seems to blow a lot of the theory into the weeds - technique/method is key[...]I will post my base/spice mix shortly though - but I will hold fire as I've a Sunday buffet session in a local restaurant where I will go in and cook with BIR chef's so might pick up a few more tips - so watch this space
I wait with bated breath !  Yes, I agree that there is a risk that someone will be critical, but you will undoubtedly survive the baptism of fire, so please go ahead and post when you feel good and ready.  Some of us are /never/ too old to learn !

** Phil.
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: Petrolhead360 on November 23, 2011, 06:16 AM
Another video posted yesterday showing how to make a base gravy.
Will be interesting to know how it compares.

Authentic BIR base gravy (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5x4oIVzfQZ4#)
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: curryhell on November 23, 2011, 07:22 AM
I'm sure that this will provoke some dicussion ;D ;D
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: jb on November 23, 2011, 08:10 AM
Very interesting indeed.Hopefully he'll keep the videos coming as promised.Not sure about his bhuna though,looks nothing like what I expect a bhuna to look like...thick sauce onions/peppers etc...anyway enough moaning is it me or does the base sound like the one in Dave Lloydon's undercover curry???   Slow cooking on a very low heat,18 key ingredients,cabbage,emulsion,spiced oil etc...
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: JerryM on November 23, 2011, 08:58 AM
i don't think the chap's the chef - more like the owner.

the cooking technique is along the lines of BIR but not fully representative. open kitchen BIR's are best when armed with this basic knowledge.

i could not see any extract pulling from over the hob which is a disappointment. the comment on the rim is 100% spot on though so it's not all gloom.
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: Les on November 23, 2011, 09:53 AM
I just went on you-tube to ask him to join us, But I see someone has already beaten me to it ;)
Just hope that he dosen't take offence that we already have all his video's on cr0 :o

HS
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: chriswg on November 23, 2011, 10:44 AM
I agree with what a lot of posters here have said. This guy didn't learn his trade on the back streets of Mumbai, he learnt them from cookbooks and forums - I'm almost certain he will have registered on CR0 at some stage. His recipes and techniques are very similar to what we were discussing here a couple of years ago. Maybe that's coincidence but there is a reason he talks about BIR style, mix powder, base gravy e.t.c. You could ask 100 proper Indian chefs what BIR means and I doubt any could answer correctly.

The videos are a good quality and there is some good narration. The Madras recipe looks okay and the base gravy is fairly standard fare. Personally I think he used too much g/g paste in the Madras and he didn't cook it out enough. I only use garlic paste in my Madras's and about half the amount he used. I cook it until it starts to brown then in go the spices and tomato dilute (much runnier than his) and cook that out too.

Finally, if you are running a curry establishment you gotta have a tandoor. Most of his food will never get above average without one.
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: jb on November 23, 2011, 11:08 AM
The method he showed to cook the naan breads was on a tawa pan,I thought that was just to show people how they can be done at home..surely he has a tandoor oven in there somewhere?
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: Peripatetic Phil on November 23, 2011, 11:11 AM
Finally, if you are running a curry establishment you gotta have a tandoor. Most of his food will never get above average without one.
I really have to disagree with that one, Chris.  If he is offering curries, and not tandoori chicken, chicken tikka, seekh kebabs, etc., then what need has he of a tandoor ?

** Phil.
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: jb on November 23, 2011, 11:39 AM
Finally, if you are running a curry establishment you gotta have a tandoor. Most of his food will never get above average without one.
I really have to disagree with that one, Chris.  If he is offering curries, and not tandoori chicken, chicken tikka, seekh kebabs, etc., then what need has he of a tandoor ?

** Phil.

Certainly need one to cook naan breads to a take-away/restaurant standard,the ones he cooked on the tawa didn't look that great. Surely if he's offering some sort of curry menu it would utilize meat from a tandoori oven...there must be chicken tikka massala on the menu...
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: PaulP on November 23, 2011, 11:45 AM
I've noticed that Julian has posted on the other forum introducing himself.

If he reads the posts on here he might decide not to join in.

Cheers,

Paul

Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: Peripatetic Phil on November 23, 2011, 12:06 PM
Surely if he's offering some sort of curry menu it would utilize meat from a tandoori oven...there must be chicken tikka massala on the menu...
It's age, Jb, it's age :)  When I started eating BIR curry, no-one had even /thought/ of inventing Chicken Tikka Masala, and to find a tandoor was itself an exciting rarity (I ate regularly at the first restaurant in Birmingham to get one); now every tuppenny ha'penny take-away has its own tandoor, and if you can find a Chef's Special that /doesn't/ involve pre-tandoored chicken (or other pre-tandoored meat or fish), you are doing well indeed.  For myself, I still live in the 70s, mentally speaking : I like my curries as curries, and my tandoori/tikka as tandoori/tikka, and ne'er the twain shall meet ...

** Phil.
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: Les on November 23, 2011, 12:12 PM
  For myself, I still live in the 70s, mentally speaking : I like my curries as curries, and my tandoori/tikka as tandoori/tikka, and ne'er the twain shall meet ...

** Phil.

Could not agree more Phil, Love the old curry's, wish someone still made them now as they did then

HS
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: Peripatetic Phil on November 23, 2011, 12:34 PM
[D]oes the base sound like the one in Dave Lloydon's undercover curry???   Slow cooking on a very low heat,18 key ingredients,cabbage,emulsion,spiced oil etc...
Similar, but not identical ("influenced", I would suggest) : + paprika, - cumin, - hing.
** Phil.
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: jb on November 23, 2011, 01:01 PM
Surely if he's offering some sort of curry menu it would utilize meat from a tandoori oven...there must be chicken tikka massala on the menu...
It's age, Jb, it's age :)  When I started eating BIR curry, no-one had even /thought/ of inventing Chicken Tikka Masala, and to find a tandoor was itself an exciting rarity (I ate regularly at the first restaurant in Birmingham to get one); now every tuppenny ha'penny take-away has its own tandoor, and if you can find a Chef's Special that /doesn't/ involve pre-tandoored chicken (or other pre-tandoored meat or fish), you are doing well indeed.  For myself, I still live in the 70s, mentally speaking : I like my curries as curries, and my tandoori/tikka as tandoori/tikka, and ne'er the twain shall meet ...

** Phil.

Fair point,I just assumed that anyone offering BIR food these days would cook naan breads in a tandoor oven.Not criticizing,I think the videos are great.It would be great to know his background and where he learnt his trade.
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: natterjak on November 23, 2011, 01:56 PM
http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?action=profile;u=16823 (http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?action=profile;u=16823)
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: Peripatetic Phil on November 23, 2011, 02:04 PM
http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?action=profile;u=16823 (http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?action=profile;u=16823)
"Welcome" PM sent.
** Phil.
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: Razor on November 23, 2011, 04:39 PM
http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?action=profile;u=16823 (http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?action=profile;u=16823)
"Welcome" PM sent.
** Phil.

Any response yet Phil?
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: Peripatetic Phil on November 23, 2011, 04:48 PM
Any response yet Phil?
Not so far : he's either in the studio recording another video, or busy in the kitchen keeping all of his customers happy, I expect ...   It's only we retired old gits that have time to faff around on curry fora during the day !
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: Razor on November 23, 2011, 04:55 PM
Well, just watched his base Gravy vid on youtube and noticed this;

Quote
thanks for that(and for your other videos).BIR cooking is notoriously secretive with most chefs keeping their recipes close to their chest.Please post more videos!!! There is a discussion forum cr0.co.uk talking all things curry it would be great if you could join us.
caistervet 8 hours ago

Reply 
UserRespond to this video... thanks for that. Had a look at the cr0.co.uk site this morning, might venture a comment, however noticed a few negative comments on the forum
Anyway, thanks for watching my vids.
leviteish 2 hours ago

So, before he has even got started with cr0, it seems he's already hessitant to make an appearance :(

I really hope that he does show because there is so much I want to ask.

Ray :)
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: PaulP on November 23, 2011, 05:09 PM
Hi Ray,

You beat me to it. I was just on his youtube channel. Today he has added an interesting onion sauce video. I don't mean the base sauce either.

Pity about the negative comments thing....

Paul

Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: Peripatetic Phil on November 23, 2011, 05:19 PM
So, before he has even got started with cr0, it seems he's already hessitant to make an appearance :(  I really hope that he does show because there is so much I want to ask.  Ray :)
Well, chefs are notoriously touchy.  I was in regular e-mail contact with the author of a well-known book on BIR, and all was going famously until I suggested that the book was padded out with pointless repetition, simply replacing the "Chicken" in "Chicken Madras" by "Beef" and then pretending it was a different recipe ...  After that, complete silence.  OK, I know, I should have bitten my tongue ...

** Phil.
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: Razor on November 23, 2011, 05:26 PM
Hi Paul,

Pity about the negative comments thing....

Paul

Yeah but It would be good if he could come on and answer some of our questions.  I remember when Dipuraja first come to light and to start with, he faced the very same negativity, but after a while, more and more members tried his recipes, gave them a little tweak, and found what they have been searching for.  I always use his mint sauce recipe, and quite often make his tikka's.

Unlike Dipuraja, Julian (curry2go) has registered an account, so with a bit of luck, he can/will answer his critics, and shed some light on a few things.

As for his naan bread, I don't really like naan anyway but to be honest, I would try this recipes because he says that they use it for their kebabs, and by that, I assume he includes donner kebabs too.  They look very similar to an old kebab shops naan's I used to use 20 years ago, and theirs were the only naans that I ever liked.  Thin and crispy and not doughy whatsoever, unlike many TA naans nowadays.

Ray :)
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: Razor on November 23, 2011, 05:33 PM
I should have bitten my tongue ...

** Phil.

NO no no, In the words of the famous Roy Walker of Catchphrase fame;

"Say what you see, If you see it, say it!"
;D

Ray :)
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: curryhell on November 23, 2011, 05:47 PM
I should have bitten my tongue ...

** Phil.

NO no no, In the words of the famous Roy Walker of Catchphrase fame;

"Say what you see, If you see it, say it!"
;D

Ray :)

I agree with this comment.  My negative comments re. his naans were about appearance and not the taste or the recipe used.  The recipe is basically the same as most of the naan recipes i've ever read for a BIR verion.  Maybe when not under pressure and being filmed his naans turn out as good as those pictured in UB's thread on the subject.  As for the bhuna, not sure what it would taste like, but having seen bhuna dishes in "the flesh" and just read the descriptions on many  of my local BIR / TA menus, there's  a lot more going on in their bhunas than there is in his.  So i stand by my original comments but i am always open to being persuaded otherwise given some hard tasty evidence  ;D.  I do hope he gets over our enthusiasm for knowledge and realises that whilst we're not BIR chefs, we actually do know a fair bit about the subject but are always thirsty to know more :-X
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: Razor on November 23, 2011, 06:00 PM
Hi CH,

Quote
of my local BIR / TA menus, there's  a lot more going on in their bhunas than there is in his

I would say that comment fits with me on how I believe a Madras should be cooked, however, I've never tried adding Tandoori masala at the beginning nor Garam Masala at the end either.

Never tried doing a base with seasoned oil either. I don't know, these combinations may produce a very good curry, I'll just have to try them ;D

There are many questions I'd love to ask the fella and with a bit of luck, he will see the enthusiasm of our members and become active soon. 

Just hope we haven't lost him to the other forum :'(

Ray :)
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: jb on November 23, 2011, 07:02 PM
Well, just watched his base Gravy vid on youtube and noticed this;

Quote
thanks for that(and for your other videos).BIR cooking is notoriously secretive with most chefs keeping their recipes close to their chest.Please post more videos!!! There is a discussion forum cr0.co.uk talking all things curry it would be great if you could join us.
caistervet 8 hours ago

Reply 
UserRespond to this video... thanks for that. Had a look at the cr0.co.uk site this morning, might venture a comment, however noticed a few negative comments on the forum
Anyway, thanks for watching my vids.
leviteish 2 hours ago

So, before he has even got started with cr0, it seems he's already hessitant to make an appearance :(

I really hope that he does show because there is so much I want to ask.

Ray :)

That was me(caistervet) inviting him to join.I hope he does post on here,wasn't trying to be negative in my posts (I guess it did come across that way),I hope he does come on board.   
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: natterjak on November 23, 2011, 07:25 PM
His new video from today on the subject of onion sauce is interesting - it's a new concept to me, anyone else heard of this before?

http://youtu.be/wzD8YDDgO4g (http://youtu.be/wzD8YDDgO4g)

He uses it in his Dupiaza, here: http://youtu.be/2kaIpxLExss (http://youtu.be/2kaIpxLExss)
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: Les on November 23, 2011, 07:29 PM
I think It's very much the same as Dip's pre-cooked onion and peppers, just under a different name, but that's just my opinion

HS

Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: Razor on November 23, 2011, 07:34 PM
I'm a bit confused on his onion sauce?

I've only watched the video once so, I may have missed something but, is this ment to be blended or are the onions just left as they are?

Ray :)
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: natterjak on November 23, 2011, 07:38 PM
Ray - watch the Dupiaza video (as per my edited post above).  The onion sauce is not blended, it is added "as is" to the curry.  It's a new one on me and quite an exciting prospect - something new to try  :D
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: Razor on November 23, 2011, 07:42 PM
Hi NJ,

Ray - watch the Dupiaza video (as per my edited post above).  The onion sauce is not blended, it is added "as is" to the curry.  It's a new one on me and quite an exciting prospect - something new to try  :D

I see, so it forms one of his onions in his Du (two) piaza (onions)  :D  Got it.

Thanks,

Ray :)
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: ELW on November 23, 2011, 07:45 PM
is it only for dishes with large pieces of onion?.I bet it tastes great, but can;t be added to any curry unless blended
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: natterjak on November 23, 2011, 07:58 PM
Julian, Welcome
As your reading this thread at the moment, would you like to say a few words ;D

Hi HS,

Within SMF (the software which powers this forum) there are many administrator configurable fields set by the admin to tailor the setup exactly as required.  All have default values which will take effect unless admin changes them.  The setting for the length of time a user's name displays at the top of a thread defaults to (I think) 10 mins, so when you load a page of a thread, for 10 mins afterwards anyone else loading the page sees your user name among the list at the top of the thread.  On this forum the length of time users names show up is extremely long, so admin has at some point set that data field to a relatively large value.  Curry2gochorley was last active at 19:09 tonight (as can be seen by viewing his profile), meaning that's the last time he loaded a page on the site.  It's currently 19:55 and his name still shows in the list of members reading this thread. 

What I'm saying in quite a long and wordy fashion is although you think as you read the thread at 19:29 that Julian is still online, the reality is he probably closed his browser long ago.  It's just the setup of SMF on this forum which causes his name to remain at the top of the page. 

One can only speculate on the reasons the delay is set so long, I doubt admin will comment.
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: Les on November 23, 2011, 08:04 PM
Thanks for putting me straight  natterjak
I didnt know that,

HS
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: natterjak on November 23, 2011, 08:12 PM
And his name is still there at the top of the page, so the delay is in excess of an hour  :o
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: hampshire hog on November 23, 2011, 08:36 PM
Sorry I'm loosing the plot with this site - what right have you to quote - 'he's not a chef but the owner' - 'thats not a bhuna' - when you don't actually know anything about him or his T/A or Resturant or what the food tastes like

Whats wrong with you lot!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Someone posts interesting and new informative videos about cooking BIR curry - which you all are passionate about and want to achive - then slag the living **** out of it - sorry but come back and answer all our burning questions and divulge all your trade secrets - is it me
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: Unclebuck on November 23, 2011, 08:52 PM
Sorry I'm loosing the plot with this site - what right have you to quote - 'he's not a chef but the owner' - 'thats not a bhuna' - when you don't actually know anything about him or his T/A or Resturant or what the food tastes like

Whats wrong with you lot!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Someone posts interesting and new informative videos about cooking BIR curry - which you all are passionate about and want to achive - then slag the living **** out of it - is it me

Relax Mr, to be fair no ones said he recipes are shite? just that his naan, bhuna, madras [ok madras looks ok to me] just don't look 'all that' which they don't. high standards nowadays mate high standards.
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: hampshire hog on November 23, 2011, 08:58 PM
Sorry I'm loosing the plot with this site - what right have you to quote - 'he's not a chef but the owner' - 'thats not a bhuna' - when you don't actually know anything about him or his T/A or Resturant or what the food tastes like

Whats wrong with you lot!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Someone posts interesting and new informative videos about cooking BIR curry - which you all are passionate about and want to achive - then slag the living **** out of it - is it me

Relax Mr, to be fair no ones said he recipes are shite? just that his naan, bhuna, madras [ok madras looks ok to me] just don't look 'all that' which they don't. high standards nowadays mate high standards.

Sorry UB - Im not raising my blood pressure over it but it just seems like the standard CRO welcome for new comers too me
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: Unclebuck on November 23, 2011, 09:11 PM
And you'll be right, but its not necessarily a bad thing. cr0 sorting the wheat from the chaff and i mean that in the nicest possible way.
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: loveitspicy on November 23, 2011, 09:13 PM
I posted earlier - WHY DOSENT SOMEONE TRY AND CONTACT JULIAN AND INVITE HIM ONTO THE SITE - after all he is striving to make curries like the rest of us -  I cant seem to get a PM through to him on youtube!

best, Rich
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: hampshire hog on November 23, 2011, 09:14 PM
And you'll be right, but its not necessarily a bad thing. cr0 sorting the wheat from the chaff and i mean that in the nicest possible way.

Point taken mate
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: Unclebuck on November 23, 2011, 09:23 PM
Cool, dont be put off big man, keep posting  :)
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: emin-j on November 23, 2011, 09:31 PM
I reckon it's very good of this Guy to take the time and make these Video's and  interesting to watch in such detail,make your own decision on His Curry's It seems he does this for a living and good luck to him  ;)
What I do like is how he makes his Base Gravy as in plenty of Oil ( Spiced/Bhaji ) and very little Water in the first stage.For some time now I have wanted to Fry the Onions etc in Oil before adding Water as we all know how much better Fried Onions taste compared to Boiled Onions  :P but couldn't believe BIR's would take the time to mess with Frying Onions etc but rather just chuck it all in and Boil it up and this is what appears   to be happening in most of the Video's of BIR kitchens that I have watched.
Now Julian uses 500ml of 'Spiced Oil' and just a Cup of water in the first stage of cooking so in effect these Onions are slow frying which for me is just what could really bring out that BIR Savoury taste,gotta give this a go  ;)
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: PaulP on November 23, 2011, 09:49 PM
If I could think of another reason to go to Chorley I'd go there and try out a TA from this place and have a chat if he is there. It's 27 miles and approx 35 minutes from home for me. I am tempted... and I appreciate him putting the videos together.

Paul
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: Razor on November 23, 2011, 09:52 PM
Hi Rich,

I posted earlier - WHY DOSENT SOMEONE TRY AND CONTACT JULIAN AND INVITE HIM ONTO THE SITE - after all he is striving to make curries like the rest of us -  I cant seem to get a PM through to him on youtube!best, Rich

I have sent him a pm and pleaded with him to become active on the forum, so the ball is in his court, so to speak.

Ray :)
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: curry2gochorley on November 23, 2011, 11:43 PM
Hi there,

Thanks for watching the vids. Will be posting some more soon...

Bhuna:  There are 2 variations of Bhuna(that I have seen over the years) the one I demonstrate on the Youtube video which just used onion finely diced to create a thicker sauce and the other follow the same method but adds some finely chopped green pepper which adds a slightly different taste. The one I was taught(by an Indian chef) didn't use the green pepper and having made it both ways I prefer to do it without,  simply because it too close to Balti(balti has larger pieces of chopped onion & green pepper) At our place we sell more Bhuna than Balti. Sometimes simplicity works better!  I've found this with a number of curries.


Naan Bread: We do not have a tandoori oven at Curry 2 Go, we chose to opt for a chargrill because we do not cook Tandoori chicken. We cook our chicken Tikka & seekh kebabs on the chargrill and get better results. Tandoor ovens cook everything at about 450 degrees- which is great for Naan bread which cook in seconds but I have found they tend to dry your meat out if you are not carefull . On the chargrill we find our chicken tikka is moist rather than dry so prefer this method. With regard to naan bread it's true that you can't beat a tandoor oven but when we weighed it up(space restrictions too) we decided to do without, this left me with a problem as to develop a recipe that would allow stove top cooking for naan- I learned of a recipe from an Indian chef making them on the Tawa but he used a very wet dough mix, almost too wet- this is what we copied and it does actually get great results not quite as good as the tandoor but not far off and we and we sell more naan's that chapati's.

Madras: I read a comment that said,  "I used too much Garlic/Ginger paste?  Our Garlic Ginger paste is blended with a little oil & a little water(so may appear that I'm putting a lot in - there is a reason for the water & oil.  When I was taught(by an Indian Chef) to make Garlic Ginger paste he taught me that adding water stops the mixture burning in the pan which when your in service and have 3 curries on the go all at once and another 5 following can easily happen the water slows the burn  process and allow more room for error, and as you are no doubt aware  nothing will kill the flavour of a curry more than burnt garlic! Also, the water in the mix creates a sizzle when it hits the pan and once the sizzle stops you know that the water has evaporated and your now cooking the ginger and garlic. I don't brown the garlic in madras because the flavour is sharp but I do in garlic Chicken. The oil in the Garlic & Ginger preserves it.

Obviously, everyone may have their own method and prefer different results, I just judge by the response from my happy regular customers.

Hope that helps

Julian
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: Peripatetic Phil on November 24, 2011, 12:02 AM
Many thanks for responding to our many comments and questions, Julian : much appreciated.
** Phil.
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: loveitspicy on November 24, 2011, 12:07 AM
AT LAST - WELL DONE MATE!!!!! hope everything works out for you in your venture - glad to have you on here - ive been trying to contact you via the PM on youtube to get you to join this forum - unfortunately some things some times dont appear to work the same from South East Asia - if you understand what i mean - anyhow great to have you on here and keep up with the vids mate

best, Rich
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: Unclebuck on November 24, 2011, 07:10 AM
Good on you feller, if i could point you the right direction of "non tandoori naan" this would be it

http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=6282.0 (http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=6282.0)

Kind regards.
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: Les on November 24, 2011, 09:41 AM
Welcome Julian, Glad you decided to join us here at cr0, Excellent Vid's my friend keep em coming,
Hope you do well with Curry2Go,
Happy Cooking

HS
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: jb on November 24, 2011, 11:22 AM
Thanks for joining and taking the time to reply to our questions.The videos look great by the way...You have a perfect job-cooking curries everyday!!
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: PaulP on November 24, 2011, 12:17 PM
Hi Julian,

Thanks for posting here at cr0. It would be great to hear how you got into cooking curries in the first place.
Good luck with your business venture.

Cheers,

Paul  :)
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: chewytikka on November 24, 2011, 02:38 PM
Hi Julian
Welcome to curry cR0
Good vids, I bet you had a mixed reaction from your indian friends about setting up a Gora curry shop.
I lost a few, when I did a similar venture back in the nineties. but hey!.

You'll find a mixed bag of people who usually post on cR0, lots of Beginners, Seasoned Cooks and a few who argue Night is Day.
But if curries in your blood and you've got broad shoulders, its all good.

Be good if sometime you could share a more exotic curry, that you've learned over the years.
Cheers Chewy - and good luck.
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: Razor on November 24, 2011, 07:15 PM
Hi Julian, and a very warm welcome to cr0.

Quote
Tikka & seekh kebabs on the chargrill and get better results.

I totally get this as my local TA does the very same and they get perfect results, every time.  I think that they must cook their naans in a pizza oven as they are massive.

Looking forward to reading your posts and watching your videos,

All the very best,

Ray :)
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: Whandsy on November 24, 2011, 08:01 PM
Hi julian
Big applause from me to not only having the boll#%ks to go into business with your curries, but to also post on you tube. I think it's fantastic that people like me can look forward to learning about your experiences and recreate the recipes your presenting. Its obvious that all over our nation each dish has a difference and we all know that they are inventions and interpretations of what we assume is based on our own favourite curry albeit different in other people's mouths. Any knowledge you've acquired and shared is most welcome from me my friend.
The best of luck

Wayne
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: natterjak on November 25, 2011, 07:59 PM
Hi Julian,

Thanks for posting here at cr0. It would be great to hear how you got into cooking curries in the first place.
Good luck with your business venture.

Cheers,

Paul  :)

Paul - I think you will find the answer in this radio interview: 

http://youtu.be/bXF-H4xdJhE (http://youtu.be/bXF-H4xdJhE)
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: PaulP on November 25, 2011, 08:28 PM
Thanks Natterjack, I found that earlier today on the youtube channel.

Cheers,

Paul
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: Razor on November 25, 2011, 09:05 PM
I knew that there were something I liked about the guy, he's a fellow Manchester Lad ;D
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: madstwatter on November 25, 2011, 09:19 PM
Just finished making my bhajis. I have never made them before so have nothing to compare to. The oil smells fantastic but I am a bit spiced out at the moment so will see what it is like in the base tomorrow.
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: gary on November 27, 2011, 02:07 AM
I love the idea of this. It's not new - there's a good few curry takeaway/cafes inside Lancashire market halls already, but what a great alternative to Greggs eh :)

Good luck Julian

Gary
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: jb on November 29, 2011, 02:39 PM
There's another video on Youtube...

The Curry Pan (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hFG4FB9DhXM#)

very interesting indeed
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: JerryM on November 29, 2011, 03:58 PM
Julian is now a star man for me - i'm in no doubt.

might even get an ali pan myself - i keep saying i will. i can't see it replacing my black steel but at least it will put my mind at rest.

ps i would defo only stick to the ali or black steel - i can't see a stainless being upto the job.

ps with my new found interest decided to view the base video - from personal view - go very easy on the cabbage. i don't add it at all. tried it once and it's just not the taste for me.
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: martinvic on November 29, 2011, 05:23 PM
Jerry

I use a copper bottomed stainless pan, and it works great.
The copper retains and keeps the heat nice and even.

I actually prefer it to my aluminium pan, for one reason only though, I just hate the feel of my big spoon scraping on the aluminium when cooking. ::) ;)

Martin
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: jb on November 29, 2011, 07:24 PM
Julian is now a star man for me - i'm in no doubt.

might even get an ali pan myself - i keep saying i will. i can't see it replacing my black steel but at least it will put my mind at rest.

ps i would defo only stick to the ali or black steel - i can't see a stainless being upto the job.

ps with my new found interest decided to view the base video - from personal view - go very easy on the cabbage. i don't add it at all. tried it once and it's just not the taste for me.

Yep have to agree Julian is a top bloke for posting these and for joining the forum.Had my doubts initially, but he is quite willing to share his secrets(Ifind4you please take note).Looking forward to more videos!!!
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: jb on November 30, 2011, 06:06 PM
Another one posted vindaloo.....very interesting....anyone planning to make his base sauce sauce???

KING OF CURRIES; VINDALOO (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nqYL_xqbu44#)
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: jb on November 30, 2011, 06:17 PM
oops just seen a update on the curry base chat section....
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: bamble1976 on November 30, 2011, 06:19 PM
I think it is going to be hard to judge this fairly unless we know the spice mix used???

Barry
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: Razor on November 30, 2011, 07:07 PM
I think it is going to be hard to judge this fairly unless we know the spice mix used???

Barry

I can't wait for his spice mix then it's going to be a 'curry2gofest' in this house  ;D

Ray :)
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: bamble1976 on November 30, 2011, 07:40 PM
me 2 :)  Just ran out of base so hope he posts the ACTUAL spice MIX he uses and not one that he has slightly changed so not to give his 'secret' away.

Barry
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: Les on November 30, 2011, 07:44 PM
me 2 :)  Just ran out of base so hope he posts the ACTUAL spice MIX he uses and not one that he has slightly changed so not to give his 'secret' away.

Barry

That's the million dollar question Barry ;)

HS
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: PaulP on November 30, 2011, 09:01 PM
Mix powder video is done and will be uploaded tomorow.
Julian posted this info on the other forum.

Cheers,

Paul
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: loveitspicy on November 30, 2011, 09:31 PM
WOW! cant believe Julian cooks a vindaloo almost identical to me - the only difference is i do put 2-3 pieces of pre-cooked potato in at the end - unbelievable!!

Well done Julian

best, Rich
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: PaulP on December 01, 2011, 11:59 AM
I must admit I was pleased not to see chunks of potato in Julian's vindaloo.

When I used to eat them in the early 80s we never had any potato. Just a dark very tasty sauce and meat.
These days I don't often go past a madras for heat levels.

Cheers,

Paul
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: Les on December 01, 2011, 12:37 PM
on the other forum.

Cheers,

Paul

What other forum?

HS
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: Unclefrank on December 01, 2011, 12:42 PM
Spice mix has now been posted
http://www.youtube.com/user/leviteish?blend=3&ob=5#p/u/0/-VO_QPz8ZQc (http://www.youtube.com/user/leviteish?blend=3&ob=5#p/u/0/-VO_QPz8ZQc)
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: Whandsy on December 01, 2011, 12:44 PM
Julians mixed powder recipe is on YouTube now   :)  no major surprises! Gonna give it a whirl though!
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: PaulP on December 01, 2011, 12:50 PM
Great news about the mix powder being uploaded. I'm very impressed now having watched the vindaloo recipe last night. Julian seems to know a lot about BIR cooking and I hope to try his TA out before christmas.

Paul
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: DalPuri on December 01, 2011, 01:16 PM
Same ingredients as three other mixes i haved listed.
Dips, Micks and Bruces but with slightly different quantites.



Frank ;)
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: jb on December 01, 2011, 03:19 PM
No 'secret' ingredients then.Notice the garam masala was in old old plastic Patak's jar.There were also a few others on the shelf...wonder what he uses these for.  Another good video keep 'em coming!!!
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: JerryM on December 02, 2011, 07:15 PM
Martinvic,

many thanks but the ali pan is only out of interest - i'm sorted with my black steel. it works fine on the rim with a stainless chef spoon. the rim for me is where all the action is.
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: JerryM on December 02, 2011, 07:22 PM
jb/Julian,

many thanks for posting the vindaloo recipe - the words sit very well for me. the idea of hot madras is well off the real mccoy dish.

will need to give this a go. 2 things i've not tried being the fresh kashmiri chili (have the powdered - very nice) and the late addition of 2nd dip of g/g paste (i do late addition of bunjarra sometimes). i currently can only get the vindaloo taste by making a paste. the last piece was realising that the lip burn could be obtained from nagga without the seeds (thanks to chewytikka).

link to paste for info http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=3908.msg35388;topicseen#msg35388 (http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=3908.msg35388;topicseen#msg35388)
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: jb on December 03, 2011, 06:14 PM
Just been reading some comments Julian recently posted elsewhere.Seems there may be a few secrets he still has to share with us.It appears that he actually uses a spoonful of a pre made meat/bone stock in his main dishes that has been infused with whole spices.Reminds me of an akhini stock recipe I have from an old Pat Chapman book.Not mentioned on his videos it would be great if he could elaborate further.
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: Whandsy on December 05, 2011, 12:47 PM
Another video from Julian on youtube if anybody not already spotted it.
How to marinade chicken
www.youtube.com/watch?v=AierdApIQj0 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AierdApIQj0#)
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: curryhell on December 05, 2011, 02:41 PM
Now we've marinated it, how do we cook it :-\.  Do we just boil it?  He didn't explain this unless there's another vid to demonstrate this ???
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: solarsplace on December 05, 2011, 04:26 PM
Hi Everyone

Made the Curry2Go Vindaloo all to specification apart from using Abdul's gravy & 8 spice mix as that is what I had at the time. Will repeat with Curry2Go versions too.

The image below really does not do the recipe justice - and apologies for the Pyrex dish in the picture - not very BIR. I made 2 x single portions and combined - only then thought about taking a picture.

Excellent recipe. Wondering if fresh ground cardamom is more pungent than packet pre-ground? - was rather strong and will reduce amount of fresh ground cardamom next time if this is the case!

This is going on my favourite recipe list along with ChewyTikka's madras. Thanks for posting Curry2Go!

(http://i872.photobucket.com/albums/ab283/solarsplace/leviteish_vindaloo.jpg)
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: Razor on December 05, 2011, 05:36 PM
Hey SP,

That looks perfect my friend. Can I ask, did you use seasoned bhaji oil like c2g suggest?

Also, that colour looks amazing, please tell me that you've 'photoshopped' it lol ;D

Ray :)
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: curryhell on December 05, 2011, 05:38 PM
I can almost smell and taste that Solarsplace.  Mmm, i will give this one a try.  That does look the b******s. Now off to my local for a North Indian Special :P :P
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: JerryM on December 05, 2011, 06:20 PM
the salt comment in the marinade video is something i'm going to take on board as i can see it working.

a sort of similar tip i picked up from this site is to sort of pre coat when making tikka - add lemon or lime juice and some deggi mirch and leave for 1 hr before continuing to make the full marinade - it's the same idea of getting the spice into the meat. i normally add salt at the same time but won't from now on.

ps solarsplace - report has got me well looking forward to trying the vindaloo myself.
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: solarsplace on December 05, 2011, 07:26 PM
Hi Everyone

Glad you like the picture and brief report - hopefully you will be tempted to try Curry2Go's Vindaloo for yourselves too! - The only thing I can offer as advice at this stage is to consider that less is probably more when in comes to the cardamom powder :o

Seriously though, no photo adjustment was used in the image. I always add tandoori masala in my tom-puree mix (I believe Curry2Go does too) - maybe extra colour saturation is from there  :-X

This batch was made without spiced bhaji oil. I tried that before with the Curry Secrets book and was undecided at the time. Personally I felt that the finished curry takes on a sticky (for want of better words) old chip shop oily background when using the second hand bhaji oil - but thats based on very loose experiments.

Hopefully one of you chaps will go the bhaji oil route again and report back :)

All the best
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: emin-j on December 05, 2011, 08:16 PM
Hi Everyone

Glad you like the picture and brief report - hopefully you will be tempted to try Curry2Go's Vindaloo for yourselves too! - The only thing I can offer as advice at this stage is to consider that less is probably more when in comes to the cardamom powder :o

Seriously though, no photo adjustment was used in the image. I always add tandoori masala in my tom-puree mix (I believe Curry2Go does too) - maybe extra colour saturation is from there  :-X

This batch was made without spiced bhaji oil. I tried that before with the Curry Secrets book and was undecided at the time.
Quote
Personally I felt that the finished curry takes on a sticky (for want of better words) old chip shop oily background when using the second hand bhaji oil
- but thats based on very loose experiments.

Hopefully one of you chaps will go the bhaji oil route again and report back :)

All the best

Agree totally with that solarsplace  :)
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: loveitspicy on December 05, 2011, 10:19 PM
Awesome looking!!!

best, Rich
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: jb on December 08, 2011, 06:11 PM
Another one has just been posted...bombay aloo...

bombay potatoes (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WC87skY6awA#)
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: Unclefrank on December 08, 2011, 09:52 PM
Having already made the Madras recipe a few days ago thought i would give it another go and yes it still is the same as i made earlier an excellent dish ALL made to spec using C2G base gravy, spice mix, bhaji oil, garlic/ginger paste and tomato puree.
I also made the Vindaloo today as well and again i really liked it nice taste heat and texture, again ALL made to spec.
Hopefully going to try the Bombay Aloo tomorrow.
The seasoned oil does add that extra bit of deepth to the final dishes as the oil rises to the top and i scoop this off and save to use in other C2G curries.
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: JerryM on December 10, 2011, 11:37 AM
enjoying these videos that much that i ended up watching the lot on you tube.

Julian is clearly top man and wish him all the best.

ps i have the ingredients (kashmiri chilli) for the vindaloo and have base et al on the go. have not tried the kashmiri chilli before and took real strength not to pick up the norm nagga (de seeded for me). even treated myself to some standard chilli powder (have always used the hot version out of habit).

(http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/imagehost/pics/a76329512c31011d3845f2d623b8890e.jpg) (http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/imagehost/#a76329512c31011d3845f2d623b8890e.jpg)
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: ELW on December 10, 2011, 11:57 AM
Quote
enjoying these videos that much that i ended up watching the lot on you tube

These videos are great, he should have a slot on Saturday kitchen, has anyone tasted anything from c2g yet?
ELW
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: Ramirez on December 10, 2011, 12:17 PM
enjoying these videos that much that i ended up watching the lot on you tube.

Julian is clearly top man and wish him all the best.

ps i have the ingredients (kashmiri chilli) for the vindaloo and have base et al on the go. have not tried the kashmiri chilli before and took real strength not to pick up the norm nagga (de seeded for me). even treated myself to some standard chilli powder (have always used the hot version out of habit).

Are you making the vindaloo, Jerry? His Kashmiri chillies looked dry to me, not fresh - not sure what difference it would make though.
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: Ramirez on December 10, 2011, 12:22 PM


This is going on my favourite recipe list along with ChewyTikka's madras. Thanks for posting Curry2Go!

Nice post Solar - curry looks lovely. Going to give this one a whirl. I'm going to use pre-ground cardamom, so will feedback as to how strong of a taste this imparts.
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: Razor on December 10, 2011, 12:28 PM
I too would like to give the 'curry2go' recipes a try but I have already hit a hurdle.

His seasoned oil is basically oil from his deep fat fryer, strained.  I asked him via his channel on youtube if my oil would be good to use being that, I have mainly used for for onion bhajis but I have fried off a couple of batches of samosas and the odd batch of frozen chips.  He hasn't replied as of yet so I've just done another batch of Chewy's 3 hr base (which I love to bits).

What do you guy's think, do you think that my oil would be fine or, should I wait until I have a batch just used for bhajis only?

Ray :)
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: curryhell on December 10, 2011, 12:32 PM
I too would like to give the 'curry2go' recipes a try but I have already hit a hurdle.

His seasoned oil is basically oil from his deep fat fryer, strained.  I asked him via his channel on youtube if my oil would be good to use being that, I have mainly used for for onion bhajis but I have fried off a couple of batches of samosas and the odd batch of frozen chips.  He hasn't replied as of yet so I've just done another batch of Chewy's 3 hr base (which I love to bits).

What do you guy's think, do you think that my oil would be fine or, should I wait until I have a batch just used for bhajis only?

Ray :)

Not being a purist ;D I would say it would work out fine Ray.  Frozen chips aint gonna taint the oil and i think samosas can only add to the flavour ;)
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: Ramirez on December 10, 2011, 12:34 PM
I think your oil would be fine, Ray. You could always do one batch with your oil then another with just bhaji oil (when you have it available). Sometimes I think doing things like this can be very beneficial, as it give insight into the impact of individual ingredients.

When I do this base, I am going to start with fresh oil before moving onto bhaji oil, so I can judge the impact. I've used bhaji oil in the past and I am still sceptical of it's impact.
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: Razor on December 10, 2011, 01:05 PM
Ok, thanks guy's.

Well I have 3.5 litres of Chewys base left so it will be a day or two before I need more ;D

I'm not sure that it's the missing ingredient, seems more like a means of using up old oil to me but hey, it's working for Julian so who am I to say any different.  My only worry is, someone commented (can't remember who now) that it made the curries a bit "sticky", which made me wonder if frying chips and other stuff would have this effect on the seasoned oil.  With that said, surely currys2go must sell chips, would they have a separate fryer though?

Ray :)
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: haldi on December 10, 2011, 02:16 PM
What do you guy's think, do you think that my oil would be fine or, should I wait until I have a batch just used for bhajis only?
Ray :)
It's the chip oil that makes the BIG difference
It gives that wonderful subtle flavour
You need a lots and lots of chips put through the oil
If it's had fried chicken cooked in it, then it's even better

You would have thought (like I did) that bhajee and samosa oil would do the trick
But it doesn't
It give an extra something, and improves the base
But it's not what you're after

I have seen this done at takeaway kitchens, this is not just speculation

It's also my brick wall, because I can't reproduce this oil
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: Unclefrank on December 10, 2011, 02:25 PM
Razor DO NOT use the oil you have fried chips in frozen or fresh i made the same mistake and the curry was horrible just tasted like chip oil.
Your oil is ok to use if only samosa and bhajis have been fried in it.
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: Razor on December 10, 2011, 02:37 PM
First this;

It's the chip oil that makes the BIG difference

Then this;

Razor DO NOT use the oil you have fried chips in frozen or fresh

Ooo err :o lol

And THAT'S why I love this forum so much ;D

Ray :)

Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: DalPuri on December 10, 2011, 02:39 PM
Hi all,
ive made spiced oil twice since joining the forum.
the first was petes oil from the other forum. i used that to make a base and froze the rest in cubes for starting curries.

the other time was when i made micks suggestion for pre-cooked potatoes.
all i did was add loads more oil and removed the solids before they broke up.

cant say i really noticed the difference in the base, but it definately makes a difference when starting the curries with spiced oil.

cheers, frank. ;)
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: haldi on December 10, 2011, 02:46 PM
it's also why we can never get a 100% result
Too much information from too many people
That is not a critisism in any way, I love this site
It's just an observation

Too many cooks, spoil the curry?
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: curryhell on December 10, 2011, 02:52 PM
the other time was when i made micks suggestion for pre-cooked potatoes.
all i did was add loads more oil and removed the solids before they broke up.

I always prepare my  spuds this way.  It gives them a true BIR taste :P and a very easy way of making spiced oil too ;D
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: DalPuri on December 10, 2011, 02:54 PM
 ;D aye CH
i think its the panch phoran that does it for me :)

a very underated blend of seeds
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: curryhell on December 10, 2011, 02:59 PM
it's also why we can never get a 100% result
Too much information from too many people
That is not a critisism in any way, I love this site
It's just an observation

Too many cooks, spoil the curry?
That's pretty much like sticking 5 of us in the same kitchen with identical equipment, ingredients and the same recipe.  I doubt very much whether we'd  allcome up with identical dishes though ??? :-\ .  But this curry cooking lark is good fun and in the main produces good food and just occasionally something quite special and very BIR 8) .  Then we come on here and talk about it ;D ;D
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: Unclefrank on December 10, 2011, 04:05 PM
I posted my comment because when i made a curry using oil that had potatoes cooked in it, the result from cooking the curry was not pleasant at all and i wouldnt use oil which has had chips fresh or frozen cooked in it. Think i posted something about the results when i did it.
I can see your point though haldi if the oil has been used in a chip shop because of the amount of chips cooked and also the heat of the oil (in my neck of the woods a chip shop is a chip shop and a BIR is a BIR we dont have a chip shop making indian restaurant food and we dont have indian restaurants cooking chips in a big huge fryer like in a chip shop) but for homecooked chips i personally wouldnt use the oil.
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: ELW on December 10, 2011, 04:43 PM
Quote
(in my neck of the woods a chip shop is a chip shop and a BIR is a BIR we dont have a chip shop making indian restaurant food and we dont have indian restaurants cooking chips in a big huge fryer like in a chip shop) but for homecooked chips i personally wouldnt use the oil.

we have plenty of hybrid 'kebab shops' in Glasgow, where there is there is almost nothing they won't have a go at(have yet to see fried fish in one though ,but plenty deep fried frozen chips)

Julien from c2go mentioned 'caramelising' the cooked base in the pan, almost burning it to produce a flavour, which is a term i'v never heard on here regarding the pureed base. could he have been meaning the reduction of the 1st ladle?

Regards
ELW
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: haldi on December 10, 2011, 07:20 PM
we dont have indian restaurants cooking chips in a big huge fryer like in a chip shop

All the fryers I have seen are just little ones
They probably hold no more than 3 litres
They use the fryer oil for 3 days or so
Obviously the oil in the fryers is kept warm all the time
I guess this permanently slow fries all the impurities in the oil
Bhajees and pakora goes through the fryer but nowhere near the quantity you might suspect
The majority of use, comes from frying frozen chips

A couple of weeks ago I was in the takeaway as they prepared pre cooked veg and the curry gravy
This "seasoned" oil was used for both
When heated, the aroma from it wasn't horrible
It just smelt like a bag of chips

Hardly any spice is in the base either
That all goes into the dish when it's cooked
All their curries have a georgeous aroma

At all the places I have seen, they use KTC oil from a large drum
If you are using old oil for your curry base, it has to be oil
Some fast food places use a vegetable lard
This stuff is disgusting
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: JerryM on December 11, 2011, 04:01 PM
Are you making the vindaloo, Jerry? His Kashmiri chillies looked dry to me, not fresh - not sure what difference it would make though.

Ramirez,

yes - am aiming to make the vindaloo to spec (well as close as i can). the shop owner said they were what he calls "dry". the rest of the chillies are kept with the veg but these kashmiri were kept in the fridge along with the yogurt etc don't ask me why i haven't a clue. i could not find the chillies and had to ask. i must admit they look fresh to me. i keep the dried version on stock but have never used it in curry (use it for mex chilli and marinades). i may end up trying both. i am pretty sorted with vindaloo but the curry2go version was different enough to warrent a try.
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: Sami on December 12, 2011, 03:19 PM
In uk now enjoying real british curry. Sent curry2go recipe and video to my cooking shop in Thailand where my curry crazy
brother made base and chicken vindaloo exact as in video. He say that the curry taste is beautiful and aromas nice. tested
taste with english customer and he offer to pay for another curry to take home.

Small change is he used our own home made red chilli paste instead of powder chilli.


Served with jasmine rice on plastic plate thai style :)

(http://s9.postimage.org/5ib948k4v/curry.jpg)
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: jb on December 12, 2011, 07:07 PM
What do you guy's think, do you think that my oil would be fine or, should I wait until I have a batch just used for bhajis only?
Ray :)
It's the chip oil that makes the BIG difference
It gives that wonderful subtle flavour
You need a lots and lots of chips put through the oil
If it's had fried chicken cooked in it, then it's even better

You would have thought (like I did) that bhajee and samosa oil would do the trick
But it doesn't
It give an extra something, and improves the base
But it's not what you're after

I have seen this done at takeaway kitchens, this is not just speculation

It's also my brick wall, because I can't reproduce this oil

Very interesting indeed.I would have thought it would be bhaji/samosa oil you need and not old chip oil.I know of only one takeaway indian/chip shop etc round where I live(and actually the only curry I have had from there was not all that).They obviously have a plentiful supply of old chip/fried chicken oil but what about dedicated BIR restaurants??? The one that Curryhell and  I go to produce wonderful curries,I really can't see they have a great turnover of chips .I keep asking questions,they tell me the chef uses fresh oil. 
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: gary on December 12, 2011, 08:37 PM
Why would anyone want to eat something that's been fried in oil that's no longer fit to even fry chips in?

When does the oil reach a point that is no longer usable for chips, but good for curry?

Seasoned oil is one thing, but come on...

Gary
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: Les on December 12, 2011, 08:53 PM
Why would anyone want to eat something that's been fried in oil that's no longer fit to even fry chips in?

When does the oil reach a point that is no longer usable for chips, but good for curry?

Seasoned oil is one thing, but come on...

Gary

I think It's called "Clutching at Straws" Gary,
My own opinion is that we are trying to over complicate things a tad, and getting nowhere, but that's just me :-\

HS
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: loveitspicy on December 12, 2011, 09:45 PM
Why dont you dip your finger n and taste the oil -

CHIP oil is NO good for cooking curries its taken the starch from the potatoes (even if frozen chips) and it leaves a taste in the oil. Bhaji and samosa oil is ok there is a mild spice taste.

Do the taste test - try it - just don't eat a spoonful

best, Rich
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: gary on December 12, 2011, 11:21 PM

I think It's called "Clutching at Straws" Gary,

HS

Agreed.

Gary

Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: Cory Ander on December 13, 2011, 02:01 AM
DO NOT use the oil you have fried chips in....Your oil is ok to use if only samosa and bhajis have been fried in it.

Quote from: jb
I would have thought it would be bhaji/samosa oil you need and not old chip oil

Quote from: gary
Why would anyone want to eat something that's been fried in oil that's no longer fit to even fry chips in?

When does the oil reach a point that is no longer usable for chips, but good for curry?

Seasoned oil is one thing, but come on...

Quote from: hotstuff09
I think It's called "Clutching at Straws" Gary

Quote from: loveitspicy
CHIP oil is NO good for cooking curries

Guys, you all seem to have ignored Haldi's justification!

Haldi says this: 

Quote from: haldi
I have seen this done at takeaway kitchens, this is not just speculation

So on what basis can you beg to differ?

And, as far as I understand it, Haldi has acquired some of this "used oil" and successfully replicated the taste and aroma of his local takeways.  What he can't do, as I understand it, is replicate the taste and aroma without it.  Nor can he make the same "used oil" at home (because of the quantities of ingredients that need to be fried in it to make it the same).

Haldi is one of our longest standing and most respected members.  He is one of the few who has been into many actual BIR kitchens and befriended many actual BIR chefs.

I, for one, would accept that if Haldi says this is common practice, where he lives, then it is common practice.

What it is, therefore, is an avenue worth more fully pursuing (rather than rubbishing!).
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: jb on December 13, 2011, 06:40 AM
Yep Haldi is a top man,the point I was trying to make is the fact that I can't see many true BIR selling a great deal of chips and so they won't have a steady supply of used seasoned chip oil.Not saying Haldi didn't witness this just thinking other places don't use chip oil but still manage to get that elusive taste.
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: curryhell on December 13, 2011, 06:55 AM
So on what basis can you beg to differ?

And, as far as I understand it, Haldi has acquired some of this "used oil" and successfully replicated the taste and aroma of his local takeways.  What he can't do, as I understand it, is replicate the taste and aroma without it..............Nor can he make the same "used oil" at home (because of the quantities of ingredients that need to be fried in it to make it the same).

Forgive me CA but if you follow this to its logical conclusion, this then is the missing 5% for Haldi is it not?
And if so  maybe for the rest of us too :o

Quote
What it is, therefore, is an avenue worth more fully pursuing (rather than rubbishing!).

I see little point in this as Haldi has already tried and cannot do it.  Therefore i assume it's not something we  cannot replicate at home for obvious reasons. The only alternative would be to acquire some of a takeaway's used oil and try it.

We could ask the question of our commercial chefs, but are they really going to hold their hands up to this.  From a health inspectors pov it's a vertible chink in the armour worthy of futher investigation ::).

What would be interesting would be to hear from others like Chewytikka or CBM who have witnessed restaurant gravy being made (not a batch specifically for them) and seen this practice.



Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: curryhell on December 13, 2011, 07:00 AM
Yep Haldi is a top man,the point I was trying to make is the fact that I can't see many true BIR selling a great deal of chips and so they won't have a steady supply of used seasoned chip oil.Not saying Haldi didn't witness this just thinking other places don't use chip oil but still manage to get that elusive taste.

Hi jb.  I think that really does depend on which neck of the woods you live in and what kind of class the establishment is that you're eating at ;D.  Your comment on Spice i believe is correct.  In all the times i've eaten there i've never seen a plate of chips come out i'm pleased to say.  I mean, why would you, it's just wrong :o :o
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: Cory Ander on December 13, 2011, 07:27 AM
Just about every BIR I have ever been to (over 30 years) has had chips on their menu (together with fried chicken, etc). 

Usually, it's right at the bottom of their menu (listed as "English Dishes" or similar) for those in a party who don't particularly like curries. 

It is (or certainly was) common place.

Perhaps you guys are eating at up-market places (rather than typical high street BIRs)?  ;)
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: Cory Ander on December 13, 2011, 07:31 AM
this then is the missing 5% for Haldi is it not? And if so  maybe for the rest of us too :o

You'll have to ask Haldi to confirm but, as I understand it, yes.


Quote
I see little point in this as Haldi has already tried and cannot do it.  Therefore i assume it's not something we  cannot replicate at home for obvious reasons. The only alternative would be to acquire some of a takeaway's used oil and try it

That sounds a bit defeatist to me.  Just because Haldi has been unable to replicate it  it doesn't mean that it can't be done (with all due respect to Haldi).

My main point is that some members should not so easily dismiss it (as "clutching at straws", etc). 
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: Les on December 13, 2011, 08:26 AM
Sorry CA, I stand by my comment until proved wrong, First it's the base wrong, then ooop's must be the spice mix wrong, Oh no it must be technique, and now it's chip fat, come on CA give me a break.what's that if it's not clutching at straws ;)
I don't think Edwards or Chapman ever mentioned chip oil/fat in any of their recipes, and I take it they have been to plenty of Restaurants and T/A's, I for one would not like to think that my fav curry was made with dirty old chip fat, thanks but no thanks ;D.
I suppose we could always try a quick squirt of 3in1 oil, that should do it ;D

HS
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: Cory Ander on December 13, 2011, 10:43 AM
Your choice HS. 

As I've said before, I place particular credence in the comments and observations of a limited number of our members who demonstrably appear to have considerable knowledge and experience (from their expoits in numerous BIR kitchens).  Haldi, in my opinion, is one of them.

You presumably feel that you have all the answers (I know I don't) and have nothing to learn from some of our more seasoned members (excuse the pun!).

Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: Peripatetic Phil on December 13, 2011, 12:10 PM
If chip oil is the missing 5%, what do they substitute in the 95% of BIRs that don't serve chips ?
** Phil.
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: chewytikka on December 13, 2011, 12:13 PM
Hi All
We all must of encountered some really Naff and Manky Take Aways.

Calling Knackered deep fat fryer oil "Seasoned" is absolute nonsense and
can only happen on a forum like cR0.

Haldi. the places you see this practice in, need to be reported to the The Food Standards Agency.
A quote from FSA, Safer food, better business.
Since 31 October 2004 waste cooking oil from catering premises can no longer be used as an ingredient in animal feed.
Waste cooking oils from food manufacturing, and fresh or unused cooking oil, can continue to be used in animal feed.
Full guideline here:-
http://www.food.gov.uk/foodindustry/guidancenotes/foodguid/wastecookingoil (http://www.food.gov.uk/foodindustry/guidancenotes/foodguid/wastecookingoil)
There's a couple of guys who go round my local restaurants and buy up all the knackered oil and turn it into fuel. They pay 20p a litre.
A far better idea than actually consuming it.

My original response to this thread was:-
Bhaji oil, that old chestnut, the deep fat fryer oil is Knackered and dumped every 2/3 days in all the restaurants I know.
One time Bhaji oil, which is cooked in a pan on the stove top, is filtered and recycled in some restaurants, but not really a curry secret.


What's all this frozen chips malarky.
We must be spoilt, here in the NorthEast.
Fresh, hand cut, chunky chips, blanched and cooked to order.

All BIR/TA's I'm involved in have, The Food Standards Agency
Safer Food, Better Business Certificate.

cheers Chewy
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: Nick D on December 13, 2011, 12:24 PM
HI,  blimey my second post since the forum started up! ;D

Haldi is correct, the local restaurant that I have had gravy and oil samples from use the oil from roasting the Bombay potato's.  It has a nice aroma and is quite sweet tasting. 
I had a sample from their fryer used for bharji's and chips etc and it was horrible very pungent tasting.

Nick
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: Les on December 13, 2011, 12:56 PM
You presumably feel that you have all the answers (I know I don't) and have nothing to learn from some of our more seasoned members (excuse the pun!).

Don't remember saying that I had all the answers
Being a beginner I have everything to learn, And have an open mind, BUT chip Oil/Fat does not stead well In my opinion, and if all i can learn from this forum is to use dirty chip fat to do my curry's in, then I'm in the wrong place (and I don't think that is the case) I have a lot of respect for these guy's on here including you CA, but chip fat, NO WAY ;D

HS
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: PaulP on December 13, 2011, 01:04 PM
I wouldn't want to use knackered old oil in my curries and I can't really see that this is the missing secret.

Then again I've never tasted or smelled oil used to cook just onion bhajis. I don't make onion bhajis personally but a lot of people here on cr0 do make them - so how does the oil taste?

Paul
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: jb on December 13, 2011, 02:25 PM
If chip oil is the missing 5%, what do they substitute in the 95% of BIRs that don't serve chips ?
** Phil.

That was my point,they MAY have chips/chicken on their menu(as do some of the more downmarket takeaways I usually go to) but I bet they don't sell many portions,not enough to produce seasoned(non bhaji) oil for the vast amounts of gravy they make.
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: Cory Ander on December 13, 2011, 03:13 PM
If chip oil is the missing 5%, what do they substitute in the 95% of BIRs that don't serve chips ?
** Phil.

If you think 95% of BIRs don't sell chips then you have rocks in ya head!  ::)
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: Cory Ander on December 13, 2011, 03:14 PM
Hi All
We all must of encountered some really Naff and Manky Take Aways.

Calling Knackered deep fat fryer oil "Seasoned" is absolute nonsense and
can only happen on a forum like cR0.

Haldi. the places you see this practice in, need to be reported to the The Food Standards Agency.
A quote from FSA, Safer food, better business.
Since 31 October 2004 waste cooking oil from catering premises can no longer be used as an ingredient in animal feed.
Waste cooking oils from food manufacturing, and fresh or unused cooking oil, can continue to be used in animal feed.
Full guideline here:-
http://www.food.gov.uk/foodindustry/guidancenotes/foodguid/wastecookingoil (http://www.food.gov.uk/foodindustry/guidancenotes/foodguid/wastecookingoil)
There's a couple of guys who go round my local restaurants and buy up all the knackered oil and turn it into fuel. They pay 20p a litre.
A far better idea than actually consuming it.

My original response to this thread was:-
Bhaji oil, that old chestnut, the deep fat fryer oil is Knackered and dumped every 2/3 days in all the restaurants I know.
One time Bhaji oil, which is cooked in a pan on the stove top, is filtered and recycled in some restaurants, but not really a curry secret.


What's all this frozen chips malarky.
We must be spoilt, here in the NorthEast.
Fresh, hand cut, chunky chips, blanched and cooked to order.

All BIR/TA's I'm involved in have, The Food Standards Agency
Safer Food, Better Business Certificate.

cheers Chewy

Yet another "know it all"  ::)

Too many criticisms and not enough answers CT  :o

Try putting your money where your mouth is, perhaps (and give us more answers and fewer criticisms of the forum and our members)?  ;)
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: Cory Ander on December 13, 2011, 03:14 PM
Don't remember saying that I had all the answers

No, but you're dismissing the comments of those who maybe do!
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: Cory Ander on December 13, 2011, 03:15 PM
I wouldn't want to use knackered old oil in my curries and I can't really see that this is the missing secret.

Don't use it then; you obviously know better!
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: Les on December 13, 2011, 03:32 PM
Don't remember saying that I had all the answers

No, but you're dismissing the comments of those who maybe do!

What's up CA, Wrong time of the month for you ;)
I'm not dismissing, Just questioning, there is a difference, No one has actually said that chip fat is the secret ingredient, just saying that in my opinion it's utter rubbish  ;D I can say that, can I not ;)

HS
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: Cory Ander on December 13, 2011, 03:34 PM
What's up CA, Wrong time of the month for you ;)
I'm not dismissing, Just questioning, there is a difference, No one has actually said that chip fat is the secret ingredient, just saying that in my opinion it's utter rubbish  ;D

Perhaps, HS, but it's blind, ignorant and contrary idiots like you (that say things for the sake of it) that ruin the progress of this forum, in my opinion (perhaps because you have nothing better to do?).  :)
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: Les on December 13, 2011, 03:38 PM
perhaps, HS, but it's blind, ignorant and contrary idiots like you that ruin the progress of this forum, in my opinion.  :)

Forum rules CA, forum Rules, No Naughty names to be called, Bad Boy, go stand in the corner, and repeat 100 times, chip fat is good for me (CA) ;D

HS
PS
If that is the general thought of the forum, Then I will willingly leave, never to be heard from again, there are other forums ;)


Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: solarsplace on December 13, 2011, 04:02 PM
HS

Stick around! - there have been enough people bullied off the forum already.

I wish Stew gave a hoot about this forum - an active decent mod would not stand for this kind of thing.

For what its worth my personal opinion is in agreement with yours. Having 2 identical fryers, 1 for chips and 1 for bhaji's - I made the mistake to using a chef spoon of chip oil instead of bhaji oil to cook a dish with once. It turned out just as expected - tasting of chips! - actually I'n not at all convinced bhaji oil is the way to go either, but at least the right sort of flavours are in the oil!

Cheers
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: mr.mojorisin on December 13, 2011, 04:16 PM
just made his Madras with Chewys 3 hour base sauce. quite pleasant but not nearly as good as some of the ones I've tried from here
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: Les on December 13, 2011, 04:17 PM
Thanks solarsplace
It's sad when you can't have your own opinion, without someone jumping down your throat,

HS
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: chewytikka on December 13, 2011, 05:38 PM
Ha Ha LOL CA your a laugh a minute. ;D ;D

If you want to eat knackered chip oil in your curries. whey hey!!! go for it.

I was simply pointing out that in the UK, by law, they don't even feed it to pigs.
Not really a critique, more of an insight for members.

Hi Mojo
Thanks for the review :)

cheers Chewy
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: curryhell on December 13, 2011, 05:44 PM
Well that thread definitely went "out of the chip pan and into the fire"  :o . I am sure that there will continue to be comments and thoughts on the topic of using old fryer oil but it has gone off at an extreme tangent from the original topic.  May i suggest George moves the "chip fryer" content into a new appropriate thread in case this idea occurs to somebody else in a few years ;) as the "discussion" will definitely remain buried in here.  Come on guys, we're all entitled to voice an opinion and likewise others are entitled to voice their agreement or disagreement.  So let's not fall out over it, eh? :-X 
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: JerryM on December 13, 2011, 06:03 PM
made the vindaloo last night - had same result as sami's post earlier - simply loved it.

i really liked the kashmiri chilli and will be adding to my normal stock.

i got the 1st portion slightly wrong - too much cardamom and too much lime juice - both down to me liking them and adding too much.

on 2nd portion i reduced the cardamom (made portion 1 from 9 off cardamom pods and reduced to 5 off for portion 2). measured the lime juice with spoon.

in portion 2 i also added in 0.25 tsp of tandoori masala along with 1 off green chilli.

for info i used far less mix powder portion 1 - 1 tsp and portion 2 - 0.5tsp. i also did not add the garam pinch - tried it before and not a fan.

going forward leaves me in a bit of dilemma. i will add 2 quarters of fresh tomato for sure. the only real problem is that i felt the fresh chilli sliced with scissors was a tad tough in the finished dish and would have to fine chop. i'm still not convinced that making a sauce might just produce a more delux taste. i would also add in some de seedded nagga (chewytikka nagga sauce) as there was no lip burn which for me is essential for the vindaloo.

overall well pleased - many thanks to curry2go. the yellow sticky recipe is a keeper.

(http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/imagehost/pics/b75e10cb26ee0254b19ababf69552c45.jpg) (http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/imagehost/#b75e10cb26ee0254b19ababf69552c45.jpg)

1st portion:
(http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/imagehost/pics/5414115995d3345a60071ab23231482a.jpg) (http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/imagehost/#5414115995d3345a60071ab23231482a.jpg)

2nd portion:
(http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/imagehost/pics/bb4ca415616359b941e08a2addbf4865.jpg) (http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/imagehost/#bb4ca415616359b941e08a2addbf4865.jpg)
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: Peripatetic Phil on December 13, 2011, 06:16 PM
May i suggest George moves the "chip fryer" content into a new appropriate thread
Seconded.
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: haldi on December 13, 2011, 06:36 PM
Don't remember saying that I had all the answers
Being a beginner I have everything to learn, And have an open mind, BUT chip Oil/Fat does not stead well In my opinion, and if all i can learn from this forum is to use dirty chip fat to do my curry's in, then I'm in the wrong place (and I don't think that is the case) I have a lot of respect for these guy's on here including you CA, but chip fat, NO WAY ;D
HS
I never want to upset anyone
I reported what I saw, and now regret it
All this upset is too much for me
The old oil I have seen used in curry gravy, has been used but is still usable
It's not black or anything
Perhaps it's just chance that I have seen it used for gravy in places I have been
Maybe there are places that simply throw all used oil out, before it becomes unusable
But look at the Curry2Go man
He quite happily admits the practice of "old oil in gravy"
And so does the man from the book "undercover curry"
The best thing to do is get into Takeaway kitchens, and see for yourself
I, for one, would love to know
I'm sure it's something they wouldn't tell you, it's something you would have to observe
And yes, it's true
I have been given used oil and got perfect results
The recipe that sticks out the most was a gravy where I just boiled the onions to soften in water
Then added the used oil and boiled for a couple more hours
Upon the adition of the oil there was an immediate aroma that I'm sure we all would recognise
To describe it is hard , but to me it was that unmistakable aroma of a takeaway curry
The smell that seeps out of the carrier bag, when you are driving home with it
Absolutely gorgeous
I have been copying demo recipes for about six years now
My only 100% success has been with used oil
If I don't use it, I get a good result but it's just not as close
One very important constant factor is using KTC oil
Round here, at least, that is THE brand
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: ELW on December 13, 2011, 06:54 PM
Quote
The best thing to do is get into Takeaway kitchens, and see for yourself
I, for one, would love to know
I'm sure it's something they wouldn't tell you, it's something you would have to observe
And yes, it's true
I have been given used oil and got perfect results

Pretty much right on it Haldi, I've never been in a bir kitchen & until I have will rule out nothing. I know years ago vegetarian curries were cooked in chicken stock & worse. advertising the use of old oil would be a pr disaster.

I have seen large amounts of Heinz tomato soup in one of the leading bir's in my city though!
 
ELW
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: Graeme on December 13, 2011, 07:04 PM
haldi, please dont concern youself with this to much now, its run its course.
this is way off topic now.
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: Razor on December 13, 2011, 07:52 PM
Hi Sami,

In uk now enjoying real british curry. Sent curry2go recipe and video to my cooking shop in Thailand where my curry crazy
brother made base and chicken vindaloo exact as in video. He say that the curry taste is beautiful and aromas nice. tested
taste with english customer and he offer to pay for another curry to take home.

Small change is he used our own home made red chilli paste instead of powder chilli.


Served with jasmine rice on plastic plate thai style :)

(http://s9.postimage.org/5ib948k4v/curry.jpg)

That looks really good and many thanks for posting a picture of your success.

Ray :)

p.s, Guy's, whilst we were aurguing the toss over oil, we seemed to have overlooked Sami's efforts, who took the time to upload a photo, something that we encourage all new members to do but then we make no comment about her post?

If we don't self moderate very soon, we are going to drive good members away...!
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: emin-j on December 13, 2011, 08:09 PM
Sometime ago I used Oil from our deep fat fryer to make a Base,the fryer is only used for Chips but I thought it was worth a go ..the result was disgusting  :P the simmering Base made the kitchen  smell just like a manky chipshop  :o I did make a Curry using this Base but there was no 'Eureka !' moment so I dumped the lot  :(
Then a couple of weeks ago after watching the Curry 2 Go Video's I made his Base Gravy and used 500ml of Bhaji
Oil from my mini fryer which is only used for Bhaji's and again the Aroma from the simmering Base was just like mini fryer not as bad as the chip fryer but not what I expected  :( I have made plenty of Curry's with this Base and it's no different to any Gravy's I have made using fresh oil.

BUT.... I have told the folowing story on the Forum previously but I think it's worth telling again  ::)
Before I got into Indian t/a Curry's me and the family were into Chinese and the one we used on a regular basis served the tastiest food I've ever had and for a couple of years my Wife tried her best to make a home made Chinese that tasted like the t/a...She never came close  :-\ then one day we had the family around and we were talking about the wonderful meals we had from 'Wongs' the Chinese t/a and how everything had this hard to describe delicious flavour,then the penny dropped  ::) even the Chips had this 'special' flavour so it had to be ........THE OIL ! ;D ;)
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: Graeme on December 13, 2011, 08:16 PM
Sami's pic does look rather nice,
thank you for posting.

Jerry yours looks nice too a must try but i need to order
some kashmiri chilli powder asap :-)

I am going to try this myself soon
and will post back  ;)
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: solarsplace on December 13, 2011, 08:21 PM
@Sami

Apologies for missing your post!

Love the picture, the rice looks plump, tender and delicious.

As for the curry - great colour, quite a thick texture - superb - please keep the pictures coming :)

@Jerry

Great report / feed back on the Vindaloo. Seems like a winner for you :)

Regards
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: curryhell on December 13, 2011, 09:31 PM
@ Sami.

It's been a long time since you last posted but looking at that dish it was worth the wait :P :P.  I wanted this early this morning when i first see your post.  Sorry but i didn't have time to reply then :(.  And i still find myself wanting a plateful of it in front of me right now.  It  looks absolutely terrific.  I bet there's some very thankful expats and holiday makers in Thailand when they get to sample your food ;D
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: jb on December 14, 2011, 07:55 PM
He's a busy chap another one...

How to make Tarka Dhal (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rMr4bMi7yR4#)
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: ELW on December 14, 2011, 08:00 PM
anyone bought anything from Curry2Go yet?
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: Sami on December 14, 2011, 10:43 PM
@Sami

Apologies for missing your post!

Love the picture, the rice looks plump, tender and delicious.

As for the curry - great colour, quite a thick texture - superb - please keep the pictures coming :)

@Jerry

Great report / feed back on the Vindaloo. Seems like a winner for you :)

Regards



Thank you for comment about my picture but I really do not mind if people don?t post about my stuff because I am happy just to share my results. I do not find much time for internet at the moment because husbands work is always moving country. Hope next year to spend more time in Thailand and cook more Indian food as husband has job in Bangkok.

Not like many other forum sites this is a very friendly place full of infos that no cooking books can give. I thank all for giving me this info and wish you people a merry Christmas and happy new year.
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: Les on December 15, 2011, 08:33 AM
and wish you people a merry Christmas and happy new year.

Hi Sami
Welcome, and glad your enjoying cr0,
And a Merry Christmas and happy new year to you and your's

MS
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: Cory Ander on December 15, 2011, 01:01 PM
I never want to upset anyone
I reported what I saw, and now regret it
All this upset is too much for me

Hi Haldi,

Apologies if my recent outbursts (in reply to others' comments, about your comments, regarding using "used oil") upset you  :-\

Anyway, I've just knocked up a curry base (my own version) using "used oil" (which is, to my mind, very obviously "seasoned").  The "used oil", I used, is from frying bhajis.  And, yes, chips! - to which the oil adds a nice colour and taste. 

It's not the first time I've done it.  But, based on your comments, I want to try it again.  It's NOT "rancid oil", it's NOT "lard", it's NOT "knackered oil", nor, indeed, is it "3in1"!"  ::) 

It's simply oil that has been used, to fry other things, which it has picked up the smell and taste from!

The other thing I've done is to "fry", "tarka", or "bargaar", or "bhuna" (I'm now not sure which other people think it is!  But it's probably a combination of all of them!) the spices, garlic, ginger and tomato puree and added it to the pre-boiled veggies.  It makes much sense to me, since the spices needs the oil to release their flavours. And the veggies don't.

I haven't cooked any curries with it yet (I will within the next few days) but will let you know how I get on. 

Thanks for your comments and contributions Haldi.  I'm sure most people appreciate them (even if they don't post to say so!)  8)
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: DalPuri on December 15, 2011, 03:50 PM
When i was a young lad (northern accent for comedic effect :P)
my nan would keep her chip pan in a little cupboard beside the cooker.
i would often pop round a few days a week after work and if she wasnt knitting, she would always bend over backwards to rustle up something for me to eat (typical grandmother :D)
on the odd occasion where she was knee deep in a huge crochet blanket, i would head straight for the kitchen.
i'd whip out the frying pan(only thing i wanted from the inheritance ;)) and take a spoon of the chip fat.
it was obviously lard that she used. it never set hard from the impurities in it and was a yellowish brown colour.
this chip fat made the BEST TASTING SAUSAGES OR EGGS IN THE WORLD!!!
so it wasnt my nans magic frying pan that made things special, but the fat they were cooked in.

Cheers, Frank.  ;)

Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: JerryM on December 15, 2011, 04:10 PM
but i need to order some kashmiri chilli powder asap :

Graeme,

i have kashmiri chilli powder and i don't think it will work as well as either the "fresh" red chillies see pic below or the dried (i buy it as "crushed chilli" which is red in colour).

(http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/imagehost/pics/a76329512c31011d3845f2d623b8890e.jpg) (http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/imagehost/#a76329512c31011d3845f2d623b8890e.jpg)
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: Razor on December 18, 2011, 09:46 PM
Slightly off topic, but I feel it fair to warn you guys......Julian is a;

Manchester City Fan >:(


Ray :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :-\
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: Masala Mark on December 18, 2011, 10:13 PM
Hi,

In the restaurant here in Brisbane there is a big heavy iron 'pot', more like a big wok with handles but heavy/thick metal, it is used for frying everything from bhajis, to pakora's, samosa's, capsicum and onion chunks are sometimes quickly fried in it (pretty much dip in and pull out) as well when being used in final dishes.

At times the chef has got me to use some of this oil to make the onion gravy, other times it is fresh oil. I asked about it and he said it does add a little flavor but not essential. Eventually that oil gets old, within a week and is thrown out and a fresh batch of oil goes in.

The oil is never used in either butter gravy, korma gravy or the veg gravy because there may have been meat samosa's fried in it, or chicken pakoras. The chef, while not a vegetarian himself ensures that fresh oil that has not been used to cook meat in it is always used for vegetarian dishes.

For him, not an essential secret ingredient, it is there on top of the stove so is handy and reduces waste and does add a little flavor.

Note that the onion gravy made with fresh oil and the subsequent dishes never seem to be lacking flavor.

Cheers,
Mark
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: jb on December 20, 2011, 10:31 AM
Another two added...

How to make Garlic Chicken (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wdAY0xdcx9M#)

Notice the mysterious chicken stock added towards the end.

HOW TO PRE-COOK CHICKEN (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bz0dOmVS0KY#)
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: jb on December 20, 2011, 10:47 AM
He did say that after he had pre-cooked his chicken the liquid left is thrown away,however after he describes his lamb method he says the liquid from this and some from the chicken is added to his stock,very interesting.
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: ELW on December 20, 2011, 01:53 PM
Quote
He did say that after he had pre-cooked his chicken the liquid left is thrown away,however after he describes his lamb method he says the liquid from this and some from the chicken is added to his stock,very interesting.

Hi jb, I have posted in the past & recently about stock...normally im told to forget it & learn how to cook garlic..2 dishes from one of my locals, one of the best in the city...
chicken karahi - deep red/brown in colour - tastes slightly bhoona like
lamb karahi - dark brown in colour - tastes like a spicy lamb stew (stock like as if it has been left in) completely different flavour

surely someone lives near Curry2Go to do post the 1st taste test?

Regards
ELW
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: natterjak on December 20, 2011, 02:15 PM
Quote
He did say that after he had pre-cooked his chicken the liquid left is thrown away,however after he describes his lamb method he says the liquid from this and some from the chicken is added to his stock,very interesting.

surely someone lives near Curry2Go to do post the 1st taste test?

Regards
ELW

It would be very useful to know whether the results of these recipes are worth replicating but sadly i'm 100s miles away. Hope someone goes and buys a curry from him and posts an opinion.
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: PaulP on December 20, 2011, 02:40 PM
I'm about 25 minutes or so away. If I can I'll try to get over there over the xmas break. I could do with another reason to go to Chorley but I can't think of one at the moment, like taking the missus shopping.

Cheers,

Paul
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: jb on December 20, 2011, 05:45 PM
I'm about 25 minutes or so away. If I can I'll try to get over there over the xmas break. I could do with another reason to go to Chorley but I can't think of one at the moment, like taking the missus shopping.

Cheers,

Paul

That would be great to get a taste test from someone here on the forum.His recipes sure look the part but I would love to know how they actually rate...
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: JerryM on December 21, 2011, 08:00 AM
the garlic chicken recipe reminded me of the late garlic addition when i made the vindaloo - this really does make a difference and a keeper tip for me.

the garlic chicken is probably my fav dish. i've still not got the recipe right and alas the video is much along the lines of what i already know. i know some BIR pre cook the garlic slithers and add right at the end - i've tried several methods but not perfected.

interesting too on the cooking times for chicken - i stop at 5 mins once at simmer. i must admit i've never cooked for longer than 15 mins and have over time gradually reduced to the 5 min. the piece size and heat during dish frying must be factors.

on the garlic chicken it would be interesting to know the reason for adding the spice after the chicken as this breaks a rule for me.
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: Les on December 21, 2011, 09:27 AM
Julian (curry2go) has just started his own web site, and online shop.

http://www.curry2go-online.com/index.html (http://www.curry2go-online.com/index.html)

HS
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: PaulP on December 21, 2011, 11:46 AM
Thanks for the link HS - it just gets better.

Cheers,

Paul
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: Les on December 21, 2011, 12:00 PM
Thanks for the link HS - it just gets better.

Cheers,

Paul

Don't it just Paul, don't it just,
 Hopefully we might be able to ask him some questions later when he is up and running properly ;D

HS
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: spiceyokooko on December 21, 2011, 06:14 PM
Julien from c2go mentioned 'caramelising' the cooked base in the pan, almost burning it to produce a flavour, which is a term i'v never heard on here regarding the pureed base. could he have been meaning the reduction of the 1st ladle?

Hi there ELW

I'm surprised no-one else contributing to this thread has picked up on your comment here, because for me, this represents one of the most important new pieces of information I've picked up on this site since I've been here. This could well turn out to be the final piece of the jigsaw I've been looking for.

I've been convinced in my own mind for a long time now that the final 5% does not exist in ingredients. BIR's do not have access to special ingredients we don't have access to - they're all commonly available via websites or specialist/wholesale Asian grocery stores. What does and can vary quite considerably (and you only have to look at any random forum post for this to be confirmed) is what people do with those ingredients and how they cook with them. Julian even confirms this in one of his videos - it's 50% ingredients and 50% technique.

I've now read this forum post from beginning to end and it beggars belief how posters can ignore something as important as this and go off at a tangent arguing the toss over chip fat oil!

It's patently obvious I think that this Julian chap knows what he's doing - you can fool some of the people some of the time, but you can't fool all the people all the time - he wouldn't stay in business if he was producing dross dishes that didn't taste right. People wouldn't buy them and they wouldn't come back. If he says he uses seasoned oil from frying onion bhaji's in, then that's exactly what he does and uses in his kitchen. Whether this is standard BIR technique used throughout the industry is totally irrelevant - it's what he uses.

Quite why posters will then argue that for them this isn't the answer or refer to this practice as that old chestnut, I find extremely hard to understand. They don't feel it's the right answer for them, probably because they might be missing something else - that's not to say that fried onion bhaji oil should not be included in the list of key ingredient's.

Going back to your comment about caramelising the base sauce in a non-stick pan, I don't believe he's referring to a reduction of the first ladle of base. A reduction will produce a concentration of flavour from the base sauce, caramelisation will produce a sweeter, smokey flavour from the base sauce - two quite distinctive flavours. He's deliberately allowing the base sauce to caramelise or burn slightly on the bottom of the pan to create this flavour.

The dishes I've always produced have always been missing that smokey, sweet flavour, and given that I've always used an old non-stick pan for producing my dishes I can't help wondering if for me this could be the technique I've been searching for to give me that final 5%.

I'm interested in hearing others thoughts on this and what kind of pans they use to produce their dishes.

Cheers and Good Karma!
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: PaulP on December 21, 2011, 07:05 PM
Hi Spicey,

I use a carbon steel wok and wooden spatula to make my curries but the main reason is for quietness as my young son sleeps above the kitchen and I often cook after 10 pm. I believe the best tools are the bare aluminium pan and the steel serving spoon, like most BIR chefs use. I've known about the "caramelisation theory" as I'm sure others have on here probably since I cooked using the Taz base and method. The method utilises a particularly oily base that is reduced hard and fast while all the time it is continually scraped off the pan sides and bottom and remixed back in with the more runny sauce. This method definitely produces a sweet smokey taste.
It works just the same with "normal" BIR bases and cooking techniques.

Here's a link to the Taz stuff if you haven't seen it:

http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=4163.0 (http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=4163.0)

Regarding onion bhaji oil some people have tried it here and some have found it to be revolting. I suspect if people use the cheapest vegetable oil (which is nearly always the dreaded rapeseed oil) it goes rancid really easily and this may have caused the rotten flavour. I don't make bhajis so can't comment.

You are correct it is an important observation (caramelisation of base) but I suspect a lot of cooks achieve the effect without thinking about it just by watching loads of BIR videos and copying the technique as best they can.

I'm pretty impressed by Julian and hope to taste a curry from him sometime soon.

Cheers,

Paul




Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: spiceyokooko on December 21, 2011, 09:22 PM
I believe the best tools are the bare aluminium pan and the steel serving spoon, like most BIR chefs use.

Why though? For the reason Julian gives? I've got a carbon steel wok, but don't use it for indian dishes, I find the temperature too difficult to control and keep stable - it's too thin and gets too hot too quickly.

Is it a coincidence that Julian recommends the aluminum pan as one of the 'tips' and also states that all BIR chefs use them as well as feature in every video I've ever seen? I think not.

I've known about the "caramelisation theory" as I'm sure others have on here probably since I cooked using the Taz base and method. The method utilises a particularly oily base that is reduced hard and fast while all the time it is continually scraped off the pan sides and bottom and remixed back in with the more runny sauce. This method definitely produces a sweet smokey taste.

But you're not using an aluminum pan, how do you know it's working in the same way? I'm currently using the Taz base for my current batch of experimentation and I'm adding the base in three 100ml batches and reducing each one down, but still not getting that elusive 'smokey' flavour. That's because caramelisation and reduction as I stated in my previous post produce two different flavours. Reduction concentrates a flavour, caramelisation extracts sugars from the onions and burns them producing a sweet, toffee, smokey flavour. Exactly the flavour missing from my dishes.

You are correct it is an important observation (caramelisation of base) but I suspect a lot of cooks achieve the effect without thinking about it just by watching loads of BIR videos and copying the technique as best they can.

Using an aluminum pan and the same ingredients that Julian advocates? I think you're giving people too much credit here in my opinion given that so few appear to understand the difference in flavour produced between caramelisation and reduction, let alone what differences a different material pan might produce. Does onion caramelisation produce the same results and flavour when produced in a non-stick pan, a carbon steel wok, an aluminum pan or stainless steel one? What about seasoned steel/iron or cast iron?

It's just my opinion of course and I'm not stating categorically that it's the right one for everyone, but for me and my cooking this is quite significant. I'll be testing this theory out as soon as possible after Christmas is out the way and things return to normal.

Cheers and Good Karma!
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: PaulP on December 21, 2011, 10:08 PM
Spicey,

I use the wok for the noise problems - seriously! I cook late and can't be banging a chef's spoon around an aluminium pan while my son sleeps. I have gotten used to using a wok and chef Taz actually cooked the demo for Mick in his own small steel wok. The original post of Taz was on the other forum and a few of us asked Mick if he would post the recipe here at cr0. I can't access the original post now on the other forum as my paid sub has expired but in the original thread the word "caramelisation" certainly did crop up.

Why aluminium? It is the choice for commercial kitchens and not just BIR. It is cheap, strong, great heat conduction with no hot spots, heats up and cools quickly on demand, easy to clean. In my opinion non-stick is only for people who fear oil in their diets and is obviously not tough enough for commercial use.

For Taz cooking the method described was to add 200 ml of base and cook until almost all the water content has gone and it becomes a thick paste. But it must be spread out over the cooking surface. You won't get caramelisaton by just boiling - the blended onions have to touch the hot metal pan. Wok or aluminium pan it works the same.

You stated that so few seem to understand the difference between caramelisation and reduction but the only evidence you have for this is a lack of response on this thread? As I implied you don't need to know the science, you just need to do it correctly. Try watching chewytikka cooking his madras on the video - he knows the technique.
BTW I haven't cooked the Taz recipes for ages, next base will be the one from ifindforu.

ATB

Paul
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: jb on December 22, 2011, 09:40 AM
A silly question perhaps....but....where exactly does Julian mention the technique of 'caramelising' the base in the pan.I've watched his videos with great interest but I must have overlooked that.In his vindaloo video he talks about almost 'burning' the ingredients in his pan but that's BEFORE any base sauce is added,I guess it's in another video??
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: Whandsy on December 22, 2011, 10:16 AM
A silly question perhaps....but....where exactly does Julian mention the technique of 'caramelising' the base in the pan.I've watched his videos with great interest but I must have overlooked that.In his vindaloo video he talks about almost 'burning' the ingredients in his pan but that's BEFORE any base sauce is added,I guess it's in another video??
Hi Jb

Its in his video entitled "the curry pan", it actually makes a bit of sense that video as well imo ;)

Wayne
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: JerryM on December 22, 2011, 10:49 AM
It's patently obvious I think that this Julian chap knows what he's doing

He certainly does. and there in lies the problem we face on a regular basis - and which you describe.

by way of an example the biggest striking thing of all Julian's posts is putting green pepper in bunjarra. i know my bunjarra and although i've never tried green pepper in it - it's a complete no no for me. clearly for Julian it's a yes yes. neither of us are wrong.

whilst it's frustrating that there is no single right answer or way it's what makes curry so interesting and diverse.
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: jb on December 22, 2011, 12:50 PM
A silly question perhaps....but....where exactly does Julian mention the technique of 'caramelising' the base in the pan.I've watched his videos with great interest but I must have overlooked that.In his vindaloo video he talks about almost 'burning' the ingredients in his pan but that's BEFORE any base sauce is added,I guess it's in another video??
Hi Jb

Its in his video entitled "the curry pan", it actually makes a bit of sense that video as well imo ;)

Wayne

Thanks that completely passed me by,a very important tip imo, I must get a proper pan,when he tilted the non stick one you could see what he was talking about. 
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: spiceyokooko on December 22, 2011, 02:10 PM
You won't get caramelisaton by just boiling - the blended onions have to touch the hot metal pan.

Paul

No you won't, boiling is simply removing water from the sauce and concentrating down the liquid, caramelisation is removing the sugars from the onions and burning them by heat. Two different things - two different flavours.


You stated that so few seem to understand the difference between caramelisation and reduction but the only evidence you have for this is a lack of response on this thread?.

The only evidence? Do you not think that if this is such a fundamental 'technique' to achieving such an important BIR type flavour that the subject of what type of cooking pan is essential to achieving it would have been discussed at some length? If there is such a discussion, please feel free to post the link to it, I'd be fascinated to read it.

I've read thread after thread about various base sauces and various mix powders with to be honest, very little difference between them. And these are discussed at length ad infinitum! Yet the importance of the type of pan to be used is so basic, no-one bothers to discuss it?


As I implied you don't need to know the science, you just need to do it correctly. Try watching chewytikka cooking his madras on the video - he knows the technique.

Does he know the technique, or is it purely by accident because someone told him he has to use that type of pan to achieve the results he's looking for without explaining why?

The proof of the pudding so to speak is in the eating. Let's see how many forum members come forward and state categorically that they use that type of aluminium pan, fully understand the reasons for why they need to use it and also achieve the results of base sauce caramelisation and that smokey, sweet flavour it produces.

I'm genuinely fascinated to see exactly how many people come forward!

Cheers and Good Karma!





Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: PaulP on December 22, 2011, 02:39 PM
Spicey,

I do wish you would stop telling me what I already know e.g. what caramelisation is. I have a scientific educational background so this stuff really isn't too tasking for me. A lot of people on this forum already use an aluminium pan and some use woks but I couldn't tell you the numbers, not without a poll and that would be meaningless as not everybody would reply.

This forum is now quite vast and I can tell you that the subject of pans has been discussed from time to time but I don't have time to look for you to provide the links. Not everybody will come rallying to this thread to tell you what pan they use because 1) it is off-topic and should be a new thread or a old thread brought up again 2) you are slightly confrontational bordering on insulting at times to members of cr0. (questioning cooking skills, mocking other discussions etc)

I think you miss the fact that lots of people on this forum cook very nice curries that they are happy with but some of us are after a little extra and that is the hard bit to achieve. You seem to think that most of us feel like we have failed and the truth is far from it. A few members of cr0 (eg. ex-pats in Thailand) have opened curry businesses with information from this forum.

You don't need to understand anything for this malarky, you don't need to be clever, you just need to do it right.
How that is learned is another matter. Most Asian BIR chefs will have been shown the ropes by a more experienced chef.

If you want to talk about pans please start a new thread or find an old one and resurrect it, and I won't continue to discuss this in this thread.

Cheers and I hope you get a new pan for Christmas  ;)

Paul
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: gazman1976 on December 22, 2011, 03:47 PM
I bought 1 from amazon to test the theory - will report back after crimbo
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: curryhell on December 22, 2011, 04:24 PM
I'll stick to my "black iron" ones.  They seem to be good enough for many of the restaurants round here  :D.  Besides i like the " ring" of my chef's spoon against the side.  All you get with an ali pan is a dull "thud"  >:(.  Unless several people do a cook off, one pan vs another, i won't be making a purchase.  Let us know how you get on Gazman.
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: haldi on December 22, 2011, 06:23 PM
I'm surprised no-one else contributing to this thread has picked up on your comment here, because for me, this represents one of the most important new pieces of information I've picked up on this site since I've been here. This could well turn out to be the final piece of the jigsaw I've been looking for.
This was covered with the Taz base thread, by Mick (curry barking mad)
It was this initial reduction, that gave Mick (and friend) their Eureka moment
There are several key points to get correct, and this is one of them
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: ELW on December 22, 2011, 07:45 PM
Hi all, Im going to stay off topic then hopefully bring it back.. :) I made the remark to try and clear up(in my own mind!!) some information on posts which were possibly conflicting of which there are lots on this site..it's a forum right?? This particular comment related to a member(will look back & confirm before naming, but If i remember correctly someone who's knowledge is sought after at the moment) commenting that aluminium pans were less likely to burn due to them conducting the heat more evenly. Julian then said in one of his videos, that the non stick property of the ali pans was in some way beneficial to changing the flavour, ie 'caramelising the base'. Its was simply just a term i have never heard used before in terms of the 1st ladle, but it did make sense!

 I do know the difference between reduction & caramelisation, i have around half ltr of caramelised onion paste (bunjarra, banjarra) in my freezer. I have also caramelised onion in bases before adding any liquid, which i found to my surprise & dismay that it made little difference in taste. I am using an ikea wok, which has started to rust(ali pan coming next week) & i think i am well past the burning of ingredient stages...in fact now i cook spices in G&G & tomato puree rather tha oil, agin with no real difference in flavour for me. I think all of this can be found summerised in "cr0 myths"
My personal struggle at the moment in creating bir...& there definately is 'something' missing , is I've been looking to avoid home cooking brick walls like oil, hopefully thats only 0.5 percent(whoever came up with this missing  5% should be credited, because they were right on it!)
I look at it in terms of layers of flavours added, beginning with the base. If I don't like the taste of the base on its own, I won't like the main dish after reducing...everything cooked & not burned(a spectrum, not black & white)
spice mixes - Im not 100% convinced on yet, there is some good interegation of a 'certain mix' at the moment on here...my thinking on this at the moment is may be the 10kg catering containers of curry powder are so widely used in the industry, may be contributing something extra, I've no idea whats in them!! (Have never seen Eastern Star here, & only maybe 5 others,  Easter Star being a fair bit more expensive)
Stock - I can pick out stock(manufactured or else) in many a bir dish. for me when used properly creates a great background flavour, when I've ever had good risotto, then thats where the flavour came from.

Advanced or multi stage gravy (cr0)-  I'm mad keen to hear more, but Julianc2g never mentioned this!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
On topic- CurrytoGo, Cannot wait to hear a members taste test on c2g, it's long overdue, & Im too far away....Its very seldom that trade secrets of any kind are revealed on tv/web by people in the business, but I think it all adds to Julians credibility.those videos are brilliant & Im sure between both gravies & c2g I'm sure I will have taken a huge step forward to creating what I'm after

I'm ok for Ugg boots at the moment but really enjoy reading members testing results & thoughts on here, keep them coming & happy christmas
Regards
ELW

Feel free to delete or move this to the correct section
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: Razor on December 22, 2011, 08:18 PM
I do use an Ali pan (used to use a wok) and for me, it has improved my BIR style dishes.  I don't know the science behind it but the pan gets hot quick, cools down quick, and is what the BIR's/TA's use in the main, so that has to be good enough for me.

As for Ali pans having no hotspots, well unless you are using a commercial gas ring I don't think that it really applies as much to the home cook because most domestic hobs, will create at least 4 "cool" spots because of their design. So I guess by logic, there will be four hot spots caused by what the pans sit on (the burner stands?)

Reducing and caramelising - For me, one certainly follows the other.  Reducing the base to rid it of it's liquid, leaves the concentrated base in a position to be caramelised, and is why BIR chefs encourage us to keep scraping back caramelised base back into the resultant curry.  The Taz-Mick base is a perfect example of this.  In goes the first ladle and is reduced to a thick paste, before the second ladle goes in.  This, in some small part, must caramelise/singe/burn the spice paste, which is what it has become!

Back on topic; the interesting thing about the c2go base for me, is that the majority of the liquid in the early stage comes from oil and not water!  It means that the veg is slowly deep frying rather than boiling and to some extent, flavouring the oil, another subject currently being explored by members.  Logic suggests that this should offer a different taste to a boiled base and is why I'm keen to give it a try.  Unfortunately, Julian doesn't seem to really want to get involved on cr0, so it's hard to get the information one requires to try this and other recipes exactly to spec, shame!

I would say that the most important thing to understand here is, there are many varied techniques that can be applied to create the BIR flavour, Julians being one of them, Micks being another and Chewytikka's being another.  I have tried Micks(CBM) base and it was fantastic, and so was the resultant curries using this base in conjunction with his preferred methods.  I have also been using Chewytikka base of late, and his methods in the main, which is also giving me perfect results.  Two very different methods, two very different base sauces but both resulting in fantastic BIR style dishes, albeit very different from each other!

Hey ho, that's my "oar" stuck in anyway :P

Ray :)


Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: spiceyokooko on December 22, 2011, 08:22 PM
Paul

I do wish you would stop telling me what I already know e.g. what caramelisation is.

There are other people who read this thread apart from you Paul, perhaps they might benefit from this information, despite you already knowing everything there is to know already?

This forum is now quite vast and I can tell you that the subject of pans has been discussed from time to time but I don't have time to look for you to provide the links.

Well I've read all the threads discussing pans and there's nothing in any of them that refer to their ability for base sauce 'caramelisation' and that's one of the primary reasons for why they're used in a BIR Kitchen. I've seen plenty of discussion about the ideal size, and a question or two asking 'why an aluminium pan' but surprise, surprise - no answer. But you know don't you Paul, because you know everything.

Not everybody will come rallying to this thread to tell you what pan they use because 1) it is off-topic and should be a new thread or a old thread brought up again

Can you please explain to me exactly why it's off-topic? The last time I looked the title of this thread was New Video's From Curry2Go in Chorley. Given that one of the said videos contains a tip from the Julian with regards to the type of pan used in BIR kitchens, I'd suggest to you that it's very much on topic, regardless of what you might think, but then I'm forgetting, you know it all don't you?

you are slightly confrontational bordering on insulting at times to members of cr0. (questioning cooking skills, mocking other discussions etc

And I will continue to be so too. I will always challenge established wisdom regardless of whose ego's might get bruised in the process because that's the way you strip away the wheat from the chaff and get to the truth. I'm only interested in truth and knowledge, I don't give two hoots for peoples egos.

I think you miss the fact that lots of people on this forum cook very nice curries that they are happy with but some of us are after a little extra and that is the hard bit to achieve.

I miss nothing. What I do know is, there's a small bunch of 'forumistas' that have been here a while who seem to think they know it all, you being one of them and when anyone dares to challenge their collective established wisdom, they throw their toys out of the pram with comments like ...this is off topic, ...start a new thread and ...I won't continue to discuss this. Who cares what you want Paul? Perhaps other people here (yeah, god forbid, there's other people here apart from you!) that might actually find this information useful to them? And do actually want to discuss it? Heavens!

You don't need to understand anything for this malarky
Absolute rubbish! Once again you pin your own standards on everyone else. You might think it beneath you to understand the actual processes involved - but plenty of other people do want to understand them and discuss them. The Curry Universe does not revolve around you Paul and I don't care how long you've been here, how long you've been cooking curries or how much you think you know. This forum is for collective shared information for everyone to participate in - not just you!

If you want to talk about pans please start a new thread or find an old one and resurrect it, and I won't continue to discuss this in this thread.
Then don't discuss it - let others discuss it, you don't have to participate in every thread Paul, I think we'll survive for once without your omnipotent and omnipresent input!
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: spiceyokooko on December 22, 2011, 08:26 PM
This was covered with the Taz base thread, by Mick (curry barking mad)

No it wasn't, and if it was please point me to the Taz base sauce discussion where aluminium pans are used specifically for the ability to caramelise the base sauce.

I also don't recall Julian from Curry2Go in Chorley using Taz's base sauce  ::)
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: spiceyokooko on December 22, 2011, 08:41 PM
Hi all, Im going to stay off topic then hopefully bring it back.. :) I made the remark to try and clear up(in my own mind!!) some information on posts which were possibly conflicting of which there are lots on this site..it's a forum right??
You would think it was a forum for asking questions, discussion and clarification wouldn't you? And yes there's an awful lot of conflicting information, one of the biggest hurdles many new members have to get over.

It's no wonder so few new members ever dare to post or ask a question given the behaviour of certain 'formumistas' who seem determined to stifle discussion and only want their own opinions and views to dominate.

Look at your post, 'I'm going to stay off topic and bring it back' Good god - discuss what ever you want to!

Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: Les on December 22, 2011, 09:07 PM
Blimey, this thread is getting hot, but there again I like a bit of controversy ;D Not learning anything, but it sure makes good reading ;D
Keep it up chap's ;)

HS
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: ELW on December 22, 2011, 09:11 PM
Quote
I would say that the most important thing to understand here is, there are many varied techniques that can be applied to create the BIR flavour, Julians being one of them, Micks being another and Chewytikka's being another.  I have tried Micks(CBM) base and it was fantastic, and so was the resultant curries using this base in conjunction with his preferred methods.  I have also been using Chewytikka base of late, and his methods in the main, which is also giving me perfect results.  Two very different methods, two very different base sauces but both resulting in fantastic BIR style dishes, albeit very different from each other!

This post will probably stay off topic until we have a tate report from C2G
Agreed Razor, Julian has really stuck his head above the parapet with his venture, I really wish him all the best, he may steal a march with that. Personally I've been trying to sort the optional from the crucial, the conflicting information (as a forum should be) is rife. One of the biggest ??????'s for me is the Ashoka stuff from panpot,purely because I know what it should taste like, which I still can't nail to an Ashoka dish, the base being not too much different than any other....their menus posted through my door state different ingredients than the bir observation on here.....I followed those threads like a good book as I had never heard a report from a bir kitchen. the Korma has nothing in but base & cream, but in restaurant korma still has the 'unusual taste'.

What happened to Panpot????

ELW
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: ELW on December 22, 2011, 09:13 PM
Quote
Blimey, this thread is getting hot, but there again I like a bit of controversy  Not learning anything, but it sure makes good reading
Keep it up chap's

HS

Theres no such thing as bad publicity HS, you know that  :)

Rgards
ELW
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: Les on December 22, 2011, 09:24 PM
Theres no such thing as bad publicity HS, you know that  :)

Rgards
ELW

Very true my friend, Very true, ;)

HS
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: PaulP on December 22, 2011, 10:23 PM
Spicey,

You misunderstood me on something I posted:

If you know how to do something, you don't necessarily need to understand why. You could be taught for 10 years by a genuine BIR chef how to cook great BIR food and you could do it by a process of copying and repetition and I suspect that is just how one BIR chef may pass down his knowledge to an apprentice chef. If you don't know how to do something, and it is a guarded secret then you do need to understand why.

In this way people can learn how to caramelise their base just by watching how BIR chefs cook their curries. That's what I meant about the chewytikka madras video. And you can get the same effect from a steel wok because I do it myself.

Anyway, I'll butt out. It wasn't my intention to wind you up.

Paul






Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: PaulP on December 22, 2011, 10:37 PM
Blimey, this thread is getting hot, but there again I like a bit of controversy ;D Not learning anything, but it sure makes good reading ;D
Keep it up chap's ;)

HS

Naughty, naughty hot stuff, we all enjoy it when the handbags come out  :o. If you're not careful I'll tell everyone you're a bloke and nothing like your avatar  :) :)
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: curryhell on December 22, 2011, 11:06 PM
Spicey,

Anyway, I'll butt out. It wasn't my intention to wind you up.

Paul

Well, from what i've witnessed the last couple of months it doesn't take much, does it.  The old soap box does seem to be getting a lot of use just lately ;).  But then again, that's what this forum is all about, the expression of individuals views,their experiences, their queries, beliefs and disbeliefs etc etc etc.  But please guys, keep it civil and impersonal.  I think we can all disagree, but let's do it politely at least.   We are civilised curry cooks, not bloody football supporters, after all ;D ;D.  We haven't quite lowered ourselves to that level just yet, or have we :-\
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: spiceyokooko on December 22, 2011, 11:32 PM
Paul

I haven't misunderstood a single word you've written, but you've not listened to or taken on board a single word I've said.

If you know how to do something, you don't necessarily need to understand why...

This is just nonsense!!!

This does not help people coming here and and trying to learn how to cook BIR curries does it? Isn't that what this forum is for? To help people replicate that taste and flavour that these BIR Chef's manage to do so easily yet we all struggle to emulate? It's exactly this kind of misinformation that confuses people and makes them want to give up? You and others may know instinctively how to caramelise a base sauce in a non non-stick pan, but how does that help anyone else? It's exactly this kind of arrogant 'know it all' attitude I object to.

This for me and I'm sure many others like me could prove a real breakthrough in them achieving what they've been searching for and all you can do and say is, ...you don't necessarily need to understand why... ...and this topic's off thread?

This is the first time since I've been on this site that I've ever seen any explanation from anyone as to why BIR chefs use aluminium pans and why, and not just that, coming from someone (Julian) who got slated at the beginning of this thread for some of the ingredients he uses in his curries when no-one had even tried them!!!!!

Plenty of people slated his (Julians) Bhuna as looking nothing like a Bhuna, despite Julian explaining that, that's what his customers like and that he sells more Bhuna's than Madras's! I remember someone telling me early on here my Madras didn't look like a Madras, what the hell does it matter what a dish looks like as long as it tastes right? It's nonsensical!!!!!

As far as I'm concerned you couldn't make this up really it's so rediculous. And yes you have wound me up and I'll admit I'm now getting pretty annoyed.
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: chriswg on December 23, 2011, 08:11 AM
As much as I've enjoyed reading this argument unfold the answer is simple and a bit boring.

The real reason BIR's use aluminium pans is because they are cheap and they heat up really fast. The thinner the metal on the base the better, they don't want to hang around for even a minute waiting for a thicker pan to heat up!

As I've said so many times there is no secret anything, you just need to learn the techniques and that takes time. Once you crack it, you will be able to hit that BIR flavour with every dish you cook.
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: Cory Ander on December 23, 2011, 08:13 AM
I strongly suspect (I can't say for sure because I've never asked them!) that BIRs use aluminium pans mainly because they are:


If anything, aluminium pans also seem to have the property of being relatively "nonstick" to me (which, I presume, is another "attribute" for their use by a BIR).

All pan materials have attributes which make them more or less suitable for the task at hand.  But I strongly suspect that any pan (including nonstick pans) will do the job more than adequately.

I, for one, can definitely "caramelise" (or read "burn"!  ;)) anything in any pan, without too much trouble!   :o

The following link it is to a good website for understand some of the engineering aspects regarding materials selection:

http://www.cookingforengineers.com/article/120/Common-Materials-of-Cookware (http://www.cookingforengineers.com/article/120/Common-Materials-of-Cookware)

To me, it seems far more important to match the size of your pan (of whatever material used) with the size of your heat source, with the volume of ingredients that you are cooking.

Spicey:

"Pans", "reduction" and "caramelising" have been mentioned regularly, over the years, on this forum.  Unfortunately, many members will not bother to reply to threads on topics that have been discussed several times before (and who can really blame them?)

But I think you are right about one thing in particular.  This forum has been particularly weak (in my opinion) in adequately defining the term "technique" (a term regularly bandied about but seldom defined) used in BIR (or any Indian) cooking. 

I've tried, several times, to solicit inputs and ideas about "techniques" but, largely, to little avail.  I reckon I could have a fair stab at it...but I really can't be too bothered.  Here are a couple of examples:

http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=1283.0 (http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=1283.0)

http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=4069.0 (http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=4069.0)

I think it's probably because members have largely not been able to even recognise (or even identify) specific "techniques" and have otherwise been largely unable to articulate them.

Regarding Paul's comments about "understanding" - like you (and I'm sure many other members), I also like to understand the reasons (i.e. the "why?") for doing things.  However, as Paul says, life is generally not like that.  Things are done, the way they are done, because that is how they were shown to be done!  Very much "Monkey see, Monkey do"! 

I would be pretty sure that most BIR chefs would not actually know WHY (I mean really why?) they do things the way that they do.

PS:  you might get a better response from forum members if you came across as slightly less combative Spicey (now THERE'S the pot calling the kettle black!   ::))   ;)
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: Cory Ander on December 23, 2011, 08:23 AM
I've just knocked up a curry base (my own version) using "used oil" (which is, to my mind, very obviously "seasoned").  The "used oil", I used, is from frying bhajis.  And, yes, chips! - to which the oil adds a nice colour and taste. 

It's not the first time I've done it.  But, based on your comments, I want to try it again.  It's NOT "rancid oil", it's NOT "lard", it's NOT "knackered oil", nor, indeed, is it "3in1"!"  ::) 

It's simply oil that has been used, to fry other things, which it has picked up the smell and taste from!

The other thing I've done is to "fry", "tarka", or "bargaar", or "bhuna" (I'm now not sure which other people think it is!  But it's probably a combination of all of them!) the spices, garlic, ginger and tomato puree and added it to the pre-boiled veggies.  It makes much sense to me, since the spices needs the oil to release their flavours. And the veggies don't.

I haven't cooked any curries with it yet (I will within the next few days) but will let you know how I get on

Once again, as I posted above, I've tried using "used oil" (i.e. oil used for cooking chips and bhajis) for making a curry base (my own).  Alas, once again, I'm sorry to say that it was horrible!  It just tasted and smelt like "used oil".  I cooked a Bombay Aloo with it, smelt it and tasted it, and ditched it (i.e. the base).

I also used the "bargaar" technique (or whatever the right term is  ::)) and fried the garlic, ginger, spices and tomato and added it to the base after boiling the veggies.  I also then reboiled (rather than simmered) the base.  Alas, it was tasteless!  Absolutely tasteless!     ???

So I'm not at all sure what it is about the "used oil" that Haldi has used, or how it was produced.  Like Haldi (based on his comments), mine seems not to be the same. 

Though I don't otherwise doubt Haldi's findings.

My best result is still to very gently simmer all the ingredients (bar the spices and coriander), only until sufficiently cooked for blending, and then to add the powdered spices, right towards the end of cooking, and then to add the coriander, right at the end, before cooling.  For me, this still seems to be the best "technique" to preserve the flavours.  No prolonged cooking involved; just sufficiently long to cook (and soften) everything.

Ho hum, onwards and upwards!   :P
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: Cory Ander on December 23, 2011, 08:47 AM
The real reason BIR's use aluminium pans is because they are cheap and they heat up really fast. The thinner the metal on the base the better, they don't want to hang around for even a minute waiting for a thicker pan to heat up!

Sorry Chris, but you come across has having the definitive answers (once again!)  :o

If what you say it true (and I think it is probably partly true) then they would use very thin, and cheap, TIN!  ::)
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: Cory Ander on December 23, 2011, 08:55 AM
Paul

I haven't misunderstood a single word you've written

Well, what a compliment Paul! Your written style must be absolutely (and highly improbably) perfect!  :P

Quote from: spicey
, but you've not listened to or taken on board a single word I've said

But please buck up on your listening and comprehension skills my lad!   ;)   ::)
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: Les on December 23, 2011, 09:24 AM
Naughty, naughty hot stuff, we all enjoy it when the handbags come out  :o. If you're not careful I'll tell everyone you're a bloke and nothing like your avatar  :) :)

And there was I thinking that you still loved me Paul ;) How could you ;D
BTW wouldn't mind her in MY Christmas stocking ;D It won't be only the curry that was hot 8)

HS
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: Peripatetic Phil on December 23, 2011, 09:45 AM
The real reason BIR's use aluminium pans is because they are cheap and they heat up really fast. The thinner the metal on the base the better, they don't want to hang around for even a minute waiting for a thicker pan to heat up!
If what you say it true (and I think it is probably partly true) then they would use very thin, and cheap, TIN!  ::)
I don't think any chef in his right mind would cook in a very thin vessel that would melt at 231.9C !
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: Cory Ander on December 23, 2011, 09:58 AM
I don't think any chef in his right mind would cook in a very thin vessel that would melt at 231.9C !

Then you're agreeing with me that what Chris says can't be true!   ;)
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: Cory Ander on December 23, 2011, 09:59 AM
BTW wouldn't mind her in MY Christmas stocking ;D

Tut, tut, HS...at your age, I only hope the rest of your Christmas stocking is stuffed full of Viagra, in which case!  :P ;)
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: Les on December 23, 2011, 10:29 AM
Tut, tut, HS...at your age, I only hope the rest of your Christmas stocking is stuffed full of Viagra, in which case!  :P ;)

Your right there CA, But I would die a very happy man with a big .........Smile on my face ;D

HS
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: spiceyokooko on December 23, 2011, 11:02 AM
The real reason BIR's use aluminium pans is because they are cheap and they heat up really fast.

The original question wasn't why they use Aluminium pans per se, but why they used Aluminium Pans that did not have a non-stick coating on them. A subtle difference, but a distinctive one. I've been using an old 24cm aluminium frying pan with a non-stick coating specifically for making curries in, I now find out that, that is not the correct type of pan I should be using. It's still an aluminium pan, it still heats up quickly and it's still cheap to buy, but it's not the right type.

As I've said so many times there is no secret anything, you just need to learn the techniques and that takes time

And how are you supposed to achieve those techniques if you're not using the correct type of cooking utensils considered essential in achieving them?

Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: spiceyokooko on December 23, 2011, 11:04 AM
But I strongly suspect that any pan (including nonstick pans) will do the job more than adequately.

I, for one, can definitely "caramelise" (or read "burn"!  ;)) anything in any pan, without too much trouble!   :o

I see. So more conflicting advice then?
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: George on December 23, 2011, 11:22 AM
The real reason BIR's use aluminium pans is because they are cheap and they heat up really fast.
The original question wasn't why they use Aluminium pans per se, but why they used Aluminium Pans that did not have a non-stick coating on them. A subtle difference, but a distinctive one. I've been using an old 24cm aluminium frying pan with a non-stick coating specifically for making curries in, I now find out that, that is not the correct type of pan I should be using. It's still an aluminium pan, it still heats up quickly and it's still cheap to buy, but it's not the right type.

I agree with chriswg in so far as many BIRs use aluminium pans because they're good. I'm fairly sure you don't need any coating on the aluminium, either. I rubbed off the non-stick coating on my aluminium pan to get back to the bare metal, like I think many BIRs use. It's great. Stuff hardly sticks at all. And you can use metal utensils because there's no non-stick coating to worry about. If you have a non-stick aluminium pan, try to remove the coating, like I did.
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: Cory Ander on December 23, 2011, 11:49 AM
I see. So more conflicting advice then?

Just my (considered) opinion Spicey  :P

Unfortunately, it's in the nature of the beast (of forums, I mean)!  I share your frustration, in this regard, but we have myriad members with myriad (and usually conflicting) experiences and opinions about almost any topic you'd care to mention!  :o

The secret is, I think, to sift through the opinions and form your own.... :)

One thing seems clear to me.  That no one has "the definitive" answers to any of the questions we pose.  Those that claim to are seriously misguided.  For anyone who claims one thing, there is always someone else, as sure as nuts are nuts, that claims the opposite  :o

But, back to pans.  Do you SERIOUSLY believe that a non-coated aluminium pan is a MUST and that nothing else will do the job (for whatever reasons members might care to mention)?   ::)

"Reduction", as a technique, perhaps.  "Caramelising", as a technique, maybe.  Or, perhaps more accurately, proper cooking of the spices to extract their flavours?

But specific pan, no....IMHO.  Of course others may beg to (will) differ.... :P
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: Cory Ander on December 23, 2011, 11:53 AM
I agree with chriswg in so far as many BIRs use aluminium pans because they're good

What an earth is "good" George?  :-\

Quote
If you have a non-stick aluminium pan, try to remove the coating, like I did.

Right.  I'll go scratch off the non-stick coating on my 100 quid Scanpan then..... ::)

The one thing that seems sensible to me, if you're in doubt, is to use a bog standard aluminuim pan because many (most) BIRs seem to use them (for whatever perceived reason).  Mine cost me 8 quid a shot from the Asian store.  What you got to lose?
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: spiceyokooko on December 23, 2011, 12:07 PM
If you have a non-stick aluminium pan, try to remove the coating, like I did.

Hello there George, thanks for your input.

Out of curiosity, how did you go about removing the non-stick coating on your pan?

I'd pretty much already decided to change my old pan to something else and was considering the De Buyer Mineral B pans as a possible alternative and was curious about the 'Maillard' reaction you could achieve with these pans and wondered if somehow that was linked to caramelisation and BIR flavours. I then came across this thread and saw Julians video recommending standard aluminium pans without any non-stick coating as the way to go, hence my questions with regards to what people were using.

I've now read through Cory's linked thread about achieving that 'smoky, caramel' flavour using a high heat 'wok-style' burner and can't help but wonder whether Julian is achieving the same effect by simply allowing the base sauce to 'caramelise and burn' slightly in the uncoated aluminium pans he recommends. Or is it the greater flaming that occurs using the higher heat 'wok-style' burner? Given that you can achieve that 'flaming' without the need for high heat, it suggests the latter in my opinion.

I'm sorry to labour this point, but for me and my cooking, it's this 'smoky' flavour that's always been missing and is therefore of great interest to me in how I can recreate it.
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: Peripatetic Phil on December 23, 2011, 12:09 PM
The one thing that seems sensible to me, if you're in doubt, is to use a bog standard aluminuim pan because many (most) BIRs seem to use them (for whatever perceived reason).  Mine cost me 8 quid a shot from the Asian store.  What you got to lose?
Well, street-cred, clearly.  I mean, if your cooking utensils aren't endorsed by an egotistical foul-mouthed so-called chef, a.k.a. "T.V. personality", and appropriate badged and priced to match, then clearly not only are your chances of cooking anything at all worthwhile strictly zero, you are also failing to be properly impressed by the very expensive advertising campaigns that endeavour to lead the gullible into buying such products and are therefore one of those primarily responsible for the financial crisis in which this country now finds itself ...  So just get out there and buy some proper cookware, appropriately endorsed by whichever "celebrity chef" just happens to be the flavour of the moment, and then not only will your curries surpass even those of the legendary Veeraswamys, you will also be doing your bit to make Britain great again :-)
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: Cory Ander on December 23, 2011, 12:20 PM
So you're agreeing with my suggestion again are you Phil?  ;)

On your tirade, I was gobsmacked to see what they charge for enameled cast iron cookware nowadays!  :o

Once upon a time, I think it was about the cheapest cookware you could buy!  Now it appears to be distinctly up market (with a distinctive price tag to match!)!

Seriously though, if you want to eliminate at least one variable, buy and use a bog standard aluminium pan like many (most) BIRs clearly use (for whatever perceived reason).  Damn it!  I'm repeating myself...again... :P
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: spiceyokooko on December 23, 2011, 12:45 PM
Just my (considered) opinion Spicey  :P

And as such you're more than entitled to express it.

However, what you need to remember I think is that you're probably far more advanced in achieving the results you want than most people here (at least in my opinion and from what I've read of your posts) and that whilst you may have the knowledge and ability to achieve all sorts of things using a variety of cooking utensils, because you understand the principles and processes unpinning what you want to achieve - many others here do not!

Therefore the use of a specific cooking utensil for you, may not make one iota's difference to you - for other lesser mortals and beginners and those less knowledgeable, the simple process of changing a cooking pan may make the world of difference to what they create.

This is one of the reasons why there's so much conflicting opinion - everyone has different experiences, knowledge, techniques and so on. What's good for one person may not be good for another.

I share your frustration, in this regard, but we have myriad members with myriad (and usually conflicting) experiences and opinions about almost any topic you'd care to mention!  :o

Exactly!

The secret is, I think, to sift through the opinions and form your own.... :)

And that's exactly what I do. If that means I have to be quite brutal sometimes in the way I extract information and challenge preconceived notions then sobeit. I'm after truth and knowledge, sometimes you have to be brutal to get that (and thick skinned) there's too many ego's that can get in the way.

But, back to pans.  Do you SERIOUSLY believe that a non-coated aluminium pan is a MUST and that nothing else will do the job (for whatever reasons members might care to mention)?   ::)

For you? No. For more experienced members of the forum who've developed their own methods through trial, error and experience? No. For less experienced, newer members, members with little to no cooking experience, probably a big yes. They need to start from the basics and cut out as many variables as possible in achieving what they're looking for.

Cooking in an aluminium pan without a non-stick surface is undoubtedly one of the key skills/techniques any new aspiring BIR cook needs to master and understand, long before they start fiddling about with the dozens of different base sauces on offer!

Can you now see just how useful this thread and discussion is turning out to be? Not just for me, but I'm sure for many Cr0 members and yet someone tried to kill it by being off topic? Silly.

Good Karma!
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: emin-j on December 23, 2011, 01:15 PM
Too bloody boring and long winded for me  ::)
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: Cory Ander on December 23, 2011, 01:29 PM
Therefore the use of a specific cooking utensil....may make the world of difference to what they create

I agree and, at the risk of repeating myself (again...and again......), it's why I said this:

Quote from: CA
if you want to eliminate at least one variable, buy and use a bog standard aluminium pan like many (most) BIRs clearly use (for whatever perceived reason)

I trust this will suffice as a summary of my opinion?  :)
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: Cory Ander on December 23, 2011, 01:32 PM
Too bloody boring and long winded for me  ::)

Not sure what (or who) you're referring to emin-j.  But I think Spicey (at least) has raised some important points worthy of debate.....
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: Razor on December 23, 2011, 01:40 PM
Whilst understanding the science behind what we do with regards to cooking, is a very desirable piece of knowledge to have, at this/my level of cooking, it is less important than having the technique correct.  Obviously, if I have the technique correct, then logically I have the science part right too(I think :o)

I remember the days when the trusty wok was my weapon of choice, my curries were ok but there were elements of the BIR flavour/aroma missing. By changing my pan to an Ali BIR style pan, my results improved a great deal.  I must say though, I didn't change my pan because I thought that I'd get better results, I changed it because I'd seen the Ali pan being used in the BIR's, TA's and videos, as CA points out "Monkey sees, Monkey does"

The first noticeable difference for me was how quickly I could reduce the first ladle of base.  In my wok, it seemed to take twice as long to reduce as it does in my Ali pan.  My understanding of this is because the wok is, by design, a bowl whereas the pan has a much flatter cooking area, therefor, the reducing sauce in the pan is much shallower and reduces quicker. Once that first lot of base reduces, I am left with a layer of oil covering the base of the pan with the spices cooking/caramelising just below the layer of oil.  This is where I really start to scrape the spices back into the oil, leaving them long enough to "singe" but not too long that they burn or stick to the base of the pan. Then in goes the rest of the base, and I reduce to my preferred consistency.

Now, I don't try to claim that this technique is "the BIR way" but I do know that it works for me and produces my very best efforts of which I'm very very happy with.

I never managed the level of success that I have now with my trusty old wok but, a wok and a Karahi are pretty much the same thing (IMO) so how do they (the pro's) still manage to get all the elements correct when cooking a balti or karahi dish?  My only guess is heat?

There are so many variables to BIR cooking that we are never going to get a "1 size fit's all" solutions.  Here are some of the conflicting viewpoints that Spicey eludes to;

Never fry garlic, v Always fry garlic
Cook hard and fast v Cook slowboat style
Lemon juice/dressing in a madras v never use lemon juice/dressing in a madras
Never burn the spices v burn the spices to get a smokey note
always keep the pan as hot as you can v heat, quench, heat, quench
Garam masala goes in only at the end v Garam masala can be used at the beginning ;)

The list goes on.

Understanding the science is without doubt, good knowledge to be in possession of but for me, and this is only my opinion, technique is key and if the technique has been developed through scientific means, then great but I don't really need to know that, I'll leave that to Heston ;D

Ray :)
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: spiceyokooko on December 23, 2011, 01:51 PM
I trust this will suffice as a summary of my opinion?  :)

Yes absolutely and thank for you at least having the courtesy to input some useful and interesting information and links to others, even if it was done with a smattering of flippancy. I was hoping you might expand your thoughts on your experimentation with high flame gas burners to achieve that smokey flavour with the 'caramelisation' achieved with uncoated aluminium pans as advocated by Julian, but it's not a problem.

I can see that this subject for the vast majority of more 'experienced' forumistas is either 'too instinctive' or 'too boring' to bother discussing. Carry on with the flippancy, snideness, sniping and arguing the toss over whether a micron of special x powder will transform my secret 'mix' powder to greatness.  ::) ::) ::)
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: Cory Ander on December 23, 2011, 01:53 PM
The list goes on

It does indeed Ray!  I compiled a list, spanning over a year or so, and the list runs into several pages!  I gave it up, as a futile task, in the end!  ::)
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: Peripatetic Phil on December 23, 2011, 02:04 PM
I can see that this subject for the vast majority of more 'experienced' forumistas is either 'too instinctive' or 'too boring' to bother discussing.
No, it's more the insufferable smugness of some of the participants that causes the rest of us not to bother participating ...
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: Cory Ander on December 23, 2011, 02:07 PM
I was hoping you might expand your thoughts on your experimentation with high flame gas burners to achieve that smokey flavour with the 'caramelisation' achieved with uncoated aluminium pans as advocated by Julian, but it's not a problem

I think I sort of did Spicey (w.r.t. pans, at least)?  To my mind the type of pan is not "essential".  But I think matching the size of your pan, to the size of your heat source, and to the volume of ingredients that you cook in it, is far more important (I.M.H.O.).

I would think that, like most (all?) others here, I struggle to get that "last" (or is it really HUGE???) bit of flavour and aroma that decent BIRs achieve.  Some members may disagree, but I would sure as hell like to try their curries for an independent assessment!  ???

I think high heat (correctly applied) helps to properly cook the spices and to develop flavours and aromas.

Quote
I can see that this subject for the vast majority of more 'experienced' forumistas is either 'too instinctive' or 'too boring' to bother discussing

I agree that, sadly, that is how it appears, Spicey. 

You are asking some reasonable and fundamental questions and are entitled to expect some reasonable and fundamental answers.

Unfortunately, this forum has always been rather strong on rhetoric but rather weak on answers. 

No offence to anyone; that's just the way it is (and always has been)  :)

Spicey, I think you will probably need to be more diplomatic and "entice" answers from members rather than to "bludgeon" them for answers (yes, yes, pot calling the kettle black once more, I know)!  ;)
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: spiceyokooko on December 23, 2011, 02:15 PM
Understanding the science is without doubt, good knowledge to be in possession of but for me, and this is only my opinion, technique is key and if the technique has been developed through scientific means, then great but I don't really need to know that, I'll leave that to Heston ;D

Ray

As far as I'm concerned technique and understanding the theory behind it go hand in hand. If you don't understand the theory behind what you're doing, you're resigning yourself forever to being a 'Monkey see's, Monkey does' kind of cook. This means people can only create a successful dish by slavishly following a recipe word for word. As soon as they depart from that recipe it goes wrong. Why? because they simply do not understand the principles that underpin it. This is precisely why you get so much conflicting advice and opinion on this site - because people just do not understand what they're doing as soon as they depart from a recipe.

I've seen so many comments on this site like 'I saw a BIR chef do this...and as soon as I tried to replicate it I couldn't get the same flavour'. No shit sherlock! That's because you don't understand the technique that was being used!

Yet as soon as I try to push to understand precisely what's going on in creating a certain flavour I not only get people entrenching their views, and defending them, but trying to convince me their way is right through dogma! In other words, I know I'm doing this right instinctively because I've seen Ali the master BIR chef doing the same thing - bullshit!

If people here want to continue the 'Monkey see's, Monkey does' route and all the restrictions that entails and are not interested in understanding what's going on - good luck to them. Personally I do not and do not want the restrictions of having to slavishly follow a recipe and want to go off and create my own dishes.

Personally I don't see that as being such a bad ambition to have.
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: spiceyokooko on December 23, 2011, 02:31 PM
Spicey, I think you will probably need to be more diplomatic and "entice" answers from members rather than to "bludgeon" them for answers (yes, yes, pot calling the kettle black once more, I know)!  ;)
I think my time will be far better spent in the kitchen learning through experimentation, something I've always done, than bothering to extract the misinformation and entrenched contradictory opinion that pervades this forum.

That's a little unfair on a certain few individuals, but sadly true for the majority.

Anyway, carry on!
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: Razor on December 23, 2011, 02:44 PM
Hi Spicey,


If people here want to continue the 'Monkey see's, Monkey does' route and all the restrictions that entails and are not interested in understanding what's going on - good luck to them. Personally I do not and do not want the restrictions of having to slavishly follow a recipe and want to go off and create my own dishes.

Personally I don't see that as being such a bad ambition to have.

No, it certainly isn't mate, infact, it's very admirable.

My position is this, (and I'm not trying to defend it, just to explain it)  I love BIR style food.  I love to cook BIR style food and I am over joyed when I get it right.  I would love to know the exact science behind what it is that makes it taste so good but it's not that easy to come by.  Certainly, you will struggle to get the answers of most BIR chefs and I suspect that this is simply because they themselves don't really know the science, they indeed use the Monkey sees, Monkey does method.  Julian himself in his precooked chicken video tells us not to cook the chicken straight from the fridge but cook it from room temperature or the chicken will go tough.  He doesn't explain the scientific logic behind that tip and I suspect that he himself doesn't really know, he just knows that it goes tough if cooked from anything less than room temperature?

That's not to say that I nor he is ignorant in any way, I'm just saying that, if I singe my spices on the bottom of my pan, I know that it will get me better results than if I don't.  I don't understand in it's entirety what actually happens, apart from the spices getting cooked properly but like Julian with his chicken, I know that this practice works for me.

Another example of this is hard boiled eggs.  My mother taught me a long time ago that if I boil eggs slowly for 10 minutes, then plunge into ice cold water, it stops the outside of the yolk from turning green and smelling like farts!
She didn't have a clue as to why this was and was a tip passed onto her from her mother (monkey sees, monkey does)

Through the wonders of WWW, I understand the science behind it now but for years I didn't and still produced, non fart smelling, hard boiled eggs, with a beautiful clean yellow yolk, dya see where I'm coming from?

Where I would agree in some part is, if I was to give up my job to persue my cooking interest, just like Julian has done, I would definitely want to know more about the scientific aspect of cooking because, and I think this is where you are coming from?, I'd want to not only equal my rivals, but I'd want to blow them out of the water.  Having a good knowledge of food science would, I should imagine, give me the tools that I'd need to achieve that

Ray :)
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: George on December 23, 2011, 02:47 PM
If you have a non-stick aluminium pan, try to remove the coating, like I did.
Hello there George, thanks for your input.
Out of curiosity, how did you go about removing the non-stick coating on your pan?

I refer to a 'standard' non stick type coating, rather than 'anodised' or some other fancy type. My pan was a GBP3.99 non-stick pan which I knew was aluminium underneath. I used coarse sandpaper and metal scrapers to rough-up and remove the coating. Don't score too much or you'll dig into the aluminium base, when you really need as smooth a surface as possible. It was quite easy to do and may be more difficult to describe. I would never buy expensive pans with a big brand label and a price to match from somewhere like John Lewis. I'm not sure what extra you get with expensive cookware but I'm not for one moment suggesting you should use sandpaper on a pan which cost, say, GBP100 or indeed much more than GBP3.99. I reckon the end result is much the same. Don't expect it to transform' your cooking. I suggest it's simply another piece of the jigsaw.

Here's my original post, with photos of the pan, before and after:
http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=4983.msg47788#msg47788 (http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=4983.msg47788#msg47788)
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: spiceyokooko on December 23, 2011, 03:14 PM
Certainly, you will struggle to get the answers of most BIR chefs and I suspect that this is simply because they themselves don't really know the science, they indeed use the Monkey sees, Monkey does method.

Ray

I understand fully where you're coming from here. But my point is and will continue to be, that there are certain 'fundamentals' you must know, and other things you don't have to necessarily fully understand to produce good results. My point is where that line is drawn is blurred and what the 'fundamentals' are and what they aren't.

What these 'fundamentals' are and aren't is not being defined.

What makes it worse is that there are some that are trying to argue that some of these 'fundamentals' take caramelisation for example does not have to be understood - I'm arguing to the contrary - caramelisation must be understood to produce the correct BIR flavours.

Your point with regards to Julians 'tip' on allowing chicken to rise to room temperature before cooking is just that - a tip, that helps you produce better dishes. It doesn't, will not, and won't change the overall 'flavour' of the dish you're cooking and therefore knowing and understanding the why's and wherefores of that is entirely irrelevant to the overall flavour of the dish you're cooking.

I'm interested primarily in flavours and how they're achieved within a dish. Indian cookery is particularly complex with regards to flavours because so many things can influence them, by understanding what these influences are, you can harness and control those flavours and produce the one's you want and the one's you don't. Given that BIR currys and traditional Indian food layers flavours over each other to produce one complex one, it's imperative to understand and control the influences over these layers.

If you don't and can't you'll always be a 'Monkey see's, Monkey does kind of cook. And with respect, this site is very good at producing those kind of cooks.


Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: spiceyokooko on December 23, 2011, 03:19 PM
Here's my original post, with photos of the pan, before and after:
http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=4983.msg47788#msg47788 (http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=4983.msg47788#msg47788)

Excellent job there George and thanks for the tip. I'll have a closer look at mine and see if I can achieve a similar result. Other than that, it might just be worth buying a cheap new one like you did and just taking off the non-stick coating.

Many thanks.

Good Karma!
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: Razor on December 23, 2011, 03:47 PM
Hi Spicey,

Your point with regards to Julians 'tip' on allowing chicken to rise to room temperature before cooking is just that - a tip, that helps you produce better dishes. It doesn't, will not, and won't change the overall 'flavour' of the dish you're cooking and therefore knowing and understanding the why's and wherefores of that is entirely irrelevant to the overall flavour of the dish you're cooking.

No, it won't change the flavour but it will change your enjoyment of the final dish, another piece of the jigsaw.

The more I think about this discussion the more I think that I'm doing myself a bit of a disservice really.  As you say, the science and the technique are hand in glove and so, if you understand the correct technique, then I suppose that you understand the science to some degree?  Ok, I may not be able to explain it with a scientific approach but I do know what works and what doesn't for me at least.

It's turned out to be a quite interesting debate, really enjoyed it.

Ray :)
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: spiceyokooko on December 23, 2011, 04:28 PM
The more I think about this discussion the more I think that I'm doing myself a bit of a disservice really.

I think you probably are, but there's a very good way of testing yourself if it's something you were interested in doing. And I'm being quite genuine here, I'm not trying to be clever or trying to prove a point. You could even do it on the quiet without telling anyone, just to see where you are and what kind of results you could produce in comparison with a known quantity.

Put all your base sauces, mix powders and recipes to one side and start from a blank piece of paper and work entirely from the techniques and knowledge you've acquired to produce a BIR style curry dish from scratch. Anything goes apart from following a recipe.

Now develop your own base sauce, a marinade and/or pre-cooking method, your own spice 'masala' using ground spices or whole ones dry roasted and ground and cook out the dish tasting as you go and compare that to a recipe based 'known' quantity.

I guarantee you'll learn an awful lot about your cooking in the process. It's just for a bit of fun really, but it'll test your knowledge of the spices/ingredients and cooking techniques.

It's turned out to be a quite interesting debate, really enjoyed it.

Yes I agree. Discussions that break down preconcieved notions often reveal quite interesting new information, it's just dogma I dislike so much because it's a barrier to providing understanding.
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: Peripatetic Phil on December 23, 2011, 04:36 PM
f you understand the correct technique, then I suppose that you understand the science to some degree? 
Not convinced, Ray, not convinced, even with the best will in the world.  And with the greatest respect to BIR chefs throughout the land, I doubt whether many of them understand the science (qua science) either.  The technique -- most certainly; the technology -- most probably; but the science ?  Food science is real science, and unless you happen to be fortunate enough to have had a good education in science (as rare these days as a good education in grammar !), you are unlikely to really understand the science involved.  (Of course, I don't mean you personally, just the generic "you" that might be better expressed as "one" but which would undoubtedly sound excessively formal and pretentious on a forum such as this).  My EUR 0,02.

** Phil.
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: Razor on December 23, 2011, 04:39 PM
Hi Spicey,

Sounds like a worthwhile experiment and to be honest, I have already done this.  I did create my own base and spice mix to go with it.  It did at the time, teach me quite a lot one thing being that, a good base sauce does not need to be complicated to produce a good curry.

Anyway, here's a link to it, have a read http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=4596.0 (http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=4596.0)

Here's a link to something else that I was experimenting with at the time, http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=5189.0 (http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=5189.0)

And my spice mix http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=4706.0 (http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=4706.0)

As you can see, I do like the odd experiment or two ;D

Ray :)
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: Razor on December 23, 2011, 04:52 PM
Hi Phil,

Ok, what I should have said is "if you understand the technique, then you understand the science as far as a layman could"  that being for example; you know caramelising the spices is the correct thing to do (for some) because it produces  the sought taste but, you don't necessarily understand the absolute science ie; sugars being released and turning to liquid at x temperature and so on blah blah blah....

Do you see what I mean?

Ray :)
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: Les on December 23, 2011, 05:07 PM
All this talk about Pans, Technique is fine, But nobody has mentioned Spice's, Surely knowing how spices work together is a must, what happens to them when cooked is a must, How do you make up a spice mix without knowing the basics about spices, Don't see how you can, Are the spices not the main ingredient in any curry, without them what do you have, a Veg soup ;) It's all well and good having the know how with Pan's and what not, Without knowing what the spices do you have nothing, guess work ::)
Apologies I'm starting to ramble on like an old woman

HS
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: spiceyokooko on December 23, 2011, 05:48 PM
Sounds like a worthwhile experiment and to be honest, I have already done this.

Yes and it's interesting, but you still followed someone else's recipe for producing the final dish. Why didn't you go the whole hog and complete your own dish using your own spice mix and base sauce? From what I could see you followed one of CA's recipes for the final dish.

And reading through your base sauce thread, springs up another of my own 'chestnuts' - the use of commercial curry powders. Again this just harks back to the dogma I was talking about previously and you can see it in that thread. "...I used a commercial curry powder in my spice mix because I saw that's what the BIR T/A used...".

How can you control the spice mix flavours when you're using a commercial curry powder in your spice mix, the ratios of the contents of the curry powder are unknown? I noticed you mentioned because it contained a small quantity of cloves as an example.

Ray, seriously, can you honestly tell me that the tiny amount of cloves in that curry powder you're using is having any influence at all on the overall flavour when used in your base sauce? Isn't it just more dogma - you're using it because you know the BIR's use it and you're emulating them, but you're not quite sure why?

Is it not better to try and understand the flavours being created and recreate them by using the specific spices themselves? This then allows you to understand and control the spicing in your dishes without any unknown variables? This is exactly what 976bar achieved with his Chicken Bhuna recipe by using star anise whilst frying his onions and produced a cracking dish as a result.

This is just my opinion and philosophy, I'm not necessarily saying it's a 'one size fits all' solution, but for me this is the way I prefer to go.
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: ELW on December 23, 2011, 06:00 PM
Quote
Not convinced, Ray, not convinced, even with the best will in the world.  And with the greatest respect to BIR chefs throughout the land, I doubt whether many of them understand the science (qua science) either.

Ive more than once saw a chef in a semi open kitchen hardly even pay attention to the pan as he was cooking,couldn't say or not what it tasted like, or if it was my stuff he was cooking

A taste test from Curry2Go, could answer a lot of questions in my own personal struggle....& these new multi stage gravies that have appeared recently....why now???

.............................and breathe
 out!!

Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: Razor on December 23, 2011, 06:32 PM
Hi Spicey,

Yes you are correct, at the very beginning I did follow CA's methods and recipes, but further into the thread I do indicate that I changed this by creating a spice mix that I believe compliments my base and whilst I did still follow CA's methods, the flavour of the dishes changed somewhat, as you may expect them to.

The use of curry powder has always been a contentious issue and "guilty as charged", I used it because that's what I believed the BIR's and TA's did/do.  As you rightly point out, it's probably nigh on impossible to pick out the minor spices such as cloves, mustard seeds and so on but as an entity in itself, I did notice a different flavour when I omitted the commercial curry powder.  Again, as intermated in the post, I'd tried many variables before I settled on my spice blend and my base sauce, and I thought that the settled versions I'd come up with was the best that I could achieve at the time!

My main reason for pointing you towards the thread was to show you that, whilst I (and maybe others?) may not totally understand the science behind BIR cooking, I do experiment to get me closer to what flavour it is that I'm in search of. Sometimes, that means copying methods that I've seen or heard of, if only to rule them out later.

Very similar to 976's bhuna, I've been experimenting lately with madras.  There is a definite anise note to my local TA's madras.  Not to everyones taste, and certainly won't be everyones idea of what a madras should be but it's a very good madras, in my opinion.  Now, chewytikka had the good grace to try fennel seeds in his own madras which by his own admission "kicked the shit out of it".  I also tried fennel seeds in varying amounts, and it just wasn't right.  I then tried star anise, frying it off in the oil at the start and it was close, but still no cigar.  I now crush/grind half a very small star anise and add this to my mixed powder (only for madras) and it's there, it totally replicates my local TA's madras.  But here is the annoying thing, when I mentioned it to the TA owner, he looked at me like I had two heads.  Now, he's either a) throwing me off the scent or b) he gets that flavour by other means?

When you start out trying to emulate any kind of cuisine, everyone of us needs a starting point.  It just happens that in BIR cooking, that starting point for the most part is a base sauce and a spice mix. Yes, you could try to create your own from the very start but that would take some very creative thinking for most of us and so, the safer option is to try a already published recipe. Once you are armed with these two elements, and you have practised over and over again, it's all down to recipe refinement for me.  I suppose that IS the science, even if some of us, don't realise that.

Ray :)
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: jb on December 23, 2011, 06:59 PM
Blimey this thread has come along since I left it this morning....here's hoping for some definite answers next year!!!  I'm off for a few beers and a North Indian Specia!!l
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: curryhell on December 23, 2011, 07:16 PM
Blimey this thread has come along since I left it this morning....here's hoping for some definite answers next year!!!  I'm off for a few beers and a North Indian Specia!!l

Let me guess - Spice again jb??? ;D ;D.  Enjoy i'm off out shortly too for a few jars.  I'll give the curry a miss tonight i think.  Maybe tomorrow ::)
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: spiceyokooko on December 23, 2011, 07:47 PM
Yes you are correct, at the very beginning I did follow CA's methods and recipes, but further into the thread I do indicate that I changed this by creating a spice mix that I believe compliments my base and whilst I did still follow CA's methods, the flavour of the dishes changed somewhat, as you may expect them to.

Ray

Yes you would expect the flavour to change, but the important point is why and did you think to compensate for the lack of curry powder by upping say the turmeric, coriander, cumin by a similar quantity? You could then determine just how much influence those other 'minor' spices were having on the dish? If any? If necessary you can always put them back by frying say a clove, or popping mustard seeds or cinnamon/cassia bark, cardamon in hot oil at the start of the dish?

Can you see now, that by taking out the variable (the curry powder) you now have total influence and control over all the flavours, so much so you can tweak the dish yourself?

It's a shame you didn't go the whole hog and fly solo, trusting on your own skills and techniques you'd learned as I think you would have learnt a huge amount as to where you were personally in comparison to using existing recipes someone else had developed - even someone was accomplished as Cory Ander!  ::)

What I find so frustrating is, trying to achieve that final 5% by wading through thread after thread of conflicting opinion takes me further away rather than closer to where I want to be.
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: Razor on December 23, 2011, 08:15 PM
Spicey,

What I find so frustrating is, trying to achieve that final 5% by wading through thread after thread of conflicting opinion takes me further away rather than closer to where I want to be.

And therein lies the real problem, everybody's "5%" is somewhat different to each others, hence the conflicting opinions.  None of them are wrong but many of them will conflict with what you and I believe to be true/correct.  I mean, have you personally ever tasted anise in a madras?  I know I've never seen green pepper and onion (Ala chewytikka) in a madras!  It's not wrong, and could well be regional but it does conflict with my "madras goal"

Quote
It's a shame you didn't go the whole hog and fly solo,

Not sure at the time that I felt confident enough, actually, scratch that.  I was confident enough in my own ability but I was working on many things at once at that time and I guess I wanted to introduce them gradually.  Using CA's recipes/method was, at the time, the safe option.

If the truth be known, I have since dropped using my own base in preference to using chewytikkas 3 hour base because, it's simply better than mine IMO.  Every dish that I cook with it, never fails to deliver.  Chewy has had much experience in the BIR environment going back over 30 years I believe.  Now this may be a tad lazy on my part but he has demystified 30 years worth of BIR secrets in less than 6 months.  If a member is willing to share with us in 6 months, what it took him 30+ years to acquire, then out of respect, it's only fair that I should give his recipes a go, right?

I'll never stop experimenting though because part of the fun is, putting your own stamp on a dish. Taking a perfectly good dish and making it great, which is what a good deal of us here at cr0, try to do.  Or, even to emulate your favourite restaurant or takeaway, that is the goal of most I should imagine?

Ray :)
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: George on December 23, 2011, 08:45 PM
And therein lies the real problem, everybody's "5%" is somewhat different to each others, hence the conflicting opinions. 

I agree. Furthermore, the figure of 5% is only a figure of speech, of course.

Apart from anti-spam duties I've found that recent time in my kitchen working by myself, has showed greater promise than hour after hour spent trawling through all the suggestions and mass of observations at this forum. It's serious data overload and it's nobody's fault but - face up to it - as a group we've failed big time. Forget the claimed 11,000+ members. Even if there are only 20 or 30 active members here, that's quite a big 'research and development department'. What do we have to show for about 7 years of R&D? No as much as some people might have hoped. Of course, I might be wrong. Some of you may well be making superb curries, rice, bread, etc as good as any BIR I've ever eaten at. You may not even realise how good you are. But when I suggested regional dinner parties to try and establish a benchmark for current standards, there was precious little interest. If one or two people were identified as truly outstanding by way of shared dining sessions, then we may be more inclined to listen to what they have to say. Currently, we don't know who they are. I'm sorry, but saying one's partner and friends say that you (I mean any one of you) make the best food they've ever tasted, isn't an independent enough assessment.
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: Razor on December 23, 2011, 09:27 PM
Hi George,

There isn't much in that last post that I could disagree with but just a couple of points.  Your "come dine with me" was a great idea but unfortunately, it was always going to be difficult to get off the ground, for a number of reasons really.  It's a brave man or woman that would feed 5 or 6 strangers, in their own home, with the pressure of making sure that the dishes were upto scratch.  Then there are some that are just uncomfortable with having strangers in their home, nevermind cooking for them.

Then there is the practicality of it.  How do we get to each others houses?  I know you suggested the participants be local to each other but even so, 30 miles or so, is still a long distance to travel for a curry.  In principle George, it was a great idea, and you suggested it for all the right reasons but it was always going to be hard to execute in my opinion.

Quote
What do we have to show for about 7 years of R&D? No as much as some people might have hoped.

I guess it's a question of what people are actually looking for George.  Spiceyokooko, obviously loves the "understanding" of the art, and goes into things in fine detail, others are novice cooks (in any cuisine) and are amazed at how good the food is that they are producing.  These are the guy's IMO that frequent the forum but do not contribute, which is fine BTW. 

Then there are those like me, who has been trying to crack curries for years but couldn't get the info that I needed, I find this forum and "eureka" I'm in my element, only to find that it has become a drug and the more you do (in our case the more we cook) it's not enough. 

Of course, there are those that think that they will save themselves a few quid, oh how wrong they are ::)

So, have we failed or have our own expectation got higher?  I would think the latter.

Ray,

p.s, I have just made a version of c2g garlic chicken.  I used chewys base, my spice blend, jarred ginger and garlic past, rajah tandoori masala. I didn't use his onion sauce, I used a portion of my onion paste instead (Nothing like the c2g garlic chicken really is it? :o)  I've got to say, it was absolutely marvellous, really tasty.

So, from someone else's recipe, I now have ideas to create my own version of it, surely, that's what it's all about? ;)
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: bamble1976 on December 23, 2011, 10:38 PM
Hi

thats enough endorsement for me to try the garlic chicken.
Have made the base, madras and vindy and so far nothing groundbreaking for.me!  base may be a tad overspiced imho!

Barry
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: Razor on December 23, 2011, 10:43 PM
Hi Barry,

When you say overspiced, do you mean the base or the resultant curries.  Must 1st thought was, hell, there is a lot of spice going into the base but then Julian goes on to explain about adding the extra water, so I gave it no further thought.

The garlic chicken was really good but, in fairness to Julian, I can hardly claim it to be the curry2go garlic chicken, there were too many alternative ingredients used for it to be true to his recipe.  Still, very nice nonetheless.

Ray :)
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: chewytikka on December 23, 2011, 11:09 PM

p.s, I have just made a version of c2g garlic chicken.  I used chewys base, my spice blend, jarred ginger and garlic past, rajah tandoori masala. I didn't use his onion sauce, I used a portion of my onion paste instead (Nothing like the c2g garlic chicken really is it? :o)  I've got to say, it was absolutely marvellous, really tasty.

So, from someone else's recipe, I now have ideas to create my own version of it, surely, that's what it's all about? ;)
Hi Ray
There you have it in a nutshell, you've obviously watched c2g cook his garlic chicken and it's inspired you to cook a Razor Garlic Chicken with
what you have at hand, and like you say it was a marvellous tasty curry, job well done. :D

I've just watched this vid and really curious about this finishing garnish of raw garlic or G&G paste.
As a cook, it doesn't sit well with me, as it's only in the sauce for a minute on a low flame. Did you do this in yours?
cheers Chewy
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: Razor on December 23, 2011, 11:17 PM
Hi Chewy,

Yes, I did add the raw gg paste and cooked it for no longer than 1 minute more.  It was in the pan however for another couple of minutes whilst I cooked a paratha on my tawa, so I guess the residule heat could have finished off the gg paste?

It was really tasty and had a wonderful sweet note to it, something that you will know that I look for in a good curry.

I've got to admit, most of my best efforts have come about using various pieces of other peoples jigsaw.  To me, that's what cooking is all about, discovering something wonderful from what you have to hand.

Ray :)
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: chewytikka on December 24, 2011, 01:01 AM
Hi Chewy,

Yes, I did add the raw gg paste and cooked it for no longer than 1 minute more.  It was in the pan however for another couple of minutes whilst I cooked a paratha on my tawa, so I guess the residule heat could have finished off the gg paste?

It was really tasty and had a wonderful sweet note to it, something that you will know that I look for in a good curry.

I've got to admit, most of my best efforts have come about using various pieces of other peoples jigsaw.  To me, that's what cooking is all about, discovering something wonderful from what you have to hand.

Ray :)
Hi Ray
Well, you learn something new everyday, I've never seen anybody do this and I just dismissed the idea.
Mainly because in my mind I could see it white flecking the sauce and giving a random bitter uncooked taste.

A good Bengali expression, there are five fingers on your hand - All different. ;)

There's a Restaurant version around here called Roshun Walla Murgh
which is finished off with a butter ghee tarka of crispy browned garlic and crushed black pepper corns.
It's an awful lot of garlic, but you get the two textures of garlic on the bite. If that makes sense.

cheers Chewy
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: mr.mojorisin on December 24, 2011, 01:34 AM
Ray,

I use Chewys 3 hr base and his madras recipe(with a couple of minor tweaks to suit my personal taste). It tastes absolutely nothing like a madras from Glasgow, BUT, IMO it tastes better...because you know you made it from scratch.
herein lies the problem. last week I took a Chewy madras up to my bro in law. he said "no way did you make that you fcuker"...or words to that effect. he was well impressed. in fact, he mentioned a few times that it actually tasted better than the skanky T/A that he uses 2 or 3 times a week...
my next project is gonna be cooking this with Blades chicken tikka..this is gonna blow him away :)
anyway, the point I'm making is simple...if you can make a Ruby, to suit your needs,with the information on this site, well done you.
also, Kudos to the many people who create and re-create to give people like me the chance to easily make some right tasty curry. BIR or not :)
anyways...been on a xmas nite out...sorry for the seplling mstikaes
HAVE A HAPPY CHRISTMADRAS :)
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: bamble1976 on December 24, 2011, 08:49 AM
Hi razor.  the finished base seemed overspiced and was close to.a finished curry all by itself!
I seemed to be adding gallons of water to the base to get the desired consistency.  i am going to try the base with a korma next week and feel that this is where it.may be too strong a base for the milder dishes.

I think the good thing about sites like this is that it is sometimes a little snippet of info from someone which captures the taste that an individual is.looking for :)

barry
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: chriswg on December 24, 2011, 09:03 AM
So after a long and lively thread are there any specific questions that still remain unanswered?

I'm personally not a know-it-all (I wish I was) but I am good friends with a man who is. I asked specifically about the aluminium pans and as I posted previously, they are cheap and heat up quickly. I also meant to mention they are light so their chefs don't get any repetitive strain injuries. Apparently I should also have said that they are a viable cooking material. I assumed this last one went without saying but apparently not.

Regarding the science vs tips arguments - I'm on Razors side. Cooking at all but the highest level is about tips and technique. If you give a student who just left home and never cooked before, a housewife, a restaurant chef and a michellin starred chef all 3 eggs, a lump of cheese and some ham with a selection of cupboard condiments they would make very very different omlettes. The science is the same - heat + whisked egg = omlette. The difference is in the small details.

Curry cooking is exactly the same. The science is quite basic, making the science work for you is another matter. That's where the tips come in. Most of the tips and techniques will work for every dish so are well worth learning.
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: haldi on December 24, 2011, 09:32 AM
There were so many words and stress over this thread
Did spiceyyokoono learn anything at the end of it all
This was just a rerun of previously posted subjects wasn't it?
Caramilisation, reduction and aluminium pans
Or was there something else?
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: Razor on December 24, 2011, 10:31 AM
Hi Pete and Chris, hope you're enjoying the festivities :)

I do understand Spiceyokookos position even if our beliefs are somewhat different.  My understanding is, he wants to cook the best BIR food that he can, and possibly better his favourite restaurant.  To do that, he needs to understand the science.  He strikes me as a very meticulous person, which is no bad thing.

My own view is this; I love cooking, I love curry, I love this forum, I love the chase, I love the learning but most of all, I love the fun aspect of it.  If I was to adopt a scientific approach to my cooking then, I don't know, it would kind of take the fun out of it, for me at least.

The hints and tips that I glean from this forum have taken me from being a frustrated home cook, to a quite "accomplished" home cook (if I say so myself) producing very tasty food, enjoyed very much by my family and friends.

 I have gone from a "Jack the lad" type character, who went on the piss nearly every Friday and Saturday night (Friday with the lads, Saturday with the missus) to an amateur chef/cook, enjoying very much this curry malarkey.  Now, my house may smell more like the 'Gates of India' (local eatery) these days and I know that pisses her off no end, but I've saved an absolute fortune (not on curry stuff BTW) on beer and expensive nights out.

I wish spiceyokooko all the best in his quest and I'm confident that he is determined enough to find what it is that he requires to realise his expectations.  I feel like I'm almost there, certainly 100% with some dishes, maybe 95% with others, which I suspect is the case for a lot of you guys too, and, if we're being honest, I bet that is the case for a hell of a lot of TA's and BIR's...!

Have a great day tomorrow guys, and wishing you all a very happy new year,

Ray :)

Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: Razor on December 24, 2011, 11:05 AM
Hi Chewy,

A good Bengali expression, there are five fingers on your hand - All different. ;)

How very true my friend, infact, one of my fingers even looks like a thumb?? ;)

Ray ;D
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: Cory Ander on December 24, 2011, 11:32 AM
There were so many words and stress over this thread
Did spiceyyokoono learn anything at the end of it all
This was just a rerun of previously posted subjects wasn't it?
Caramilisation, reduction and aluminium pans
Or was there something else?

Good question Haldi.

As far as I can tell, it seems to me that Spicey might go buy himself an ultracheap "nonstick" pan, for 4 quid (minus a penny) and spend the next 2 hours sanding the "nonstick" surface off?  ???

Or, he's going to spend upwards of 20 quid (probably?) on a fancy "black steel" pan?  :-\

Or, if he's sensible, and wants to fret about at least one of the myriad variables later, he's going to splash out around 8 quid on a bog standard aluminium pan (from the Asian markets) just like many (most) BIRs do?  :)

I know which I'd do.... ;)
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: Cory Ander on December 24, 2011, 11:44 AM
...& these new multi stage gravies that have appeared recently....why now???

I think that's a very good question ELW!

I've just made this C2G base.  I agree that it is relatively highly spiced compared to some other bases (as some have mentioned). 

And, in making it, I have also questioned (in my mind) why he doesn't simply add the powdered spices, sometime towards the end of cooking, with the tomatoes, at some stage (don't forget the tomatoes!), and the additional water, and then blend it all and be done with it?  I know that's what I would do with it, if I made it again in the future (to save time and faffing around) and I can't think why not?

So far, though, the base is (yet again), and despite the "sweating" of the veggies in (mostly) oil, at the initial stages, much like most other decent bases on the forum (regarding taste, aroma and texture). 

I'm a little disappointed because I was quite enthused about the "sweating" of the veggies in the oil.  That seemed to be the most significant difference, about this base, to me.  BUT, I must add, that I did not use "bhaji oil" (which might make a vast difference, of course).  I suppose that, to be fair to Julian, I will also need to try that too.

Nevertheless, it is early days, since I haven't made any curries with it yet.  I will know more when I have made curries from it.

I'm currently making his "onion sauce" (which I don't think is the same thing, or intended to be the same thing, as the Ashoka "bunjarra" JerryM)?

I have also made his vindaloo (but using my own base) and it was very respectable.  I liked the effect of the adding more garlic/ginger paste towards the end of cooking.

Other than that, I think his videos (and the fact that he is willing to share his knowledge) are excellent!  8)
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: Cory Ander on December 24, 2011, 11:46 AM
I'm personally not a know-it-all (I wish I was)

Come again Chris?  Surely you mean that you wish you "knew it all"?  ;)
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: spiceyokooko on December 24, 2011, 12:18 PM
So after a long and lively thread are there any specific questions that still remain unanswered?

Yes. How do you get the smokey flavour in a BIR style curry on a standard kitchen gas hob and without resorting to high flame burners in the garden.
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: PaulP on December 24, 2011, 12:37 PM
So after a long and lively thread are there any specific questions that still remain unanswered?

Yes. How do you get the smokey flavour in a BIR style curry on a standard kitchen gas hob and without resorting to high flame burners in the garden.

Have a close look at this video from chewytikka:

http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=5634.0 (http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=5634.0)

Points of interest:

Standard cooker - no high heat, just steady medium heat.
Aluminium pan.
All base added in one go.
The lack of stirring the pan for several minutes - very important re: caramelisation of base. Remember when you caramelise onion in a pan it is a fine balance between stirring and not stirring as they will only caramelise when in contact with the hot metal, but of course they can be burned. Caramelisation requires about 160 degrees C for glucose/sucrose sugars.
The lid - chewy is trying to avoid reduction with the lid.

I must admit watching this I don't think I could achieve quite the same effect with my steel wok, certainly not in such a short time.

Paul
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: Cory Ander on December 24, 2011, 12:48 PM
But who says he gets a smokey flavour?  Have you tried his curries?  Have you cooked them yourself and got a smokey flavour?
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: Razor on December 24, 2011, 12:49 PM
Hi Spicey,

Yes. How do you get the smokey flavour in a BIR style curry on a standard kitchen gas hob and without resorting to high flame burners in the garden.

I'm not sure that I get "smokey" in my curries?  Certainly not from my favourite TA and BIR's, and I've eaten in many!

Sweet, yes.  Savoury, yes. Creamy, yes in certain dishes but I can't really say that I get smokey?  Unless our idea of smokey is something different.  Just checked through 8 menus that I have in my kitchen cupboard and the only item that one of them describes as smokey is their chicken/lamb tikka starter.

I assume when you say smokey, you don't mean like smokey bacon or smoked haddock, or even smoked paprika?

Ray :-\
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: spiceyokooko on December 24, 2011, 12:56 PM
My understanding is, he wants to cook the best BIR food that he can, and possibly better his favourite restaurant.  To do that, he needs to understand the science.

Ray

It's not really a question of trying to create the 'best' dishes I can, because 'best' is a relative term. I think it's in any cooks nature to produce the tastiest and most enjoyable dishes with the ingredients they have at hand. In that sense I'm no different to anyone else here, they all want to produce the 'best' they can as well.

What I'm trying to do is define and understand each separate BIR curry cooking technique used to achieve the flavours you generically find in most if not all BIR style restaurant dishes. Once all those techniques are defined and understood, you should then be able to not only cook the variations found in most BIR restaurants, ie Bhuna, Vindaloo, Dopiaza, Madras etc, by varying the ingredients but do so reliably and with repeatable consistent results and not the 'hit and miss' results many people here seem to experience.

Once that's been achieved with reliable consistency, you can then transport those skills and techniques to other ingredients and actually start to create new and different dishes from scratch and without following an established recipe.

The big problem I feel for many people here, is that because they simply do not know or fully understand all the techniques involved they're wedded to established recipes and can't move away from them with any reliability.

I'll give you an example of precisely what I'm talking about. You go with a bunch of mates to a new Curry Restaurant you've never been to before, you have a dish recommended by the chef as a 'Restaurant Special' let's say 'Sindhi Style Lamb'. You recognise familiar flavours and you know the principal ingredients, how are you going to replicate this dish at home without a specific recipe, unless you fully understand all the standard BIR style cooking techniques?

That's what I'm trying to achieve.
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: spiceyokooko on December 24, 2011, 01:09 PM
I assume when you say smokey, you don't mean like smokey bacon or smoked haddock, or even smoked paprika?
Ray

It's a hard quality/flavour to define and for many it's that final 5%, it certainly is for me. Cory posted a link to an excellent article on it further back in the thread and it's a good read -

http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=1851.0 (http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=1851.0)

Jerry also did some experimentation on it too, but I can't find the link to his thread at the moment.
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: Razor on December 24, 2011, 01:10 PM
Spicey,

I totally understand mate.  My recent post on Rogan Josh demonstrates what you mention.  I'd not had an RJ for the best part of 20 years, and it's not a dish that I usually order to be honest but, I had friends over that asked me if I could make them one, and not one to shy away from a challenge, I gave it my best shot.

I ordered 4 different RJ's from 4 different TA/BIR's in my area to get an understanding of the flavours.  Each had a slightly different taste, 1 being not very good at all really, but they all had whole spices in them, more to the point, cardamom, cloves, cinnamon and bay.  I'll be honest with you, I did think that the flavour was initially coming from Garam Masala (let's not go there eh? ;)) until I started to bite down on a cardamom or two.  Anyway, understanding what the common denominators were, I felt suitably armed to proceed with creating my own recipe.  Judging by the kind comments received here on cr0, I believe that it was a success.

Recognising flavours of individual ingredients in any dish, and knowing how to get the best flavour out of 'said' ingredients is a very useful skill to have.  I still wouldn't describe it as 'science' but either way, it should result in you being able to create a wonderful curry.

Ray :)
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: Razor on December 24, 2011, 01:17 PM
Arrr, the 'toffee' note, I get you now.  Well, my understanding of the 'toffee' note is, when the spice hit the oil, a good indication of when they are cooked properly, is an apparent aroma of toffee ascending up the old hooter.

I'll be honest again, it doesn't actually smell like toffee to me but come to think about, I probably could describe it is a 'smokey' aroma.

Ray :)
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: spiceyokooko on December 24, 2011, 01:32 PM
Well, my understanding of the 'toffee' note is, when the spice hit the oil, a good indication of when they are cooked properly, is an apparent aroma of toffee ascending up the old hooter.

And my understanding of the 'toffee smell' or smokey flavour that I define it as, comes from 'caramelisation' and not the correct cooking of the spices!

Not saying you're wrong at all, just saying my understanding of it is different to yours.

Hence my rather belligerent pursuit of the method of 'caramelising' the base sauce using an uncoated aluminium pan which was the contentious issue in so much of the latter half of this thread.

Caramelisation is the burning of sugars contained in the onions and does produce a 'toffee' type smell, hence my understanding that the smokey flavour comes from this process.
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: spiceyokooko on December 24, 2011, 01:33 PM
My recent post on Rogan Josh demonstrates what you mention.

Out of curiosity, did you use Kashmiri chillies in your Rogan Josh?
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: Razor on December 24, 2011, 01:49 PM
Hi Spicey,

Out of curiosity, did you use Kashmiri chillies in your Rogan Josh?

I didn't, is that what you know to be in an RJ?

I do add a few standard thin green chillies towards the end and I have replaced my chilli powder with kashmiri mirch, but that is my personal preference.

Ray :)
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: Razor on December 24, 2011, 01:53 PM
Hi Spicey,

And my understanding of the 'toffee smell' or smokey flavour that I define it as, comes from 'caramelisation' and not the correct cooking of the spices!

And that theory may well be correct my friend.  I would add though, that there is also garlic and in some cases tomato puree in the oil at the same time as the spices, which will both no doubt release sugars but to what extent, I wouldn't like to guess.

Ray :)
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: spiceyokooko on December 24, 2011, 01:59 PM
...and I have replaced my chilli powder with kashmiri mirch, but that is my personal preference.

Seems like you did then!

It's always been my understanding in more traditional Indian cookery that the milder Kashmiri chilli's are used in Rogan Josh, but I wasn't sure if that was carried over into BIR type cookery.
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: spiceyokooko on December 24, 2011, 02:13 PM
...and in some cases tomato puree in the oil at the same time as the spices, which will both no doubt release sugars but to what extent, I wouldn't like to guess.

It's certainly true that tomato puree contains sugars and that may well contribute to the 'toffee' smell, but given that spices are often cooked either in or with tomato puree, I'm not sure you'd want that to burn or risk allowing it to get to the stage where it might burn. I was just reading a thread about cooking tomato puree and what BIR chefs tend to do with it. I think you can discount garlic really - it just doesn't contain enough sugars to make any difference, whereas we know for a certainty that onions contain a lot of sugars particularly in the quantities used in the base gravy and often in the garlic/ginger puree.

You see, understanding the processes and techniques can help you understand how to obtain the flavours!
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: spiceyokooko on December 24, 2011, 02:35 PM
Have a close look at this video from chewytikka:

Paul

I had seen that video before, strangely enough on another site! But I still don't see how it helps me achieve what I'm looking for as I now have yet another two pieces of conflicting opinion.

In Cory's view it's achieved via high heat and flaming and goes on to quantify that with the higher the sugar content of the dish the more pronounced the smoky flavour, which is logical if you consider caramelisation to be the principal cause. He also goes on to show BIR chefs with flaming pans, which also ties in with what he's saying.

Yet in Chewytikka's video he's cooking along at a leisurely barely simmering heat.

So which is it, high heat or low heat?
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: haldi on December 24, 2011, 03:02 PM
You can get a smokey flavour into the curry gravy, by frying garlic ginger then adding the pur?ed boiled onions.
Any curry cooked with this gravy will have a subtle smokey taste

Any takeaway carton gets infused with the smell
Its lovely
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: PaulP on December 24, 2011, 03:29 PM
Spicey,

I think JerryM did a lot of experimentation with heat as he has a high output burner and cooks in his garage.
I thought his opinion was inconclusive about flaming and high heat, apart from the fact that you can burn things quicker at a higher heat of course.

IMO I think the pan flaming thing is a by-product of trying to cook quickly and not necessary for "the taste". I could be wrong though!

Paul
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: emin-j on December 24, 2011, 03:54 PM
Regarding the 'Toffee' type aroma, the usual process to follow is Oil,followed by G/G,Tom Puree,Spice Mix and this is when you will get the Toffee aroma, at this stage there are no Onions in the Pan.IMO it's the frying of the Spice's that will give you the 'Toffee' aroma just before it burns  :)
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: Whandsy on December 24, 2011, 03:57 PM
Hi Spicey

Have you read the Bruce Edwards article recently resurrected http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=2815.0 (http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=2815.0) and indeed a follow up to this http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=3074.0 (http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=3074.0)

He does point out that a lot of the flames we see do go up the sides of the pan and contents appear to be only simmering. Check them out if you haven't already, both articles make fascinating reading imo :)

Regards

Wayne
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: spiceyokooko on December 24, 2011, 04:46 PM
Check them out if you haven't already, both articles make fascinating reading imo :)

Wayne

Thanks for those links. I have read them both before and cooked out the BE base and dish precisely according to his instructions and still didn't get the smokey flavour I'm after, but I do agree with a lot of what he says in both those threads regarding 'technique being everything'.

As I've said before on here, I'm generally pretty happy with the dishes I produce, so much so that I don't even bother with Indian Take aways anymore and even when I do go to an Indian Restaurant, I still prefer my own most of the time.

But my dad's my best critic as he's been eating Currys even longer than I have, even though he knows bugger all about cooking them. Whenever I shove a plate of my own curry in front of him, he scoffs the lot and says that was lovely and I really enjoyed that, (but could do with more salt  ::)) but you know what, it's still missing that certain 'something'.

As much as I hate saying it, I have to agree with him and that says it all for me really.
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: PaulP on December 24, 2011, 05:48 PM
Spicy, you've been posting as Falkor on the other forum, yes/no?

Paul
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: Razor on December 24, 2011, 06:11 PM
Spicey,

Seems like you did then!

Sorry, I thought that you meant whole or even dried but yes, Kashmiri mirch, MDH brand.  I know that it shouldn't make a difference but I only use MDH as I believe it to be the best.  I tried another brand recently and it was utter junk and got binned after 1 outing.

Ray :)
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: spiceyokooko on December 24, 2011, 06:41 PM
Spicy, you've been posting as Falkor on the other forum, yes/no?

No.

And the relevance of this is?  ::)

I'm registered on the other forum with the same name as here - but no posts as yet.
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: spiceyokooko on December 24, 2011, 06:55 PM
Sorry, I thought that you meant whole or even dried but yes, Kashmiri mirch, MDH brand.  I know that it shouldn't make a difference but I only use MDH as I believe it to be the best.

Ray

Kashmiri chilli's are Kashmiri chilli's! So named because they come from taa daa Kashmir! Same place as the Saffron. Mirch is a generic Indian word for chilli.

I actually make my own chilli powder up from small dried birds eye (I get these in Spain, locally grown and sun dried) regular long thin red dried chilli's and whole dried Kashmiri chillis. I know, i know, I'm that anal! Sometimes I even add some dried Chipotle (smoked Jalepeno).

I first started doing this when I discovered cumin in bought chilli powder, I wasn't amused.
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: Razor on December 24, 2011, 07:03 PM
Spicey,

Kashmiri chilli's are Kashmiri chilli's!

Well you would think so wouldn't you but sadly as with Basmati rice, there appears to be variances in quality.

I think the last packet I bought was by Saan or Shan or Shav??? something like that and was orange and tasted no better than bog standard chilli powder, whereas the MDH brand is almost red and has a much smoother/less harsh flavour to it.  You CAN tell the difference.

Ray :)
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: chewytikka on December 24, 2011, 07:42 PM
As I've said before on here, I'm generally pretty happy with the dishes I produce, so much so that I don't even bother with Indian Take aways anymore and even when I do go to an Indian Restaurant, I still prefer my own most of the time.

But my dad's my best critic as he's been eating Currys even longer than I have, even though he knows bugger all about cooking them. Whenever I shove a plate of my own curry in front of him, he scoffs the lot and says that was lovely and I really enjoyed that, (but could do with more salt  ::)) but you know what, it's still missing that certain 'something'.

As much as I hate saying it, I have to agree with him and that says it all for me really.
Why don't you post one of your BIR recipes that you already cook. with your ingredients, method and photos or video, that way members might be able to help you in your quest for your missing ability.

cheers Chewy
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: natterjak on December 25, 2011, 08:05 PM
This thread seems to have given up all pretence of being about Curry 2 Go's videos but in case anyone's still interested he uploaded 2 new ones today, both referring to CTM.
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: Razor on December 25, 2011, 09:43 PM
Hi NJ,

Just checked out both videos.  Couple of interesting tips, ie; low fat yougurt, real lemon juice.  I'm going to give this one a go as it looks a little simpler than other recipes that I've tried for CTM,  however, it does remind me of a "jazzed up" korma! 

That's not a skit, I'm just saying that, the only difference in this recipe and the recipe that I have for korma is the addition of, methi leaves, masala sauce and the tandoori masala garnish at the end.

Quite often, the simple things in life are the ones you enjoy the most.

Many thanks for pointing us to this NJ,

Ray :)
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: Razor on December 25, 2011, 10:55 PM
Hi Guy's,

Ok, I've just sat through a few of Julians videos again, Madras, Dupiazia, Bhuna, CTM and I've noticed that he does like to finish the dish off with a sprinkle of either Garam Masala or Tandoori Masala.

Does anyone know whether or not the masalas are his own mixes or shop bought?  I'm sure that I heard him mention 'Rajah' somewhere but I could be getting him mixed up with Abdul Mohed?

Another subtle but interesting thing, I've noticed, when Julian is not narrating and just getting on with the cooking, his technique changes somewhat.  He kind of goes into 'autopilot' and his experience shows through..!

I'm really warming to this guy (even though he is a blue nose ;)) and I think 2012, or certainly the early part anyway, is going to be a curry2go period for me.  I may even pop up the M61, and pay the guy a visit?

Ray :)
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: Razor on December 26, 2011, 12:27 AM
Anyone know where I can get hold of the flat skewers (seekhs) that he uses?  I've trawled the net but nowt!  The best that I can come up with are Persian skewers, the like that you would use for making kubedeh?

Any thoughts anyone?

Ray :)
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: DalPuri on December 26, 2011, 12:35 AM
Hi Ray,
this place seems to have everything that ive ever searched for except for takeaway containers :o

Frank  ;)

http://www.dadibhais.com/index.php/catalogsearch/result/index/?p=2&q=skewer&x=0&y=0 (http://www.dadibhais.com/index.php/catalogsearch/result/index/?p=2&q=skewer&x=0&y=0)
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: curry2gochorley on December 26, 2011, 12:43 AM
Thanks Ray for those comments. I do pop onto the site every now and then to see if anyone has any questions.

I have just launched a website(home jobby which my 14 yr old son helped me with!) have started posting recipes on there and will do that for all my videos. Also any question anyone might have I'll try to answer if you send it through the contact page.

Life is hectic at moment with our Takeaway, Youtube vids, 3 kids, wife(and oh yeh.. Man City matches..) I'm From Manchester so could never support Man U!   Might not always find time to answer the many comments on here will try from time to time.

Yes- I do use Rajah spices.  Yes do have some of my own blends(might do a video on those later?)
The garnishing the dish with garam masala/tandoori masala was a trick i learned from an indian restaurant chef-which is VERY effective!   For the best Garam masala read the review by me of Prashad on Tripadvisor.

Thanks for watching!

Julian
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: Razor on December 26, 2011, 12:55 AM
Hi Julian,

Many thanks for answering the questions mate.  So just to be clear, are you using Rajah in the videos then>

I'm From Manchester so could never support Man U!   

Tut tut tut, I'm an Audenshaw lad and have been a Red all my life (even when we were sh**) I go to most games but not away, not anymore.  That said, think I'll pay a visit to the City of Manchester council tax payers stadium, in Jan.  See if we can overturn that shocking 1-6 wollopin you lot gaves us ;)

Joking aside mate, I'm loving what you're doing with the videos, and have bookmarked your webpage too.  Next time I'm on the way to Blackpool or camping in Croston, I may drop in to c2go :D

Ray :)
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: natterjak on December 26, 2011, 08:01 AM
Good to see you posting back to this thread Julian. For anyone wondering where that website is, here's a link to the new blog section from where the rest of the website is easily accessed.

http://www.curry2go-online.com/my-blog.html (http://www.curry2go-online.com/my-blog.html)
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: Whandsy on December 26, 2011, 09:23 AM
Wow, after reading julians comment, i checked out the review from him of prashad. Don't think we'll be replicating their garam masala somehow, see below

Quote
julian v
Preston, United Kingdom
1 review

1 helpful vote
?Excellent Food- Kaushy's Garam Masala mix out of this world!?
Reviewed 26 November 2011
1 person found this review helpful
We visited Prashad after following the Family on 'Ramsey's Best Restaurants' I have to say the food and sevice was excellent! Having explained to Bobby that we had just opened our own small Indian takeaway, he kindly gave me a free sample of 'Kaushy's Special Garam Masala Mix. WOW!! This Garam Masala is fantastic and so aromatic, the smallest amount creates a wonderfull flavour, particularly when used just at the end of cooking just before serving. It's so good that I have been using it sparingly- at least till i can get back over to Bradford and pick up some more.

Prashad's pasion for cooking show's in the food they serve but the fact they have created their own special Garam masal blend, for me, shows their dedication to excellence!

Julian Voigt
Curry 2 Go- CHORLEY


Visited September 2011


Bobby Patel, Owner at Prashad, responded to this review
4 December 2011
Hi Julian, thanks for taking time out to share your love of Prashad, we are really pleased that you loved the garam masala, this is Kaushy's Grandma's recipe and consists of 26 ingredients. The are slow roasted and acred for for 3 weeks before stone milled to a perfect medium coarse grind. I hope your business is doing well and when I am in Cholrey we will bring more garram masala for you. Bobby

I guess it keeps our journey through to curry nirvana more interesting! :)
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: JerryM on December 26, 2011, 11:28 AM
CA,

appreciate the comment on the bunjarra - it's still on my mind. i will watch Julians video again and may have to make the onion "sauce" to understand if useful to me.

spiceyokooko,

all of my work on the smoke is in CA's original post. the post outlines how hard it is to pin down what causes it. in fact you can have too much of it and that's no good either. i had not seen a comment from CA relating to sugar. in fact sugar is probably my worst enemy. some days i say i'm going to get an ali pan. then the next day i decide not to. after cooking 11 off range of curries to try out infindforu's mix i firmly decided i have no need for Ali pan. i don't consider my black steel pan to be posh. it clearly does the job. my only difficulty is black debris. it does not help that i don't wash the pan in service. i also cook on full heat all through for both "spice" and "cream" dishes (read sugar). i know i should adopt slowboat for "cream" but find i get a slightly better result. the black debris is far more difficult to control in "cream" dishes. by contolling the timing of adding the ingredients (much like Chinese cooking) and the use of the chef spoon i find i can get away with the hot method for all dishes. in short i think the ali pan would help mitigate but there's more important on my todo list.
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: curry2gochorley on December 26, 2011, 11:28 AM
Hi Julian,

Many thanks for answering the questions mate.  So just to be clear, are you using Rajah in the videos then>

I'm From Manchester so could never support Man U!   

Tut tut tut, I'm an Audenshaw lad and have been a Red all my life (even when we were sh**) I go to most games but not away, not anymore.  That said, think I'll pay a visit to the City of Manchester council tax payers stadium, in Jan.  See if we can overturn that shocking 1-6 wollopin you lot gaves us ;)


We just use Rajah mild madras in the mixed powder. The rest of the spices(corriander, haldi etc..) aren't always  Rajah. We make up our own blends too.
Joking aside mate, I'm loving what you're doing with the videos, and have bookmarked your webpage too.  Next time I'm on the way to Blackpool or camping in Croston, I may drop in to c2go :D

Ray :)
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: ELW on December 27, 2011, 02:04 AM
Quote
But my dad's my best critic as he's been eating Currys even longer than I have, even though he knows bugger all about cooking them. Whenever I shove a plate of my own curry in front of him, he scoffs the lot and says that was lovely and I really enjoyed that, (but could do with more salt  ) but you know what, it's still missing that certain 'something'.

As much as I hate saying it, I have to agree with him and that says it all for me really.

yer dad's got it, backslapping acheives nothing!

Regards
ELW
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: JerryM on December 27, 2011, 11:59 AM
appreciate the comment on the bunjarra - it's still on my mind. i will watch Julians video again and may have to make the onion "sauce" to understand if useful to me.

CA,

many thanks for pointing this out. i would have missed an important piece here. watching it back (and the dupiaza) i now realise i was wrong and it's nothing like bunjarra. it is as Julian says "onion gravy sauce".

i will need to make this as i've not made anything like.

i've never managed to get balti right. one recollection of curry in the BIR capital is that the odd cardamom was carried over quite often. i'd put this down to them being in the base. now obviously not (although for me they are crucial in base garam).

many thanks to both CA and Julian

ps the more you watch the videos the more things seem to jump out. i noticed this time that the 1st base goes in just after the spice. i always add 1 chef (4 tbsp) before the tom puree/spice and then cook out before the next stage. the length of cook i think depending on the dish - how deep the spice taste is. i do this because 1 chef protects the spices until they are all mixed in and the smaller volume stops the pan heat dropping. all interesting stuff
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: ELW on December 27, 2011, 01:42 PM
Quote
I agree. Furthermore, the figure of 5% is only a figure of speech, of course.

Apart from anti-spam duties I've found that recent time in my kitchen working by myself, has showed greater promise than hour after hour spent trawling through all the suggestions and mass of observations at this forum. It's serious data overload and it's nobody's fault but - face up to it - as a group we've failed big time. Forget the claimed 11,000+ members. Even if there are only 20 or 30 active members here, that's quite a big 'research and development department'. What do we have to show for about 7 years of R&D? No as much as some people might have hoped. Of course, I might be wrong. Some of you may well be making superb curries, rice, bread, etc as good as any BIR I've ever eaten at. You may not even realise how good you are. But when I suggested regional dinner parties to try and establish a benchmark for current standards, there was precious little interest. If one or two people were identified as truly outstanding by way of shared dining sessions, then we may be more inclined to listen to what they have to say. Currently, we don't know who they are. I'm sorry, but saying one's partner and friends say that you (I mean any one of you) make the best food they've ever tasted, isn't an independent enough assessment

Good post George, its hard to come out of that without getting backs up, very well put
I have failed to crack this so far!
ELW
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: curryhell on December 27, 2011, 03:13 PM
Quote
I agree. Furthermore, the figure of 5% is only a figure of speech, of course.

Apart from anti-spam duties I've found that recent time in my kitchen working by myself, has showed greater promise than hour after hour spent trawling through all the suggestions and mass of observations at this forum. It's serious data overload and it's nobody's fault but - face up to it - as a group we've failed big time. Forget the claimed 11,000+ members. Even if there are only 20 or 30 active members here, that's quite a big 'research and development department'. What do we have to show for about 7 years of R&D? No as much as some people might have hoped. Of course, I might be wrong. Some of you may well be making superb curries, rice, bread, etc as good as any BIR I've ever eaten at. You may not even realise how good you are. But when I suggested regional dinner parties to try and establish a benchmark for current standards, there was precious little interest. If one or two people were identified as truly outstanding by way of shared dining sessions, then we may be more inclined to listen to what they have to say. Currently, we don't know who they are. I'm sorry, but saying one's partner and friends say that you (I mean any one of you) make the best food they've ever tasted, isn't an independent enough assessment

Good post George, its hard to come out of that without getting backs up, very well put
I have failed to crack this so far!
ELW

Food for thought indeed ::).  The forum as an R&D department is doomed to failure before it even starts.  Despite the efforts of some forum members to make their experiments as scientific as possible, the assessment of the results will always be flawed but not through any fault of theirs.  We take the specific quantities of ingredients (we introduce plenty of variables onions being one good example, Spanish, cooking , brown, red etc., add some spices (from different suppliers) and a slightly different cooking technique and we're already on the downward slope.   Then we try and assess the results and agree an objective conclusion ;D .  My assessment will be different to Ray's, his different to PaulP's which is different to Georges whose is similar to Jerry's but different again from Spicey's...........and it goes on. An R&D approach is not possible when you cannot control or limit the effects of  the variables and certainly not when you cannot remove the subjectivity from the results which will always abound in our field of interest.  We don't do these experiments in a lab but our kitchens with differing equipment.  This forum will never provide all the answers in one or several specific threads on how to cook BIR curry.  It has and will continue to provide ideas, information, details of experiments, members experiences etc.  The forum is more of a knowledge bank to  which and from which all members will make deposits and withdrawls.  Only the individual can decide how close they are to the end result and that very much depends on what they are looking for.  Will we all ever crack it all??   Very unlikely but just occasionally the effort will be rewarded and you believe you have moved just that little bit closer to where you want to be.
I think regional dinner parties was a splendid idea for a get together of like minded people who could enjoy good food (of a high standard and i'm sure it would be whoever was cooking it) and good discussion about the search for the holy grail.  It would be interesting when it came to the scoring though :-\.  Would our assessment as a group be any more reliable than our friends or relatives I wonder condisering we all have slightly different ideas as to what we're looking for??  Perhaps we could reach a broad concensus of opinon - maybe ???.
I am not sure what the answer is or how we move forward into 2012.  But I will continue to search for the pot of BIR gravy at the end of the curry rainbow.  And of course I will provide any useful  feedback along the way, no matter how conflicting it may be ;D.  The real R&D department is in your own kitchen as George has just discovered ;).

The curry quest goes on.......and on..............and on.  Look forward to all your contribution in the coming year now matter how conflicting or controversial they may be ;)
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: Razor on December 27, 2011, 04:18 PM
And now I'm going to add even more confusion with another conflicting viewpoint ;D

I would say that family and friends are IDEAL, when it comes to getting an honest opinion of one of our dishes, as Spiceyokooko shows with his dad.

I know that all my brothers and sisters are very blunt and straight talking and call a spade a spade.  Most of my friends are the same.  If my bro in law says to me that my bhuna is the best he's ever tasted, I know that that is what he believes.  This is the guy that told me on my wedding day (to my 1st wife) that she wasn't what you'd call a stunner is she? :-\  and she wasn't (neither was I though ::))

The other thing to remember about family and friends is, they are mostly local to you and therefor, there is a very good chance that their tastes are very similar to your own with regards to BIR/TA dishes.  When they make nice comments, they are infact measuring them (the curries) against the same/similar yardstick as yourself!

On the other hand, having your dishes judge by a fellow amateur chef, from a different area, with a different goal than your own, is fraught with problems.  "The Madras has got lemon juice in it but it doesn't have it in my fav TA", is just one example of how wrong it can go.  The regional differences will always be the hurdle to get over and that's never going to happen, IMO.  The only way a member will ever tick all the boxes for everyone is to make a dish that is the best that anyone has ever tasted, regardless of how it compares to the same dish from your region, somehow, I can't ever see that happening......can you?

Ray :)
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: ELW on December 27, 2011, 07:27 PM
Quote
This is the guy that told me on my wedding day (to my 1st wife) that she wasn't what you'd call a stunner is she?   and she wasn't (neither was I though )



 ;D thats Ricky Gervais stuff  ;D
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: Cory Ander on December 28, 2011, 05:33 AM
CA,

many thanks for pointing this out. i would have missed an important piece here. watching it back (and the dupiaza) i now realise i was wrong and it's nothing like bunjarra. it is as Julian says "onion gravy sauce".

i will need to make this as i've not made anything like.

Hi Jerry,

It does produce a very nice, sweet, spicy, "sauce/gravy".  In fact, it's not too dissimilar to a basic (albeit unblended) curry base to me.

With this "onion sauce", Julian "sweats" onions (plus other veggies), and whole spices, in water only (apart from the relatively small amount of oil present in the ladle of curry base which is also added).  But the end result is still nice and sweet and the flavours of the whole spices seem to be successfully extracted into the sauce.

However, Julian "sweats" the veggies, primarily in oil, when making his curry base.

Which poses, to me, a very fundamental and intriguing question:

Why do BIRs (and we) add oil to their (and our) curry bases?

I've always supposed that oil is added primarily as a medium to extract the flavours (i.e. the organic essential oils) from the spices and to maybe "fry" the onions (and other veggies) to make them sweet.

Perhaps this isn't the case and oil needn't be added to a curry base at all?

Any thoughts anyone?

PS:  It appears that Julian also adds either onion powder or garlic powder to his curry base (something that he doesn't otherwise disclose - one of his "secrets", perhaps?).  I suspect it's garlic powder (from it's appearance and wetting properties).
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: bamble1976 on December 28, 2011, 08:06 AM
Hi

The oil for me carries the flavour of the individual components of the curry more successfully and sustains the flavours in your mouth for longer due to its 'coating' effect.  I am not sure whether the cooking in oil or water brings out the sweetness one more than the other.  It will need to be a side by side comparison one day. 

The more traditional currys seem to be less oil, more water based and seem to be 'wetter' on the plate if that makes sense?  This is the reason I prefer B.I.R curries.

Regards

Barry
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: JerryM on December 28, 2011, 10:35 AM
CA,

the addition of the ladle of base did not sit well with me - as a general rule i don't like adding what is in effect already an ingredient to another ingredient to be used in the same final dish. when i give it a go i will do side by side - 1 off as per spec the other with 10% by onion original volume (chopped) of oil. i suspect knowing what we know of the cleverness of BIR that it plays an important part.

i think you're right on the essential oils. from the saffron base i've always added my frying oil to the base and now decant off before blending. despite my best efforts i always loose ~10% of the oil to the base. i see this as the natural minimum amount. i am convinced this oil is needed to initially help soften the onion and suspect that it carries the depth of flavour in the finished base. emulsion comes to mind but only a guess.
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: curryhell on December 28, 2011, 11:30 AM
The pale coloured powder could also possibly be ground fenugreek, another likely spice contender for the base ???
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: Razor on December 28, 2011, 12:35 PM
Hi CA,


Why do BIRs (and we) add oil to their (and our) curry bases?

I've always supposed that oil is added primarily as a medium to extract the flavours (i.e. the organic essential oils) from the spices and to maybe "fry" the onions (and other veggies) to make them sweet.

Perhaps this isn't the case and oil needn't be added to a curry base at all?

Any thoughts anyone?

PS:  It appears that Julian also adds either onion powder or garlic powder to his curry base (something that he doesn't otherwise disclose - one of his "secrets", perhaps?).  I suspect it's garlic powder (from it's appearance and wetting properties).

My thoughts would be the same as yours CA but Julians base is quite different, as his "1st cook stage", is done with oil as the main wet ingredient, water being added as little more more than a gesture..!  Yes, further water is going to be released from the onions and to a point, the other veg.  The other thing to note is, I should imagine that the water content will evaporate somewhat, especially as it appears that he doesn't cook his base with a lid.  Using oil instead of water should reduce the amount of evaporation and, retain pretty much all of the flavour of the veg?  Of course, this is speculative on my part as I don't know for sure if that would be the case but it seems feasible?

It's no coincidence that the two "professional" base gravy's that have been videoed on cr0 (c2g and Dipuraja) show a very large amount of veg to liquid ratio, both pots being massively overloaded.  Do any of you guys do this? I mean, do any of us over fill the pot so that as the last ingredients go in, you're having to balance them on the top?  I know I don't.  I have also seen this in my local TA, there must be some reason for this.

As for the the white powder, he does mention salt in the narration but it doesn't look like salt to me, it does look like garlic powder.  Garlic powder does take some time to disperse in water, and in the video, it is the only powder that still stays quite lumpy, so garlic powder would be my guess?

Ray :)
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: Whandsy on December 28, 2011, 01:09 PM
Quote
My thoughts would be the same as yours CA but Julians base is quite different, as his "1st cook stage", is done with oil as the main wet ingredient, water being added as little more more than a gesture..!  Yes, further water is going to be released from the onions and to a point, the other veg.  The other thing to note is, I should imagine that the water content will evaporate somewhat, especially as it appears that he doesn't cook his base with a lid.  Using oil instead of water should reduce the amount of evaporation and, retain pretty much all of the flavour of the veg?  Of course, this is speculative on my part as I don't know for sure if that would be the case but it seems feasible?

There HAS to be more than one way to "skin the cat" so to speak, to get the same result. We've all been in takeaways and seen that big pot of onions etc filled to the brim with water bubbling away. I know I've seen it on lots of occasions whilst waiting for the curry to finish. They also weren't at the cooked stage ready for blending they were raw.

Another comment regards heat source etc, when I was last in the takeaway and was chatting to the chef, it seemed to take a while to cook and when I commented on this he said he'd left it on low heat cos we were chatting, so there goes the flame height theory (well maybe  ??? ) and I looked for the 1st ladle reduction but no, just one big one from the start. DOH!
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: curryhell on December 28, 2011, 01:30 PM
There HAS to be more than one way to "skin the cat" so to speak, to get the same result. We've all been in takeaways and seen that big pot of onions etc filled to the brim with water bubbling away. I know I've seen it on lots of occasions whilst waiting for the curry to finish. They also weren't at the cooked stage ready for blending they were raw.

Another comment regards heat source etc, when I was last in the takeaway and was chatting to the chef, it seemed to take a while to cook and when I commented on this he said he'd left it on low heat cos we were chatting, so there goes the flame height theory (well maybe  ??? ) and I looked for the 1st ladle reduction but no, just one big one from the start. DOH!

Not sure who said it but there does indeed seem to be many conflicting reports all based on actual kitchen observations.  I think this just goes to prove that although there are similarities in cooking methods no two chefs do it exactly the same way.  Whilst it would be nice to make the whole process as scientific as possible, science doesn't allow for the creativity of the chef and him putting his own personal stamp on dishes :-\ .  That said i'm sure we won't be discouraged from continuing the journey :D :D
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: curry2gochorley on December 28, 2011, 10:48 PM
Hi CA,


Why do BIRs (and we) add oil to their (and our) curry bases?

I've always supposed that oil is added primarily as a medium to extract the flavours (i.e. the organic essential oils) from the spices and to maybe "fry" the onions (and other veggies) to make them sweet.

Perhaps this isn't the case and oil needn't be added to a curry base at all?

Any thoughts anyone?

PS:  It appears that Julian also adds either onion powder or garlic powder to his curry base (something that he doesn't otherwise disclose - one of his "secrets", perhaps?).  I suspect it's garlic powder (from it's appearance and wetting properties).

My thoughts would be the same as yours CA but Julians base is quite different, as his "1st cook stage", is done with oil as the main wet ingredient, water being added as little more more than a gesture..!  Yes, further water is going to be released from the onions and to a point, the other veg.  The other thing to note is, I should imagine that the water content will evaporate somewhat, especially as it appears that he doesn't cook his base with a lid.  Using oil instead of water should reduce the amount of evaporation and, retain pretty much all of the flavour of the veg?  Of course, this is speculative on my part as I don't know for sure if that would be the case but it seems feasible?

It's no coincidence that the two "professional" base gravy's that have been videoed on cr0 (c2g and Dipuraja) show a very large amount of veg to liquid ratio, both pots being massively overloaded.  Do any of you guys do this? I mean, do any of us over fill the pot so that as the last ingredients go in, you're having to balance them on the top?  I know I don't.  I have also seen this in my local TA, there must be some reason for this.

As for the the white powder, he does mention salt in the narration but it doesn't look like salt to me, it does look like garlic powder.  Garlic powder does take some time to disperse in water, and in the video, it is the only powder that still stays quite lumpy, so garlic powder would be my guess?


Hi Ray

The powder you see in the video is Fenugreek powder. I don't mention it as it's a little trade secret which I will go into in my ebook.  Will also cover a lot more about the gravies in that book and the videos that will accompany the book see http://www.curry2go-online.com/recipes.html (http://www.curry2go-online.com/recipes.html)  the youtube 10 minute policy does not allow too much explanation and I have received so many emails about the base hence I have embarked on this ebook and videos which should be complete before the end of January. The ebook will have a lot of content and will definitely answer all the questions on here re; use of oil, overfilling the pot etc..  believe it or not there is quite a science to it.   

Julian
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: ELW on December 29, 2011, 01:55 AM
Quote
The powder you see in the video is Fenugreek powder. I don't mention it as it's a little trade secret which I will go into in my ebook.  Will also cover a lot more about the gravies in that book and the videos that will accompany the book see http://www.curry2go-online.com/recipes.html (http://www.curry2go-online.com/recipes.html)  the youtube 10 minute policy does not allow too much explanation and I have received so many emails about the base hence I have embarked on this ebook and videos which should be complete before the end of January. The ebook will have a lot of content and will definitely answer all the questions on here re; use of oil, overfilling the pot etc..  believe it or not there is quite a science to it.   

Julian


Quote
Advanced or multi stage gravy (cr0)-  I'm mad keen to hear more, but Julianc2g never mentioned this!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
On topic- CurrytoGo, Cannot wait to hear a members taste test on c2g, it's long overdue, & Im too far away....Its very seldom that trade secrets of any kind are revealed on tv/web by people in the business, but I think it all adds to Julians credibility.those videos are brilliant & Im sure between both gravies & c2g I'm sure I will have taken a huge step forward to creating what I'm after

Regards
ELW

Hi Julian, thanks for that post, I'v been  taking stick from some curry anoraks for probing further on this matter   :)...best of luck with your venture, hope you can steal a march there

Regards
ELW
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: curryhell on December 29, 2011, 09:22 AM
The powder you see in the video is Fenugreek powder. I don't mention it as it's a little trade secret which I will go into in my ebook.  Will also cover a lot more about the gravies in that book and the videos that will accompany the book see http://www.curry2go-online.com/recipes.html (http://www.curry2go-online.com/recipes.html)  the youtube 10 minute policy does not allow too much explanation and I have received so many emails about the base hence I have embarked on this ebook and videos which should be complete before the end of January. The ebook will have a lot of content and will definitely answer all the questions on here re; use of oil, overfilling the pot etc..  believe it or not there is quite a science to it.   
Julian
I'm very much looking forward to this :D.  Just in time for my birthday too.  Put me down for a copy Julian ;D
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: Whandsy on December 29, 2011, 10:16 AM
I'll be up for this as well ;)

Wayne
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: Razor on December 29, 2011, 10:17 AM
Hi Julian,

Quote
The powder you see in the video is Fenugreek powder.

The pale coloured powder could also possibly be ground fenugreek, another likely spice contender for the base ???

Good call CH :D 8)

Quote
believe it or not there is quite a science to it.

I don't doubt that for one minute my friend and forum member 'Spiceyokooko' has claimed that, to get the best results, you need to understand the science behind what we are trying to achieve.  My view is slightly different in that, all I need to understand is, if a certain method produces the best results, then that is the method that I shall employ, especially if it is come from a credible source such as yourself...!

Just one point about the addition of the fenugreek powder though, I can't understand why you would decide to keep that one to yourself  if you really wanted us to achieve the best results using your base gravy?  Methi powder has quite a strong, savoury flavour and I should imagine that it would drastically alter the flavour of a base if used in such quantities (1 chefspoon)  I wonder how many members have made your base and wrongly assumed, as CA and I did, that the white powder was garlic powder and possibly found that it wasn't to their liking? 

Anyway, not to worry.  Many thanks for clearing up the mystery white powder and good luck with the ebook Julian.

ATB,

Ray :)
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: JerryM on December 29, 2011, 12:04 PM
Razor,

on the pot and veg i effectively do this. i aim to be in a range of 50 to 60% of bulk veg in the finished base (wt of bulk veg/volume of finished base before thinning). as example if my finished base (before thinning) is 2L then the bulk veg ie onion etc would be something like 1100g. pro rata as needed for each base recipe.
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: Cory Ander on January 02, 2012, 08:13 AM
Made C2C's onion bhajis yesterday:

(http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/imagehost/pics/6e38feb6c7e83af081a3758339bd33d6.jpg) (http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/imagehost/#6e38feb6c7e83af081a3758339bd33d6.jpg)

The process for preparing the mixture and for cooking them seemed to be fine to me (i.e. producing nice, round, golden, crispy bhajis, cooked throughout).

Taste wise, they were quite nice, but I personally think they could do with more salt, more spiciness/flavour and more sweetness.
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: mikeyp on January 05, 2012, 10:46 AM
I see on his website he is selling aluminium curry pans for ?12.99, they look to be the kind you see all the take aways using..
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: jb on January 05, 2012, 07:27 PM
I see on his website he is selling aluminium curry pans for ?12.99, they look to be the kind you see all the take aways using..

I ordered one today,I had a job finding one locally,they were all alluminium but were the non-stick variety.They certainly do look like the sort I've seen used in T/A kitchens.
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: gary on January 05, 2012, 10:22 PM
I see on his website he is selling aluminium curry pans for ?12.99, they look to be the kind you see all the take aways using..

Sorry, but this strikes me as a bit of a cynical ruse:  ?17.98 GBP for an aluminium pan (with postage)? They are ?7.99 at my local asian shop, exactly the same pan.

It looks like they just took a photo at some shop that stocks them, then they will just go and buy one when you order, adding on their markup and postage.

I doubt they hold them in stock

Gary
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: DalPuri on January 05, 2012, 10:35 PM
even 8 quid is a lot.  3.99 in most places i went to recently around blackburn and bradford ;)
a fiver is a fair price.
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: gary on January 05, 2012, 11:02 PM
@ DalPuri

My neck of the woods mate, I must be looking in the wrong shops :)

Gary
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: George on January 05, 2012, 11:19 PM
even 8 quid is a lot.  3.99 in most places i went to recently around blackburn and bradford ;)
a fiver is a fair price.

I agree. I had a look around two large supermarkets down Brick Lane (London) today. They had a huge display of all manner of pots, pans and utensils. GBP13 (or GBP18 with postage) for a pan strikes me as more expensive than going directly to somewhere like Brick Lane, as long as you're there anyway and don't have to pay for petrol or rail fares.
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: Graeme on January 05, 2012, 11:59 PM
?3.99 is a keen price, but around here about ?10 each.
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: mikeyp on January 06, 2012, 01:29 PM
Does anyone know of any other online sites you can get them from??
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: martinvic on January 06, 2012, 02:12 PM
I can recommend here, as I bought from them myself.

http://www.dadibhais.com/index.php/kitchen/cookware/frying-omelette-pans.html?SID=bb93aff8506727848903d6dbc31c1fed (http://www.dadibhais.com/index.php/kitchen/cookware/frying-omelette-pans.html?SID=bb93aff8506727848903d6dbc31c1fed)

There is a one off postage charge of ?5.95 (Plus, please note VAT has to be added to it all), so will obviously make it worthwhile ordering a few things from there.

Along with an Alu pan, I bought several different length Serving (Chefs) spoons, balti dishes and a Tawa from there.

Martin
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: mikeyp on January 06, 2012, 03:30 PM
I have just bought 2 of the 24cm pans, they were only ?5 each, did you get the metal or wooden handled ones??
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: mikeyp on January 06, 2012, 03:43 PM
Had another look and found 24cm genware aluminium omlette pans for ?2.39+vat from cheapchefsclothing.co.uk
Not sure how much shipping is but shouldn't be more than a fiver or so, looks like the same ones in the above link..
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: George on January 06, 2012, 03:56 PM
The powder you see in the video is Fenugreek powder. I don't mention it as it's a little trade secret which I will go into in my ebook. 

Here's something else I bought down Brick Lane (London) yesterday - Fenugreek Powder. Is this the stuff you use?

(http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/imagehost/pics/271164cf9bae47dc7f8efd7d9d3536f0.jpg)
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: Peripatetic Phil on January 06, 2012, 04:14 PM
The powder you see in the video is Fenugreek powder. I don't mention it as it's a little trade secret which I will go into in my ebook. 

Here's something else I bought down Brick Lane (London) yesterday - Fenugreek Powder. Is this the stuff you use?

I certainly use it, George, and my curries just wouldn't taste the same without it.  Why Julian regards it as a trade secret, I have no idea, but it is certainly true that my local Asian convenience store maintain that it has no place in their cuisine : fenugreek leaves (rubbed between the palms), yes; fenugreek powder, no.  But for me, a decided "yes" !

** Phil.
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: haldi on January 06, 2012, 06:19 PM
I haven't had the time to revisit Undercover Curry's base, but that had fenugreek powder in
And it was a really good
But none of the takeaways I go to, use it
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: George on January 06, 2012, 06:28 PM
I haven't had the time to revisit Undercover Curry's base, but that had fenugreek powder in
And it was a really good
But none of the takeaways I go to, use it

Thanks for your input, and not least for the good English as in saying 'really good' vs the inexcusable use of the expression 'real good'.

fenugreek leaves (rubbed between the palms), yes; fenugreek powder, no.  But for me, a decided "yes" !

Perhaps it really is a trade secret, then, and it would be step too far for most BIRs to reveal all! i.e. they do use Fenugreek Powder but claim not to.

Something else I noticed down Brick Lane were stacks of tins/containers of Mustard Oil, all marked "for external use." They'd never stock or sell as much for anything other than cooking but, whilst households might be prepared to take a risk, you'd think it would be out of the question for BIRs with Environmental Health around.
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: PaulP on January 06, 2012, 06:49 PM
Fenugreek seed powder in base was featured way back here by SNS:

http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=2757.0 (http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=2757.0)

People often say be careful with it as it can add bitterness.

Paul
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: Peripatetic Phil on January 06, 2012, 07:18 PM
To put things in perspective, in a typical KD-style Chicken Madras, I would use three parts chilli (or chilli + curry masala), two parts cumin and one part ground fenugreek.  All other spices would be half-part or less.

** Phil.
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: emin-j on January 06, 2012, 08:24 PM
My latest curry2go base included the chef's spoon of methi but the previous curry2go base didn't and there was no noticeable difference in taste in either the base or curry's which followed  :-\
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: martinvic on January 06, 2012, 09:26 PM
Had another look and found 24cm genware aluminium omlette pans for ?2.39+vat from cheapchefsclothing.co.uk
Not sure how much shipping is but shouldn't be more than a fiver or so, looks like the same ones in the above link..
Hi Mike

I got the metal handled 24cm one, I don't think they had the wooden handled ones in stock at the time (and they are a little more expensive).
(oh and I bought a nice ladle from them in my order too ;))

Great price from that other place you mentioned, the downside is they seem to be charging ?6.25 per item to post. :o
So pretty good for a one off purchase, but not if you want more than one item. :-\

Martin
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: DalPuri on January 07, 2012, 11:29 AM
Had another look and found 24cm genware aluminium omlette pans for ?2.39+vat from cheapchefsclothing.co.uk
Not sure how much shipping is but shouldn't be more than a fiver or so, looks like the same ones in the above link..
Hi Mike

I got the metal handled 24cm one, I don't think they had the wooden handled ones in stock at the time (and they are a little more expensive).
(oh and I bought a nice ladle from them in my order too ;))

Great price from that other place you mentioned, the downside is they seem to be charging ?6.25 per item to post. :o
So pretty good for a one off purchase, but not if you want more than one item. :-\

Martin

Orders below ?100 net of VAT will incur ?5.95 + VAT carriage charge to ZONES 1 & 2 (up to 20kgs)
6 quid each item would be ridiculous, but 6 quid for 20kg is pretty good value ;)
better than going there direct as you have to spend a min 35 quid for non-c&c card holders

cheers, Frank.  ;)
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: martinvic on January 07, 2012, 02:57 PM
Yes Frank. the exact point I was making. ???

I can recommend here, as I bought from them myself.

http://www.dadibhais.com/index.php/kitchen/cookware/frying-omelette-pans.html?SID=bb93aff8506727848903d6dbc31c1fed (http://www.dadibhais.com/index.php/kitchen/cookware/frying-omelette-pans.html?SID=bb93aff8506727848903d6dbc31c1fed)

There is a one off postage charge of ?5.95 (Plus, please note VAT has to be added to it all), so will obviously make it worthwhile ordering a few things from there.

Along with an Alu pan, I bought several different length Serving (Chefs) spoons, balti dishes and a Tawa from there.

Martin

To be clear, I didn't buy anything from cheapchefsclothing.co.uk.

Martin

Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: DalPuri on January 07, 2012, 03:32 PM
 :o :o ;D :o ahhhhh  my appologies ;)
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: martinvic on January 07, 2012, 03:59 PM
No problem mate. ;)
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: Cory Ander on January 09, 2012, 08:47 AM
I've just made this C2G base.  I agree that it is relatively highly spiced compared to some other bases (as some have mentioned). 

This is possibly because I took a "Chef's Spoon" to be "4 x 15ml sized level tablespoons" (i.e. 60ml).  It may be that Julian's is significantly smaller than mine?

Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: stevejet66 on January 17, 2012, 08:26 PM
Dont waste your time or money, ive tried this and its not good.
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: curryhell on January 17, 2012, 09:01 PM
Dont waste your time or money, ive tried this and its not good.
Ham what have you tried that isn't good exactly? Are you talking about Julian's base or something else?
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: ELW on January 17, 2012, 09:19 PM
Dont waste your time or money, ive tried this and its not good.

Tried what ?
ELW
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: stevejet66 on January 18, 2012, 09:46 AM
The base sauce, to over powering with spices. also the mix powder is virtually the same so then it becomes even worse when you add it to your dish and ends up just a stronger version of the base sauce, hope that helps.
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: Les on January 18, 2012, 09:53 AM
The base sauce, to over powering with spices. also the mix powder is virtually the same so then it becomes even worse when you add it to your dish and ends up just a stronger version of the base sauce, hope that helps.

Could be that your using a large chef's spoon, (3/4 tbs)
Julians chef's spoon is 2 Tbs, as Iv'e just read on one of his reply's

Quote
@stevejet66 Hi, what? size chef's spoon are you using to measure the spices? There are 2 sizes, we use the standard which equates to 2 Tblsp if you are using large this would explain your curries coming out over spiced.
unquote

Les
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: stevejet66 on January 18, 2012, 09:59 AM
i use a standard chefs spoon, the combination of the spices are not right, also if you look at the vid youll see how much spices are floating on top before he mixes it in,
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: Les on January 18, 2012, 10:11 AM
i use a standard chefs spoon, the combination of the spices are not right, also if you look at the vid youll see how much spices are floating on top before he mixes it in,

I'm not saying your wrong my friend, (having never tried it), I was just quoting his reply to a question on you tube, There are plenty of other spice mix's you could use, Or just use another base and your own mix's, We all learn from mistakes, be it our own or someone else's

Les
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: stevejet66 on January 18, 2012, 10:17 AM
les, if you take a look at the vid he also mentions chefs have there secret recipes, but he only tells you the basics what to put in and to add spices to suit your choice, whats the point of the video if your not going to show how its done properly, (it then becomes a guessing game and a waste of peoples time and money) its like doing a sunday roast and not adding the meat and gravy at the end!
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: Les on January 18, 2012, 10:25 AM
les, if you take a look at the vid he also mentions chefs have there secret recipes, but he only tells you the basics what to put in and to add spices to suit your choice, whats the point of the video if your not going to show how its done properly, (it then becomes a guessing game and a waste of peoples time and money) its like doing a sunday roast and not adding the meat and gravy at the end!

Could not agree with you more, But all these type of videos are the same, even the chinese T/A one's,(and it is anoying I know) And It also apply's to this forum at time's
There is an old saying, and I think It's quite true, "If I tell you everything, You will be as wise as Me" They like to keep there secret's ;)

Les
Les
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: stevejet66 on January 18, 2012, 10:27 AM
cheers les. keep pan bashing.
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: Les on January 18, 2012, 10:34 AM
cheers les. keep pan bashing.

And you my friend, Success is just around the corner ;)

Les
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: ELW on January 18, 2012, 11:11 AM
les, if you take a look at the vid he also mentions chefs have there secret recipes, but he only tells you the basics what to put in and to add spices to suit your choice, whats the point of the video if your not going to show how its done properly, (it then becomes a guessing game and a waste of peoples time and money) its like doing a sunday roast and not adding the meat and gravy at the end!

Thanks for that  ham, the great thing about this forum is that the knowledge is, in the main, shared freely by people, incl yourself having a go at this. I'm not trying anything of c2g's video recipe's until I can match them with the contents of his forthcoming ebook. It's going to be the last publication on bir@home I ever buy. Julian remains very credible imo, as he has put himself out there, where we can see him & taste his food. I'm very interested in the use of stock, in bir, it seems to me to be there but seldom mentioned. As Les said, your not alone in your thinking!

Regards
ELW
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: Razor on January 18, 2012, 12:24 PM
Hi Guy's,

The base sauce, to over powering with spices. also the mix powder is virtually the same so then it becomes even worse when you add it to your dish and ends up just a stronger version of the base sauce, hope that helps.

Could be that your using a large chef's spoon, (3/4 tbs)
Julians chef's spoon is 2 Tbs, as I've just read on one of his reply's

Quote
@stevejet66 Hi, what? size chef's spoon are you using to measure the spices? There are 2 sizes, we use the standard which equates to 2 Tblsp if you are using large this would explain your curries coming out over spiced.
unquote

Les

The "chefspoon" as measurement, is proving to be a real problem as these latest post's and the other related thread are flagging up.  And in all honesty, it's been an issue all along.

So, I guess the only way to overcome the problem, is to never post a recipe that asks for a chefspoon, and ask the recipe provider to clarify their measurement in any recipe that does?

If we had active moderators, with full moderating capabilities, I would pm them and ask them to modify any of my recipes that contain the dreaded chefspoon.  Alas, we haven't got any active mods.

Ray :-\
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: Whandsy on January 18, 2012, 12:45 PM
Hi Guy's,

The base sauce, to over powering with spices. also the mix powder is virtually the same so then it becomes even worse when you add it to your dish and ends up just a stronger version of the base sauce, hope that helps.

Could be that your using a large chef's spoon, (3/4 tbs)
Julians chef's spoon is 2 Tbs, as I've just read on one of his reply's

Quote
@stevejet66 Hi, what? size chef's spoon are you using to measure the spices? There are 2 sizes, we use the standard which equates to 2 Tblsp if you are using large this would explain your curries coming out over spiced.
unquote

Les

The "chefspoon" as measurement, is proving to be a real problem as these latest post's and the other related thread are flagging up.  And in all honesty, it's been an issue all along.

So, I guess the only way to overcome the problem, is to never post a recipe that asks for a chefspoon, and ask the recipe provider to clarify their measurement in any recipe that does?

If we had active moderators, with full moderating capabilities, I would pm them and ask them to modify any of my recipes that contain the dreaded chefspoon.  Alas, we haven't got any active mods.

Ray :-\

Hi Ray

With regards to your recent base sauce, albeit "loosely" based on C2G's technique, do you think you got the spice quantities right, or in your experience, in hindsight, would you have added more or less of the Tsp measurements. Reason I ask is as you know I'm planning on having a go at C2G next and we already discussed it looks like he adds a lot of spice! :)

W
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: dunholm on January 18, 2012, 02:38 PM
May I comment on this, since I have had mady the C2G gravy?

Using his recipe, you end up with a pressure-cooker amount of base, after it has been blitzed. Yes, the pan was piled high to start with, but I was able to push it all down (rightly or wrongly) after a while and put a lid on it. He then said to add the same amount of water. So that gave me two pressure-cooker amounts of liquid. I made up his spice mix and divided it between these two. I got the consistency I saw in his videos, with a lot more blitzing.

To me, it tastes like very mildly spiced onion soup, with hardly any heat. It has a pleasant aftertaste, but no harsh notes. I have made two batches - for the first I didn't cook the onions for long enough, so it wasn't as sweet as the second, where I did.

I made his Bhuna last night for the family, which has no extra chilli powder. It does use his spice mix, for which I used medium Raja curry powder. That gave it enough of a kick, and to us it did taste very much like the sort of thing you would get in a BIR.

Julian says that his chef's spoon = two tablespoons, so I use that as my measure.

Only thing is the huge amount of base that you are left with. I'm going to make a large batch of his madras, without adding any meat, and give that to my son and his pals in Glasgow. I'll be interested to get their opinions.

BTW I did add a wee bit of fenugreek to the base, in the light of intelligence purloined from this site!
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: Whandsy on January 18, 2012, 03:28 PM
May I comment on this, since I have had mady the C2G gravy?

Using his recipe, you end up with a pressure-cooker amount of base, after it has been blitzed. Yes, the pan was piled high to start with, but I was able to push it all down (rightly or wrongly) after a while and put a lid on it. He then said to add the same amount of water. So that gave me two pressure-cooker amounts of liquid. I made up his spice mix and divided it between these two. I got the consistency I saw in his videos, with a lot more blitzing.

To me, it tastes like very mildly spiced onion soup, with hardly any heat. It has a pleasant aftertaste, but no harsh notes. I have made two batches - for the first I didn't cook the onions for long enough, so it wasn't as sweet as the second, where I did.

I made his Bhuna last night for the family, which has no extra chilli powder. It does use his spice mix, for which I used medium Raja curry powder. That gave it enough of a kick, and to us it did taste very much like the sort of thing you would get in a BIR.

Julian says that his chef's spoon = two tablespoons, so I use that as my measure.

Only thing is the huge amount of base that you are left with. I'm going to make a large batch of his madras, without adding any meat, and give that to my son and his pals in Glasgow. I'll be interested to get their opinions.

BTW I did add a wee bit of fenugreek to the base, in the light of intelligence purloined from this site!

Hi Dunholm

Many thanks for you input, I'm glad you used the correct amounts and think it tastes like "a mildly spice onion soup" because that's what I was expecting it to taste like. One of our other members wasn't too keen on the base so I don't know what went wrong there.

With regards to having lots left over, I normally apportion the base into freezer bags, knot them and stick them in the freezer, that way they take up the remaining shape of the freezer space ;)

W
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: curryhell on January 18, 2012, 05:17 PM

With regards to having lots left over, I normally apportion the base into freezer bags, knot them and stick them in the freezer, that way they take up the remaining shape of the freezer space ;)

W
I wonder if you're the only person to do this Whandsy?  Somebody put this in my head.  It's a bloody great idea and it saves me money on foil containers or washing up the plastic ones ;D

Can't comment on C2G's base as i haven't  made it yet as i've a couple of others i want to do first.  I think Ham's report is the first negative one i've read though among quite a few positives :o
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: Whandsy on January 18, 2012, 05:30 PM

With regards to having lots left over, I normally apportion the base into freezer bags, knot them and stick them in the freezer, that way they take up the remaining shape of the freezer space ;)

W
I wonder if you're the only person to do this Whandsy?  Somebody put this in my head.  It's a bloody great idea and it saves me money on foil containers or washing up the plastic ones ;D

Hi Curryhell

It is a great way for storing, as you said no washing up and its very cheap. When I first did this it was the only way I could think of to store lots of base in an already very crowded freezer  ;D

Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: bamble1976 on January 18, 2012, 06:02 PM
Hi

It seems a really small chefspoon that he is using at 2TBSP????  I went wrong because of this and added 3.5tbsp of each and got an overspiced base  :( These bloody chefspoon measures >:(

Not sure I can be bothered trying it again.  It would feel like building a wall, knocking it down, then having to rebuild it!

Barry
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: curryhell on January 18, 2012, 07:04 PM
Hi

It seems a really small chefspoon that he is using at 2TBSP????  I went wrong because of this and added 3.5tbsp of each and got an overspiced base  :( These bloody chefspoon measures >:(

Not sure I can be bothered trying it again.  It would feel like building a wall, knocking it down, then having to rebuild it!

Barry
Sometimes Bamble, it just has to be done >:(  The second effort is normally always better than the first.  Think they call it the learning curve ;D
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: Razor on January 18, 2012, 07:10 PM
Hi Wayne,

For my experimental base, the spicing was fine.  It didn't taste a great deal different to many of the good bases found on cr0. If Julian says that his spoon is 2 tbs, then that may be a good starting point but it will still be a far bit more spiced than my experimental base.

I would say that Julians chefspoon is about the same as mine which is fine if you know that it measures 2 tbs of liquids such as water or something equally as runny.  The problem arises when you try to measure out powders.  Depending on how steady your hand is, you may measure out about 3 tbs, whereas I maybe able to measure out close to 4..!

It would have been good for us to have seen this step in Julians video, at least we could of seen for ourselves just how much he actually loads the chefspoon?  Was it a level chefspoon, half heaped, or heaped high?


Ray :)
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: emin-j on January 18, 2012, 08:01 PM
Have made the C2G base twice now and my Chef's spoon is certainly larger than 2 tbs, although this seems heavy on the spicing this is going into 8 ltrs of base which is almost twice the amount compared to many of the base recipes on the forum and it doesn't taste overspiced - to me  :D
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: DalPuri on January 20, 2012, 04:12 PM
How to make Saag Aloo (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQib12radAM#)
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: martinvic on January 21, 2012, 02:53 PM
Anybody know where the recipe ingredients, as stated in the video, are on Julians site?

Martin
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: Whandsy on January 21, 2012, 03:10 PM
Anybody know where the recipe ingredients, as stated in the video, are on Julians site?

Martin

As far as I have ever seen, he's only got a couple of recipes written down on his website. Video only as far as I can see :(

W
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: Unclefrank on January 22, 2012, 01:56 PM
He tells you in the video just write it down as he cooks the dish, thats what i have done for all of his recipes.
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: martinvic on January 22, 2012, 02:42 PM
Yep, that's what I'm about to do now Frank.

Although I appreciate Julian's a busy man, it just doesn't look good specifically telling people to go to his site for the recipes, when they are not there IMHO.

Martin
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: martinvic on January 22, 2012, 03:28 PM
Here you go.  ;)

C2G SAAG ALOO

Single portion

Half finely sliced onion
6 Pieces precooked potato
2 tomato quarters
Wedge of lemon
2 blocks of defrosted frozen spinach
1 tsp Garlic/Ginger paste
Pinch of Garam masala
Chefs spoon seasoned oil
Half teaspoon methi leaves
Base Gravy
1 tblsp Mix powder
quarter to half tsp chilli powder
Pinch of salt.
Fresh Coriander leaves to garnish.

Add oil to pan, fry/Sautee onions till they stop sizzling.
Add Methi, stir in, then add GG paste fry till sizzling stops again.
Add one third of a ladle of Base, stir in, then add mix powder and chilli powder.
Quick stir, then add potatoes and tomatoes.
Stir then add another third of a ladle of Base and then the spinach.
Turn heat to high and break up and stir in the spinach, taking care to not break up potatoes.
Let cook for a little while then add a pinch of salt, then squeeze in the juice of the Lemon.
Cook and stir till quite dry.
Garnish with a sprinkle of Garam Masala and Coriander leaves
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: spiceyokooko on January 22, 2012, 03:37 PM
Although I appreciate Julian's a busy man, it just doesn't look good specifically telling people to go to his site for the recipes, when they are not there IMHO.

In his earlier video's all the ingredients were listed at the end of the video's, but he doesn't seem to have done that on the recent Saag Aloo video. You can understand his reluctance to give this away for free when he's now working on producing an e-book with video's which he intends to sell. That's just sound business sense really.

The Saag Aloo video was full of great little tips on how to achieve that BIR 'flavour' which in itself was (for me) the most useful part of it. The lack of a list of ingredients is not particularly important when he tells you (and shows you) what goes into the dish itself. The actual technique of cooking it, for me is the most important part.

What does continue to irk me, is that he uses a Garam Masala, which (according to earlier videos) he buys in from another restaurant and therefore cannot reveal what actual ingredients are in it.

Overall though, his video's continue to be very useful in understanding BIR cookery techniques.
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: Whandsy on January 22, 2012, 03:47 PM
For anybody that's interested, he is now selling his mix powder along with the Balti dishes and curry pan's :)
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: martinvic on January 22, 2012, 03:51 PM
You can understand his reluctance to give this away for free when he's now working on producing an e-book with video's which he intends to sell. That's just sound business sense really.

No, not when he does specifically state, on this video, 'Full ingredients available FREE on our website ...'.

Not really complaining though, as I do enjoy watching Julians videos.


As for the Garam Masala, maybe he'll put that in his book just for you.

Martin
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: spiceyokooko on January 22, 2012, 04:01 PM
As for the Garam Masala, maybe he'll put that in his book just for you.

I doubt that. If you actually read what I wrote, you'd see that he does not know the ingredients.  ::)
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: martinvic on January 22, 2012, 06:13 PM
Sorry Spicey you actually wrote 'he buys in from another restaurant and therefore cannot reveal what actual ingredients are in it.' which can be read in more than one way. ::)

Martin
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: Whandsy on January 23, 2012, 07:34 PM
Julians updated his blog on his website stating he's expecting his book to be ready end of Feb (ish), what he describes sounds like its gonna be right up my street.

Theres also an interesting mention about making his own GM, leaving in an airing cupboard for a week, then roasting on a really low light - dedication! I'll stick with the large box of jalpur for the time being although my spice cupboard stinks to high heaven with it's potency hehe :)

http://www.curry2go-online.com/my-blog.html (http://www.curry2go-online.com/my-blog.html)

W
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: curryhell on January 23, 2012, 08:04 PM
Julians updated his blog on his website stating he's expecting his book to be ready end of Feb (ish), what he describes sounds like its gonna be right up my street.

Theres also an interesting mention about making his own GM, leaving in an airing cupboard for a week, then roasting on a really low light - dedication! I'll stick with the large box of jalpur for the time being although my spice cupboard stinks to high heaven with it's potency hehe :)

http://www.curry2go-online.com/my-blog.html (http://www.curry2go-online.com/my-blog.html)

W
I'm looking forward to the book as well W.  That Jalpur is pretty potent stuff alright :o.  I double bagged mine ;).  Going to try a little sprinkle of it over my next dish to see what it adds, out of curiosity :)  It's certainly a more noticeabel addition compared to other garam masalas i've used in the past.  Going to make up some of Ifindforu's mix powder exactly to spec and give that a bit of an outing in preparation for my next "hopeless" experiment in the near future.
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: martinvic on January 23, 2012, 08:41 PM
Where did you guys get the Jalpur GM from in the end?

Martin
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: Whandsy on January 23, 2012, 08:47 PM
Where did you guys get the Jalpur GM from in the end?

Martin

I got mine from sweet mart in Ashton, Manchester. A large asian store ;)

Wayne
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: curryhell on January 23, 2012, 08:49 PM
Where did you guys get the Jalpur GM from in the end?

Martin
I managed to get mine from an asian grocers in Green Street, East Ham.  They actually sold many spices from Jalpur as well as from other suppliers.  Hopefully, this source will continue.  I think my current 175gm pack will keep me going for a while though ;D

Is it only you and I that managed to actually go and purchase this from a shop W??
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: Whandsy on January 23, 2012, 08:58 PM
Where did you guys get the Jalpur GM from in the end?

Martin
I managed to get mine from an asian grocers in Green Street, East Ham.  They actually sold many spices from Jalpur as well as from other suppliers.  Hopefully, this source will continue.  I think my current 175gm pack will keep me going for a while though ;D

Is it only you and I that managed to actually go and purchase this from a shop W??

I'm sure there are other members who have stayed silent CH. i got mine from near where i work which is about three quarters of an hour from home. The bloody car stunk of the stuff by the time i arrived home!!! Lol

Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: martinvic on January 23, 2012, 09:14 PM
Thanks guys.

Was sort of hoping you may have found an online supplier.

Just that I'll need to get some more GM soon, so Jalpur seemed the one to try and get.

Hopefully going to an Asian supermarket in Walsall soon, with a mate, so maybe I'll get lucky.

Martin
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: Unclefrank on January 23, 2012, 10:46 PM
martinvic could you post something on here if you do get some and where abouts in Walsall you got it from, dont live far from Walsall.
Cheers.
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: martinvic on January 23, 2012, 10:58 PM
Hi Frank

If my mate eventually takes me there, I'll definitely let you know if they have any and where from.

I'll post here though

http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=7640.msg66638#msg66638 (http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=7640.msg66638#msg66638)

To keep things a little more on topic. ;)

Martin
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: curryhell on January 23, 2012, 11:13 PM
good luck on the trail of the Jalpur GM ;).  Hope the trip is fruitful
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: Unclefrank on January 23, 2012, 11:22 PM
Cheers martinvic, if you dont find any in Walsall tell your friend to go to Dudley by where the old dairy used to be http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?hl=en&q=cross+street+dudley&psj=1&gs_upl=47801l52799l0l52987l19l15l0l3l3l0l741l3971l2-5.4.0.1.1l11l0&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.,cf.osb&biw=1024&bih=533&wrapid=tlif132736045483210&um=1&ie=UTF-8&hq=&hnear=0x487090abbbce4eb9:0xe0cb4146ee7c1b01,Cross+St&gl=uk&ei=_OkdT6HDE4ej4gTGq-SWDQ&sa=X&oi=geocode_result&ct=title&resnum=1&ved=0CCsQ8gEwAA (http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?hl=en&q=cross+street+dudley&psj=1&gs_upl=47801l52799l0l52987l19l15l0l3l3l0l741l3971l2-5.4.0.1.1l11l0&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.,cf.osb&biw=1024&bih=533&wrapid=tlif132736045483210&um=1&ie=UTF-8&hq=&hnear=0x487090abbbce4eb9:0xe0cb4146ee7c1b01,Cross+St&gl=uk&ei=_OkdT6HDE4ej4gTGq-SWDQ&sa=X&oi=geocode_result&ct=title&resnum=1&ved=0CCsQ8gEwAA)
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: jb on February 01, 2012, 07:45 AM
Another one has been added..

How to Make Mushroom Fried Rice Indian Takeaway Style (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ty2-bPg-PbU#)
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: jb on February 09, 2012, 05:56 AM
chicken pathia....

How to Make Chicken Patia- Takeaway Style (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=duRBQSem9qY#)
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: Whandsy on February 09, 2012, 08:23 AM
Has anybody had pathia / patia before? Its a curry ive heard of but never tried. I was going to make a jalfrezi tonight but might try this as something different. I can't really imagine the taste though with lemon, pineappple, massalla sauce and chilli  ???
Wayne
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: Ian S. on February 09, 2012, 11:00 AM
A friend of mine likes Prawn Pathia and I've had some of hers when we've had a takeaway curry together. I liked it, as a change from my usual Vindaloo, though hers was quite sweet. I was thinking of trying to make it. I'd like to cook some different curries for my friends who aren't quite so keen on chilli heat as me. I like the look of this recipe.

I remember it tasting a bit like Dhansak, which is another on my 'to do' list.

It'd be nice to read what you think of this, Whandsy, if you do decide to make it. :)
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: Peripatetic Phil on February 09, 2012, 11:06 AM
Has anybody had pathia / patia before?
Yes, it used to feature regularly on restaurant menus under the "Parsee" section (="Persian"), along with Dhansak.  Both were always accompanied by pulao rice, factored into the price.  I have eaten it, enjoy  it for a change, but prefer to stick to Chicken Madras as my staple diet.

** Phil.
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: DalPuri on February 09, 2012, 11:26 AM
Pat-EEa ? whats all that about? just as bad as people who say cho-RITTso ::)
I've no idea what's happened to this dish over the years, very sad.
When this dish was first on the menu's, it was only available as a starter.
Prawn Pathia and puri.
A very dry dish and a Wonderful flavour!
The owners realised it was a best seller and decided to make it a main dish and stick a basic Bhuna with the prawns for the starter.
Somehow over the years the dish changed completely and now has Pineapple in it :-X >:(
There are still a handful of old school chefs where you'll find the original recipe, albeit a main dish and not with a puri as a starter.
If you're ever around Wimbledon, check out the Colliers Wood Tandoori.
You wont be disappointed.

Frank.  ;)
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: chewytikka on February 09, 2012, 12:59 PM
Pat-EEa ? whats all that about? just as bad as people who say cho-RITTso ::)
I've no idea what's happened to this dish over the years, very sad.
When this dish was first on the menu's, it was only available as a starter.
Prawn Pathia and puri.
A very dry dish and a Wonderful flavour!
The owners realised it was a best seller and decided to make it a main dish and stick a basic Bhuna with the prawns for the starter.
Somehow over the years the dish changed completely and now has Pineapple in it :-X >:(
There are still a handful of old school chefs where you'll find the original recipe, albeit a main dish and not with a puri as a starter.
If you're ever around Wimbledon, check out the Colliers Wood Tandoori.
You wont be disappointed.

Frank.  ;)
Pathia on Puri Frank, cant quite remember that one, very interesting though. ;)

Around here an old school Pathia is a sister curry too Dhansak.
In other words they are related in recipe and method with
Hot,(Chilli) sweet(Sugar) and sour(Lemon) flavours.

In a Pathia, par-deep fried onions and green capsicum are added
replacing the Dhal of a Dhansak.

Today you might see a Chef add a touch of Mango Pulp to give
the Pathia bit more sweet/tang.

c2g's complex idea of a Pat-EEa is quite unusual in my E book. ;D

cheers Chewy
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: DalPuri on February 09, 2012, 08:24 PM
So much has changed eh Chewy   :)
It was against the law NOT to order a prawn pathia and puri starter  ;D
It used to be one of the tastiest things on everyones menu. I wouldve loved to have had it as a main dish back then!
I never ever felt the need to order any other starters because i would buy all the tandoori items and bhaji's, samosa's etc quite regularly from the takeaway places.
Going to the restaurant or picking up a takeaway was special.  :)

Not many specials on menus either. AND the days when you had to order a Pasanda 24 hours in advance  :P hahaha

There was always two dishes on most menus that was a 24hour pre-order.
Murgh .... ? not makhani. Any ideas?

Frank.  ;)
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: Curry Barking Mad on February 09, 2012, 08:51 PM

There was always two dishes on most menus that was a 24hour pre-order.
Murgh .... ? not makhani. Any ideas?

Frank.  ;)

Hi Frank,
Could it have been Murgh Massalam or Kurzi Chicken or Royal Murgh,
all using a whole marinaded chicken or whole leg of lamb.
Cheers,
Mick
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: DalPuri on February 09, 2012, 09:48 PM

There was always two dishes on most menus that was a 24hour pre-order.
Murgh .... ? not makhani. Any ideas?

Frank.  ;)

Hi Frank,
Could it have been  or Kurzi Chicken or Royal Murgh,
all using a whole marinaded chicken or whole leg of lamb.
Cheers,
Mick

Yeah, Murgh Massalam sounds about right Mick  ;D

It was either that or a pasanda that i ordered when i got my first credit card :P

Cheers, Frank  :)
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: chewytikka on February 09, 2012, 10:19 PM
Hi Frank
24hr pre-order they still do round here
Raan of Lamb, Murgh Kachchi Biryani and Staff Curry
All on the bone. :P

I've just scoffed a delicious staff curry I cooked and I'm in the middle
of writing a recipe for it.

Much easier bloody cooking it, than writing about it. ::)

cheers Chewy
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: DalPuri on February 09, 2012, 10:28 PM


Much easier bloody cooking it, than writing about it. ::)

cheers Chewy

And waitin for it  :D

The only thing i Dont miss about meat curries of days gone by, is the gristle!
Guaranteed to at least get one piece.  >:(
It was like a game of Russian Roulette ;D

Doesnt bother me anymore  ;)
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: Peripatetic Phil on February 09, 2012, 11:14 PM
Could it have been Murgh Massalam ...
Ah, "Murgh-e-mussalam" : those were the days.  It was on the "specials" section of an Indian restaurant I used to have lunch in regularly when I was working near Orpington, and as it was a little more expensive than a normal dish, I asked the waiter whether it was intended for two (or more).  "Oh no, Sir", he said, "just for one".  So I ordered it.  Imagine my reaction on being presented with a whole spring chicken, stuffed with boiled eggs and minced lamb (at least two eggs, maybe three), lightly spiced, and being expected to see it all off by myself.  Never again !

** Phil.
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: JerryM on February 11, 2012, 10:44 AM
jb,

much apprecite you continuing to alert to new video.

pathia / patia - i'm not actually sure which is the real fav of mine. a local TA had it spot on and i had nothing else for several years.

the closest i've got is using the ashoka recipe (tom sauce 1 tsp, mango 1 htsp per portion). the curry2go is something i will need to try out.

i'm not clued up but have always thought the patia to be sweet and hot where as the pathia to be hot sweet & sour.

the one ingredient in the fav dish from the local TA that was different to most TA was i think a small scattering of chives just before serving. seemed to sit well and bring the dish to life.

ashoka link http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=3189.msg34558#msg34558 (http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=3189.msg34558#msg34558)
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: curry2gochorley on February 20, 2012, 03:35 PM
Hi there Curry Fans!
 
Here's the latest Ebook News!
 
The Ebook title is;    'The Secret to 'That Takeaway Curry Taste.'
 
The book is almost finished and should be ready for download in the next 3 weeks!
 
The purpose of this book is to,  reveal the 'secrets' that give Indian Retaurants & Takeaway Curries
'That Taste'  that we all love and that many wish they could reproduce in their own kitchen at home. My aim with this book
is to get the reader "into the Takeaway Kitchen..."  to see exactly how it's done!
Another purpose of the book is to "Plug the Gaps" that are sadly left by many of the 'Indian' Cookbooks on the book shelves.
 
Unique Features: The book will have links to over 12 New Exclusive   Videos that will not only compliment the recipes in the book, but also demonstrate those all important techniques .necerssary to create, 'that Takeaway Taste.'

The BIG one! The book will reveal 3 different Base Gravies used to create different tastes. The book reveals the;  "vital cooking technique needed to get the right  taste from the Gravy.."

Key Ingredients: The book has a chapter dedicated to 'Key Ingredients' that are vital to that 'Takeaway Curry Taste'
 
My story. Many people have asked me; "How did you get into cooking Indian Cuisine?" In the book I tell that story including some of the HUGE learning curves I had to get around,  to; "Crack The Code." including some of the mistakes I made, but also at the same time, some discoveries! 

How I ( without a real professional cooking background) took a passion for 'Indian Food' and ended up opening my own outlet that has many Asian customers who recommend our curries to their friends and families.
 
Inspiration: The Indian Restaurant scene in the UK is in crisis!  Why?  A shortage of qualified Chef's.  The Industry as ever is booming,  and our love of Indian Food is stronger than ever,  but many Indian Restaurants are struggling to find Chef's!
Now, people from non Asian backgrounds are looking at becoming 'Indian Food Chefs' and doors are just beggining to open. In my book I give advice on how to go about opening your own Curry Business or perhaps getting a job in an Indian Restaurant?
 
Recipes: The book will reveal 'authentic Restaurant recipes' for many popular Curries like, Jalfrezi, Korma, Balti, Rogan Josh, Chilli Chicken Masala, plus much more!
One of the most requested topics will be covered in depth in the book which is;  'How to Make Perfect Pillau Rice-Every time!'  Also, how to make delicious soft Chapatis & Naan Breads? There will also be recipes on some popular starters.
 
More to come..  Writing this book over the past few months made me realise that this subject could not be covered in just one book, so there are plans for at least 2 more books.
Cost of the book?  This was a difficult thing to evaluate. I didn't want to price the book too high because I want as many as possible to get hold of it, but I also didn't want to price it too cheap because of the years of effort and expense that has been involved in collecting this information plus the time involved in created 12 New videos just to compliment the book.  I was advised to price the book at ?14.99 but I wanted to keep the book under ?10, so I am going to release the book for a limited time at just ?7.99 and once most of the loyal subscribers on Youtube and many other friends and followers have got a copy, I'll put the price up. 

The book will be in pdf format.



Thanks to everyone who have sent me emails and really nice comments on Youtube, they are very much appreciated believe me!

I have been overwhelmed by the interest these videos etc.. have generated and the volume of emails and messages I have received! I want to sincerely apologize to anyone that hasn't had a reply, this is simply due to the fact I have been overwhelmed by so many and as this is practically a 'One Man operation' I am doing my best to get back to everyone. Please keep sending emails I will in due course
get back to you and try and answer your questions.
Once the book is ready I will be in touch.
Again thanks for all your support and interest
Kindest Regards

Julian Voigt


Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: emin-j on February 20, 2012, 05:37 PM
The Ebook title is;    'The Secret to 'That Takeaway Curry Taste.'

I think your a week or two too late Julian  :D ;)
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: Peripatetic Phil on February 20, 2012, 06:13 PM
Cost of the book?  This was a difficult thing to evaluate. I didn't want to price the book too high because I want as many as possible to get hold of it, but I also didn't want to price it too cheap because of the years of effort and expense that has been involved in collecting this information plus the time involved in created 12 New videos just to compliment the book.  I was advised to price the book at ?14.99 but I wanted to keep the book under ?10, so I am going to release the book for a limited time at just ?7.99 and once most of the loyal subscribers on Youtube and many other friends and followers have got a copy, I'll put the price up. 

The book will be in pdf format.

Dear Julian -- Much as I admire your enthusiasm, enterprise and entrepreneurship, I do think that any hopes that you may entertain of being able to raise the price after your launch will be of little avail.  Once one unscrupulous customer has bought the PDF for GBP 7-99, he (or she) will upload it to a BitTorrent site such as "The Pirate Bay", at which point its real value will drop to a few pence.  I very strongly recommend that you decide a selling price and then stick to it, bearing in mind in fixing your price that pirating PDFs via BitTorrent is both commonplace and virtually unstoppable.

** Phil.
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: JerryM on February 20, 2012, 06:17 PM
Julian,

everything was going well until reading 2 or more books to come.

what people don't want to do is to splash cash and be disappointed. please outline more about book 2 & 3 to help judge what is not in book 1.

ps love the videos and your way.
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: curry2gochorley on February 20, 2012, 08:09 PM
in reply to your comments Phil.

The e book and associated videos have a registered copyright and ISBN number so any illegal copying uploading to websites in part or whole will be deemed an infringement of copyright and will be dealt with in the appropriate manner. While I appreciate your comments and am fully aware of how things work I trust the company I am using to protect my intellectual property and they have an excellent track record in prosecuting copyright thieves. While I am realistic in being aware that this can and may occur I will be hallmarking each copy sold which will enable me and the people protecting the IP to trace back any and every copy. Pricing, again I have sought professional advice on this however as explained I am for a limited time keeping the price low, thankfully we have received a large number of feedback to the pricing from our many subscribers and I am glad to say it's all been extremely positive.

Thanks for the concern

 
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: curry2gochorley on February 20, 2012, 09:01 PM
Julian,

everything was going well until reading 2 or more books to come.

what people don't want to do is to splash cash and be disappointed. please outline more about book 2 & 3 to help judge what is not in book 1.

ps love the videos and your way.

Hi yes,

Will try and answer your query.

What I have aimed to do is cover subjects (like Gravies for eg) in depth rather than skim over the surface- this has been borne out of 100's of emails I have received about Base Gravies, stock etc.. I wanted to do more than an overview of BIR cuisine but give people the benefit of own experience on this subject. Also while I have included in this first book most of the popular requests for curries it would be impossible to cover every BIR curry on a standard Indian menu and give them justice! I have included technique as well as ingredients (hence the new videos) add to that over 25 'Top Tips' - these are boxes that give that bit of extra information. I can honestly say, that I have not deliberately left out anything with the intention of making a few quid on a second book, infact when I began writing this book some months ago I honestly had no intention of writing any other books, but by the time you have wrote 120 pages you realise that unless you want something resembling an encyclopedia I better think about a second book.

Just to give you an idea what I am planning;  the second book will cover more curries(lesser known) also more starters and side orders, I have covered a few in this book but most attention has been given to 'Key' Ingredients, Curries and Base Gravies. The 3rd book (and this will really depend on the success of the first 2 will be about Vegetarian Indian Cuisine (this got me into Indian  cooking 20 yrs ago and is a subject close to my heart) I am leaving this to last because most of the interest in what I am doing is in BIR.

I can honestly say; this is NOT all about money to me.  I would not want anyone to buy this book who felt that way. (hope I don't sound too melodramatic??)

Before the book is released I will issue another 'ebook News' with more info.


Julian
 
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: PaulP on February 20, 2012, 09:32 PM
Good luck with the books Julian. I'm sure I'll be buying a copy to add to my cooking library.

Cheers,

Paul
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: fishy on February 20, 2012, 11:01 PM
I will be buying also, great stuff from this forum lately or as always. keep us posted Julian
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: Peripatetic Phil on February 21, 2012, 12:54 AM
in reply to your comments Phil. [snip] Thanks for the concern.
You are welcome, Julian.  I hope that your expectations are borne out, but given that not even multi-billion pound film studios are able to prevent their copyright material from appearing in torrent format within 24 hours of the DVDs (with full copy protection) being released, I would not place excessive reliance on the ability of your e-publisher to be able to effectively safeguard your intellectual property rights.  Printed books might seem old hat, but they are still /slightly/ more difficult to pirate than PDFs.

** Phil.
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: George on February 21, 2012, 09:51 AM
Once one unscrupulous customer has bought the PDF for GBP 7-99, he (or she) will upload it to a BitTorrent site such as "The Pirate Bay", at which point its real value will drop to a few pence.

By coincidence, it was announced yesterday that UK access to The Pirate Bay will probably be cut soon, after a significant court decision. About time too, really, to be fair on authors like Julian. Good luck to him.

Further info: http://www.techradar.com/news/internet/web/pirate-bay-could-be-blocked-in-uk-after-court-ruling-1064986 (http://www.techradar.com/news/internet/web/pirate-bay-could-be-blocked-in-uk-after-court-ruling-1064986)
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: Les on February 21, 2012, 10:16 AM
By coincidence, it was announced yesterday that UK access to The Pirate Bay will probably be cut soon, after a significant court decision. About time too, really, to be fair on authors like Julian. Good luck to him.

Further info: http://www.techradar.com/news/internet/web/pirate-bay-could-be-blocked-in-uk-after-court-ruling-1064986 (http://www.techradar.com/news/internet/web/pirate-bay-could-be-blocked-in-uk-after-court-ruling-1064986)

The Pirate Bay is just one of hundreds, You cant stop every one of them, especially in China, Where there is no copyright, And Hallmarks/Watermarks are easily removed from a PDF file anyway, But the best of luck to Julian.

Les
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: loveitspicy on February 21, 2012, 12:40 PM
No copyright exits as such in most of Asia ( it does but no one gives a hoot ) and all the sites are fairly accessible for downloaded material

best, Rich
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: Peripatetic Phil on February 21, 2012, 12:53 PM
By coincidence, it was announced yesterday that UK access to The Pirate Bay will probably be cut soon, after a significant court decision. About time too, really, to be fair on authors like Julian. Good luck to him.
A great shame, IMHO.  I use the Pirate Bay to distribute 100%-legal open-source software in torrent format; it would be a great shame if those who abuse P2P lead to this and similar sites being blocked.

** Phil.

Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: loveitspicy on February 21, 2012, 01:05 PM
Going back to the link in George's post
Further info: http://www.techradar.com/news/internet/web/pirate-bay-could-be-blocked-in-uk-after-court-ruling-1064986 (http://www.techradar.com/news/internet/web/pirate-bay-could-be-blocked-in-uk-after-court-ruling-1064986)

The judges and everybody who have copied music or videos to discs or tapes over the many many years have also been infringing copyright of the owners - Hippocrates!!
The whole world has gone crazy after the record companies sort judgment in the US - there is no freedom anywhere with all the power being directed by the money!!!! nothing new there though!

oh well

best, Rich
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: George on February 21, 2012, 02:18 PM
Julian - your videos and other inputs seem very good. What exactly can a book now add, that you haven't already told us? Incidentally, I feel a physical booklet like Abdul's is a better format than a pdf document.
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: Stephen Lindsay on February 21, 2012, 03:44 PM
Julian I agree that an actual physical book would be my preference but in any case whatever format you decide to use I would purchase to add to my book collection and learn from your experience. At present the forum is on an uphill path and I'm sure contributions like your book would maintain that momentum.
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: JerryM on February 21, 2012, 05:46 PM
Julian,

many thanks for the extra clarification - puts me on your order list.

KD1 still sits as my pride and joy. i'm in no doubt this will be a genuine sequel.

on the pirate world pricing is key to make paying a no brainer.

best wishes,
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: curry2gochorley on February 21, 2012, 10:08 PM
Julian I agree that an actual physical book would be my preference but in any case whatever format you decide to use I would purchase to add to my book collection and learn from your experience. At present the forum is on an uphill path and I'm sure contributions like your book would maintain that momentum.

Thanks Stephen for those comments. I am actually exploring the publication of an actual book as I realise the advantage this would have over the pdf (Use in the Kitchen for one) but this will come after I gauge the interest in my ebook.

With regard to other comments on this thread about, can the book teach anyone (you guys in particular on this forum) anything new? I'd like to think so. I can see that most members on this forum have already "discovered the Secret to BIR Curries.."  I didn't mean to sound in anyway patronizing.  That Ebook News I posted yesterday was copied and pasted from my website where I have a large number of visitors from Youtube etc who really don't understand the concept of a Base Gravy and are learning this stuff from scratch- most of what I wrote in that 'Ebook News' was with those people in mind, however there was some stuff in that I thought might interest you guys, like the chapter in my book about  'opening your own Curry outlet.'  Starting that business I thought I new it all after cooking BIR style curries for years and even having a catering business hosting Pub 'Curry Nights' I thought it would be easy, what I found was that it  wasn't as easy as I thought, in fact in proved to be a steep learning curve!  I'm glad to say that a year on we are making a success of it.  It was this experience over the last 12 months that is something I wanted to share- because I really do believe that more Brits who love curry should open Indian Takeaways- Why not??  The Indian bloke I bought my Business off now runs an American doughnut stall- which I think is great!

The ebook I have wrote I believe will benefit both novice and expert a like because it's wrote from (I believe) a unique angle and what I have tried my best to bring into the book is all the tips and techniques that can make a huge difference in terms of the results you get. I have striven to make the book as content rich as possible-particularly on the all important subject of the GRAVY. After cooking about 500 18 litre batches you hone your skills a bit.

Any questions I'll do my best to answer them.


Thanks to everyone who has shown interest in what I'm doing.


Julian

     
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: Whandsy on February 21, 2012, 10:20 PM
Julian

Do you have any thoughts on small group tuition (obviously at a cost) at your stall. A few lads went along to a bir recently and it proved to be a great success for them and are imparting their findings on here.
I think its important to find the "taste of the gravy" and resultant curries, to be able to replicate them time and again.
Also a trip to chorley would be a helluva lot easier  for us northerners than a jolly to the south coast heh heh!

Wayne
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: JerryM on February 22, 2012, 04:01 PM
Do you have any thoughts on small group tuition (obviously at a cost) at your stall.

crossed my mind too.
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: PaulP on February 22, 2012, 04:05 PM
I would be interested too if Julian was up for charging for curry classes.

Paul
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: jb on February 24, 2012, 10:54 PM
some more added...

How to make 'Red Onions' (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=54wIreqDJ70#)

Curry 2 Go & Ebook News! (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Hyo-_nrCmM#)

griddle pan (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S09ultpKX04#)

Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: Stephen Lindsay on February 25, 2012, 01:17 AM
Looks like we will have an ebook to purchase by the end of March which is quite intriguing.
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: curry2gochorley on February 26, 2012, 12:30 PM
Do you have any thoughts on small group tuition (obviously at a cost) at your stall.

crossed my mind too.
g

Hi, yes I have had a lot of requests for this and I am at present in talks with a college about putting a course together
so will keep everyone informed as that develops. My unit (as you have all seen!) is small so would be better in a larger enviroment. Will let everyone know as this develops to keep your eye on my blogg on this one. Thanks for the interest.

Julian
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: Whandsy on March 14, 2012, 08:52 PM
Another video been added, this time its lamb karahi :)
Looking forward to the ebook which he says is still a couple of weeks away :-\

http://m.youtube.com/user/leviteish?ajax=True&client=mv-google#/watch?v=BjP6YI1engg (http://m.youtube.com/user/leviteish?ajax=True&client=mv-google#/watch?v=BjP6YI1engg)
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: PaulP on March 14, 2012, 09:21 PM
Thanks Whandsy, lamb karahi is one of my all time favourites. Can't seem to play the video at the moment but I think I'm having some internet problems.

Cheers,

Paul
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: Whandsy on March 14, 2012, 09:29 PM
I'm surprised none of us northerners haven't made the trip across and tried one of his curries, i'm about 40 mins away so really should make the effort. I will definitely try and get across at some stage as it would be nice to know what i'm trying to replicate once in posession of the ebook ;)

W
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: PaulP on March 14, 2012, 09:36 PM
I'm about 35 mins away but need an excuse to drag the missus to Chorley one Saturday. I don't think he opens in the evenings.

Just watched the karahi video. The dish I refer to is sometimes spelled korai but normally has some green peppers when I buy it. I've never had one without chunky peppers.

Cheers,

Paul
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: Whandsy on March 14, 2012, 09:47 PM
I'm about 35 mins away but need an excuse to drag the missus to Chorley one Saturday. I don't think he opens in the evenings.

Just watched the karahi video. The dish I refer to is sometimes spelled korai but normally has some green peppers when I buy it. I've never had one without chunky peppers.

Cheers,

Paul

I know what you mean paul about the peppers, I used to have karahi regularly until my local takeaway changed hands and completely changed the dish :'(, the ones i use to have were like a jalfrezi in taste and texture only slightly milder in heat

W
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: Les on March 15, 2012, 09:39 AM
Sauce looks good, BUT, Where is the MEAT ???, A very small portion indeed ;D

Les
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: Micky Tikka on March 16, 2012, 05:07 PM
saw the video . soured milk .He said a yogurt and milk mix new to me ?
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: Aussie Mick on March 16, 2012, 05:15 PM
WOWEE!!

Just read this from start to finfish.

Had to trawl through some "difficult" conversations. ???

Watched all the videos Julian. All i can say is thank you for taking the time and trouble to do this. I have learned so much. Can't wait for the e-book.

BTW Man United WILL win the league by 9 points. ;) ;D  From an ex Manc  (Collyhurst boy) who now lives in Perth, Australia. Good luck with the business mate. Next time we're back for a holiday, I will deffo pay curry2go a visit.
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: natterjak on March 16, 2012, 06:24 PM
2 new videos today including behind the scenes at Karachi restaurant, Bradford  :)
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: jb on March 16, 2012, 07:11 PM
2 new videos today including behind the scenes at Karachi restaurant, Bradford  :)

Notice the big pan of real chicken stock,wonder what that's for???  base gravy??
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: jb on March 16, 2012, 07:15 PM
Forgot to say,can't wait for the book!!!
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: ELW on March 16, 2012, 07:23 PM
2 new videos today including behind the scenes at Karachi restaurant, Bradford  :)

Notice the big pan of real chicken stock,wonder what that's for???  base gravy??
I remember him briefly mentioning stock in an earlier video, although he never went into detail on it's use. Should be covered in the book/s. I've often wondered what happens to cooking liquor & stock in bir.
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: jb on March 16, 2012, 07:33 PM
2 new videos today including behind the scenes at Karachi restaurant, Bradford  :)

Notice the big pan of real chicken stock,wonder what that's for???  base gravy??
I remember him briefly mentioning stock in an earlier video, although he never went into detail on it's use. Should be covered in the book/s. I've often wondered what happens to cooking liquor & stock in bir.
 

Actually the use of stock,chicken jelly and so on has been the subject of much debate on the forum for years,pretty much since I joined,some posts claiming that it's one of those elusive secrets.Nothing conclusive so I'm hoping the forthcoming book may clarify things.
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: Micky Tikka on March 16, 2012, 08:11 PM
Loveitspicey puts chicken carcases in his gravies I'm a firm believer it must add depth of flavour . Most other cuisines start with a good stock in my opinion !
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: Stephen Lindsay on March 16, 2012, 09:30 PM
ooo careful with that one!!!!
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: loveitspicy on March 16, 2012, 10:06 PM
The chicken carcases is the only way to go to make a good chicken stock

I would recommend it to all - to try or to use - most good restaurants will make their own stock

Great to see Julian having a look around the kitchen and the pan of chicken carcases boiling away - the same in Bradford as us here

Brilliant

best, Rich
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: Razor on March 17, 2012, 08:26 AM
BTW Man United WILL win the league by 9 points. ;) ;D  From an ex Manc  (Collyhurst boy) who now lives in Perth, Australia. Good luck with the business mate. Next time we're back for a holiday, I will deffo pay curry2go a visit.

I'm hearing ya brother ;D

Ray :)

p.s., My dad is a Collyhurst lad too, and apparently, he was good mates with Les Dawson when they were young??
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: Razor on March 17, 2012, 08:29 AM
I'm surprised none of us northerners haven't made the trip across and tried one of his curries, i'm about 40 mins away so really should make the effort. I will definitely try and get across at some stage as it would be nice to know what i'm trying to replicate once in posession of the ebook ;)

W

Hiya Wayne,

I'm over in Crosten (Chorley/Preston) in June on a camping trip and have already pencilled it in the curry diary mate.

Ray :)
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: Whandsy on March 17, 2012, 10:10 AM
I'm surprised none of us northerners haven't made the trip across and tried one of his curries, i'm about 40 mins away so really should make the effort. I will definitely try and get across at some stage as it would be nice to know what i'm trying to replicate once in posession of the ebook ;)

W

Hiya Wayne,

I'm over in Crosten (Chorley/Preston) in June on a camping trip and have already pencilled it in the curry diary mate.

Ray :)

Nice one Ray, please post or PM me your opinions if you're there before me :)

Wayne
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: beachbum on March 17, 2012, 10:11 AM
2 new videos today including behind the scenes at Karachi restaurant, Bradford  :)

Notice the big pan of real chicken stock,wonder what that's for???  base gravy??
I remember him briefly mentioning stock in an earlier video, although he never went into detail on it's use. Should be covered in the book/s. I've often wondered what happens to cooking liquor & stock in bir.

Being a profit making business I doubt they would chuck it away  8)
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: ELW on March 17, 2012, 10:55 AM
2 new videos today including behind the scenes at Karachi restaurant, Bradford  :)

Notice the big pan of real chicken stock,wonder what that's for???  base gravy??
I remember him briefly mentioning stock in an earlier video, although he never went into detail on it's use. Should be covered in the book/s. I've often wondered what happens to cooking liquor & stock in bir.

Being a profit making business I doubt they would chuck it away  8)

It's been mentoned on cr0 from a kitchen observation, that they did just that, now why would anyone want to do a thing like that?  ??? I've seen ghee buckets being used as step ladders  :) Lamb karahi & chicken karahi for example are 2 completely different dishes in one of my fav t/a, both in colour & taste. I suspect its down to addition of stock or cooking liquour. It's a dish I'm looking to recreate properly, Julian's version looks different, the addition of milk & yoghurt is also new. My local has green peppers(very soft), whole cumin seed(soft, not overly crunchy) & I'm pretty sure there is black pepper in it

Regards
ELW
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: curry2gochorley on April 01, 2012, 11:57 PM
Good luck with the books Julian. I'm sure I'll be buying a copy to add to my cooking library.

Cheers,

Paul

Hi Curry Fans!

Check out the link:http://www.curry2go-online.com/my-ebook--the-secret-to-that-takeaway-curry-taste.html


My new Ebook will be available from Wednesday 4th April


Regards


Julian
Curry 2 Go
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: gazman1976 on April 02, 2012, 01:25 AM
Ok here we go, another book, good luck Julian, hope it's good, won't comment any further until I see it
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: Wickerman on April 02, 2012, 02:24 AM
I shall be buying it on wednesday.
Looking forward.
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: beachbum on April 02, 2012, 06:35 AM
This is going to work out expensive, with a Laptop and a desktop already I've been trying to justify the expense of getting an Android tablet for a while now....

Aha..... laptop won't fit on the kitchen bench

 ;D ;D ;D

I'm in, Julian  ;)
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: curry2gochorley on April 02, 2012, 03:34 PM
Ok here we go, another book, good luck Julian, hope it's good, won't comment any further until I see it

Hi there everyone- update.  Book is Now available for sale!


Regards


Julian
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: JerryM on April 02, 2012, 08:32 PM
Julian,

got my copy and wish you every success with the book - have really enjoyed the journey you've given us all. very best wishes.
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: PaulP on April 02, 2012, 08:37 PM
Me too, thanks Julian it makes for a good read.

Cheers,

Paul
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: Whandsy on April 19, 2012, 03:51 PM
For those who haven't already spotted this, julian has posted a couple of new videos on youtube
1 how to make chilli paneer

 How to make Chilli Paneer (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oRhKuMtB5p4#)

2 paneer and veg jalfrezi

How to make Chilli Paneer Jalfrezi (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pYwHLPP2ZPg#)

W

Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: ELW on April 19, 2012, 08:03 PM
I've never tried paneer or saag bhaji either  :(, need to sort that out
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: beachbum on April 20, 2012, 01:27 AM
I've got the eBook but one thing puzzles me.
In the videos he marinates his chicken and lamb in a yogurt mixture overnight and cooks the next day.

In the eBook he just cooks them from "raw" with no yogurt marinade. There's no mention of marinating that I can find anywhere in the book.

Is this maybe a future addition or did he reckon the marinating step would be a bit OTT for beginners reading the book?

I'll continue to use the yogurt method myself.

However some great new information, like how to make that garlic ginger paste, seasoned oil etc.  And a massive explanation of  the importance of onions in BIR ;)

One other question for any Antipodeans on the forum, I can't get that curry powder he mentions to go into the dry mix and have been using the Aussie Clive of India. Anyone know of a good pre prepared curry powder available over here? We also have Keens Curry Powder but that's a bit "School dinner or Army Barracks style curry" if you know what I mean and is very heavy in fenugreek as a major ingredient.
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: Aussie Mick on April 20, 2012, 02:47 AM
Hey BB, I googled "Rajah madras curry powder" and found a place (at the other end of Perth) that sold it. So I set of on my motorbike on a 2 1/2 hour round trip.

Imagine my disapointment when it turned out that it was their own brand of powder that they called "Rajah".

I was gutted, but bought some anyway. It's ok. I've tried other brands and they're ok. I think any decent powder is ok. I don't know about Keens though  :o

I think if you get it from your local Indian supplies it will be alright.
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: Wickerman on April 20, 2012, 04:04 AM
Paneer is such a pain to make,so we tend to buy ours from the supermarket.
The paneer and veg jalfrezi does look good.
I may give it a go.
Good videos as always,julian
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: JerryM on April 20, 2012, 08:32 PM
In the eBook he just cooks them from "raw" with no yogurt marinade. There's no mention of marinating that I can find anywhere in the book.

had not spotted this. the marinade is essential to me. 24 hrs is the minimum. for tikka i aim for 3 days. for the pre cook plain chicken 24 hrs is all that's needed but it is needed. like anything depends on how critical you are - i think 4 hrs is the very minimum.

ashoka link: http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=3189.msg28438#msg28438 (http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=3189.msg28438#msg28438)

there is the really top notch stuff too: http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=7611.msg65858;topicseen#msg65858 (http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=7611.msg65858;topicseen#msg65858)
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: Masala Mark on April 21, 2012, 01:23 AM
Hi BeachBum,

If you go to Geeta across from the Indian shop at MacWhirters in the Valley, they sell their own blend of Curry Powder. You can get a Mild Madras and a Hot Madras, I use the Mild Madras for the BIR style cooking.

It is very very different to the Clive of India and Keens which my mother cooked curries of sorts with when I was growing up.

You should notice a big difference.

All India Foods at Wooloongabba has a very nice home blend that they make as well. One of the Punjabi restaurants I've been in the kitchen at use that and it is very nice. I'm going to get some from there next time shortly to replace mine which is getting a bit old. It's also much cheaper buying from them rather then the supermarkets as well.

Cheers,
Mark
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: beachbum on April 21, 2012, 06:11 AM
I work about 100 metres from Geeta so I'll try theirs. I was over there yesterday to get turmeric and as usual I just couldn't pass Maha Latchmi cafe and ended up scoffing a small thali - in my tea break not my lunch break  :o - passers by must have thought I was some sort of starved refugee or something the speed I shovelled it down, but boy was it good  ;D -

Nothing like a quickie to hit the spot  8)

I've always been a bit sceptical about Indian Supermarkets' own blends as I suspected they were just dumbed down for typical non-Indo Pak  buyers looking for an easy curry powder but I'll go with your suggestion and grab some tomorrow. I'm just about out of dry mix at the moment so good timing.
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: StoneCut on May 30, 2012, 12:52 PM
Bought this book by Julian yesterday and I really enjoy it - I read the whole thing in one go. Now I need to try some recipes. Any recommendations ?

BTW: I also bought CBM's book but, unfortunately for me, it relies on tons of pastes which are not readily available in Germany. So, while his book was quite cheap (and interesting) it's not of any use to me :/
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: PaulP on May 30, 2012, 01:20 PM
Hi Stonecut, I guess you are talking about the Patak pastes. You don't see many recipes here at cr0 for main curry dishes using any form of pastes except I guess the red sauce made for chicken tikka masala curries.

Also most of the tikka/tandoori and sheek kebab recipes do include Patak pastes.

Some exceptions come from the very good recipes provided by Cory Ander. He has posted both tikka/tandoori and sheek kebab recipes that don't use any ready-made pastes, and these recipes are excellent. I think there is a CTM recipe from Cory Ander that doesn't use any pastes.

There is also a tandoori recipe from the F-word program that uses no ready made pastes. The restaurant name was the Lasan I think. If you are interested but can't find these recipes I'll post the links for you.

Cheers,

Paul

Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: StoneCut on May 30, 2012, 08:24 PM
Thanks for thw tips Paul. I'm sure I'll find them, sounds good!
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: benmitchell88 on August 01, 2012, 10:36 PM
Just read this whole thread from start to finish and it made great reading full of knowledge, different opinions, controversy and more importantly clear passion about curry! ;D
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: curryhell on August 01, 2012, 10:46 PM
there's definitely no shortage of passion when it comes to curry here ::).  It causes more rows than enough sometimes :o.  Welcome to the forum ;).
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: loveitspicy on August 01, 2012, 10:50 PM
Hi there - passion you bet!

best, Rich
Title: Re: New videos from Curry2Go in Chorley
Post by: SteveAUS on August 15, 2012, 10:49 AM
Just read this whole thread from start to finish and it made great reading full of knowledge, different opinions, controversy and more importantly clear passion about curry! ;D

ive just finished reading it to and im surprised you dared post!  :o