Curry Recipes Online
Curry Chat => Lets Talk Curry => Topic started by: DalPuri on January 10, 2012, 04:50 PM
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Does anybody know why tomato paste isn't added at the beginning with the other ingredients?
i understand that some spices can get lose flavour from prolonged cooking, but i wouldn't of thought that of tomato puree. :-\
Perhaps it has the opposite effect and intensifies too much?
i keep seeing and reading from various indian chefs when adding tomato or chilli, they always say to "add colour" when in theory, it must also add flavour?
Cheers, Frank. ;)
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Probably because ingredients like Tomato's/Puree requires very little cooking compared to the firmer ingredients like Onions,Carrots,Garlic etc but I don't really know what effect it would have on the puree if you did put it in the base first stage. ;)
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Does anybody know why tomato paste isn't added at the beginning with the other ingredients?
I think it effectively is, isn't it, DP?
Apart from the solid stuff, like emin-j says, such as onion and garlic.
It's effectively added, with the spices, to prevent the spices from burning, IMO.
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CA, calm down, take a deep breath then read the thread title again.
Paul
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Does anybody know why tomato paste isn't added at the beginning with the other ingredients?
I don't know with any real certainty why, but I'm happy to give you my opinion as to why.
Tomato paste doesn't really add very much flavour to a dish over and above the sweetness obtained from caramelisation and for the colour it imparts to a dish. So you can't really cook tomato paste for any great length of time due to the risk of over-caramelising and burning it and turning the colour from a vibrant red (which seems in vogue for modern BIR dishes) to a brownish colour.
For those two reasons it needs to be cooked for a minimum amount of time before additional ingredients (base sauce eg) are added to stop the cooking process.
That's why I think you would start with your onion/garlic/ginger puree and/or chopped onions, fry those then add your tomato paste, then your spices, then your base.
It's down to being able to control the amount of time the tomato puree cooks for in my opinion.
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CA, calm down, take a deep breath then read the thread title again.
Paul
You're right, PaulP, I misread it. And now I really don't understand the question? ???
Who says that "tomato puree" isn't "added with the other ingredients"? Which base are we referring to here (definitely not all of them)?
Most don't seem to use tomato paste (rather, most use tinned tomatoes)?
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Who says that "tomato puree" isn't "added with the other ingredients"? Which base are we referring to here (definitely not all of them)?
I assumed he was referring to adding tomato puree to a dish rather than to a base? Unless I've assumed incorrectly?
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i Did mean the base sauce and not an individual dish. Of course, i haven't made many bases from this site, but thought that was the general method used in most bases.
start with the onions etc, then after some time(an hour or so) add tomatoes and/or puree/paste etc.
Frank. :)
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some bases call for blended tinned tomatoes
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Sorry ELW, i did mean and/or, just forgot to add it
;)
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i Did mean the base sauce and not an individual dish.
Aha! Then I don't really have a definitive answer. At a guess, I'd say because 1/ Tomatoes/puree don't need cooking for as long as the other ingredients and 2/ They're there primarily for colour and not flavour and that colour might be lost if they're cooked as long as the other ingredients.
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The flavour of fresh tomatoes can be lost by overcooking, tinned I've never really noticed
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Sorry DP,
I don't have an answer either, but a good example of both;
In CA's base he asks us to include 40g of tomato paste and 175g of fresh tomatoes before we bring the pan to the boil,
whereas in Chewys base, he asks us to include a quarter of a tube of tomato puree after the initial 1st boil. Two very different methods but both very good base gravies.
My base is different again, as I ask you to boil the veggies in one pan, and in another, make a 'tarka' of oil, spices and tinned tomatoes. Once reduced, add the 'tarka' to the pan of onions, and continue. Just another take on things I guess.
Ray :)
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Thanks everyone,
Maybe it was just coincidence that all the base recipes ive saved and made so far, used this method?
Or it's like one of those QI questions, Nobody Knows ;D
Cheers, Frank. :)
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I have heard people say that they believe tomatoes/paste go bitter if put in the gravy pot too early,
I can't say I've ever noticed a difference if added earlier or later.
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Hi DP
I add it as an ingredient, just like you would add to a Ragu or fresh tomato sauce.
it's a double or triple concentrated, tangy tomato flavour, which adds to the finished base flavour.
Doesn't matter when you add it, you must have missed my 1 hour base on here
http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=5606.msg55247#msg55247 (http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php?topic=5606.msg55247#msg55247)
where its added with all the other ingredients before the boil.
Of course it adds colour, its red.
Some restaurants avoid tomato in there base and work with what I call a Haldi base.(No Relation)
I prefer the golden nectar. ;)
cheers Chewy