Wishing you all the best of Health and Happiness for the coming year and beyond

BAJ

I used to have a 'go to' recipe for Refried Black Beans (I think I mentioned I have been enjoying Mexican most, recently )

Thing is, whilst I can remember most of the ingredients, I wanted to check the qty's and.. I have searched the WWW for the last few days.. can't find it...

So, maybe, not everything lasts forever on the Internet...

Should we be worried about that here? Is it a 'recently viewed' thing, with older stuff 'dropping' off search results and eventually unavailable altogether?

Some great threads on here with discussion about methods and practices, not just recipes.

I am currently experimenting with making my own 'Ghee'.  Will post when I get consistent results... sometimes it is better than Retail and sometimes not.

BAJ

I have had a very successful grow of Cherry Tomatoes this year. Even though only 9 of 13 plants survived the hot Spring/Summer, I am still gifting the last of the harvests to friends and neighbours.
I am however for the first time in a few years (we moved house 18mths ago) without any Chilli grows and feeling it in my cooking.

I know it is kinda counter-intuitive to grow in the Autumn/Winter seasons but anyone got any suggestions for Hardy types (I have grown Chillies that grew well for 18months off a single plant, with feeding, direct sunlight even in Winter and a constant heat source)? I don't have the indoor space I used to, until I build the new shed/greenhouse next year (Spring/Summer 2026) but I can maybe plant a half dozen over Winter '25/26.

Hot's are more likely Spring seeding and prolific's later again.. was just wondering if anyone had any experience of growing earlies... outside of dedicated greenhouse?

Regards,
BAJ

How are you all doing? Well I hope?

I have to admit that I haven't really been cooking many curries in the last 14months, mainly to do with moving house and health issues and nothing to do with convenience.  I am going to start looking back on here for some new inspiration though (Kashmiri Bob's stuff always looks fantastic and at the same time, a little off-putting that I never get near those standards if I am honest).

This last year has mainly been about getting my 'land' (more like Livo's herb patch I reckon) but I think a good size for an English garden these days, of slightly more than 3,000 sq ft (280 sq m.) into shape for growing year round produce. I also have a patio which is ideal for tomatoes/chillies and capsicum but that needs the wife's permission as it is currently for Gin 'Parties' most of the warm weather.

Anyway, I will try to be more regular (as we all should ) and see what you are all up to.. and if I have anything to contribute.

Regards,
BAJ

I am going to title it as 'Heroes and Villains'.. was going to use 'Angel and Demons' but didn't want to cause any issues with IP, Probably

Anyway, let me know if you want a 'little' curry related Novella in which you have to decide who is right/wrong and (always a twist).. how many!

BAJ

I am not one with a deep palate, I cannot tell 4,000... 400.. or even 40 teas from each other.. I try some and like what I like, I go no further.
Similarly with Curry.. there are some I like, some I REALLY like (CurryHell!) and others that just don't even warrant a second try... it is my 'taste', so to speak.  We are all different!

I have resisted the recent Balti threads because I just don't have the experience of what they are trying to reproduce and more likely the palate to tell the difference (fantastic effort Livo to overcome the former and with your experimentation and ability of the later).

I have nothing valid left to contribute.
I wish everyone the very best in your continued search for... whatever it is you are looking for.

BAJ.

Is the cost of Cooking Oil threatening BIR?

Is the cost of Cooking Oil a bad thing?

I had a much longer statement/questions prepared but I think that was my soapbox: here, stand on yours and express your concerns, expectations, desires please.

BAJ

We have all read this topic (which I can't find a consistent thread for - move this comment to it if you know it) over the years and thrashed it to death with opinions and possible explanations and some people have claimed to have come close.. and so I throw my hat into that ring with an observation from earlier this evening that immediately reminded me of this subject!

I have enjoyed many days out over the years and when it came to early evening, the aromas coming from 'Takeaways' and restaurants firing up ready for the evening trade have always made my mouth water, even if I couldn't immediately distinguish one style from another.

Earlier this evening, I was making my favourite from curryhell, which is the only recipe I have come across that uses a particular ingredient... during the final cooking process I used the opportunity to take some rubbish(refuse) out to the bin(garbage) and being a particularly warm, pleasant and clear night, I spent a few minutes staring up at the stars.

And so returning to my opening point, as some have discovered, we suffer from sensor overload whilst over the pan and curries have 'tasted' better the day after and food prepared by someone else always tastes better...

So maybe the missing 5% is all of that, being cooked by someone else, no sensory overload and a particular ingredient we associate with our favourite restaurant (I am sure they all tried to be unique and used more/less of some ingredients, 2 I remember well, 1 used way too much salt, the other too much ginger, yet some people liked them enough that one is still going strong 40 years later).

Add in a smatter of fondness of memory and all the vagaries that brings and I wonder.. was there ever a 5% or just some smell we associated with our favourite restaurant/dish/end of the night out?

Slightly off topic but when I used to go abroad, I could never get a 'proper' cup of tea until I was back in England.  So if you never had BIR, trying to explain it and the taste of it, even if perfect might be impossible and not as palatable as your currently much improved takeaways or best home efforts to reproduce have rewarded you with.

Conclusion.  The missing 5% does not exist, it is subjective.

During CV-19 lockdown I made a few new friends, one of which is of Indian descent and living in Houston, Texas and gave me this simple recipe she uses.
(I have added commentary where I queried with her my cooking experience and she has offered solutions).
Pictures at the end are of my last cook when I wanted a drier consistency (almost but not as dry as 'stuffing balls' you might have with Roast Chicken) as it was for a mixed platter type meal with Tandoori chicken leg, Samosa, Bhaji, Keebabs, salad, raitia and mango chutney (no pictures of that, sorry, you will have to imagine).

Jasmine's Tarka Dal
( Medium spice, Vegetarian )


Serves 2

Ingredients:

- 250ml Toor Dal (Yellow Lentils) or Masoor Dal (Red Lentils)
- 500ml water

Tempering:

- 3 Tbsp sunflower oil (or ghee if you prefer a nuttier taste)
- 1.5 Tsp Mustard seeds
- 1.5 Tsp Cumin seeds
- 1.5 Tsp Urad Dal
- 1.5 Tsp Chana Dal
- 1.5 Tsp Turmeric
- a good pinch of Asafetida (I am generous and use about 0.5 Tsp)

- 2-3 Medium tomatoes, diced
- 1 Tbsp minced Ginger
- 2 Garlic cloves, minced
- 1-2 Green chilies
- 1 small Onion finely chopped
- salt to taste

Method:

- Lightly dry roast the Toor Dal for a minute OR rinse the Masoor Dal until the water is clear.
- Add water to the Dal and simmer until soft (about 20 minutes).
- When the Dal is almost cooked, heat the oil in a seperate pan.
- Add the ingredients for Tempering and cook until the Mustard seeds start popping.
- Add Garlic, Ginger and Chilies and soften the onions (I add a little water as needed just to stop them burning).
- Add Tomatoes and Salt (if using sweet salad tomatoes, I have sometimes added a little Tamarind paste, about 0.5 tsp or just a very little lemon juice) and cook for a couple of minutes until soft.
- Add cooked Dal, mix well and cook on low until desired consistency/heated through.
- Serve

Toor Dal is my favourite! My photo's are of Masoor Dal as I didn't have any Toor Dal left at the time of cooking.

I am really not sure where this fits, curry or not curry, not BIR and yet as close to 'curry' as some can get right now.

So, my wife does not eat meat and on occasions, neither do I.  This week we both watched a news broadcast that highlighted that children, especially, are suffering in India, from both CV19 and the complete loss of income for workers, meaning their parents have NO way of providing food for their children.

This distressed us both.  I remember going to 'hunger meals' at school in the mid 70's, where I received a small bread role and some cheese but paid for a full school meal.. the difference going to charity, I can't remember which now but it was important at the time, even to me as a teenager.

Back to India and CV19, we were shown what some volunteers were cooking and providing as a daily meal for some few (40-60) children per day in an attempt to keep the children fed, 1 meal instead of 3 but at least something.  It reminded me of a 'simple' chickpea dish I make for my wife (yes, no attempt to get youtube views!).

I can add it to the Vegetable Curries section of the forums but it is not BIR, I never ordered this dish before I met my wife and I did only a few times in the decades before CV19 but she has liked it for years.

If you think it is relevant, reply, if not, I will keep it as a home recipe.

I know there are various ways to 'tenderise' meat and I presummed it wasn't just the use of a mallet...

A quick search brought up this Sheknows and only this that mentions yogurt as far as I can see.

No 'chatter'.

Simple message in all it's connotations.

Be well!

I have enjoyed the past BBC productions "Back in Time for Dinner" and "Back in Time for School" and I have just finished watching the latest one, Back in Time for the Corner Shop

Something for a few of you at approx 45mins of Episode 4, 1970's and descriptive again at a similar point in Episode 5, 80's and 90's 

BAJ

Most Wednesday's, I cook many meals, some for the weekend and some for the Freezer.

It has become known by my neighbours and my monthly window cleaner as 'curry night' even though we (my son and I) don't actually eat them on that night, it is just when I have the time to make the majority of future meals.

It was tonight again noted that the house smelt like a 'curry house' when they knocked on the door and when asked, they had no idea whether it was Pakistani, bangladeshi or Indian.

I am either a bad cook or have less discerning neighbours.

I appreciate most people on here probably didn't find anything new that they didn't already know but for some of us, it might be interesting...?

I can't decide between the impact of adding Methi leaves to my favourite dishes or a dish that I had never heard of before but I think the winner is...

Eastern Tandoori Chicken Patala

I hope you all learnt something new and had a good 2019 and here's to another good one in 2020.

BAJ

Have a Merry Xmas everybody.

A question for those who deal with this on a regular basis...

I often find that the meat I use (mainly chicken), Halal or not, seems to contain a great deal of water when cooking it.  Sometimes 'stir frying', is not so much but more of 'boil off the water' and it a) makes the chicken tough b) causes pre-cooked red meat to lose flavour.

I am sure you all have a solution for this which I would really appreciate it if you could share.

Thanks
BAJ

I was away this weekend, at an NFL game in London and tried some of the street food on offer... I can only hope it (tailgate) is better in the USA.

Whilst I was away, some friends watched the game at my house and various dishes were available (obviously pre-cooked on the Friday/Saturday before and re-heated) of which there were two criticism (if it can be called that) that the dishes had more meat in them than is usual for a takeaway and not so much oil/gravy.

With the exception of keema curry, I have always found takeaway curries to be heavily gravy based and with the smallest amount of meat... something people, my friends it seems included have come to expect.

There have been many threads on this forum about the 'spice/flavour being in the oil of the dish' but I have never seen something about there being too much substance to the dish.

BAJ

Hi all,

I am always looking for new recipes and blends and today I found a recipe for an interesting Masala that I might be able to 'tweak' to my own preferences, once I have tried it several times of course.  The recipe calls for Fresh Turmeric, peeled, dry roasted and then powdered (along with all the other ingredients of course).

Now, I must have been living under a rock as I am totally familiar with ginger root but I have never seen Turmeric before and yet a quick search shows that it is widely available, even in some of the 'Big 4' supermarkets, so:

Q1.  Is this something you would bother with in any of your recipes or for pure convenience just use powdered?
Q2  Which would you recommend (a reason would be really helpful to me but not necessary)?

I look forward to your opinions, thanks in advance.
BAJ

I have personally been stuggling with serveral issues recently, Halal (stunned/non stunned), Pescatarian and recent articles on Veganism (related to climate change).

Whilst I greatly appreciate the consistency of meat (Family Sunday Roast would not be the same), I have to admit that I/we are moving more of our mid week meals to vegatables... Samosa, onion/mushroom bhaji/pakora, salad and raita, Home made Pizza and Pasta (not home made yet) dishes.  Most of which is mainly for cost based reasons.

Q: Whilst meat (except Lamb) seems to be becoming cheaper, have you moved to a more vegatarian diet by choice/unconsciously? Considered doing so?

I look forward to your insights.
BAJ