Quote from: smokenspices on March 23, 2008, 01:55 PM
added 1 x red capsicum pepper
added 1 x carrot
replaced 25ml paprika with 25ml MDS Kashmiri Mirch

...I will revert back to waxy type (salad) spuds as I'm now convinced that this does influence the base viscosity which in turn prevents oil separation.

SnS  ;D

So you added two new ingredients, changed one spice and yet concluded that the potato was the overriding factor? Hmmmm!

Quoteconcluded that the potato was the overriding factor

i'd taken conclusions as:
1) the red pepper was improvement - added sweetness & creaminess
2) the type of potatoes is not significant - use which type u like
3) the extra carrot was improvement albeit not essential - increased thickness

i guess smokenspices given the lawyers on the site u will need to adjudicate

i've had an astonishing turn of luck.

i've produce my best go at the saffron base yet. it's no longer a soup. it's very Moorish and on a blind fold test would swear (although i've never tasted the real) it's a BIR base. i say this as it tastes almost a BIR finished curry and u could imagine a quick fry and a few spices turning it into what we crave for.

i believe the recipe is essential as spec. only the finish point or last part of the cooking has changed from the way i've interpreted it in the past.

i did add red pepper in addition to green pepper. i also added cardamom (7 in total - they float on top at the point of blending and can be easily removed - i then added them back in to carry through to final cooking - personal choice). i used the full spec of salt (only used 1 tsp in the past). i also used pre boiled onion from my onion boiling sessions.

all of the above may have made a difference but not a step difference.

at the end of the "Simmer vigorously (almost a boil) uncovered for about 30 minutes stirring occasionally." stage i've never found the oil to separate - even boiling for a little longer and have simple switched off the cooker. it normally has a yellow appearance.

this time i had put a little extra oil in with the intent on reclaiming it for use at the cooking stage. i used 600ml c/w 500ml spec.

i thought for a while that previous experience was going to hold up and no oil would show. in fact it took 2 hrs before the oil started to appear. this yielded 250ml of reclaim. i left the base overnight and thought i would try to follow BIR technique so reheated ~1.5 hrs and reclaimed again yielding 450ml in total. i found the reclaim easier on the reheat.

during this 3.5 hrs additional cooking the base flavour changed. there was no extra sweetness but it changed from a sort of soup to what i would call a base. it now tastes Moorish and looks the business.

I think it was this Moorish taste that I was searching for and not sweetness. I now need to cook with it to be sure.

I?ve attached pics. 1st is old pic of rajver LH and saffron RH. The 2nd is the oil reclaim saffron

Stew,

it's all lined up for tonight before the big match.

even spotted the timing for the chillies and lime.

your original post on the jalfrezi has been a real inspiration for me over the last few days - much appreciated