I've read many articles here on members getting the fable toffee hit, at various and sometimes unexpected times. There is no doubt that the smell that eminates from a BIR kitchen often bears no resemblence to home.

there is a technique to this that can be replicated at home, by (as you would expect) doing the same as in a BIR kitchen. The 2 magic secrets are heat and movement of the pan.

if you can't get extreme heat at home on your stove, you will find this hard.

If you were to watch the local chef, he will add gravy on top of spices to prevent burning. So as all the spices are cooked, he will have a very high heat and rapidly moved the frying pan back and forth (in a sliding action), on the high gas. Now this has to be done quickly and when the pan is not too full, to prevent slopping on the stove. The action of this will cause flames to engulf the pan. This is fine and is needed. It is at this point that the aroma is released.

Try a dry run with onions, garlic/ginger paste, then a spice mix of your choice (but not dry), add either gravy of 4 tablespoons of water. Remember, movement induces flames, equals toffee aroma. Let me know how you get on.

Interesting telecaster445.

I assume this requires a gas stove?

Mine is a ceramic glasstop, but I do know it gets VERY hot. May be a moot point if you're suggesting the flames are the key.

I've had success in getting the toffee aroma (I think I have anyway) by simply vigorous stirring on high heat after adding the spices to the oil/garlic/puree for about a minute.

-- Josh

Yes, if you can get high heat and vigorous pan movement you are well on the way. Take a glance in A BIR kitchen and you be sure to see flames. The flambe is the time the aroma really comes to life.

telecaster445,

a pet subject for me and always looking to learn.

i spent ages mastering the toffee art using dry spice only (only oil & spice i mean) to learn as u say some liquid is also needed to avoid the potential to burn.

in switching to my high heat stove one of the differences i found was that i can't smell what we call that toffee aroma (i think the rest of the smoke/heat overpowers the nose). i know the process must happen just the same though.

interesting for me is the suggestion to move "shake" the pan. this i haven't tried as it immediately flames. i currently play chicken and leave the pan undisturbed for typ 60 secs once the oil, g/g, spice, tom puree, 1 chef base are in and mixed. i check around the rim to make sure it's not burning as this stage is prone to getting black debris - which u don't want for sure.

i will give the movement idea ago next time - many thanks

my gas stove will not go high enough to have flames licking over the edge , like the big boys do. Will a normal gas stove on full heat suffice for this toffee technique? or is it essential to have those flames in the pan?

This idea that BIR chefs deliberately cause the pan to flame is a myth. In fact wasn't that one of the myths we already scotched in our BIR myths post?

That's not to say that occasionally one of the pans won't ignite, but they are not doing this deliberately - unless, that is, there happens to be a publicity shoot going on.

Now, is this one of the reasons that todays curries aren't as good as yesteryears? Did they always flame the pan in the past?

Well in my opinion SS years ago they didnt use a big cooker range

they used to use four burner domestic gas cookers  so i would say no they never flamed

i've still not fathomed what event, circumstance or ingredient produces the smokiness. i do know that i find it hard now not to get it.

from this my observations are:

1) u don't need to flame the pan
2) the flames do have to wrap around and just over the rim
3) the heat has to be much higher than a 3.0kw domestic gas hob

Jerry, the chef i know said he doubts you can get the taste without the ummff of a real gas burner. so this all makes sense, thanks.  The best workaround i can do, with my gas cooker, is to pump up the heat to full (once all the base is in) and blitz it all for 3 to 5 mins. Dramatically drying out the curry. it always results in a curry which tastes less home made. and a lot closer to a real takeaway.  high heat and lots of oil and salt seems essential. but you all know that ! 

Guys I had a TA from my local last week,it has an open kitchen and you can see clearly what the chef is doing though not all of the ingredients. As you would expect the use lots of short cuts like pre cooked rice that they stick in microwave to heat, pretty poor chicken ticka and precooked chicken held in what seems to be hot water as it comes out of the pan pure white. Anyway he puts in a little oil and what must be ghee then in goes the garlic/ginger paste, the tomato puree and whatever his spice mix is and he stirs it in with the back of the spoon. He then leaves it on what seems to be high heat for a few minutes. I feel it will surely burn but he seems relaxed with this approach the as he adds the meat followed by the base he begins the movement and stirring but in this case no flame though others times there can be it doesn't seem to matter too much. he produces acceptable TA though I would want freshly cooked ticka in a good BIR. PP