Hi folks,

I've just joined today, mainly because I'm confused.  Stupid, I know, but here goes.
I have and Indian cookbook, and although i haven't used it yet, what confuses me is that almost all the recipes use the same spices.  So, what makes these curries different from each other, apart from the meat content?  I have no idea what to make!  Will the taste, heat etc be the same in all of them?

I'm sure someone here can explain this to me so I can be guided in the right direction, so thanks in advance.

Hello Noll and welcome to the site.  What cook book is it that you have?  Are you interested in recreating your favourite restaurant / take away dishes or are you after more authentic Indian cooking?  If it's the former you have joined the right site and will soon begin the journey of cooking restaurant quality food as good as if not better than many.  The site has a wealth of information, tips, recipes etc and many knowledgeable individuals all willing to share their experiences and provide plenty of help.

Hi Noll and welcome to cr0,

As curryhell says, it really depends on what type of 'Indian' food you are looking for.  This site mainly concentrates on British Indian Restaurant food or BIR for short.

It is more than likely, the cook book that you have, will be about 'Traditional' Indian recipes which really do differ from BIR food.  Now, with that said, even though most of the ingredients in your book are almost the same for each recipe, they most certainly will taste different.

Small things like, extra garlic or a tsp of sugar, lemon juice, length of cooking, will always change one dish into something completely different.

Have a browse through some of the recipes on here and you will soon get the hang of things.

If you are still struggling, give any of us a shout, and I'm sure that we will do all that we can to help.

Good luck,

Ray

Hi curryhell,
thanks for the quick reply.  The book is ancient, it was left in this house by the last owner and just called A Taste of India.  Admittedly, there are various veg etc in the recipes, but I was concerned that the same spices seem to keep appearing in most of the recipes. 
I'm not a connoisseur, but the few Indian meals I have had, I've really enjoyed, and I would like to try my hand at making my own.  I must be honest, I'm a bit scared, because I don't know the degree of heat with any of the recipes I have.  Some advice on that subject would be most welcome.

Hey,
Thanks razor, just the kind of info I'm in need of.  So what you are saying is that it's the quantity of each spice that makes the dishes different?
By the way, I'm here to learn so BIR is fine by me.

Another newbie questions, what, in a recipe, will indicate the level of heat.  I'm more into the fragrance of the spices, but my husband likes heat, so it's important for me to know what will produce the heat, as well as the flavour.

Hi Noll,

Quote from: Noll on July 04, 2011, 09:55 PM
what, in a recipe, will indicate the level of heat. 

Ok, this is quite difficult to answer, as verybody has different tolerances to heat.

Dishes such as a Korma for instance are usually described as mild = No chilli powder or fresh chillies.

Plain chicken curry is usually described as medium = half tsp of chilli

Rogan Josh curries are usually described as medium to hot = 0.75 tsp chilli powder

Madras curry is usually described as hot = 1 heaped tsp of chilli powder

Vindaloo curry is usually described as very hot = at least 2 - 3 heaped tsp chilli powder

Phall curries are usually described as very very hot = 3 - 6 tsp of hot chilli powder.

I guess you would need to get yourself a takeaway menu, and see how they describe each dish in strength, then use my guide to see what you could handle.

Of course, every region has it's own idea of what a certain curry is.  A Madras in my home town of Manchester, my differ somewhat to what you're used to in your area!

Hope that helps, if not, continue to ask, and we'll try to clarify things.

Out of interest, what curry would you normally order and whereabouts in the country are you?

Ray

If you're interested in creating BIR food, you've just found the best source of information available Noll.  The site abounds with information and members willing to help.  Razor has summed up the heat issue.  No chilli (powder, crushed or fresh) no heat.  The standard BIR menu abounds with so many different dishes which you can enjoy -  all without heat by just omitting any chilli content.  Personally I'm  a phall man (severe chilli heat fan ) but that doesn't stop me appreciating the taste of other dishes. :  Besides i cook for many and most of my guests don't do heat.  Enjoy the site and the wealth of info it provides for free.  Feel free to ask any member for help or advice.  The majority will be only too willing to help you on your way .

Thanks razor, that's an excellent guide.  I'm afraid I don't have much knowledge of what the types of curry are, but that's a help.  We can't get Indian food here, so it's a good reason for me to learn.

I'm temporarily in the Bahamas, probably for another year at least. I only have access to one shop that sells international foods, but I have been able to get a good range of spices there.  I suppose I would say Korma - Plain chicken curry is about right for me, but I'd like to experiment.  I know that my husband will eat whatever I put in front of him, he's so easy to feed.  I don't mind the idea of making two curries at the same time, to suit us both.

Thank you curryhell, I already feel right at home.  I'm going to start on my first venture tomorrow, when I've browsed about on here a bit.  I'll let you know how it goes and the feedback from my guy.