Adding lots of garlic LATE - and as a puree!

[Spottymaldoon]

I am convinced that garlic and probably onions play a major part in "smokey taste". Also, I am always frustrated that I can't get a lot of "garlicy taste" into my cooking and so I made a new experiment. Because I believe garlic taste gets destroyed by over-cooking.

I blended a whole bulb of garlic with a thumb-sized piece of ginger, together with water and made a fine, thick puree.

On this occasion I was making a Thai curry so I fried onions in a LITTLE oil, with fresh chillies and curry powder I had bought in Malaysia (two table spoons, heaped). Fried a bit, all together, then added a can of coconut milk and salt. Stewed the lot for about 40 minutes, slowly.

Then, I took my puree and with a fair bit of oil, I fried it - swirling all the time. It smelled 'raw' and I kept on frying until the water was mostly gone and it was JUST starting to brown. Then I dumped this into the stew as I muttered "Take that!". Stirred and stopped cooking. Before serving I added a lot of basil leaves, chopped medium (basil aroma is quickly lost when heated, which most Italian chefs seem to ignore!).

This 'curry' tasted very nice. Not BIR but, the point is, the late addition of the garlic seemed to make a big difference and if I had flambe'd that puree, I might have got very very close to a good smokey taste! I say this and I contribute this because I felt I made progress and lost nothing by the late addition of the garlic/ginger.

Spotty

[parker21]

hi spotty
try sprinkling garlic powder on top of the dish when it has been cooked  cover and leave it for a couple mins then stir in, but becarefull this stuff is recommended on the packet as use 1/2tsp to 1 clove of garlic. i have done this and believe me it works.
regards
gary

[JerryM]

add a little oil to your garlic/ginger paste - it helps stop it discolouring and keeps for a few days longer (i keep it about 1 week). The ratio of garlic/ginger sounds good to me - not too much ginger just enough to give a hint

i too am certain on the garlic & onion connection.

I put a lot more onion in the base than called for in the recipe.

i'm still novice on the dish cooking - spent too much time on base and curry sauce as a method of comparison.

i've started trying out methods based around bhuna - separately pre frying ie onion, green pepper, garlic slithers. i've since noted Maliks don't pre fry the onion though and they do give them a real blast on the heat - so maybe have been going off track a little.

the slithers of garlic do work a treat though. i add them after the base has gone in but i guess not as late as you suggest - so will need to try out. if u add earlier ie double fry then they tend to melt and disappear giving quite a nice uplift but for me not as good a seeing them in the cooked sauce.

Adding finely chopped garlic to the frying oil also works a treat - let the rawness go before adding the tom puree and spice etc (it's one of parker21' tricks).

[Derek Dansak]

I was never too confident about how much garlic to use, and when to add it. however after watching many dishes cooked at my local bir i now have it sorted.
  The garlic ginger puree (finely blended with oil) has to go in right at the start, in fairly hot oil. The chopped onion is then added seconds later for a good old fry. BIR chefs use about 1 tsp of garlic ginger puree for nearly all dishes. My curries definatly taste better having adopted this method. Hope this helps, DD. Also add the salt early into hot oil, before base goes in. 

[parker21]

hi dd if you check out my rajver madras sauce post you will see the method they use and i use  all the time as it follows a specific regular and easy to follow routine, using reclaimed oil is also a key i believe. the garlic does not burn even when the oil is hot the temperature does not get as high as with new oil.
i cooked a chicken vindaloo 3 nights ago and made too much sauce so saved it and heated it up last night and dipped with doritos "the taste of rajver!" soon  as i tasted it i ditched the doritos and grab a spoon and you know when you smell and taste breathing thing that we can all do to savour to each spoon was fantastic but gone all too soon i afraid!
this method is used and was used when i cooked my phall sauce and the vindaloo demo( as cooked by their chef
regards
gary

[Secret Santa]

  The garlic ginger puree (finely blended with oil) has to go in right at the start, in fairly hot oil. The chopped onion is then added seconds later for a good old fry. BIR chefs use about 1 tsp of garlic ginger puree for nearly all dishes.

Well that's how your BIR's do it but if you watch the Malik videos, that's definitely not how they do it.

It's oil skimmed from base, and then some time later a handfull of onions and the tom puree and garlic/ginger puree dolloped on top of that, then all stirred around at high heat. It is totally contrary to what we usually assume is the way to do it. I think each BIR has their own technique.