what spice does what?

[diverdil]

spiceyokooko you have a terrible attitude. I am a new member to the forum yet you write in a negative manner to me. in fact I would go so far as to say hostile. I am just trying to learn. I am trying to push what I am doing to another level yet people like you make me want to quit the site.

a complete waste of time posting

[chonk]

Hi diverdil! (:

thanks for your ideas chonk

what I actually was kind of trying to say was we don't really understand the tastes and what they bring to a dish. ok if its mild we know that if we add chilli it will become less mild. but what does each flavour bring?

Well, Hing for example, will be added to substitute onions, garlic or ginger, and to make your dishes easier to digest. The same is true for kasoori methi, but it adds its own unique flavour, too. It's widely used in the punjabi cuisine (the name comes from the same called city in modern Pakistan), where most of the popular indian dishes, that western restaurants serve, are derived from. Sometimes a spice is used because of the region that dish comes from, like the people of Amritsar for example, that like to add some ajwain seeds (that work very well with fish, but are also great with potatoes or pulses).

If you want to enhance the earthy flavour of a dish, try black cardamom, garlic, kashmiri chili or paprika, for example. If you want more sour notes, try amchoor, chaat, tamarind or lemon juice. Sugar or honey if it's the opposite case.

It's about what spices to use for which ingredients, to enhance the flavour of every single one of them. Anybody who cooks indian (no matter if it's home-style or BIR), should read a little about spices from time to time. Mostly, it's pretty fascinating stuff, and entertaining history lessons, too (:

Greetings!

[spiceyokooko]

spiceyokooko you have a terrible attitude. I am a new member to the forum yet you write in a negative manner to me. in fact I would go so far as to say hostile. I am just trying to learn.

Why do you think I have a negative attitude when I've simply disagreed with what you've said? Am I not allowed to disagree with you?

My opinions are based on what I believe, and I will express that belief to someone whether they've been here 10 seconds or 10 years. Those beliefs have been built up over about 30 years of cooking Indian Cuisine, both 'homestyle' and 'BIR-style'. That in itself doesn't make me an expert by any means, but it does mean I've got some experience of cooking this style of cuisine and the ingredients that go into it.

Sadly, you've chosen not to continue the discussion based on what I've said and my reasons for holding those beliefs and gone off into a 'flounce' instead because someone's disagreed with you.

Please feel free to continue your belief that the missing x% of your BIR style dishes is all down to the different brands of spices used and ignore everything I've said as it seems a barrier to you 'trying to learn'.

[goncalo]

spiceyokooko you have a terrible attitude.

Get a grip dude. Just have a look at your own comment and question yourself if you aren't really full of attitude yourself.

it seems there are so many people willing to say no that's not it, your wrong but very few willing to try and expand and offer help. we are all striving for the same goal yet so many not wanting to offer help and work it out

Is that having a proper attitude, to ask for help and yet make remarks about the lengths people are willing to help you?

To put it simply: garam massala (or any other massala you can buy in your asian) will vary between brand A, B and C. The reason being that there are several variations of garam masala, tandoori masala, curry powder, etc as these are mixes or blends of one or more main spices. The main spices don't vary between brands substantially. The thing that you can take as a granted common for garam masala is that most GMs contain fragant/aromatic ingredients such as bay leaf, cassia bark, cloves, cardamoms (green and/or black). Now, not all of them will include fennel, or star aniseed, or this, or that. The ratios will probably not match the competitors. Besides, Natco is sort of badmouthed as a brand for garam masala, I seem to recall some posts around here (though I only use east end gm occasionally)

Also, realize that for as much as you can watch a video and think "you know how to do it", you can never be sure that the dhansak the chef cooked at the time came out any good or any different from your experiments at home (chances are that it did) because no matter what, anyone in the food biz will always pretend and say something along the lines of "delicious" and even when no one makes a mention, that's the implied (and sublime) message they try to convey. Things you may want to consider is whether your equipment (cooker, frying pans), your "fire power" and your techniques are right. Even then no one guarantees you will be nailing it like your favourite BIR, but will you recognize your outcomes anywhere near the bottom average TA? If so that is some progress.

Good luck and take it easy.

[Peripatetic Phil]

spiceyokooko you have a terrible attitude. I am a new member to the forum yet you write in a negative manner to me. in fact I would go so far as to say hostile. I am just trying to learn. I am trying to pus#h what I am doing to another level yet people like you make me want to quit the site.

Which would be a great shame, because your opening post in this thread asks exactly the questions that we all need to ask if ever we are to rise from "monkey see, monkey do" to "monkey think, monkey create".  As regards others' attitudes, I am afraid that it is a sad fact of life that not everyone expresses themselves in the same way; in my experience it is best to simply ignore those who contribute only negatively and focus on the many positive replies that you will receive.  Easier said than done, I know, but well worth the effort and the forum can only benefit as a result.

** Phil.