Garam masala

[Ajoy]

Hello everyone,
My name is Ajoy. I live in Sydney and run a restaurant called Nilgiris(www.nilgiris.com.au)
I also write a blog on (my views) on Indian food along with recipes and photographs (step by step) on how to make a dish. The blog comes out every Wednesday and has been going on for over a year.
Members of cr0 will find information on topics like 'what is garam masala' , when do add whole spices and when do you add the ground ones, what is a green chilli and what is a dry red chilli and how are they used......!
The blog is called 'thoughtsfromajoy.com'.
Hope you all enjoy it.
Incidentally I am also a member of cr0 !!!
Happy cooking!!

[chewytikka]

Welcome to the forum Ajoy

Your website has a really good look to it and your blog is great reading.

I respect Your mission to dispel the myth that indian food is no more than a 'curry in a hurry'!
But you have a hard task, as in the UK BIR food is customer driven and if you have popular restaurants like a
few of my Bengali friends have it can't be anything other than 'curry in a hurry'!

On average serving 150 covers per session, all the food prep and the cleaning, day in day out
there's not much time left for being creative, but they somehow manage it.

thanks for posting
cheers Chewy

[Cory Ander]

A beautifully put together website Ajoy; great photos, great step-by-step instructions and interesting narrative 

I found your blog comments on traditional Indian cooking techniques (bhunao, frying spices, caramelising garlic, etc) particularly interesting 

It would be interesting to hear your views on typical British Indian Restaurant practices (such as using a pre-prepared curry base, meats, spice mixes, etc) to, indeed, produce those "curries-in-a-hurry"?

[Graeme]

Ajoy,

I have just been reading WHAT IS GARAM MASALA, DAD??
what a good read.

Thank you.

[Les]

Welcome to cr0 Ajoy
excellent site you have, keep up the good work.

Les

Ca's question is a good one, Your thoughts on BIR please

[Peripatetic Phil]

Welcome aboard, Chef Ajoy : I have been a follower of your weblog for some time, and read each episode with great interest (I also post links to it on this site when appropriate).  Thank you in particular for recommending Dr J S Pruthi's Spices and Condiments, which I sought out as soon as you mentioned it and which is now my standard work of reference on such matters.

** Phil.

[natterjak]

Hi Ajoy,


Like a few others here, I've been enjoying your blog for a while already. It's particularly well illustrated and written, something which sets you apart from many. I hope you'll remember to check in here from time to time and to contribute to some of the discussion topics. The forum is focused on the distinctive brand of Indian restaurant cooking which has developed in the UK - referred to as BIR (for British Indian Restaurant). Somewhat different to the ways that restaurants operate in Aus.  Like the others, I would be most interested in your "take" on BIR.

[DalPuri]

Hi Ajoy and welcome to the forum.
I first posted two of your videos and a link to your site back in february which i think was overlooked by many on here.
Sadly for many members the words "traditional indian" reads like "the Germans" episode of Faulty Towers, whispers "dont mention the war"  :

Hopefully you can remove some of these blinkers and teach (like i've always said) A good curry is a good curry, Regardless.

Cheers, Frank.