Latest on the taste from me

[Mark J]

Someone recently asked where everyone was with their curry cooking.

Yesterday morning I cooked pretty much the best curry ever, my curries have been getting better and better recently due to a revelation Ill talk about below, it was a chicken keema achar (chicken with minced meat and pickle) with the taste.

Over the years Ive now come to the following conclusions:
There isnt a 'secret' ingredient that adds the taste (obviously there are lots of secrets of the trade but IMHO they dont add the taste)
The taste isnt to do with the base, any good base can be used (although I do think the tarka stage adds something so I would always use a base with an end tarka stage)
The taste is entirely to do with technique and maybe the restaurant cookers, more on this below.

For some time we have debated whether the heat of the BIR cooker plays some part, I think in part it probably does. I have been cooking on a 3.3KW wok burner recently, I think the bir burners are around 4.5KW, a standard large burner on a hob is 2.5KW

The technique Im talking about is the initial frying of the garlic, spices etc, I firmly believe it is this stage that produces the taste.


What I have been doing recently for the first stage in cooking a main meal is the following:

• Heat a good quantity of oil on maximum on my 3.3KW burner, heat is kept at maximum until the first lot of base goes in
• 
  Add the garlic/ginger paste and give it a good stir round, at this point flames shoot all around the pan but not into it, in a BIR at this point the whole pan tends to end up in flames. Cook this until the garlic ginger goes a shade of light brown
• 
  Now quickly add tomato paste (im currently using half concentrated tomato puree and half ketchup), spice mixture, salt and chilli. I now cook this mixture for about 4 minutes, its a really long time and I believe this is the key to the taste.
• 
  If I need to I add a little water to stop it catching and you must contiually stir and shake the pan to avoid the spices burning, I tend to add fenugreek leaves after about a minute. Then I add coriander, pre cooked onions and main ingredient and after a minute or so start adding the base.
  

So in summary fry the spices on maximum for ages to release that flavour but add liquid to prevent catching  ;D

I also tend to use reclaimed oil, either from the base or main meals, also for the achar I used some oil from a huge tub of pataks lime pickle

[Sedge1973]

This is what the chef on Raj Tv did and he ran a restaurant in Birmingham.


Also in Chinese cooking the missing taste is referred to as

"Wok Hei".

Below is from Wikipedia on this subject.

I reckon the same goes for BIR cooking. ;D


Wok hei (Traditional Chinese: 鑊氣; pinyin: hu?q?; Jyutping: wok6 hei3) is a term in Cantonese Chinese referring to the flavour, tastes, and "essence" imparted by a hot wok on the food. The word "hei" (transliteration based on Cantonese Chinese) is equivalent to "qi" (transliteration based on Mandarin Chinese).

In practical terms, the flavour imparted by chemical compounds results from caramelization and the maillard reactions that come from charring and searing of the food at very high heat in excess of 400F. To impart "wok hei", the food must be cooked in a wok over a high flame while being stirred and tossed quickly. A large amount of cooking oil is often used to enhance the "wok hei". As such, the food prepared that way is sometimes criticized as being too greasy but full of good flavor.

When cooked correctly, the "essence" and "liveliness" of the food comes through the flavour and is said to "have wok hei".

[bumtrouble]

Whats the Tarka please.

[George]

"Wok Hei". Below is from Wikipedia on this subject. I reckon the same goes for BIR cooking.

This is VERY interesting. I bet you're right. Many thanks!

I still wonder about the incredible intensity of smell though, from sealed take-away containers, whether it be in a car or as far away as your next door neighbour's front door, when their take-aways are being delivered! I somehow doubt if that the same intensity of smell can come from Wok Hei, but I may be wrong.

To test our efforts, pack up your curries in foil containers and put them in one car. Place similar, fresh BIR sourced take-away dishes in foil containers in another car. Assess the difference in smell  between the two cars!

Regards
George

[Mark J]

Cleaning up the cooker the day after I cooked this it smelt just like that BIR smell you get from the takeaway arriving, no doubt about it

[Yousef]

Mark J,

Thanks for this update and i am with you on cooking the spices for a long time......you really have to be patient when cooking and leave it alone.  I have seen chefs in takeaways just walk away from the pan for 3-4 mins only shaking it now and again to stop it sticking.

S

[Mark J]

I have seen chefs in takeaways just walk away from the pan for 3-4 mins only shaking it now and again to stop it sticking.

Indeed me too, its depressing how casual they are about it.

Ive always been overly paranoid about burning the spices but it is a barrier Ive now got over.