Time to report on the task set for me by Unclefrank. I got away lightly compared to some and the results i was very pleased with and am happy to cook on a regular basis as i do love the taste. Having sampled my efforts after the cooking yesterday, i can supplement my comments as I tuck into the remainder again tonight, just to be sure of my initial remarks of course
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The task chosen for me by UF was CA's chicken jalfrezi, a CA dish i'd never tried and a dish i have yet to try from any BIR. However, i have cooked CBM's jalfrezi from his book on more than one occasion and my reviews of it can be found here:
http://www.curry-recipes.co.uk/curry/index.php/topic,5965.msg72874.html#msg72874So, in order to provide a balanced review i chose to make both, using the CBM's as a yardstick for comparison purposes. The accompaniment to both would be plain basmati rice so as not to interfere with my taste buds.
First up was CA's. Made to spec with the following exceptions only, half a green pepper as opposed to a quarter of green and the same of red (forgot to put that on the shopping list) and the spiced oil used was not CA's but simply, well cooked-in bhaji oil, not that i am a convinced fan of its use, and i mean spiced oil in general. For consistancy purposes i used it in both curries. Obviously because it wasn't CA's spiced oil there would be a slightly different outcome to the dish, just as there would be to CBM's for using it :
The line up:
And into my virgin pan went the onion, peppers, chillis and tomatoes followed a bit later by the garlic and ginger
This was followed by CA's masala, curry and chilli powder and the diluted tomato paste
Followed by half of CA's gravy which was greatly reduced, then the rest added along with salt and a little touch of sugar and eventually fresh corinader to finish and garnish
The end result
The smell was getting my juices going. Then on to round two. Next up CBM's. Ingredients wise not a lot of difference other than the inclusion of fenugreek leaves and more tomato paste. The base and mixed powder used was from Zaal's
The ordering of the ingredients however was different and can make a difference to the overall result. Having fried the fresh garlic until it browned a little the onions and peppers were added
Then in went most of the remaining ingredients for a fry before the gravy was gradually added
In went the first lot of gravy for a good reduction followed by the remainder, cooked to my preferred consistancy
The yardstick complete
And now the crunch :
In colour the two are virtually identical, CA's may be a fraction of a shade darker but hardly noticeable. The texture of both - identical other than the way i prepared the onions
CA's jalfrezi had a good curry flavour with medium heat.
There was good depth depth to it with a fresh chilli background but not obscuring the presence of the capsicum. A hint of sweetness was present brought about by the onions and touch of sugar and the tomato element was clearly present but not overpowering in any way. The balance of the ingredients produced a fine dish of which all the flavours could be enjoyed separately and as one.
CBM's became a "must do again" after the first time i cooked it and CA's was certainly going to give it a run for its money.
Given the increased amount of tomato paste I was expecting to taste a more tomatoey flavour in the overall curry. I got that wrong. The flavour was evident but blended well into the rest of the dish. Given the lack of a sprinkling of sugar i was not expecting the hint of sweetness in the background. Wrong again, it was a little sweeter, brought about i think by use of the Zaal base. Did the meethi bring anything to the party? It certainly did. Whilst its inclusion was not obvious there was a taste that wasn't present in CA's. Given the virtually identical ingredients something had added a new dimension to the dish which i can only attribute to the fenugreek leaves. This dish had a more complex flavour and seemed "lighter" in taste for want of a better word.
So my prefered jalfrezi? By a nose only it has to be CBM's IMHO.
That said, cook either of these two dishes and you will enjoy the rapture of flavours that a jalfrezi has to offer. I think any BIR is going to have to go some to beat the results achieved by either of these recipes.
Thanks UF for the challenge. Two nights running i've eaten two superb dishes side by side. Look forward to the next round Frank. Good work
And finally - CA's on the right and CBM's on the left:
Topic: Secret Recipe Group Test (Read 111824 times)
