Topic: Which onions ...........

[RubyDoo]

............... Do you prefer to use in base?

Read somewhere that English onions can make the base taste bitter. C2g recommends using Dutch or English yet also recognises that Restaurants will use Dutch where possible as they are sweeter. That said, Spanish onions are also meant to be sweeter than English.

Have you a preference regarding the origin of onions for base and if so is this due to then aforementioned supposed bitterness issue?

Apologies if this has already been covered but you can imagine what a search for 'onions' throws up.  ( cannot see how to refine search parameters to search phrases ).

[PaulP]

I've tried using sweet Dutch onions and also the typical brown onions sold by Sainsburys which are quite strong. I don't recall much difference to the finished base or curries.

Probably the best bet to recreate BIR would be to buy a cheap sack of brown onions from an Asian cash'n'carry as that's what the BIRs would do.

Paul

[RubyDoo]

I've tried using sweet Dutch onions and also the typical brown onions sold by Sainsburys which are quite strong. I don't recall much difference to the finished base or curries.

Probably the best bet to recreate BIR would be to buy a cheap sack of brown onions from an Asian cash'n'carry as that's what the BIRs would do.

Paul

Thanks Paul but the large brown ones in Sainsburys are normally Spanish  the little brown ones I have had recently from Ocado have ( according to season ) recently been English and I have noticed a bitterness to some curries that I have masked with a little sugar. Now whether that is down to the onions ..........?

[PaulP]

I don't think the ones I bought from Sainsburys were Spanish.
To some degree you can tell from the shape as sweet onions tend to have a shape like a flattened tennis ball whereas the "strong" onions are closer to round.

In any case I hate paying

[RubyDoo]

I think a trip up Tooting Broadway may be in order to suss out what the 'locals' have in large sacks . 

[RubyDoo]

.... and then to put another cat amongst the pigeons I just read a new post on the Zaal base that lead me back to the recipe which states

Fill it just over three quarters full of chopped English / Dutch onions. Do not use milder Spanish onions.

Arghhhhhhhh   ;D

[solarsplace]

.... and then to put another cat amongst the pigeons I just read a new post on the Zaal base that lead me back to the recipe which states

Fill it just over three quarters full of chopped English / Dutch onions. Do not use milder Spanish onions.

Arghhhhhhhh   ;D

Hi RubyDoo

I think the words "Do not use milder Spanish onions" is probably a bit extreme!

However, we quizzed Az over the onions and we were told that they recommend the English / Dutch onions and he did not recommend the Spanish ones and did not use them in his restaurant. He may have elaborated on the reasons and something along the lines of being too watery or too sweet rings bells but I'm not 100% on his reasons.

Thanks

[DalPuri]

I think a trip up Tooting Broadway may be in order to suss out what the 'locals' have in large sacks . 

Be careful when you're there Ruby  ;D

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2064984/

[RubyDoo]

I think a trip up Tooting Broadway may be in order to suss out what the 'locals' have in large sacks . 

Be careful when you're there Ruby  ;D

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2064984/

Nah. Pussy cats in that part of the world. 

[Micky Tikka]

Has anyone tried Red onions
I know they are dearer and probably not used in BIR
But in the book Rasoi  by Vineet Bhatia (he ownes a Michelin star Restaurant in Chelsea)
He has a page on Pastes and Bases
He says he chops the onions and sweats them until they turn pink
now he doesn't say red onions but I cant think of any other onions he could be using unless a bit of food colouring  ;D
But it does cross my mind when i see big sacks of red onions also in tooting( could be the missing ingredient 
Just a thought
Michael