Topic: Let's remember why we're here

[curryhell]

Breaking with recent tradition I've headed into the kitchen two nights running, due to the lack of on topic curry posts on the forum.  I was beginning to think I was reading peoples own blogs rather than posts on a site which focused on cooking BIR curry.
Anyway, last night i revisted my original NIS dish., having decided i needed to make a couple of subtle changes to get it nearer to the benchmark dish from my local.  I am more than happy with the Elaichi NIS which is just as well, as the last three times i have had it, it is nowhere as good as it used to be.  Thankfully, I managed to crack that one in time.
Last nights results:





Quite happy with the results, a nice thick sticky sauce with a lot of bite from the chillis but i really do need to eat the control dish alongside my creation and see if i can detect what may be missing.  This could be work in progress for a while :

Tonights efforts:


I decided a chicken phall was the order of the evening as I had some Zaal base left having made up a new batch last week and some blitzed plumb tomatoes in the fridge.  So just had to defrost a portion of IFFU's pre-cooked chicken, also cooked last week, a good 4kg portion .
No surprised as to the ingredients really, tsp g/g, good hpd tsp of Zaal mix powder, a good chef's spoon of chilli powder, pinch of salt.  For added flavour half dozen fresh chillis and two dsrt spoons of "naga" paste (viceroy of india scotch bonnet paste) and lastly a little sprinkle of sugar.  I was quite hard on the reduction throughout the cooking with each ladle of base, saving the last ladle to loosen the dish up before serving. 
Out of 10 i'd give an 8 and am quite happy with my efforts.  What made it worthwhile was a though after cooking it.  Not sure yet if it could be "eureka" moment for me or not but i'll let you know in due course.  My local BIR which i've eaten from for 25 plus years always manages to have a wonderful tomatoey taste to their vindaloo.  However, this isn't overpowering and there is no way it is achieved by tomato paste / blended tomatoes alone.  It has a unique flavour which i've never experienced in any other restaurant.  It can only come from one of two things I believe.  More on this when i have had time to experiment a little.
More experiments, the last couple of times i have cooked pilau rice i have used the Zaman method, including milk during the cooking.  I must confess that having cooked my pilau rice according to my recipe already posted on the site, it is surprising what a difference it makes introducing a/ washed rice and b/ a different liquid in addition to water.  I can't say i have perfected this yet and have still some work to do to arrive at the standard of my normal rice.  But as you can see from the picture it looks and tasted perfectly acceptable. I will continue to work on it because it really does make a difference in my opinion.  Just like a BIR curry that has the "taste" and "smell", BIR pilau too has it's own unique taste and smell (other than that given by the basmati rice and the whole spice).  Using milk in the cooking IMHO provides exactly that.  I'm sure after a bit more tweaking i'll be there and will publish if anybody is interested.
Zaman rice



With tonights phall

[Peripatetic Phil]

Ah, curry :  I'd almost forgotten what it looked like with the recent schamozzle ...

Looks good, but tell me more about the pulao rice.  As far as my wife and I are concerned, our microwave version (which uses no milk) is spot on; are you able to quantify exactly what difference you feel the milk makes ?

** Phil.

[Secret Santa]

Do you guys not think this is the reason we often have trouble moving on when you both unnecessarily continue to refer to the recent problems?

Curryhell you started like this: "Breaking with recent tradition I've headed into the kitchen two nights running, due to the lack of on topic curry posts on the forum.  I was beginning to think I was reading peoples own blogs rather than posts on a site which focused on cooking BIR curry.
Anyway, last night i revisted my original NIS dish., having decided..."

When you could have started like this: "Last night i revisted my original NIS dish., having decided...". See the difference?

I just don't think you guys get it...if you don't like the fuss and you want to get away from it STOP referring to it unnecessarily!  You can't have it both ways!  :

[goncalo]

What proportions of rice, milk and water did you use?

BTW, I was told informally (no references) that harvard had removed milk from the wheel of healthy food, claiming it to be co-related with testicular cancer, so maybe worth doing some research before I go about trying milk again.

[curryhell]

And I suggest you look a little closer to home SS. Surely your memory is not that short  .  I would appreciate you not taking this thread any further off topic.  Thank you.

[Secret Santa]

And I suggest you look a little closer to home SS. Surely your memory is not that short  .  I would appreciate you not taking this thread any further off topic.  Thank you.

Unfortunately CH it was off-topic from the start. It's a pity you're not mature enough to acknowledge that fact.

[Malc.]

Hi CH

As Phil asks, I too am interested to here exactly what qualities the milk adds. What I would also like to ask is whether or not you have tried the milk without washing the rice? Primarily as I have noticed soaking and/or washing rice thoroughly, has a bug impact on the finished rice. The texture is always lighter as well as the taste.

Picked up a TA last night, had Tandoori Chicken (breast) and asked the chef to make an alternative rice. I had plain rice with fried onions, peppers and mushrooms. The chef fried fresh onions really hard almost tobacco with finely chopped green pepper and mushrooms, then stirred through plain rice with chopped coriander, it was one of the best rice dishes i've had. Going to try it on my next home cook.

Cheers,

Malc.

[Peripatetic Phil]

I have noticed soaking and/or washing rice thoroughly, has a big impact on the finished rice. The texture is always lighter as well as the taste.

Agreed.  Some Indian authorities insist that basmati rice /must/ be soaked if it is to achieve the correct texture during cooking.
** Phil.

[Naga]

CH, your dishes look magnificent! If they tasted half as good as they look, you must be a happy man!

I'm now sold on Aussie Mick's pilau rice, but I must say that yours looks great.

Good on you for posting about cooking curries! 

[natterjak]

Looks great CH, thanks for posting