Topic: Good ginger and garlic purees?

[laynebritton]

Yep I fully agree with CP in regards to freezing Garlic.....I used to blend then freeze in Ice cube trays but there is definitely a loss in flavour in your final product.
I have made 2 Curry's at the same time (same recipe) using Jarred + frozen garlic and believe me the Jarred garlic Curry stood out and had are more stronger flavour and just to back up my theory I did a taste test with a few friends so I'm Never going to freeze garlic again it just isn't worth it.
I do however use the Nishan Garlic Puree and I must say there is no great loss in flavour compared to fresh (my opinion)
 But it's always gonna be fresh is best if you got the time to peel + blend and use immediately superb
blending + freezing oh No not for me sorry Yuk.
  Layne

[currychris]

Hi CurryChris,

I think that bottled pureed garlic and ginger have a very different smell and taste than fresh garlic and ginger..... no doubt because of the oil, vinegar, salt and (particularly) acidity regulators in them. 

I use both fresh AND bottled pureed garlic and ginger in my curries because I believe the bottled stuff (particularly the garlic....the ginger less so) helps develop that "BIR restaurant taste"..........and I'd be staggered if BIRs use fresh all of the time......


 

I agree 100% with that - I also always add a teaspoon of garlic granules to my spice mix becaues I also think that this helps with the BIR taste

[CurryCanuck]

I never use prepared  garlic or ginger as most commercial renditions contain copious amounts of acetic acid and taste like hell ! Fresh is always best ...those using anything powdered - pax dominus sit semper vobiscum...use fresh ingredients only - if you prefer a synthetic chemical base , then that is what you will get... a synthetic chemical after-taste ! Forget freezing...forget powder.... one cannot compromise when it comes to flavour ..... fresh is always !... always ! best ! Any restaurant using anything but fresh ingredients must be considered inferior of both taste and customer satisfaction . Those that proclaim otherwise are " clandestine wannabes " who prefer compromise rather than culinary comfort . If you can't use ingredients " in season  or fresh"...don't bother - the options are both far too limiting as well as unpalatable . Garlic can be frozen either as separate cloves or as a complete head. It can be successfully defrosted and used in cooking. Unfortunately the flavour will never be as good as it was originally. The garlic simply isn't as potent and sometimes the texture deteriorates as well. Arguably it's not worth using.Warning: Raw garlic stored in oil at room temperature can quickly result in botulism (colostrum botulinum) leading to serious illness and possibly death. Even keeping it refridgerated for too long can be dangerous. Be careful. I guess this begs the question - are some of the BIR tastes something that is based on synthetically modified ingredients ? If that is the case , then welcome to the world of  " CRAP "... culinary renditions appropriately personalized ! I would hope that this is the exception rather than the rule and that most " upper-scale " BIR establishments would be using fresh products in order to reflect a distinct , palatable and clean taste . If that is not the norm , then MacDonald's has infiltrated the BIR homeland and created a culinary generic disaster ! Let us not all eat at the same trough !

[Cory Ander]

Hi CurryCanuck,

I understand what you (and others) are saying about "fresh is best" and that you never use pre-prepared garlic or ginger purees.  In many ways I agree....BUT..

....if the goal (here) is to replicate BIR curries, surely the question should rather be (for the purposes of this site, at least) "what do BIRs use and do"?

In this context, I think it is somewhat misleading to suggest that "those BIRs not using fresh ingredients must be considered inferior for taste and customer satisfaction".  Surely, most high-street BIRs are more akin to "fast food" outlets than "haute cuisine"? (or, more akin to a MacDonalds than a high-class restaurant, if you like?).

I remember that a friend of mine (this was in the late eighties) went to a particular well-regarded BIR, week in week out, because she adored their dhansak (which was a humble 3 or 4 quid a pop!).  She thought it was the dog's knobbly bits, until, one night, she walked past their kitchen and noticed empty lentil tins in their rubbish bins.  So, she refused to eat there ever again!  Her decision was based simply on "principle" rather than on taste.  I never did understand her decision.  Presumably, she now dines elsewhere where they will almost certainly be doing similar things.......

My personal endeavour is simply to recreate BIR curries (and "that taste") at home.  To do so, I try to use the ingredients and methods which I believe BIRs use.  For me, this includes the following:

The cheapest possible oil (as well as limited use of ghee)
Bottled curry pastes and commercially prepared curry powders (as well as use of some fresh whole spices)
Commercially ground spices (seldom roasted and ground fresh whole spices)
Bottled garlic and ginger purees (as well as copious amounts of fresh)
Tinned tomatoes, purees and pastes (as well as limited use of fresh)
Tinned lentils (as well as dried)
Bottled and dried mint (seldom, if ever, fresh)
Bottle lemon and lime juices (seldom fresh)
Dried and powdered fenugreek (seldom, if ever, fresh)
Desiccated, tinned and creamed coconut (seldom, if ever, fresh)
Powdered chilli (as well as fresh)
Artificial food colours!

..the list goes on..

Unfortunately (or fortunately....depending on how you look at it) BIR restaurants make many such compromises.  At four quid a pop, most BIRs attempt to achieve an acceptable level of quality at minimum cost.

Surely this is largely why BIR curries taste the way that they do?!

[Chilli Prawn]

Hmm, we seem to have a good quality debate on our hands.  CC has a very valid point and one close to my heart, but as was pointed out by CK this is a site dedicated to the mythical holy grail of the BIR curry secrets. I am afraid that in my experience a lot of the cheap BIRs do use OTS (off the shelf) ingredients, I shop at the same wholesale stores and observe what they buy.  I would say CA that inferior oil isn't (can not) be used for lots of good reasons, similarly they do not usually skimp on the quality of their rice and meat. 

Very good upmarket BIRs usually take a very different approach to everything; processes, ingredients, storage, as do the sweat shop suppliers (ethnic cafes) at the other end of the scale.

Let's face it, if anyone does find the holy grail, and it is the complete answer to all BIR curry production, they will be a multi-millionaire within weeks.  But it is fun, like Monty Python, searching for it!

Happy searching
C P

[CurryCanuck]

I think  thats the ongoing question that requires more detective work in order to unravel the mystery of just what is in the BIR curries . With such varying tastes it is difficult to pin-point  exactly which ingredients are used .....but one of these days - 

CC

[currychris]

....I have it!.....it's vanilla essence!!

[Chilli Prawn]

Ye Gods Chris you've cracked it, pass the cheese Grommit.  What make, what size, where can I get it, what dishes does it work best in, and what base are you using??  Nah, you are just extracting the essence..................

Happy searching
C P

[currychris]

Vanilla Vindaloo eh...I wonder who would be the first to try it if it were included on a BIR menu : :-[

[Chilli Prawn]

Would you  believe that there is a dish.  It is French bu I was told it originated in Asia and it is Vanilla Duck.  I have had it and it is delicious.

Happy Cooking
C P