Topic: It Started with Mince n Totties...

[DalPuri]

Well actually, it started before my mince and potato curry. I've watched 100's of videos, maybe 1000's, but recently i've been noticing fennel powder going into a lot of recipes.
It's not a spice i use regularly as a main flavouring in curries, but its always there hiding in the background somewhere.
In the Bombay Aloo/pre-cooked potatoes its there as part of the Panch Phoron.
Its there in most of the Madras curry powders too.

it makes me wonder whether or not to include fennel in my mixed powder? hmmmmm.

After the few days of RJ chat and recipes, i decided to try Harpal Singhs version. I liked the look of it straight away with the whole GM at the beginning and only 3 powdered spices later on.
Kashmiri powder
Fennel powder
Ginger powder

I used a portion of gravy instead of water as i had already defrosted it for something else, then thought "why not?"

The curry was Fabulous! All the cinnamon flavours coming through from the leaves and bark and a wonderful smokiness from the black cardamoms. A perfect balance.
Happy with the recipe, i tried again, but this time with pre-cooked lamb, keeping closer to the original (meat and onion) but with gravy instead of water.
I wanted to add some heat and used the Naga masala i bought a few weeks back. tut tut tut. Wrong.
The curry was overspiced and rough!
I hadn't used this mix before and realised afterwards, it needed a harder fry to tone it down and blend with the other flavours.
Oh well, I know how to use it now.

I had purposely added extra oil to this curry to spoon off for the next but as it was overspiced, i was 50/50 on keeping or binning it. I saved it as i dont like waste. (the only curry thats seen the bin in the last few years was the viceroy suka)

Right, next curry.
Knowing that this oil was overspiced and that i was going to be using BB1's pre-cooked chicken as well, i thought i would cook this curry in the style of a BB1 curry. (i.e. no added powders)

2 red onions cooked down for 20 mins with the overspiced oil.
1 tbs g/g
1 tbs methi
1 tbs tom puree
6 tbs lamb/aknhi stock (frozen in shot moulds, 3tbs volume)
pinch of salt/portion of gravy/portion pre-cooked chicken with a fair amount of oil and sediment and a very good squirt of lemon dressing.

It was one of the best meat curries i've ever made! It tasted like a Pathia. (a real one  )
But where was that sweetness coming from??
The red onions?  the lamb/aknhi stock?

Ok, so lets try again with a different gravy. Nope, no sweetness this time. 
So was it from the gravy i wondered? Everything was the same except for no overspiced oil or added powders.

Next curry, back to original gravy. Nope, no sweetness again. So it cant be the gravy and must be that overspiced oil which includes ground fennel.. . . 

to be continued . ..

Frank. 



edit: just to be clear, the first RJ Was the mince and potato curry, but with the same spicing + gravy cooked down dry similar to the Shahee Mossala video posted by HappyChris.

[spiceyokooko]

DP, fascinating reading, top man, top poster.

Looking forward to hearing the conclusion to this!

[chonk]

Sounds a little bit kashmiri (they use ground ginger and fennel extensively) (: As for the sweetness, my bet is on the fennel seeds. Very versatile spice. I'm addicted to mint lassi, that gets extra sweetness from dry-roasted, ground fennel seeds. Kashmiri dals, like rajma, often use the exact combination of spices mentioned above (kashmiri chili, ground ginger and fennel), plus kashmiri spice cakes or additional GM - tastes very nice, too!

The last time I used red onions, I was a little bit disappointed. Somehow, pretty tasteless. I like them for salads and such, because of the mild flavour, and maybe I didn't use enough for my main dish, but I thought there was something missing.

Thanks for the post DalPuri! (:

[curryhell]

Great post DP.  Hopefully some solid conclusions will come out of the next session.  After part one i ready to open a book on the outcomes  ;D  Wait with baited breath for the next installment

PS - can you post a shortcut to his recipe?

[goncalo]

Congratulations DP! I'm glad you got it right and I hope you nail what exactly led to that astounding flavour!

I saved it as i dont like waste. (the only curry thats seen the bin in the last few years was the viceroy suka)

Is this viceroy the "viceroy brasserie", as in, the same guys who post videos to youtube?

[DalPuri]

Thanks all. 

PS - can you post a shortcut to his recipe?

Here you go CH

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p1RgI4R8VX4

Is this viceroy the "viceroy brasserie", as in, the same guys who post videos to youtube?

Yes, same place Goncalo.  fish masala powder, tamarina and gravy, NO!!   :

Ohh, did i forget to mention... the predominant flavour in this naga masala powder is.. . . . . you guessed it,
FENNEL  ;D

[DalPuri]

Sounds a little bit kashmiri (they use ground ginger and fennel extensively) (: As for the sweetness, my bet is on the fennel seeds.

I suppose if i think about it, you do get sugar coated fennel seeds in the asian shops. 



Fudco, what a name.  ;D sounds like something from a cartoon like Acme.

[chonk]

Yes. I like restaurants that serve Mukhwas after the meal. Just happened once to me so far, but it's a very nice add-on (:

[goncalo]

Yes, same place Goncalo.  fish masala powder, tamarina and gravy, NO!! 

Ohh, did i forget to mention... the predominant flavour in this naga masala powder is.. . . . . you guessed it,
FENNEL  ;D

This is so disappointing, although I wouldn't be particularly interested in this dish. I have intentions to visit their restaurant next time I'm in UK. I am a big fan of their videos; their method for precooking chicken is by far my favourite.

Have you tried anything else from them?

[DalPuri]

Have you tried anything else from them?

No, afraid not Goncalo. I only tried the prawn suka because it was chosen for me by Rob in the secret tests.
There was no balance to the dish, even with a squirt of lemon that Ali told me to add via email.
The recipe shown on youtube has to be incomplete.