Curry2Go Ebook

[Invisible Mike]

I don't know if this topic has already been covered but I bought the Curry2Go ebook the other day and tonight made my first curries from it. I made the chicken jalfrezi, the lamb balti and the chicken tikka murgh makhani with the Bangladeshi gravy and they wasn't bad at all. Has anybody else got this ebook, if so what do you think of the results you've had from it?

Cheers

Mike

[goncalo]

I have his book and I have been successful cooking some of his recipes. It's not exempt from mistakes and I think it's a great introduction to BIR.

Did you try the base using the pressure cooker method? If so, did you get the "vinegary smell" ?

[Invisible Mike]

Ha ha funny that...Yes I did the 3 litre one in my pressure cooker and do you know what, all I kept asking my missus was "can you smell the vinegar yet?" "I cant smell anything, just boiled onions"...lol I kept letting a bit of steam off through the valve and sniffing the vapour but I couldnt get it. I don't think I have a very acute sense of smell though to be honest. All I know is that those onions were well and truly mushed when I'd finished boiling them!

[George]

It's not exempt from mistakes and I think it's a great introduction to BIR.

So, what you are saying is:

The curry2go eBook has mistakes and that makes it a great introduction to BIR.

Yes, that makes sense, as quality control seems all over the place in too many BIRs these days. Food can taste great one day and bland the next, like they forget to add certain spices, or something.

[goncalo]

Ha ha funny that...Yes I did the 3 litre one in my pressure cooker and do you know what, all I kept asking my missus was "can you smell the vinegar yet?" "I cant smell anything, just boiled onions"...lol I kept letting a bit of steam off through the valve and sniffing the vapour but I couldnt get it. I don't think I have a very acute sense of smell though to be honest. All I know is that those onions were well and truly mushed when I'd finished boiling them!

I had the same experience. I could not get the vinegary smell, kept asking the missus to have a whiff around the pan and nothing. Well cooked onions if anything!

It's not exempt from mistakes and I think it's a great introduction to BIR.

So, what you are saying is:

The curry2go eBook has mistakes and that makes it a great introduction to BIR.

Yes, that makes sense, as quality control seems all over the place in too many BIRs these days. Food can taste great one day and bland the next, like they forget to add certain spices, or something.

Well George, that is one way to see it. OTOH, I didn't say the book was filled with mistakes.

I think the variable results have more to do with when the main chef is off and/or the service is so busy they pull in the KP and the tandoori chef to help/backup. Obviously, I'm speculating because I've never been to an actual BIR kitchen, but this is what I heard from people who access these kitchens.

[Peripatetic Phil]

It's not exempt from mistakes and I think it's a great introduction to BIR.

So, what you are saying is:

The curry2go eBook has mistakes and that makes it a great introduction to BIR.

George, George, George -- that is /not/ what Gon

[StoneCut]

Some mistakes in the eBook were corrected in a later revision which any buyers were sent a link to. It still has the odd mistake in it, though (like not mentioning when some ingredients are to be added) but all in all I consider Julian's ebook to be one of the best so far along with Mick's/CBM's.

I never did get that vinegary smell either, though. I've come to the conclusion just not to worry about it. I even think that you can cut down on the cooking time a lot without sacrificing any flavour at all.

One thing to note: The only time I got a smell from onions that *could* be described as "vinegary" was when I made caramelized onions really slowly and slow-fried them for a very long time to make them really dark. However, for that to work you need to slow-fry the onions, and not cook them in water. Maybe all the water had already evaporated in Julian's pressure cooker when he smelled it and the onions were on the brink of burning but not quite yet?!

[George]

Well George, that is one way to see it. OTOH, I didn't say the book was filled with mistakes.

Sorry. I admit I twisted your words a bit, to make a point.

Your English is so good, I never realised it isn't your first language.

[Invisible Mike]

.....Anyway.....Yes there are one or two mistakes. Like not mentioning in the base gravy list of ingredients that it requires tomatoes but then announcing all of a sudden half way through the cooking instructions that it does! I'm not sure Pataks pastes are used in authentic BIR either but hey. I made the naans, they were good if a bit flat and chapatti like, the rice is good, in fact it was all good but it wasn't the missing link we are all after. Something still missing....I wish Julian would reply to his emails aswell.